Orac is the nom de blog of a humble surgeon/scientist who has an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his copious verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few probably will. That surgeon is otherwise known as David Gorski.
That this particular surgeon has chosen his nom de blog based on a rather cranky and arrogant computer shaped like a clear box of blinking lights that he originally encountered when he became a fan of a 35 year old British SF television show whose special effects were renowned for their BBC/Doctor Who-style low budget look, but whose stories nonetheless resulted in some of the best, most innovative science fiction ever televised, should tell you nearly all that you need to know about Orac. (That, and the length of the preceding sentence.)
DISCLAIMER:: The various written meanderings here are the opinions of Orac and Orac alone, written on his own time. They should never be construed as representing the opinions of any other person or entity, especially Orac's cancer center, department of surgery, medical school, or university. Also note that Orac is nonpartisan; he is more than willing to criticize the statements of anyone, regardless of of political leanings, if that anyone advocates pseudoscience or quackery. Finally, medical commentary is not to be construed in any way as medical advice.
To contact Orac: [email protected]
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15 replies on “Let’s go back to the days of the Founding Fathers…”
That’s a great idea! I couldn’t watch the video-it was blocked-but your post was right on target.
Yes, let’s let our Founding Fathers be our guide.
After all, George Washington had the Continental Army inoculated against smallpox.
Conservatives romanticise the 1800s. Libertarians romanticise the 1700s.
Don’t know how they were able to STAND watching Glen Beck long enough to create this magnificent parody, but they deserve an EMMY for this single performance.
Say, Orac, I know you often despise HuffPo for their anti-vaccination lunacy, but Tim Ellis just wrote an article there last night which actually DEFENDS vaccination. It’s a pretty short-and-sweet article, but it states it well.
Making fun of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Glenn Beck is like making fun of a person with Down’s syndrome: it almost makes you uncomfortable because they’re so obviously off their fucking rocker that you wonder if they’re actually incapable of formulating anything that’s not fucking stupid.
Right . . . Back to the good old days, where men were men, and vermiforms did what the Man told them to!
!!11!
The only thing missing was the Vicks VapoRub.
Please tell me his guest that night was Jenny McCarthy. Awesome
Brilliant stuff…
saving my night, as today I was told by people who can speak and walk upright that the spanish flu vaccine killed 40 million people, and that they have heard this and other facts on daytime talk radio. Like the FACT that they rushed this vaccine, and that the vaccine is harmful and the H1N1 virus is harmless. Help me on how to respond, without screaming at people to stop being such gd morons. it isn’t helped by the fact that every one seems to know a doctor or nurse who has told then not to get it. I am not smart enough to respond calmly and succinctly to this without some advice.
Jenn –
I usually approach such things not by directly contradicting the claim, but by saying things like “hmmmm, that’s really unusual. I mean, you had that one single cheerleader who claimed she got a movement disorder from the flu vaccine and that was all over the news, even though she was only guessing at a connection between the vaccine and her problem; I wonder how you could have 40 million deaths caused by the flu vaccine without it making the headlines at all? I mean, 40 million people sounds like it’s pretty close to the total population of Spain; there’s no way you could keep a death toll like that secret. Hmmm, maybe I’ll do some checking and find out if that claim has any truth to it…”
In other words, I don’t come right out and say “oh come on, that claim is obviously bullshit” but I pretty much verbally walk them through what their own bullshit detector would be saying to them if it was functioning. I’m very careful to never make it sound like “someone would have to be stupid to believe that” because that of course makes people afraid to change their minds. I say “oh, that seems very strange,” or “how odd, I thought I read that the new flu vaccine was produced in exactly the same way as the yearly seasonal flu shot, different in the specific antigens used but not in any other way” or “the virus is harmless, really? I wonder how that when there’s all those people on respirators because of the H1N1, I’ll have to look at a really reliable source to figure it out…”
Of course, it’s only as I’m writing this that I realize just what my approach boils down to. Basically, I’m “just asking questions.” … now that’s an unsettling realization!
Katharine, on behalf of a friend who’s a job coach for people with Down’s Syndrome: that was a nasty and inaccurate thing to say about folks with DS. They are not “off their f’ing rocker” and are generally more reasonable than her bosses.
Is it possible, just possible, that Jon Stewart has been following the story of JB Handley and Amy Wallace? Because some of the conspiracy talk was terribly reminiscent of the Age of Autism!
Wow, talk about disablism, Katharine. I agree with Kathryn. That was just highly offensive.
I saw that magnificent performance by Jon Stewart, and it blew me away. (I had that same thought, Rozmit!)
Oh dear, I know this has probably been debated 764389564389 times, but I just don’t understand how shows like Glen Becks, Fox “news” are legal. they are misleading so many people, and hamstringing the changes that need to happen.. They need a disclaimer on those shows, visible at all times! at least with liberal “news” shows, there is no pretense of it being anything but entertainment with a very visible spin.
~c
Jon Stewart is genius. I think I need to put him back on my DVR, except that I still would lack time to watch him.
When I read Katharine’s comment, I didn’t read it as people with Down’s Syndrome as being crazy, but that making fun of someone with something that puts him/her apart from the norm can induce discomfort. Glenn Beck, etc-crazy. People with Down’s syndrome-not crazy. YMMV.