…and this is a 
There is a poll in Germany that will determine who will win a "Dedication Award" for service to the community. You can vote on it! In fact, you better vote on it! Here are the top 5 leaders in the votes right now.
Elisabeth von Wedel, Homöopathen ohne Grenzen e.V. 1514 Stimmen
Raul Krauthausen, SOZIALHELDEN e.V. 1208 Stimmen
Jürgen Dangl, Hofgut Himmelreich gGmbH 634 Stimmen
Dr. Stefanie Christmann, Esel-Initiative e.V. 510 Stimmen
Margit Adamski, Zweites Leben e.V. 344 Stimmen
Notice the leader with 1514 stimmen, or votes? To translate, that's "Homeopathy without borders," a team of quacks that travels the world treating the sick and dying with tiny ampules of water.
I suggest that everyone get over there and vote for the current second place group, SOZIALHELDEN, or "Social Heroes". Once they've got a solid lead, we should work on bringing up all the other nominees. Just click on the "Stimme abgeben" beneath their name to vote for them. To see how the voting is going, click on the "Jetzt Ranking Anzeigen" button at the top right of the page.
Homeopaths. <spit>. Worthless frauds and snake-oil salesmen who don't even have the guts to squeeze a snake.
Medicine & Health
Comments
Posted by: Alcari
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October 8, 2009 11:21 AM
Make sure you don't hit the "Jetz ranking anziehen" button before you vote, because you can't vote after you hit the button.
Posted by: Glen Davidson
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October 8, 2009 11:22 AM
Anti-science without borders. A slogan for Ken Ham and Bill Dembski, along with Elizabeth von Wedel.
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/mxaa3p
Posted by: Brownian, Most Vicious & Petty of Pharyngulites
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October 8, 2009 11:25 AM
Why would they? There's no need.
To Cure Snakebite:
First, buy a toy plastic, rubber, or plush snake from a carnival, fair, or museum gift shop.
Next, fill a small glass vial with water.
Allow the two to touch briefly, all the while feeling 'mystical' about yourself.
NB: Make sure you have earned a degree, certificate, or pat on the back from a respected school of naturopathy, homeopathy, or Traditional Chinese Medicine at some point prior to or during the preparation of the tincture, otherwise
the magic won't workthe public won't buy into your bullshitjust do it, okay?Posted by: Aratina Cage
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October 8, 2009 11:36 AM
Elisabeth von Wedel, Homöopathen ohne Grenzen e.V.
1547 Stimmen
Raul Krauthausen, SOZIALHELDEN e.V.
1351 Stimmen
Posted by: Greg Laden
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October 8, 2009 11:44 AM
Homeopaths without borders ... what do they use for passports, tiny pieces of lint?
Posted by: Kausik Datta
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October 8, 2009 11:49 AM
I wonder if anyone else is finding an absence of the poll options on that page? All I see is this:
followed by that"Jetz ranking anziehen" button!Posted by: SC OM
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October 8, 2009 11:52 AM
:D
(Have you chosen a baby name yet? I still recommend Theory. ...Or you could go with Thierry...make people think...)
Posted by: Greg Laden
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October 8, 2009 11:58 AM
We have not chosen a name, but the suggestions have been very helpful.
How about Intherie
Posted by: https://me.yahoo.com/a/Ia03yaE_1uIoaGvRm4N_1510JZNTB44-#bfd50
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October 8, 2009 12:04 PM
Raul Krauthausen - ahead by a whisker... 1560 to 1556
Posted by: vanharris
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October 8, 2009 12:05 PM
It's going the right way already:
Raul Krauthausen, SOZIALHELDEN e.V.
1607 Stimmen
Elisabeth von Wedel, Homöopathen ohne Grenzen e.V.
1557 Stimmen
Posted by: Stardrake
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October 8, 2009 12:05 PM
Raul Krauthausen, SOZIALHELDEN e.V.
1597 Stimmen
Elisabeth von Wedel, Homöopathen ohne Grenzen e.V.
1556 Stimmen
Pharyngulation is happening!
Posted by: https://me.yahoo.com/a/Ia03yaE_1uIoaGvRm4N_1510JZNTB44-#bfd50
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October 8, 2009 12:07 PM
This signup system continues to suck (at least trying to use an open ID) - it won't let me in at all in firefox and even with IE it's choking a little on my name...
Posted by: Alverant
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October 8, 2009 12:10 PM
Last week I went in for a physical (first time in years). The doctor wasn't that great, then I found out later he went to a homeopathic school. I was pissed. I called in and complained. Fortunately all the other doctors are actual doctors (hopefully) so if I go in again, I can request someone else.
Posted by: Cliff Hendroval
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October 8, 2009 12:12 PM
I was in Germany a couple of weeks ago and noticed that at a couple of the hotels I stayed at there were pitchers of "bio-energized" water available at the breakfast buffets. These were regular pitchers with rocks and crystals in the bottom.
Posted by: aesahaettr111
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October 8, 2009 12:16 PM
I'm not sure, but it seems like you MUST click on the "Jetzt Ranking Anzeigen" button at the top right of the page in order to register your vote, AFTER clicking "Stimme abgeben" under your selection.
Posted by: Frank b
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October 8, 2009 12:21 PM
Raul Krauthausen (1769), Elisabeth von Wedel (1562). The homeopath's lead has been von Wedeled down to a negative 206.
Posted by: Nebula99
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October 8, 2009 12:22 PM
I think the poll closed, but I can't understand enough of the German to see who won. From these comments it looks like we got enough votes in to tip it against Bull Without Borders. Did the SOZIALHELDEN one win?
Posted by: Desert Son
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October 8, 2009 12:32 PM
Just voted, showing now Raul Krauthausen, SOZIALHELDEN e.V. at 1918 Stimmen.
1918 Stimmen. I have to confess, when I saw that number, the psychological meaning-maker that is my human personality leapt immediately to "1918" and "German" and a whole host of other free associations.
There's an excellent series of videos on YouTube about the First World War, and I confess, I've probably watched it overmuch.
None of which has anything to do with this post, so I apologize for the digression, and am happy to report that "Woo Without Borders" no longer leads.
Thanks for the translation, too, PZ.
No kings,
Robert
Posted by: Jparenti
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October 8, 2009 12:35 PM
#13: They're allowing homeopaths to do PHYSICALS?? That's as bad as the fact that my medical insurance covers chiropractors.
Posted by: Gunnar
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October 8, 2009 12:41 PM
So even PZ Myers jumps in! So there is still hope to stop the quackers from getting the prize.
Thank you!
Posted by: Dianne
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October 8, 2009 12:42 PM
I must admit I voted for Esel Initiative. I liked the sound of what they did the best. I'll feel like a Nadar voter if the homeopaths win...
Posted by: carlos.nunes-ueno.myopenid.com
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October 8, 2009 12:44 PM
Following homeopathic logic, fewer votes should be better, shouldn't it?
Posted by: Jparenti
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October 8, 2009 12:48 PM
#22: Luckily, only the homeopaths believe that. Let them. It's better than way. :)
I am still irritated at my mother for homeopathy. I've managed to convince her that God is a load of BS, but she's still convinced that homeopathy has its moments. Still trying to figure out how to frame the argument against it for her.
Posted by: Thunderbird 5
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October 8, 2009 12:48 PM
Die Sozialhelden seem to be doing good now, so I went for Nationalparkstiftung (the one with the owl picture).
I hate, loathe, despise and detest homeopathy and every quack and moron associated with it.
I have patients (I'm a community nurse in the SW of the UK) whose lifestyle-enabled, pig-kill-resembling venous ulcers are apparently being cured by their faithful imbibing of some hydro-molecular bollocks. According to them and their pet alternative practitioner, the progress made with this notoriously stubborn condition has nothing to do with the regular assessments we instigate and the bordering-on-fanatical wound-tending regime we carry out daily.
Ironically, alginate dressings invariably figure into it: these spoilt hippies will moan on about Big Pharma morning noon and bloody night to the top of our heads whilst we're bent over their oozing appendage, picking off dead flesh bit by bit and nurturing new epithelium like it was our own child - but as soon as we tell them "This stuff's seaweed, it is", they're singing its wholesome praises at the next drum circle/Forteana social.
Rough day. Soz.
Posted by: Physicalist
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October 8, 2009 12:52 PM
IMPORTANT:
(1) It looks like you can vote for MULTIPLE groups. Just keep clicking "Stimme Abgeben" under the different projects.
So you can vote for everyone *except* the homeopaths. (Unless I'm wrong, the site is confusing.) It does say you can give many projects your vote.
(2) Do NOT click on the "Jetz Ranking Anzeigen" button until AFTER you have voted; else it won't let you vote.
Posted by: AdamK
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October 8, 2009 1:05 PM
Linken on die blinkin. Can't display. Site crashed by pharyngulists diluting the homeopath vote?
Posted by: nic nicholson
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October 8, 2009 1:07 PM
To quote Tim Minchin’s ‘Storm’:
Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed
Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved.
If you show me
That, say, homeopathy works,
Then I will change my mind
I’ll spin on a fucking dime
I’ll be embarrassed as hell,
But I will run through the streets yelling
It’s a miracle! Take physics and bin it!
Water has memory!
And while it’s memory of a long lost drop of onion juice is Infinite
It somehow forgets all the poo it’s had in it!
Posted by: Keenacat
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October 8, 2009 1:08 PM
What a sick fucker is nomiating homeotards for a community award anyways? Especially homeotards who travel the world keeping the poorest of the poor from acessing real medical care by providing friggin' sugar globules? I might get a hysterical fit over this.
There are loads of nice initiatives there, and who scores the lead? It's just ao argh...
Posted by: Oldcola
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October 8, 2009 1:21 PM
SOZIALHELDEN e.V. 2421 Stimmen
Homöopathen ohne Grenzen e.V. 1598 Stimmen
looks nice
Posted by: Matt Penfold
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October 8, 2009 1:23 PM
I wonder how Médecins Sans Frontières care for homoeopaths cashing in the good name they have made for themselves in providing good quality healthcare to some of the poorest people in the world.
Posted by: nic nicholson
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October 8, 2009 1:25 PM
As a homeopath, I feel you all should know, that the more votes you make the more dilute our votes become.
Every vote you cast makes us stronger! Or...something like that.
Posted by: dutchdoc
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October 8, 2009 1:26 PM
I bet Raul Krauthausen is scratching his head right now! ;-)
Posted by: The Skepdick
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October 8, 2009 1:31 PM
PZ, perhaps you can create a section of your blog dedicated to situations when you must unleash the horde to handle problems like this one.
I NEVER miss a poll like this when you post one that needs "rationalizing".
Posted by: JJ
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October 8, 2009 1:37 PM
Warning OT Link:
http://gizmodo.com/5376856/little-known-fact-astronomer-carl-sagan-was-a-stoner
Posted by: Physicalist
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October 8, 2009 1:38 PM
Vote for EVERYONE EXCEPT "Homöopathen ohne Grenzen."
Don't hit "view ranking" until you're done.
Current rankings:
1) SOZIALHELDEN, 2562 Stimmen
2) Homöopathen ohne Grenzen, 1604 Stimmen
3) Hofgut Himmelreich, 702 Stimmen
4) Dr. Christmann, Esel-Initiative, 540 Stimmen
5) Zweites Leben, 352 Stimmen
6) Bergwaldprojekt, 303 Stimmen
7) Frischmann Kunststoffe, 253 Stimmen
8) Mixed Leadership, 181 Stimmen
9) Nationalparkstiftung Unteres Odertal, 179 Stimmen
Posted by: Dreamer
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October 8, 2009 1:41 PM
I'm sure they recognize the need for balance. These people provide poor quality healthcare to some of the richest people in the world.Posted by: Holly
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October 8, 2009 1:47 PM
Homeopaths on a poll? Is that like angels dancing on a pin? I thought there was some joke coming. Or a They Might Be Giants song.
Posted by: alae
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October 8, 2009 2:00 PM
This isn't a pointless "for entertainment only" poll as the winner will be awarded 10000 Euros. So thank you very much for pharyngulating this poll.
Posted by: Frank Oswalt
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October 8, 2009 2:01 PM
Prof. Myers, I usually value your opinions very highly, but I cannot understand your hatred of an entire profession whose members are doing an excellent job. It is a shame that your close-mindedness has got the better of you here. Frauds and snake-oil salesmen perform an important function in society -- I wouldn't know where to get my snake-oil were it not for those brave salesmen.
As for homeopaths, they can f*** off and die.
Posted by: Rutrow
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October 8, 2009 2:08 PM
Click my name (Rutrow) below for a translated version of this webpage. There are some (i.e. religious) organizations like "Kirchliche Erwerbsloseninitiative Leipzig, Heike Knechtel" that should NOT get our votes.
My personal favorite is "Springer Bio Backwerk GmbH, Wolfgang W. Springer" (the guy in the white shirt, at the bow of a blue boat in his thumbnail) who is fighting childhood diseases. Maybe he'll be able to undo some of the harm the anti-vaxers are doing.
Posted by: Keenacat
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October 8, 2009 2:10 PM
Dreamer:
Sadly, they don't. They aim explicitly at poor people in third-world countrys.
Posted by: Rutrow
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October 8, 2009 2:14 PM
Oops! the link didn't work right. Try clicking my name ABOVE! to try again for the translated page. If that still don't work, paste the address into google and click "translate this page"
Sorry I'm inept.
Posted by: Die Anyway
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October 8, 2009 2:16 PM
1st place: Raul Krauthausen, SOZIALHELDEN e.V., 2882 Stimmen
but the homeopaths are still in second place.
Eat well, stay fit, Die Anyway.
Posted by: Didac
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October 8, 2009 2:19 PM
Pharyngulize a poll! What a pleasure! And now, the idea is downplaying them to the third place.
Posted by: Rutrow
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October 8, 2009 2:22 PM
Oh how I love mistranslations. The one for: "Esel-Initiative eV, Dr. Stefanie Christmann" is translated to say:
"Single mothers with young children in remote regions of the world will be given to animals"
Without any explanation what the animals will do with them!!!
Posted by: BobbyEarle
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October 8, 2009 3:08 PM
Jparenti @19...
Well, when a voodoopath does your physical, you don't have to take your cloths off.Brrr, it's chilly in here!
Posted by: DominEditrix
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October 8, 2009 3:10 PM
Whilst perusing a copy of Cat Fancy, I noted an article recommending homeopathic "treatments" for one's feline overlord. My two dismissed the whole idea as utter rot and opined that any hooman stupid enough to buy into this form of "medicine" should be ejected from the society of all cats and forced to rely on homeopathy for all ills said hooman might suffer, including appendicitis and heart attack.
On a related note, the woo-ridden owner of the company where the Biophysicist works gave everyone a healthy eating guide that included such gems as one must always eat fruit on an empty stomach, lest said fruit rot on top of an earlier meal and "turn to acid". Oh, and loosening one's belt after a big meal will inevitably cause your bowel to twist.
Posted by: shatfat
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October 8, 2009 3:21 PM
@40 Yeah, I voted for that (childhood diseases). Also for the homeless children.
Posted by: bcoppola
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October 8, 2009 3:28 PM
Wanted to vote for the Bergwaldprojekt being a treehugger myself, but went with the Social Heroes to properly Pharyngulate the poll.
Posted by: Clemens
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October 8, 2009 3:29 PM
Make sure you avoid anything that has the word "Kirche" or "kirchlich" in it, meaning "Church" or "church-based".
Posted by: Kraid
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October 8, 2009 3:36 PM
Did anyone else read the topic title "Homeopaths on a poll" and immediately think of Snakes on a Plane?
PZ: "Enough is enough! I have had it with these motherfucking homeopaths on this motherfucking poll!"
Posted by: Tom S. Fox
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October 8, 2009 3:42 PM
Okay, the SOZIALHELDEN are on number one. Now vote for
the Hofgut Himmelreich gGmbH.
Posted by: 'Tis Himself, Quel Dommage
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October 8, 2009 3:50 PM
1. Raul Krauthausen, SOZIALHELDEN e.V.
3465 Stimmen
2. Elisabeth von Wedel, Homöopathen ohne Grenzen e.V.
1680 Stimmen
Posted by: Tom S. Fox
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October 8, 2009 3:55 PM
I have read what their goals are and they not only "heal" people with homeopathy, they also teach it to "give people a meaningful job." Bleurgh!
Posted by: Yoritomo
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October 8, 2009 4:10 PM
Disgusting! The "Homeopaths without Borders" seem to be supporting Jeremy Sherr whom Orac outed here. I remember reading about those ghastly experiments where AIDS patients were treated not with ARVs but with homeopathy only, while Sherr claimed that "placebo treatment is considered unethical in AIDS".
I just mailed the organization that put up this poll; pharyngulation is not enough.
Posted by: Nebula99
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October 8, 2009 4:55 PM
[quote]Did anyone else read the topic title "Homeopaths on a poll" and immediately think of Snakes on a Plane?[/quote]
I thought of Homeopaths on a Pole, but does that mean shipping them all to Antarctica or a fast-food product called Homeopaths on a Stick? Neither one is all that practical, and the latter is gross.
I voted for everyone except the Woo, but the groups other than them and Sozialhelden have a lot fewer votes. I hope those groups don't feel bad that they lost by so much; they just weren't in second place at the time PZ posted. Annoyingly, the voting took forever because the site wanted me to prove I wasn't a bot every time I clicked on the button for a group. Say, does Pharyngula count as the first spambot to consistently get past the human verification?
Posted by: Peter G.
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October 8, 2009 5:14 PM
Well live and learn. All this time I thought a homeopath was a self loathing homosexual who serially slaughtered their fellow homosexuals. It seems I was wrong. They'll kill anybody.
Posted by: condignaction.wordpress.com
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October 8, 2009 5:28 PM
I love... no, adore... the homeopathic double-chocolate fudge brownies with sprinkles. It's the only thing that keeps me in my skinny-jeans.
Posted by: Crewvy
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October 8, 2009 5:35 PM
Here is another poll that needs to be crashed‚
Do psychics have a role to play in criminal investigations?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
Posted by: speedweasel
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October 8, 2009 5:55 PM
I've always been meaning to ask a homeopath, "Why are there no homeopathic poisons?" ..but then I realised they would be too easy to falsify.
Sucking down a 100C dilution of crank-case oil or platypus venom would make an effective demonstration of homeopathy's worthlessness. Oh, wait it ‘works’ the other way doesn’t it? I’d have to drink a homeopathic preparation of puppies or sunshine for it to kill me. Fucking imbeciles.
Posted by: black-wolf72
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October 8, 2009 6:02 PM
On the bottom of the page, they make very clear that they log votes by IP. Multiple votes from one IP will be deleted, and they even threaten legal action (understandably as this is about a thick wad of real world money).
About 1,000 more votes for Hofgut Himmelreich to drop the Fraudopaths to third place.
Posted by: black-wolf72
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October 8, 2009 6:06 PM
Done, fraud at 43% - reality at 57%.
Posted by: Knockgoats
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October 8, 2009 6:09 PM
Do psychics have a role to play in criminal investigations?
Of course they do: as suspects.
Posted by: Cath the Canberra Cook
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October 8, 2009 6:45 PM
Homeopaths are now at number two - time to vote for some others! I went for the Esel-Initiative project. Nice one.
BTW, I think Dreamer meant to make a joke, though it didn't quite come off.
Médecins Sans Frontières provide good quality healthcare to some of the poorest people in the world.
"These people" (read homeopaths) provide poor quality healthcare to some of the richest people in the world.
Except the pronouns went wrong. Dreamer was too sleepy?
Posted by: eddie
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October 8, 2009 6:59 PM
Gaaah! indeed. I just got an ad at the top of this verrry page, for a free bible form cdEarth.com Whisky...!1!1111
Please all apply and bankrupt the child abusing morons.
Posted by: MetzO'Magic
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October 8, 2009 8:16 PM
@speedweasel
To date I've just been lurking here, but speedweasel, you made my day! Had to sign up just to say that comment rocks.
Posted by: Doug Little
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October 8, 2009 8:40 PM
Antarctica... That's a long way to go with a fist full of dollar bills... What's that... Magnetic Pole... Oh Carry on..Posted by: Who Cares
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October 8, 2009 9:45 PM
@Nebula99(#56):
Pharyngula isn't the first one to bypass spam protection like this. /b/ has done it with a Times poll after it implemented reCaptcha (130k to 180k votes in a few days).
Posted by: Mike Wagner
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October 8, 2009 10:16 PM
Is the Social Heroes group fully legit?
Just want to be sure before clicky-click.
Wow, if I keep it up I should be able to rhyme like Cuttlefish in a few decades.
Posted by: atomjack
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October 8, 2009 10:24 PM
stimmen=agree. Just so you know.
Posted by: Mike Wagner
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October 8, 2009 10:43 PM
There appears to be some sort of homeopath counter-movement against our votes. Can't see any other reason why theirs would jump like that, except maybe for the anti-PZ folk pissing on the fire :)
Posted by: Robert MacDonald
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October 8, 2009 10:50 PM
I'll be busted for juvenileness, but I can't resist posting an amended version of the infamous "Blinkenlights" pseudo-German warning from the computer world:
ACHTUNG!
ALLES HOMÖOPATHEN UND ALTERNISCHEN LOOKENPEEPERS!
DIE MODERNE MEDIZIN IST NICHT FÜR DER GEFINGERPOKEN UND MITTENGRABEN!
ODERWISE IST EASY TO SCHNAPPEN DER SPRINGENWERK, BLOWENFUSEN UND POPPENCORKEN MIT SPITZENSPARKSEN.
IST NICHT FÜR GEWERKEN BEI DUMMKOPFEN. DIE SNAKEOILSALESMÄNNER KEEPEN DAS COTTONPICKEN HÄNDER IN DAS POCKETS MUSSEN.
ZO RELAXEN UND WATSCHEN DER BLINKENLICHTEN.
Posted by: speedweasel
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October 8, 2009 11:34 PM
@Steve in Dublin
Welcome! I'm a long-time lurker, new commenter here myself.
Posted by: iasasai
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October 9, 2009 12:43 AM
Smegging homeopaths!
I'm willing to give them the tiniest shred of potential respectability from the perspective of amateur scientists maybe hitting upon something medical science can eventually use, but that's only AS amateurs. The problem is, they think of it AS science, not medieval pseudo-science.
I suspect the only reason it flourishes is much the same reason as why it flourished in the Age of Quackery: real science is beginning to be suppressed in much the same way as it once was, so something only approximating science rushes in to fill the vacuum. But I DID think better of the rest of the world - now it seems as though they're starting to succumb to the same vapid trend in thinking as the Land of FreeFromThought.
Posted by: Peter Ashby
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October 9, 2009 3:52 AM
@Thunderbird5
A company in New Zealand makes and market topical ulcer dressings doped with manuka honey and backed up with clinical trials and proven efficacy and everything. If they like the seaweed they should love the honey.
Posted by: Smoggy Batzrubble OM4Jesus
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October 9, 2009 4:11 AM
Dear Brother Peter Ashby
Yes, you are right. And it is good stuff. I use it all the time to treat myself and my sheep. And it isn't wasted, after we scrape the old application off we have it on toast. Reuse and recycle is my catch cry.
Yours in antipodean solidarity
Smoggy
Posted by: Jadehawk, OM
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October 9, 2009 4:24 AM
nope. zustimmen=agree; stimmen=votesPosted by: catta
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October 9, 2009 4:43 AM
Thanks for the pharyngulation. :) Anything that prevents these bastards from getting a single cent is a fine thing.
But, for the "how dare they be on this poll, I'm mailing the site owner!!!11" comments -- pointless. This is a public choice award not only in the choice of the winner but also in the choice of contestants. You can submit your own charity or one you feel is worthy. In other words, the homeopaths weren't put up there by some award-giving committee but by the homeopaths themselves.
There is a preselection from the submissions, but judging by the number of candidates and relative obscurity of what they chose, there wasn't much to weed out (even if so, one of their criteria is "demand" for the service, which is certainly there for homeopathy. A lot of demand, sadly.)
Also, if you decide to argue about this organisation anyway... please don't say they're preventing people from getting proper treatment; that'll just stop them from listening. They give people wrong impressions, give education in falsehoods, etc. etc., but they don't prevent real treatments. Their main fault is poisoning minds and wasting money that could be used for real treatments.
Posted by: Keenacat
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October 9, 2009 6:06 AM
catta,
I beg to differ. In circumstances where people don't have a choice wether to go homeotard on themselves or get proper care providing only homeopathy counts well as prevention of real treatments. They peruse money, infrastructure and professional skills (local nurses or politicians for example) to implement their st00pid on the locals. These ressources are lost for other organisations and real means of care.
The argument might be too harsh for developed countrys where a proper doctor and a proper hospital is within reach, but we talk about circumstances where no choice can be made.
Posted by: catta
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October 9, 2009 12:33 PM
True, Kennacat. I had a closer look at their project page, and they seem to be much more intent on getting woo-woo practicioners set up before actual doctors arrive than I thought; I had them down as distributing their sugar pills and then moving on.
I stand corrected.
It's worrying, too, that that's exactly what they write -- trying to have homeopaths in place and then thinking about providing medical care.
Incidentally: looks like the Sozialhelden folks have noticed the pharyngulisation, are happy, and have linked back. Good for them!
Posted by: Yoritomo
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October 9, 2009 3:24 PM
catta @78,
maybe mailing them was an overreaction, but I was so appalled when I recognized the name I remembered in connection with Orac's "Homeopathy as AIDS treatment" article. And I still fail to see how these peddlers of ignorance made it past that preselection - their criteria include "innovativeness" and "societal demand", and I don't see them meeting either. The societies they push their woo on need them about as much as missionaries, and when was the last time homeopathy was innovative?
Concerning withholding treatment, just read up on Orac's article I linked above: Some guy (apparently supported by Homeopaths Without Borders according to his own website) describes a "trial" where some of the AIDS patients are to be "treated" with homeopathic "remedies", but not with antiretrovirals. I'm not making this stuff up, the homeopath posted it himself.
Posted by: Peter Ashby
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October 9, 2009 5:16 PM
@SmoggyBatzrubble
Mmmmm, honey and fresh lanolin. Does it taste as good as a wool scourers smells?
Posted by: catta
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October 9, 2009 8:15 PM
Hm. Yes, I remember Sherr quite clearly, but wasn't aware of that connection either. Again, apologies for my earlier misjudgement. I'm convinced that they're far more harmful than I originally thought.
As to why they've ended up on that list... like I said, I get the impression that there weren't that many organisations to choose from even during preselection -- this is judging by the finalists. It isn't exactly a high-profile award as far as I can tell, and with the possibility of self-nomination, I suspect much scarier loons showed up. I do think the homeopaths shouldn't be on the list, but I don't think berating the organisers will accomplish anything -- they'll simply point out that they try to pick what the public wants.
For that reason, "societal demand" is what I suspect behind their own reasoning, too -- probably including a strange error of thinking, mind you. There's undeniably a very high demand for homeopathy in Germany, embarrassing as that is (you should see the pharmacies in my area of Berlin; I've decided to boycott the ones that advertise with homeopathy... leaving me with one that's several subway stops away, even though half a dozen are within walking distance. But all of those have enormous "homeopathy!" signs outside. One of them even offers "allopathy" on a slightly smaller sign.).
My guess: either the high demand in Germany is taken for granted, seen as normal and projected onto the rest of the world, or "societal demand" refers to the demand provided by the intended target audience of the poll.
In either case, I don't think there's any hope of getting the organisers interested or even coaxing them into action of any kind. Just preventing the quacks from winning is the best choice by far. And unless all votes from non-German IPs are subtracted again, that's what happened.
Posted by: Leela D'Souza
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October 10, 2009 1:10 AM
Thanks to all the grateful people who have voted.
Especially thanks to the 1541 who have voted for Elisabeth as part of homeopaths without bothers.
Thank God for their courage to speak their conviction of help and healing.
It amazing how much 'abuse' is in fashion today (just read above), rather than gratefulness of heart!
Even others couldn't get enough positive votes for their good work!
Posted by: Aratina Cage
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October 10, 2009 1:41 AM
Leela (any relation to Dinesh?), just in case you are not being facetious, the ones who are dishing out abuse are the homeopaths without borders, like Elisabeth von Wedel. They are selling people water as a cure for everything under the sun. It is a complete medicinal sham and business scam. I long for the day when such quackery becomes heavily regulated and actively denounced the way cigarettes and alcohol are.Posted by: John Morales
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October 10, 2009 2:19 AM
Leela:
Hm. Such inanity¹ and incoherence²...
--
¹ Clicking on a link is courageous? Heh.
² Since you thank "God" for the voters, shouldn't you equally condemn "God" for the non-voters?
Posted by: https://me.yahoo.com/a/kkVWreglltNPpNkug9SsTumtx9rU_zxG#ff1ff
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October 12, 2009 5:28 PM
Hello,
Thank you for your support. Some of you asked, what the SOZIALHELDEN are doing. Here a short description of our work:
What are the SOZIALHELDEN?(SOCIAL HEROES) doing?
We are a network of young people, who want to solve social problems with new, unthought innovative ways. With the "SuperZivi" we are casting civilian servants and with “Pfandtastisch helfen!” we enable people in supermarkets to donate their "deposit receipts". More about us can be found here: http://www.sozialhelden.de (german)
Wheelmap.org
is our newest project. It's going to be germans biggest Map for "wheelchair accessible" places. Every user will be able to add and modify accessible or inaccessible places. We want to change peoples mind by thinking about accessibility. Especially in germany we will have more older people in the future than today. Therefore we will see more people using wheelchairs and "walking frames" on the streets. How do they know to which location they can go without our map? The accessibilty-information can also help families with buggies.
In case of winning the "Deutsche Engagement Preis" we want to use the money to develop and run the wheelmap.org-platform in a secure, open-data and sustainable way. We need every kind of support. Are you a drupal-developper oder a webdesigner? Don't wait to contact us at our Website http://www.sozialhelden.de or see how our project is going at http://www.wheelmap.org
Posted by: Gunnar
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October 15, 2009 9:32 AM
The quacks are back again! Sozialhelden 6785 votes, Quacks 5150 votes.
AAARRRGGGHH!!
Posted by: Philip | October 17, 2009 11:04 AM
Please note again that you can vote for more than one organization.
Click the button under each organization for which you want to vote, and then click the button at the top right to register your votes and see the rankings. It would be great if we could knock the Quackery without Borders organization to lower than second place.
If you can't decide which organizations you prefer, you can vote for all of them except the homeopaths.
Since all of the organizations except the homeopaths appear to be worthy causes and your vote is really a protest against the homeopaths, it makes more sense to do that rather than arbitrarily voting for only the one that happened to be second after the homeopaths when P.Z. first posted.
I also think that's fairer to the other organizations.
If every protest voter had voted for all of them except the homeopaths, the homeopaths might have been at the bottom of the ranking now.
Posted by: Bolliger Ernst | October 18, 2009 7:27 PM
We vote for Elisabeth von Wedel
Posted by: ihedenius
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October 21, 2009 1:22 PM
Raul Krauthausen, SOZIALHELDEN e.V.
8505 Stimmen
Elisabeth von Wedel, Homöopathen ohne Grenzen e.V.
7096 Stimmen
Posted by: Bundesratte
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November 12, 2009 8:17 PM
Dear Pharyngulists,
we still need your help. Please keep on diluting the homoeopathic vote till November 15. Give it a last try: reset your routers, give your wives or husbands an evening off and hit the "Stimme abgeben!"- Button here:
http://www.geben-gibt.de/projekt_detail_ansicht.html?&id=10
Our problem is: Since October 31 the results are hidden, "in order to keep us in suspense", so they say. The last time the results were displayed it looked like that:
therefore we do not know if the Krauts are doing well atm. I fear the quacks might be in the lead again. We can't see anything and neither can you, I apologise. So use your night-vision goggles and give it one last try.
http://www.geben-gibt.de/projekt_detail_ansicht.html?&id=10
The final results will be published by December 5th.
Thank you for your support.
bundesratte
Posted by: Bundesratte | December 5, 2009 8:20 PM
woo- woo-... whooray!
http://twitter.com/SOZIALHELDEN/statuses/6373881318
Posted by: Levi in NY | December 6, 2009 2:06 AM
Ja! Wir haben es geschafft!