"A statement of fact cannot be insolent." The miscellaneous ramblings of a surgeon/scientist on medicine,
quackery, science, pseudoscience, history, and pseudohistory (and anything else that interests him)
Orac is the nom de blog of a humble pseudonymous surgeon/scientist with an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his miscellaneous verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few will. (Continued here, along with a DISCLAIMER that you should read before reading any medical discussions here.)
Orac's old Blog is archived at Archived Insolence.
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June 30, 2006
Category: Medicine
I sort of expected some attacks when I posted yesterday yesterday about how physicians' incomes have been steadily falling. After all, whenever Kevin, M.D. does similar posts, people with--shall we say?--issues regarding physicians often come out in droves to post...
Posted by Orac at 12:05 PM • 32 Comments
Category: Alternative medicine • Friday Woo • Medicine • Pseudoscience • Quackery • Skepticism/critical thinking
While thinking about ways to make the blog better, I wondered if I should emulate some of my colleagues, many of whom have regular features every week, often on Friday. And, since I usually get a little less serious on...
Posted by Orac at 8:01 AM • 18 Comments
June 29, 2006
Category: Medicine
A new study suggests that, adjusted for inflation, physicians' incomes are, by and large, falling: Doctors may be well off compared with the bulk oftheir patients, but a new study says fees physicians get from the government and private insurers...
Posted by Orac at 1:01 PM • 17 Comments
Category: Medicine
Earlier this week, I was in Washington to attend my first ever NIH study section as an actual reviewer. It was definitely an illuminating experience, and overall I left with, believe it or not, more faith in the system the...
Posted by Orac at 7:31 AM • 8 Comments
June 28, 2006
Category: Alternative medicine • Autism • Bioethics • Medicine • Quackery • Skepticism/critical thinking
Damn you, Kathleen. Every time I think that I can give the whole mercury/autism thing a rest for a while and move on to less infuriating pastures, you keep finding things that keep dragging me back to the pit of...
Posted by Orac at 8:32 AM • 17 Comments
Category: Blogging • Skepticism/critical thinking
One year ago yesterday, a turd flew, the first of many to come. A new skeptic had arrived in the blogosphere, and he called himself (appropriately enough, given his propensity for lobbing fecalgrams at the credulous) The Pooflinger. I feel...
Posted by Orac at 3:05 AM • 0 Comments
June 27, 2006
Category: Blog carnivals • Grand Rounds
The latest Grand Rounds is up over at Medviews. Enjoy...
Posted by Orac at 12:16 PM • 0 Comments
Category: Blog carnivals • History Carnival
There's a lot of bad history out there. People abuse and misuse history all the time for their own ideological or political ends. Sometimes people are just ignorant of history. Fortunately, in the blogosphere, there's an antidote: The Carnival of...
Posted by Orac at 10:46 AM • 1 Comments
Category: Alternative medicine • Blogging • Skepticism/critical thinking
Busy at NIH Study section today, I didn't have time to compose anything extensive. (And there is most definitely something that needs a little Respectful Insolence going on; unfortunately, it will have to wait until tomorrow to receive it.) Fortunately,...
Posted by Orac at 8:01 AM • 2 Comments
June 26, 2006
Category: Alternative medicine • Cancer • Medicine • Quackery
I've written several times about two young victims of what is normally a highly treatable cancer (Hodgkin's lymphoma) and how, with their parents' support, they have jeopardized their lives by choosing alternative therapies. The first, Katie Wernecke, was initially taken...
Posted by Orac at 8:16 AM • 26 Comments
June 25, 2006
Lord Runolfr recently reminded me of a bit of wisdom, courtesy of the Doctor (fourth Doctor, played by Tom Baker) from the episode entitled The Face of Evil. Here's the quote: You know, the very powerful and the very stupid...
Posted by Orac at 12:46 PM • 23 Comments • 2 TrackBacks
June 24, 2006
Category: History • Humor • Sports • World War II
About two weeks ago, I did a brief post about a Lithuanian guy whose blood alcohol level was beyond what would kill most mortal men but who was fully conscious and nominally able to drive. I facetiously referred to it...
Posted by Orac at 1:01 PM • 19 Comments
Category: Humor
It's in Japanese, but anyone can understand......
Posted by Orac at 8:01 AM • 4 Comments
Category: Medicine
Via Black Triangle, I've come across an article about a real medical hero, a man responsible for the development of many of the vaccines we have today. Indeed, it can be argued that this man, Dr. Maurice Hillman, may have...
Posted by Orac at 12:01 AM • 26 Comments
June 23, 2006
Category: History • Humor • World War II
While we're on the topic of Holocaust deniers again, here's something on the lighter side... I thought I'd seen everything. Then, via Improbable Research, I found something truly strange. Are you ready for....Hitler Cats? It's a blog dedicated to cats...
Posted by Orac at 1:16 PM • 3 Comments
Category: Anti-Semitism • History • Holocaust • Holocaust denial • Humor • World War II
Holocaust deniers sometimes refer to the Holocaust as the "Holohoax," as if the whole thing were one huge hoax perpetrated on the world by Jews. Indeed, if you have the stomach to dive into the deepest, darkest, most disgusting parts...
Posted by Orac at 8:01 AM • 40 Comments
