Categories
Announcements Complementary and alternative medicine Quackery

Baseball, cupping, and quackademic medicine

I hate to do this to you guys twice in one week, but sometimes the situation mandates it. Basically, there’s no new Insolence today. I do, however, have an excuse. Because of a gift the Ilitch family gave to our department, a couple of times a year our department is invited to attend a Tigers game in the owner’s suite at Comerica Park. This was the third time I’ve gotten to experience a major league baseball game this way. I only have one thing to say. It is good to be in the owner’s suite. There was everything from really tasty stadium hot dogs to even more tasty salmon and filet mignon there. There was a fully stocked bar. There was a freezer full of ice cream. I got to meet Al Kaline. Life was good last night except for one thing: The Tigers didn’t win.

So think of it this way: I had a choice to lay down 2,000 words worth of Insolence or hang out in the owner’s suite at a major league ballpark. Sorry, but the choice was easy. Fortunately, there’s still one more podcast that I haven’t plugged featuring a certain friend of the blog that we all know and love. It’s on Point of Inquiry with Josh Zepps. This time around, he discusses cupping at the Olympics (of course) and the infiltration of pseudoscience and quackery into medicine. Enjoy.

By Orac

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]

12 replies on “Baseball, cupping, and quackademic medicine”

Nice. Too bad Anibal had to give up that gopher ball.

I’ve always wondered – does Al Kaline eat an acid diet?

Ah reminds me of going to games with my Dad. School district gave out free tickets to a couple of games a year if you made good enough grades. Up in the nose bleed seats.

One of my Dad’s friends at work was one of the ones who took any visiting suits to the company’s sky box. About 1/2 the time the nights we had free tickets they would be in the sky box and about 4 innings in the suits had had enough free drinks so business was no longer being discussed and we’d mosey on over and finish out the game with the free goodies and optional air conditioning depending on if you sat in front of or behind the glass.

It sounds like you had a nice time.

I can’t say I’m disappointed in the outcome of the game, though. I’ll be watching the game to tonight, for sure.

As someone who grew up in the Detroit area during the 90s, I’m used to professional sports teams from that area named after large cats embarrassing themselves.

Nice time, but it would’ve been better in Milwaukee.

Although a bit dull, given that the Brewers were in Chicago.

Al Kaline is so great that he’s the only ballplayer, the only human being of any kind, who has a battery named after him.

Careful there, Orac!

I imagine that your critics ( including those in Austin) will make a brouhaha of your activities in the rarified environs of the owner’s suite ( You elitist!)
eating MEAT ( You non-vegan!) and
additive saturated hotdogs ( Impure person!)

Hope you enjoyed yourself.

As a semi-trophy husband, I periodically get to tag along when my wife is invited to various events.

The suites are indeed a nice way to go.

Comments are closed.

Discover more from RESPECTFUL INSOLENCE

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading