Some Weekend Humor

I came across this parody of Lady Gaga from the Zheng Lab via a friend. Thought some of my readers might enjoy it:

Thoughts on Homeopathy at Non-Homeopathic Volumes

The other day over at Respectful Insolence, a comment from someone by the name of Tim caught my eye. He posted a rather long list of questions regarding homeopathy and opposition to it. Some of the questions seemed clearly meant to provoke (e.g., "Would you consider yourself a member of the church of modern medicine?"), but there were others that really warranted a more serious response.

After the break, I'll post a handful of the questions that I felt were actually not bad questions to ask, the answers to which may help people think a little bit before deciding whether or not to use a homeopathic treatment.

Censored on Autism Advocacy Organizations and Parent Groups Support Dr. Andrew Wakefield

If you have made comments on the Age of Autism article Autism Advocacy Organizations and Parent Groups Support Dr. Andrew Wakefield, please copy your comment here, including the date and time you posted at AoA.

A Harsh Reality: Wakefield and Medical/Scientific Fraud

If you are a regular reader of this somewhat irregularly updated blog, you probably have already heard the news. Andrew Wakefield, whose 1998 Lancet paper was fully retracted, has now been accused of fraud. Investigative journalist, Brian Deer, wrote a rather lengthy piece for the British Medical Journal detailing the evidence of fraud committed by Wakefield. I won't go into a detailed analysis here, since it has already been covered at Respectful Insolence, Bad Astronomy, Left Brain/Right Brain, Just the Vax and elsewhere. The story has been broadcast on local news stations, as well as on CNN and Fox News. There is plenty of reading out there for those who are interested.

Instead, I'm going to take a somewhat different approach. I'm interested in what Wakefield's supporters will do now.

One Year Ends, Another Begins

So, we've reached that arbitrary date where we mark one year as ending and another beginning. For many, this is a time for new beginnings, to turn over a new leaf. People make resolutions to accomplish some task or change some behavior. Even though a lot of these never see fruition, the intention is good.

With the idea of newness in mind, I thought that I might rename this blog. It started out simply to give people a place to post their comments that were censored by the editors at the Age of Autism blog. Gradually, I've posted articles on other topics, like using libel laws to censor critics, medical ethics, alternative medicine and so on.

While I will definitely continue creating "Censored on..." posts for people as requested, "Silenced by Age of Autism" doesn't really fit what this blog has become. The only problem is that I don't really know what to call it.

So, I throw it to my readers. What should the new name for this blog be? Post your suggestions in the comments below, and if I see one I like, I'll use it. Be witty. Be whimsical.

To help get ideas a-flowin', here are some of the topics that I think will figure prominently in my writings:

• autism
• vaccines (and, of course, anti-vaxers)
• medical and research ethics
• alternative medicine
• censorship
• other topics of a skeptical nature as the muses dictate

I'm bad with names (just look at the oh-so-creative current name of the blog) and would really appreciate the help.

Merry Christmas, Everybody!

Whether you celebrate the commercial holiday known as Christmas or the religious holiday of the same name, or don't celebrate either, have a great day! I hope your time is filled with family, friends and (to be cliché) good cheer. Wassail to all.

Now, stop reading this blog and be with people.

'Tis the Season

Every December, there is something that is on a lot of people's minds. Of course, there's wintery weather, for those in cooler climes. Preparing for time with family ranks pretty high. For those of a religious persuasion, and even some who aren't, there are all the decorations to take care of, trees to set up and malls to visit. Lots of stuff going on.

But I'm not talking about any of those things. No, there is something else that figures prominently in many people's thoughts:

Charitable giving.

Censored on The Search for 1 in 100 Elderly with Autism

If you have made comments on the Age of Autism article The Search for 1 in 100 Elderly with Autism, please copy your comment here, including the date and time you posted at AoA.

Kim Stagliano: A Catty Confession

A fellow blogger sent me the following screenshots from Age of Autism's Facebook page:

The Eyes Have It

That bastion of science-y wonder has stumbled upon an incredible discovery. Teresa Conrick, at the Age of Autism, discovered something absolutely amazing, that apparently no one else has learned before. She did some in-depth investigation after noticing a peculiar change in her daughter. You see, Teresa's daughter's eyes were blue when she was born, but they gradually changed to a "brownish green".

This puzzled Ms. Conrick so much that she decided to look into just why her daughter's eyes could have gone from "beautiful blue" to apparently less beautiful brownish green. Anyone familiar with AoA will not be surprised at what she discovered. The cause?

Mercury!