Mike Adams explains how to "naturally detox" from mandatory vaccines. It backfires.

And, I assume, he owns an online store (or knows someone who does) where you can get your hands on these magical supplements..?

Nice post! We've been addressing the anti-vaxxer quackery as well over at sciencedenierhallofshame.com
May we quote you? (With credit and backlink, of course)

I can remember on several occasions sitting in the waiting area of a high school, just next to the room in which my school nursing colleagues were giving vaccinations, and counting the numbers of fainters...That was some strong sh!t they were administering...More people falling over than I was accustomed to seeing at nightclub kicking out time in a city centre on a Friday...

Murmur -
it's a form of white-coat syndrome, I guess. I feel it in myself sometimes in a hospital (even just visiting) or at the docs'.

More people falling over than I was accustomed to seeing at nightclub kicking out time in a city centre on a Friday…

They were channeling their Inner italian Soccer Player.

Whenever Mike Adams recommends something it is a safe bet he sells it. Running down the list (I actually did check all of them):

-Zinc supplements check
-Organic food / organic diet DVDs check
-Multimineral supplements check
-MSM supplements check
-Tumeric extract check
-Vitamin C supplements check
-Vitamin D supplements check

7/7! Who would've guessed? Also, tumeric extract is on sale right now. Only $67.36 for a 3 pack of 2oz bottles. Wow! Such bargain!

Adams is quick to lie a lot himself, by implying that thimerosal is basically the equivalent of metallic mercury when in fact it is an organomercury compound.

This brings to mind a NN post* by one of Mike's lackeys that said ethyl mercury is inorganic. Ironically this was in a post accusing another site of knowing nothing about chemistry.

Globally recognized expert on mercury toxicity and mercury detoxification, Dr. Chris Shade, explained in an interview with Natural News that inorganic mercury (which includes ethyl mercury) is actually far more dangerous at the cellular level as it kills much more quickly.

Take away from all this: Mike Adams is a money grubbing dishonest sleazebag. No major revelations here.

*h[]p://www.naturalnews.com/050705_Politifact_journalistic_fraud_mercury_in_vac…

@capnkrunch

Whodathunk it, eh?

Take away from all this: Mike Adams is a money grubbing dishonest sleazebag. No major revelations here.

Mikey has written about the epiphany he experienced in 2008, about Prosperity Gospel, or "Mindful Wealth" as he prefers to call it, in which he realised that it is OK to grift on his readers. In fact bloggers who don't scam their readers are merely revealing their cowardice, their moral weakness; they're too scared to be wealthy.

http://healthwyze.org/reports/616-special-report-the-legend-of-mike-ada…

as he sits in his faux laboratory

I have to admit, it's a very clean lab. And the shelves on the right look empty.

a totalitarian medical regime like California

A lot of people around the world would fight to move into California and gladly submit to this medical regime. If only just, you know, to get out of a country with an actual totalitarian regime and a sh!ttier medical infrastructure.

@ Amethyst

And, I assume, he owns an online store (or knows someone who does)

Yes on both.
Well, sometimes he also runs his ICP-MS to show that the other guy's magical supplements are full of plutonium, or something, and then provides algae extracts to catch it.

Peter @4

Combination of that and the scary big needles those evil school nurses (waves to all my lovely school nursing colleagues) wave at the bairns...

;)

Oh, and not to mention the groups of bairns winding each other up beforehand about the injections.

Good Herr Doktor @5

I'm thinking of the north east of England, mostly Newcastle: we don't need any inner Italian footy player, just follow local cultural stereotypes (see also that excellent journal of record Viz).

Being a scrupulously ethical man, I'm sure Mr Adams won't be selling any of the products he says can beat vaccine damage, and now he's heard that Dr Thompson didn't say that vaccines cause autism or Asperger's, he'll want to check that information and make any necessary correction at his website.

Yeah, right.

What about the squalene and the fact that no USAian vaccines contain squalene and only some flu vaccines in the EU have a squalene adjuvant? What happens if you "detox" from something that isn't there? Oh noes!!!

@ Her Doktor Bimler

Mikey has written about the epiphany he experienced in 2008, about Prosperity Gospel, or “Mindful Wealth” as he prefers to call it, in which he realised that it is OK to grift on his readers. In fact bloggers who don’t scam their readers are merely revealing their cowardice, their moral weakness; they’re too scared to be wealthy.

And this man complains about the greed of Big Pharma?
The least I could say is "Pot, meet kettle".

Point of clarification -- the recommendation for "no acetaminophen" for peds comes from that jackass, not Orac, correct?

Mikey has written about the epiphany he experienced in 2008, about Prosperity Gospel, or “Mindful Wealth” as he prefers to call it, in which he realised that it is OK to grift on his readers.

Mike Adams is following a well-established path. Compare Banks, Collins, and Rutherford (1991).

@MarkN

Yes, it's Mikey that's saying to avoid acetaminophen.

I can't quite make it out, but what is that "All the facts" poster on the counter?

Great read Orac, your story telling is second to none which is unfortunate for Mike Adams.

Q. Does the dose response curve (e.g., the dose makes the poison) have validity when there are anaphylaxis symptoms to a vaccine component or contaminant.

Extremely low concentrations of some vaccine components and contaminants can have life-threatening and life-changing consequences for some individuals with atypical adaptive immunity.

@Orac,

Do you recall reading about this in any of your textbooks on medicine and immunology?

. . . he brags about how good he is at measuring mercury and how he found so much mercury in flu shots when in fact he found as much as the package insert says is there.

Doesn't confirming the claims of the package insert make Adams a shill for the FDA or Big Pharma?

Murmur @10
..now I've got thinking about it again, I recalled, one of my brothers used to faint in hospital, even just visiting a relative...I've never keeled over.

Mikey** wore another crazy shirt on a recent video ( of a Rottweiler's face close up) and revealed that he was also adorning himself with a Glock ( worn in a black leather holster at his right). He's claimed he never goes out without one!
Such fashion acumen!

At any rate, he has a multitude of ways to make money off of his readers : selling supplements and foods, shampoo bedding ( for infants), indoor gardening supplies, heirloom seeds, de-tox materials, prepper supplies, subscriptions to his Inner Circle and of course he sells advertisement on his websites.

I find it hilarious how he and the other idiot continuously harp on the evils of California ( and to a lesser extent, NY) whilst glorifying Texas ( where they have ranches / estates). They both espouse a libertarian, small government viewpoint so concepts like mandatory vaccination, gun laws and paying taxes for improving the public good are obviously anathema. HOWEVER I think that either ( although the other lives in NY part time) really couldn't handle the vibes on the coasts because they are so seriously and deeply un-cool.
Imagine if you will , Mikey strolling down the streets of SoHo dressed as I've described him-
he'd be shot- with evil glances

I suppose that he is writing for a certain audience although I'm sure that his gun-nuttery will turn off many left-leaning naturalistas. -btw- his political rants are as tasteless as his choices in apparel.

** I believe that I was the first to ever call him that

@Murmer:

Reminds me of the last flu shot clinic our dept held at the local University. What is it about the sight of a syringe that makes healthy adolescents keel over? There were four EMTs lounging in the bleachers behind us keeping up a running commentary.

"The blonde over there by the garbage can; she's going down, she's going, she's gone!"

"Kid in the red t-shirt with the nurse, he's---OUT."

It was like being in the Coliseum and listening to bets on which Christian the lions got next.

"Murmur." Cr@p.

he was also adorning himself with a Glock ( worn in a black leather holster at his right). He’s claimed he never goes out without one!

He's in Texas, isn't he? I believe the Glock is standard business casual attire there.

-btw-
about his 'lab':

I've read that NN is based in Cedar Creek, Texas, outside Austin, and he's said that he has a warehouse. His ranch is nearby. Perhaps we can ascertain his real estate holdings and get photos ( it may not be in his name directly) . I've found a listing for Tuscon but that may be old.

TUCSON

Formaldehyde is created in our bodies during various metabolic processes. I guess Adams and other antivaccinationists are ignorant of this. Yes, as Paracelsus wrote, the dose makes the poison, so the minute quantities of formaldehyde in vaccines add very little to that created by our own bodies and the formaldehyde in our bodies is detoxified rapidly and efficiently.

@ Joel A. Harrison, PhD, MPH:

Although Mike brags about his background in mathematics/ science ( see Health Ranger.com bio), he also confessed that his degree is in writing technical copy ( in a NN post about his 'brush with poverty'):
he moved to Taiwan with his Taiwan-born wife in the 1990s, trying to work for tech companies, without success, he later wrote up brochures with her help, for selling products at conventions. Then News Target.

Here it is!
his "Brush with Poverty" July 19, 2014

That's a maths geek tee Mikey is wearing; the joke is so weak that even I could more or less parse it (I had to look up the sigma symbol). Wow, I didn't realise he was a maths genius as well as a qualified nutritional scientist.....

But hey, it LOOKS sciency! And impressing the rubes is all that Mikey is about.

@ sirhcton

Doesn’t confirming the claims of the package insert make Adams a shill for the FDA or Big Pharma?

Ah, but the package insert, although found inside each vaccine box, has been missed by the men in black when they were busy hiding the evidence.
That's why you found also mention of autism, infertility, and death* on the package insert. These evil - and stupid - scientists signed their crime!

* very often, followed by "none reported".

Also, you should read Mikey's report on the flu shot's mercury content.
It was over the scale, man! Beyond anything the instrument was meant to measure.**

** smart and experimented lab techs will do a quick calculation of the expected values and dilute the sample appropriately, so the instrument can do a proper measure. But Mr Adams is above such puny mathematical trivialities.

Um, I just took the pain to understand his t-shirt's math joke.
So Mike is into imaginary numbers?

shay simmons @ #23

I'm in my late 30s and I'm still terrified of needles. Doesn't stop me from getting the flu shot, but I still go white. Same thing when I give blood. Same thing when I see needles on television. Even if they're animated needles.

...so the minute quantities of formaldehyde in vaccines add very little to that created by our own bodies...

IIRC, one of the minions, in a comment maybe 6 to 12 months ago or so, provided the math that showed vaccines create a small area that will have less formaldehyde than normal. In short, vaccines have less formaldehyde per cc than people.

I wish I'd saved that.

@ Helianthus:

No, actually he's into imaginary research and evidence.

I bet that Adams doesn't even like pie. He's such a liar.

Loads of sulpher containing foods? Apart from anything else those kids are going to get called all the variations there are on 'Stinky' by their peers.

I'm sure Mike Adams only sells the supplements he recommends as a service to his readers who might otherwise not be able to find them. Likewise, he only recommends the supplements he sells because he's standing by his product.

We call this a virtuous cycle. Or something.

I would imagine Mike is the guy at the party everyone hates being around. "You know what you're drinking is loaded with toxins, right?"

I got curious: High dose zinc supplementation induces hippocampal zinc deficiency and memory impairment with inhibition of BDNF signaling. Mouse study that found that high doses of zinc supplementation led to zinc deficiency in hippocampus, with impaired learning and memory. But I'm sure Mikey has just the supplement to boost learning and memory to offset this.

Also found a fatal zinc overdose in a newborn.

Finally, a case description of excessive zinc supplementation in a 17-year-old.

So Mike is into imaginary numbers?

Mike's idea of imaginary numbers is probably along the lines of <a href="http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2009/02/18"Hobbes':

You know, eleventeen, thirty-twelve, and all those. It's a little confusing at first.

Oops, bad link in post #40. Trying to fix it:
Calvin and Hobbes on imaginary numbers

Mikey's drinky bottle is probably lined with BPA.

I used to have a golden retriever named Mikey. That dog had a better grounding in science than Mr. Adams. (And was better looking.)

re Mikey, parties and alcohol:

First of all, he says he doesn't partake in social activities- he's too busy working on the range and in the lab- but he may be spotted at Whole Foods.
Also- according to his bio @ Health Ranger- he doesn't drink or do drugs- ( similarly, the other idiot @ prn says he NEVER had an alcoholic drink in his life)

So I'm sure he is just LOADS of fun at parties!
Ranting, raving, professing his Truths and packing a Glock.

@ MJD #19

As a trained pharmacologist with experience in dose-response curves, yes, even if a mind-boggingly low dose can elicit an effect (like in a anaphylactic response) it's still dose-response, as a lower dose may not (like de-sensitization of allergies, you go with lower doses). If you have an effect that is not dose-dependent, that's a big red flag regarding your experiments.

Homeopathy is not part of that, because in that case, the odds of actually finding a single molecule in the solution/pill is extremely low (in a sense, in theory a pure homeopathic solution could elicit a reaction, one that requires the unthinkably low number of exactly 1 molecule, which has 0.000001% odds of actually being there...you have a better chance to win millions with the lottery) . That brings us to a fundamental pharmacological consideration: To act, a body must physically interact with its target (Corpora non agunt nisi fixata: 'drugs will not act unless they are bound').

#11 Murmur

Oh, and not to mention the groups of bairns winding each other up beforehand about the injections.

Who would do that?

Oh right, at university a friend and I were standing in line waiting to donate blood and telling the first-time donor/first-year student in line with us all sorts of horror stories just as one girl slump into a nurse's arms and was dragged off to a cot. Oops!

@Takiar at #44: MJD has a bee in his bonnet about latex and insists it is the root of all medical evils, causes autism, and simply giving a vaccine is sufficient exposure to latex (from the needle going through the rubber port, not the gloves) to cause ALL SORTS OF BAD THINGS. He's not into homeopathy. He just ignores the fact that latex allergies *are* known and don't cause what he says they do.

Well, at least his shirt is appropriate for the date, as a great many geeks and nerds will be eating pie today in honor of 3-14. It's more of a rebus than a legitimate math joke, but still cute.

Can't say the same for the rest of his blatant fear-mongering salesmanship. He'd fit right in with the snake oil salesmen of a century ago.

Also, because MJD became so obnoxiously persistent about Latex allergies over a fairly long period of time, he was put on "automatic moderate." I approve his comments, but only as long as he doesn't bring up Latex allergies any more. Longtime regulars know this subtext and how he sometimes slyly tries to slip oblique references to Latex allergies into his comments.

I still go white. Same thing when I give blood. Same thing when I see needles on television. Even if they’re animated needles.

I feel your pain, Andy #33; I go 'vasovegal' at the sound of "next". I had a preteen experience in a Parisians store whereby I was trying on some pants and somehow managed to thread a needle in them into, 2 inches along, and out of a vein on my wrist. I didn't pass out that time but I was close. I think that may have something to do with my psycosomatic reaction.

Orac #50, I had a blood draw a couple days ago and was asked if I was allergic to latex (which I am. Highly.). I commented on how impressed I was that they at least ask now. The very sweet little nurse must have been a student because she was mulling over not being able to find the vein through the thicker gloves. I tried to show her where it was as I'd always been told I have great veins though sometimes they would collapse upon insertion. The lady behind the dest told her to apply the tourniquet first (ohh, shit).

"O.K. Big stick" (Ohh, what a giveaway). After a few seconds, she announced, "I'm gonna take this out" -- I looked. The needle was in the proper distance but from the outside of the arm instead of in. This missed the vein by 1.25''. It was also in sideways. At this point, I broke out into a heavy sweat, watering down the elbow pads. The other nurse advised me to take all the time I wanted; She took over the other arm and got it done though she only remembered overhearing my stated allergy after she had already donned latex.

I felt so bad for that student because she was a novice and improperly performed a tecnique on someone with my weak constitution. But, please, please, please people -- If we fainters need to show you where the vein is then don't take it as offence if we come in next time with it circled in sharpie marker. As I will be doing. And don't tell us it is only *salt water* when some of us are tasting leeched chemicals from prefilled vials -- This makes us think we are being poisoned and does not help in the least with the aforementioned vasovegal response. Please explain that there may be some taste.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2806387/

"He even goes so far as to wear a geek T-shirt whose message will only be understood if you have a fair amount of knowledge about mathematics, "

Oh, wow, that is a really bad joke. At first glance it reads as "i 8 sum pi." Which we are supposed to conclude is "I ate some pie."

Though being evil former applied math geek who lives too close to a university where I drive by Greek Row much too often I parsed it as: "I ate Sigma Pi."

Sigma Pi is a college fraternity in many universities. Though not at my neighborhood university (though there is one at the other state university attended by father and brother). Just let your mind wander around in the gutter for a while.

By the way, real math geeks wear shirts with this equation on it: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/EulerFormula.html

Today Mikey intrepidly posts:

"Will it soon be illegal to discuss natural medicine on the internet? ** Natural cures now threaten the medical monopolies of the pharmaceutical cartels"

Facebook and twitter already CENSOR naturalism so hurry and sign up for Dr Murray's Natural Medicine Summit before it's heartlessly SHUT DOWN by evil, jack booted pharma.com fascists thus endangering and ruining MILLIONS of lives that could have been SAVED by us !!!!

( paraphrase- which is easy because I can so easily and blithely mime his purple prose and facile fear mongering idiocy)

** No.

jkr @ 47

In the part of the world I grew up in and have lived in most of my life (north east England) winding people up (working your ticket in local parlance) is something one absorbs from the atmosphere or water or some such - you just HAVE to do it, it's the rules.

Darn it, I wanted to watch Mikey's video but both links in this blog post go to another NN article: This link

http://www.naturalnews.com/053207_mandatory_vaccines_detox_medical_poli…

Goes to an article called "Top ten scientific achievements of Natural News and the Health Ranger (so far)"

Did Mikey delete his video?

Ooops, now it is working. Strange, I clicked on it several times and it went to that scientific achievements article. Maybe NN site was overwhelmed by curious prosciencers.

Goes to an article called “Top ten scientific achievements of Natural News and the Health Ranger (so far)”

It's a well-known phenomenon, which has been speculated to have something to do with links that originate from here.

Adams also recommends—of course!—and organic diet and multimineral supplements to promote “mineralization.”

But what if I don't want to be a fossil?

Gilbert (#51):

And don’t tell us it is only *salt water* when some of us are tasting leeched chemicals from prefilled vials

Dang. I've had three bouts of cellulitis in the past year, and every time I've ended up on IV antibiotics. I swear, every time they had to change the IV bag, what they assured me was "only *salt water*" to clear the IV line was always contaminated by those darned leached chemicals. Even at a completely unassociated walk-in clinic when I had a portable drip for a couple of days, it must have been the exact same contamination, as it was the exact same taste. Still, it's good to know it's not just a quirk of some people's biology that makes them sensitive to the lungs expelling excess saline (or by-products of same), but yet another nasty bunch of toxins to worry about!

@MI Dawn #48
I added the homeopathy thing to prevent people from using my own post about low doses (I'm a pharmacologist through and through, and denial of dose-response irks me a ton!), but thanks for the heads-up regarding MJD's latex laser focus (which I did not know, so I've probably not been lurking/spare commenting on this blog long enough)

Even at a completely unassociated walk-in clinic

There is a connection; Becton Dickinson Pharmaceutical Systems.

Information from Becton Dickinson showed that the presence of volatile substances in the plastic material of the syringes was discovered in 2001 and that these substances were linked to the experience of minor reactions like bad taste or smell. Becton Dickinson concluded that these substances represented no toxic or pharmacological risk to patients' health. The identification and saline-solution concentrations provided by Becton Dickinson were: 2-methyl-2-propanol: 8.5 ppm; 2-methyl-2-butanol: 0.7 ppm; ethyl-buthyl-ether: 0.4 ppm.

I did not mean to imply that it is any more harmful than whiffing a little model glue, Richard Smith #58. Only that, when one is paranoid and going in for an unusual procedure, it is not very calming for the tech to be mocking that "it's only sodium chloride; you know, salt?" when that immediate flush of glue smell is so prominent.

My background in chemistry and physics probably didn't help that such naive *reassurance* only served to further my mounting paranoia with its multiplied concomitant vasovegal and shock response... I was walking, talking, whiteghosted BP crashed over it. After I realized what had happened, the tech said they could not continue with the proceedure because the Iodine "feels really weird." BTW, it took ten minutes for an orderly to show up to even take the bp; I guess actual iodine reactions must be rare enough to not bother having standby protocals or triage on hand.

By the way, real math geeks wear shirts with this equation on it

Although I tend to doubt that most people sporting such attire understand that e is just nomenclatural shorthand for an actual function. L-rd knows one of my former bosses didn't when she taped it to the fridge.

Takiar, to get the full flavor of MjD, might I recommend
http://americanloons.blogspot.com/2013/07/628-michael-j-dochniak-denise…

You can also find him on YouTube, but be careful - those videos have Vogon like poetry.

I am sitting squarely on the fence with this argument but I'm pretty disappointed in the argument presented by this blog. The problem is this 'opinion article' does not provide links to research articles supporting your counter argument to antivaxxers. You are just screaming 'liar, liar, these unscientific quacks have no scientific proof' and you are lowering yourself to the same level by delivering statements with no supporting evidence to back it up. That is science 101!
For example the statement that there is no evidence of the anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric. If both yourself & Mike Adams bothered to research turmeric on a science database you would find most articles saying this: "Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a polyphenolic compound, is a component of Curcuma longa, commonly known as turmeric. It is a well-known anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-lipidemic agent and has recently been shown to modulate several diseases via epigenetic regulation."
This article is full of so many holes on what is just a tabloid blog & needs to work much harder to earn the ' science ' in its name.
Honestly if you have any sort of science degree & you think this author is a genius, then go back to school.

I know the very usefulness of the natural logarithm, which uses one very particular transcendental number. This actual number is a natural fallout of taking the compound interest computation into infinity and beyond!.

Do you know how Euler came up that the relationship between the natural logarithm, imaginary numbers and the two trig functions?

Food in the lab, Mikey? You're fired.

(Yes, technically a water bottle, but still!)

No joke--drinking in the lab, no lab coat, no safety glasses--all would be grounds for immediate firing in my place of employment.

The man has an M.A. in Nutrition......he's probably in that lab after the big boys went home

Do you know how Euler came up that the relationship between the natural logarithm, imaginary numbers and the two trig functions?

That was Cotes (PDF).

Ah, I see a similarity to the which version of calculus was used on the continent versus England (especially since Leibnitz's symbols are more intuitive). Look's like Cotes needed a better publicity agent, and was hampered by the above controversy. Which is probably why most of the applied math I learned were filled with French and German/Swiss names.

But, the usefulness of Euler's Formula (not identity) extends to Fourier Transforms, solutions to second order differential equations, and was pretty the basis of my employment.

You see, unlike Mike Adams, I actually used the e, i, pi, omega, lambda, the long stylized S, mu, many versions of delta and on in on in the dynamic analysis structures. The woman who was transcribing my report was not happy she had to put the Greek alphabet thingamajig into her Wang word processor work station. She was kind of told that the company did not invest in that technology only to have her insist that the engineers hand write the other characters into what are supposed be professional reports.

Then a few years later the actual word processors came around, and we were to figure out how to put the special characters in ourselves. Hello LaTex. :-) (now I know some who use Mathematica or MathLab).

"Had Cotes lived—then we had known something!"

—Isaac Newton

Mike Adams should be locked up.

If both yourself & Mike Adams bothered to research turmeric on a science database you would find most articles saying this

I am not sure if Curcumin is such a hot research topic now, after its main promoter -- the person getting all the positive results -- turned out to be a fraud.
http://retractionwatch.com/2016/02/22/journal-retracts-7-papers-by-md-a…

But, the usefulness of Euler’s Formula (not identity) extends to Fourier Transforms, solutions to second order differential equations, and was pretty the basis of my employment.

It came up at Peter Woit's place last year, BTW.

If both yourself & Mike Adams bothered to research turmeric on a science database [sic] you would find most articles saying this....

For certain values of "most."

Not to side-track the thread or anything, but here is some new autism griftiness for your entertainment:

http://theautismintensive.com/

"The Autism Intensive" being one Mike Mutzel, a supplement pimp from the Xymogen company (which people might recognise as one of Kelly Brogan's income streams). He has set up this totally grass-roots altruistic organisation and gathered together an impressive collection of charlatans, grifters and Functional Medicine doctors (but I repeat myself) under its umbrella.

Regardless of the lack of evidence, promoting products he happens to sell for either the prevention or treatment of toxicity caused by vaccines is a medical claim.

"Reporting Unlawful Sales of Medical Products on the Internet

If you find a website you think is illegally selling human drugs, animal drugs, medical devices, biological products, foods, dietary supplements or cosmetics over the Web, please select one of the three options below to report to FDA." See site for details.

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/ReportaProblem/ucm059315.htm

Sorry. My handle should have read Lighthorse.

Zinc?

Isn't zinc a heavy metal? These kids going to need chelation after they go through his detox? ;)

This meathead thinks quite highly of himself.

About Fainting, one of my colleague student at Bishop's university who was a future MD barfed in the can after I started dissecting a cat for our human anatomy lab.

Speaking of my dissection skills, they were and are second to none as I still hold the record for the best dissection ever. It's a shame that I learned nothing else except how to dissect but that was because I was at the second lowest point of my life in depressive disorder and now that I think about it, I do wonder why they let me in the lab.

Alain

Mikey probably thinks a natural log is what you pass after eating his supplements.

Isn’t zinc a heavy metal?

Even worse, it's group 12 in the periodic table. You know, like mercury.

@ Vincent Iannelli

Isn’t zinc a heavy metal?

You jest, but Todd #40 provided some interesting read about the hazard of high doses of zinc supplementation.

Speaking of providing links to scientific articles...

@ Tracy

The problem is this ‘opinion article’ does not provide links to research articles supporting your counter argument to antivaxxers

The little blue words in Orac's posts will send you to previous articles from the same author, a few of those on topics related to vaccination or Mike Adams, or both.
In these older articles, you will find links to articles the author - and the regulars - use as a basis for their "opinions".
Or you can open a damn university-level book on biology and learn basic notions on immunology and vaccines. Reading by your own initiative the scientific literature of reference about some topic without waiting to be pointed in the right direction by the author you are criticizing is science 101, BTW.

Granted, it will take some time to peruse the archives and find these articles, or read a book. But, eh, do your own research.

For example the statement that there is no evidence of the anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric.

In fact the statement was that there was no good evidence that turmeric helped the inflammation caused by vaccines.

Because well ...

But even then the evidence that turmeric has useful anti-inflammatory activities when consumed is itself pretty thin and based almost entirely on its ability to alter the activity of certain enzymes in cell model systems.

Its performance in clinical trials has been frankly underwhelming, despite the activities of its boosters. The best thing about curcumin is that it is well tolerated as a treatment.

I know Orac hates pedantry but I can't resist pointing out that tumeric is currently listed as a top seller in the NN store. Hard to call that backfiring.

Chris Hickey at #82 Go to your room right now, young man Or buy me a new keyboard. Your choice.

@ capnkrunch

Hard to call that backfiring.

Oh, I don't know about the backfiring part. Chris Hickie #82 may be on the right track.

The problem is this ‘opinion article’ does not provide links to research articles supporting your counter argument to antivaxxers

The little blue words in Orac’s posts will send you to previous articles from the same author, a few of those on topics related to vaccination or Mike Adams, or both.

My retort is this: The burden of proof is not on me. It's Adams who is making claims that conflict with well-established science, such as that vaccines contain more "toxins" than the body can get rid of and that therefore the body needs help "detoxifying." This is nonsense; there's no evidence for it and a lot of evidence against it. Ditto turmeric; there is no evidence to support his claims. As for zinc, again, there is no evidence, and there is a real risk of zinc overdose in infants and small children.

Tracy clearly doesn't understand how science works. Even so, if she were to click on the links, she'd find posts by myself and others that explain in more detail the points I'm making. That's the beauty of hyperlinks.

So, we all should blindly follow those who push vaccines? If you're my age or older, you received 8 total vaccines or less, and guess what, we're all fine. Today kids are mandated, unless exempt, anywhere from 36-49 doses of vaccines before they enter school. I never had these extra vaccines. I'm not a health risk as these kids would be deemed today if they received the number of vaccines that I did. Autism and childhood cancer were almost unheard of back then (of course some will say they didn't know how to classify autism back then). Your immune system was designed to fight any disease. Strengthen your immune system, and you'll be fine. Vaccines are a scam; plain and simple. Science pays for these vaccine studies, so they're always flawed. Follow the money.

Is Mikey's turmeric any different from the stuff in the spice aisle?

He's recommending eating raw egg yolks after vaccination?

I'm imagining some dim bulb giving this to their toddler who then gets food poisoning... And they'll blame the symptoms on the vaccination.

Science pays for these vaccine studies

Now that's a new one.

So, we all should blindly follow those who push vaccines?

Lovely strawman there. Make sure to keep it away from open flames. Nobody has said that.

Today kids are mandated, unless exempt, anywhere from 36-49 doses of vaccines before they enter school.

Citation needed. That number seems a little high to me.

I’m not a health risk as these kids would be deemed today if they received the number of vaccines that I did.

That's because you most likely caught those diseases and are now immune to them. However, not everyone survives.

Strengthen your immune system, and you’ll be fine.

Several hundred years ago, people ate organic, drank fresh water and got plenty of exercise. Most died before they got to 20.

Vaccines are a scam; plain and simple.

If that's the case, why have the rates of diseases we vaccinate against gone into free fall? Case in point: Measles. Chris, if your'e around, would you please post that chart of yours showing what happened after mass vaccination against Measles began?

I just learned that Mikey will have a ( non- e) book coming out in July called 'Food Forensics' ( see article about Cruz/ Monsanto) which will be all about GMOs and glyphosate.
He's preparing the marks I suppose.

The number is a bit high, but then, DD appears to be using a counting method favored among anti-vaccine folks, by which they claim there are 69 doses a child receives by the age of 18 (some even claim as high as 74 doses).

"If you’re my age or older, you received 8 total vaccines or less, and guess what, we’re all fine."

Survivor's bias: the ones who weren't fine--who died of an infectious disease before an effective vaccine protecting against it became available--didn't get to be "your age or over" and so aren't here to dispute your claim.

Thanks, Todd, for your post. And I figured DD was being dishonest which I really resent because those are my initials. also.

So, I haven't figured out how the injections given to the mother count as injections to the baby (yes, I know, EBIL TOXINS) rather than just exposure. If I'm generous, I come up with 51 injections (figuring the baby gets EVERY flu vaccine and the HPV vaccine). Also, aren't Hep A and B combined into 1 injection (my kids are 1987 and 1990 so I don't know all the new vaccines as well). And, as you point out, many of these are available as combinations, further decreasing the number of injections.

I can't figure out where DD gets his/her numbers from. I had 3 DPT as an infant, another at age 5, MMR x 2 (early on then repeated at HS age, another TD at HS age. PLUS, I think every year or so we had TB tests. Remember those? They used to do them in the school. Line the kids up, pull out the 4-tine evil thing, jab, jab, jab down the line, 2 days later, line the kids up and read them. Maybe they don't count as vaccines, but they were still "shots" and I can't recall my kids EVER getting one until college (I'd need to find my copy of their injection records - like any good mother, I sent the original to them once they moved out in case of need).

@MI Dawn

Here's an earlier post I wrote on the 69 doses claim that goes into a bit more detail. If a child gets all of the vaccines on the schedule (rather than just what's required for school), without using combo vaccines (other than DTaP and MMR), they'll get 53 doses. It can be significantly lower if combo vaccines are used. And not all of those are shots (e.g., rotavirus is oral, some flu vaccines are inhaled).

Hep A and Hep B are separate vaccines. One is a two-dose series, the other is a three-dose series.

As for the pregnant woman getting vaccinated somehow equaling the child also getting vaccinated, who knows? I've asked people making that claim to show me evidence that the vaccine crosses the placenta. No one's done so yet. The mother's antibodies can cross, but I've not seen any evidence that the vaccine itself crosses.

Todd: "DD appears to be using a counting method favored among anti-vaccine folks, by which they claim there are 69 doses a child receives by the age of 18 (some even claim as high as 74 doses)."

Apart from DD, I have never seen an antivaxer scaremongering about "doses" of vaccines. In every other case, they flat-out lie about "X number of vaccines" to inflate the vaccine total (when they are talking about total doses by the age of 18, and even then the number of doses they claim is inaccurate).

The mother’s antibodies can cross, but I’ve not seen any evidence that the vaccine itself crosses

Interesting, Todd W #100. Perhaps it will be a first to do so with a Zika vaccine. I mean, if virus is found in fetus brains, as they say, then it naturally follows that vaccines to it would also?

At any rate, those small toxins may concentrate in developing fetus. For example, the usual route of excreation of mercury is through the bowel such that there is 'in', no out. Is it stacking up in non-working bowels of infants(, perhaps)? <-- Of course, I'm only speculating as somehow I expect that there are 'no studies to show' direct in-foetu measurements of toxic load.

chamel77 wrote:

I would imagine Mike is the guy at the party everyone hates being around. “You know what you’re drinking is loaded with toxins, right?”

Judging by what Denice says above, Mikey is an exception, but I find that most toxinophobes are remarkably unconcerned about alcohol, a chemical that unquestionably does cause a lot health issues.

Perhaps because it's "natural", but by the usual natural-fallacist logic that shouldn't extend to destilled spirits - refining and purifying substances normally makes them evil.

DD: "If you’re my age or older, you received 8 total vaccines or less, and guess what, we’re all fine. "

Well, except for Roald Dahl's oldest child. How it work out for Olivia? Also it did not work out for a co-worker with a severe limp from polio. Oh, and not for the little girl next door who was partially deaf because her mother had rubella when a few months before she was born. It also really did not work out very well for the little boy in a couple of recent articles on this blog. Oh, and it definitely did not work out for my oldest who had seizures from a disease before its vaccine was available. Plus I could have done without the month of chicken pox which included my youngest who was only six months old (only a sadistic child hater would want to see a baby suffer like that).

Julian Frost: "Case in point: Measles. Chris, if your’e around, would you please post that chart of yours showing what happened after mass vaccination against Measles began?"

Of course. I shall post both of them. (and yes I am only here sporadically, it seems that I am in several medical waiting rooms and meetings lately with son, I just scanned the fifty page evaluation summary and "action plan" I got from the state's Developmental Disabilities Administration --- so I am having lots of "fun").

DD, you need to tell us why incidences of measles dropped 90% in the USA between 1960 and 1970. Do not mention deaths. Do not mention any other decade. Do not mention any other disease. Do not mention any other country (I am sorry, but neither England nor Wales are American states).

Here is the census data of measles incidence in the USA during the 20th century:
From http://www.census.gov/prod/99pubs/99statab/sec31.pdf
Year.... Rate per 100000 of measles
1912 . . . 310.0
1920 . . . 480.5
1925 . . . 194.3
1930 . . . 340.8
1935 . . . 584.6
1940 . . . 220.7
1945 . . . 110.2
1950 . . . 210.1
1955 . . . 337.9
1960 . . . 245.4
1965 . . . 135.1
1970 . . . . 23.2
1975 . . . . 11.3
1980 . . . . . 5.9
1985 . . . . . 1.2
1990 . . . . .11.2
1991 . . . . . .3.8
1992 . . . . . .0.9
1993 . . . . . .0.1
1994 . . . . . .0.4
1995 . . . . . .0.1
1996 . . . . . .0.2
1997 . . . . . . 0.1

Here is more detailed data from an appendix of the CDC Pink Book starting in 1950:
Disease: Measles in the USA
Year__Cases____Deaths
1950__319,124__468
1951__530,118__683
1952__683,077__618
1953__449,146__462
1954__682,720__518
1955__555,156__345
1956__611,936__530
1957__486,799__389
1958__763,094__552
1959__406,162__385
1960__441,703__380
1961__423,919__434
1962__481,530__408
1963__385,156__364
(^^ first vaccine licensed)
1964__458,083__421
1965__261,905__276
1966__204,136__261
1967___62,705___81
1968___22,231___24
1969___25,826___41
1970___47,351___89
1971___75,290___90
(^^^ MMR licensed)
1972___32,275___24
1973___26,690___23
1974___22,690___20
1975___24,374___20
1976___41,126___12
1977___57,245___15
1978___26,871___11
(^^^ Measles Elimination Program started)
1979___13,597____6
1980___13,506___11
1981____2,124____2
1982____1,714____4
1983____1,497____1
1984____2,587____1
1985____2,822____2
1986____6,282____2
1987____3,655____2
1988____3,396____3
1989___18,193___32 (this is what happens when
1990___27,786___64 measles vaccine coverage
1991____9,643___27 is reduced)
1992____2,237____4
1993______312____0 (vaccine coverage returns)
1994______963____0
1995______309____2
1996______508____1
1997______138____2
1998______100____0
1999______100____2
2000_______86____1
2001______116____1
2002_______44____0
2003_______56____1
2004_______37____0
2005_______66____1
2006_______55____0
2007_______43____0

@Dangerous Bacon

Spend some time on Twitter and you'll see people claiming that kids receive 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, or 74 doses of vaccines by the age of 18, depending on whether they were looking at last year's schedule or this year's, and whether they are counting the vaccines recommended for pregnant women.

NVIC (of course) has a poster claiming 69 doses. There are a couple of memes that claim X doses in 1983 vs. however many they're claiming to scare people from today's schedule. Those are passed around on Twitter and Facebook, as well as appearing on some web sites. So, DD isn't the only one.

So, we all should blindly follow those who push vaccines? If you’re my age or older, you received 8 total vaccines or less, and guess what, we’re all fine. Today kids are mandated, unless exempt, anywhere from 36-49 doses of vaccines before they enter school. I never had these extra vaccines. I’m not a health risk as these kids would be deemed today if they received the number of vaccines that I did. Autism and childhood cancer were almost unheard of back then (of course some will say they didn’t know how to classify autism back then). Your immune system was designed to fight any disease. Strengthen your immune system, and you’ll be fine. Vaccines are a scam; plain and simple. Science pays for these vaccine studies, so they’re always flawed. Follow the money.

Let me tell you all about the shingles I got in grad school in my twenties...

Love these privileged fools, operating under the tyranny of the healthy. Just do XYZ, and you'll be fine! Only trashy/brown/dirty/poor people get sick.

They probably didn't eat enough kale.

https://dianastaresinicdeane.wordpress.com/2011/09/15/lessons-from-a-ka…

@Delphine #106

Have more kale {you will obey}
https://www.noagendaplayer.com/listen/592/1-06-29

( in a NN post about his ‘brush with poverty’):

I've been having one of those for like six years, it's called "graduate school."

Although, to be fair, I actually make more money now than I did at any point previously, which is pretty sad. Although I did usually manage to bring home at least $10 an hour before grad school.

I think eating kale always was quite common in The Netherlands, but I don't think we suffered less form diseases.
Of course we didn't eat the kale raw, or drink it in a smoothy, but we eat it nonetheless.

Ah, Dutch mashed potatoes and kale, with lots of sausage "gravy." Though I suspect my son suffers a bit because his grandfather went through the starving time in North Holland during WWII.

Your immune system was designed [sic] to fight any disease.

And pathogens evolve to evade your immune system.

Strengthen your immune system, and you’ll be fine.

Feel free to test that out with, oh, say, rabies, HIV, or a neti pot full of N. fowleri.

Strengthen your immune system, and you’ll be fine.

Feel free to test that out with, oh, say, rabies, HIV, or a neti pot full of N. fowleri.

Or test out a strong and robust immune system and how it deals with influenza leading to a cytokine storm.

if virus is found in fetus brains, as they say, then it naturally follows that vaccines to it would also?

No it doesn't naturally follow because the point of a vaccine is to illicit an immune response without or very attenuated pathogenesis. Vaccine antigens consist of toxoids, recombinants and attenuated virii.

@Gilbert

Interesting, Todd W #100. Perhaps it will be a first to do so with a Zika vaccine. I mean, if virus is found in fetus brains, as they say, then it naturally follows that vaccines to it would also?

No, it doesn't follow. First off, viruses infect host cells and hijack the reproductive processes within the cells. As they replicate, they burst the cells, spewing out more virions, which then infect more cells, etc. This helps them get carried to other parts of the body. The particles in viral vaccines do not do this. Second, even if we ignore the difference in cell-hijacking, viral vaccines are made with either weakened virions, which cannot replicate (or have greatly diminished capacity to do so), or they use proteins, which cannot infect cells, let alone replicate. So it would depend on how the vaccine is made. It's a lot more complex than you suggest.

At any rate, those small toxins may concentrate in developing fetus. For example, the usual route of excreation of mercury is through the bowel such that there is ‘in’, no out. Is it stacking up in non-working bowels of infants(, perhaps)? <– Of course, I'm only speculating as somehow I expect that there are 'no studies to show' direct in-foetu measurements of toxic load.

Well, first you would have to show that they remain intact within the mother's body (i.e., are not broken down via various metabolic processes), then that they get transported to the fetus (as opposed to being eliminated by the mother's body), and then, if they survive all of that, that they are able to cross the placenta.

Follow the money.

I try, I try, but it always manages to go faster than me.

Does Mr. Adams sell supplements? What if I order them and find mercury in those by using mass spectrometer and post results in Youtube? Would he sue me from other side of globe?

@ Orac
Yes our much respected host, kale with mashed potatoes and stuff. Love it. It's on the menu for this Friday.

if virus is found in fetus brains, as they say, then it naturally follows that vaccines to it would also?

I would think that a live virus Zika vaccine would be a poor choice.

Hubby also loves it. I just need it to be less rich. Apparently his grandmother's recipes all started with melt a half kilo of butter in a pan. The "gravy" made with butter that braised sausage is a bit too much. I have modified it.

Oh, and yes, kale has been part of my diet ever since I met dear hubby forty years ago. It is not something "new." Just like the edible gardening I have been doing since we moved to our first house over thirty years ago. I even grow kale (some of it was in my lentil soup that I made yesterday).

I love it when something we have been doing for decades becomes trendy --- again. Though my son is still autistic.

Apparently his grandmother’s recipes all started with melt a half kilo of butter in a pan.

Nothing wrong with that. Enough butter, and even Brussels sprouts taste good.

“If you’re my age or older, you received 8 total vaccines or less, and guess what, we’re all fine. ”

Tell that to my youngest brother (born 1963). Make sure he's got his hearing aids in, first. Something about a harmless, common childhood disease called "measles?"

Enough butter, and even Brussels sprouts taste good.

Only in a 15C or better homeopathic dilution of Brussels sprouts in butter.

I am happy to donate ALL my kale servings to those that enjoy them. I've tried and tried... although I do like chard, and bok choy is delightful and delicious.

Mephistopheles O'Brien -- I was at a restaurant serving (a) a salad of tossed Brussels sprouts leaves (NO THANK YOU) and then a separate appetizer item, sauteed hearts of Brussels sprouts -- just the little white parts. To my surprise, I found the sauteed dish quite appealing. So much so I quit stealing bites from somebody else and ordered a whole serving for myself. I thought pigs would fly before I enjoyed Brussels sprouts in any form.

Enough butter, and even Brussels sprouts taste good.

Brussels sprouts always taste good if they are not overcooked.

I recently discovered to my surprise that cauliflower was the same. The problem all my life has been people over cooking it.

I can tolerate spinach, chard and broccoli BUT I really can't stand many of the other green vegetables despite being served them in quite good restaurants. Salad greens are another story though.

As I hear it from woo-meisters, I am probably killing myself because they claim those greens are indeed....
the Elixir of Life Itself !!!!!!
Green Smoothies Save Lives!
Or was that beet juice?

Liz will probably know this:
I remember driving through Watsonville, Ca, which is IIRC the Brussels Sprouts Capitol of the World, near the Garlic Capitol of the World, Gilroy and one other vegetable/town.
Needless to say, I didn't sample them.

Brussels sprouts deep fried with bacon are pretty good. Then again, anything similarly prepared is pretty good.

I remember the late Edwin Newman, a TV reporter, doing a feature on the 1962 World's Fair in New York (yes, I'm that old), and touting the Belgian pavilion, which he said "displays all the new ideas that Brussels sprouts."

Although I am a fan of properly prepared Brussels sprouts, I do have a memory of a horrifying dish from (the former, it seems) Brother Ron Pickarski's Friendly Foods involving the poor things and the sea vegetable arame.

I am a supertaster, but I like kale, broccoli and Brussel sprouts (the latter did require encouragement from dear hubby, which probably came before he brought up his Dutch relationship with kale in the list of favorite recipes when we moved into our first apartment). Supertasters are supposed to hate those. But I hate cilantro... there is no way I will learn to like the taste of soap.

Hubby and I have learned to deal with the differences in our taste profiles. He really likes hot food, I do not. So even when I make something I think is spicy he still spreads Sriracha sauce on it. Despite being from two of the "Salmon Capitals" of Vancouver Island he hates fish, unless it is covered in hot sauce. So tonight I made Buffalo Cauliflower with Blue Cheese Sauce, served with jasmine rice* and his salmon that spent the day soaking in lots of hot sauce (mine was marinated in garlic, ginger and balsamic vinegar).

We have figured it out after over thirty five years of marriage (we met forty years ago this month). The cruel thing about his love of cheese and things cooked in butter is his low cholesterol, mine is not so low (history of strokes on my mother's side).

At least our children like broccoli and spinach. They also told me they always thought my cooking was bland! Le sigh... it is hard being the supertaster mother to normal kids.

* the jasmine rice included wine, onion, garden thyme and homemade chicken stock, which also used herbs from the garden (I even have a bay laurel tree!). I have been making my own beef, chicken and ham bone stock for over thirty years. Yet now it is trendy. How is something that I have been doing for decades considered "new"? Oh, and my oldest child still turned out to be autistic. I should also add he never got a DTP vaccine due to a history of neonatal seizures (don't ask about the idiotic theories by "helpful people" I got for that!). I was doing the crud Mike Adams claims fixes everything even before he left Scientology and became Mr. Natural News.

Example of something dear hubby spreads Sriracha sauce on:

I take chicken and dredge it in a mixture of flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Then I do an egg wash with a generous amount of Sriracha sauce mixed in, which is then covered in panko bread crumbs. Then they are fried in olive oil. It is spicy enough for me.... but he actually spreads more Sriracha over them!

He hates it when I claim we have a "mixed" marriage: I am a supertaster and he has no taste. ;-)

Is there a support group for women married to men with Naugahyde palates? Shortly after we were married I cooked us sole bonne femme.

He. Put. Catchup. On. It.

So even when I make something I think is spicy he still spreads Sriracha sauce stale hipster fashion ketchup on it.

FTFY. I think I've already gone on about my opinion of the Rooster glop, but my machine is immersed in an ill-advised tree update of the equally ill advised Macports.

I really need to switch to Homebrew. (A G4 PPC makes doing it by hand a bit too much. Donations welcome.)

(raises hand) I love just about all green leafy vegetables, though the love has evolved over the years (don't ask me about my mother's spinach - and I *still* won't touch liver thanks to her cooking - and she's generally a good cook). I, too, seem to be a supertaster and have some very mild texture issues. But the biggest problem is getting used to cooking anything I want and how I want after 27 years of avoiding all mold-based cheeses (Parmesan for example) due to ex-spouse's allergies. Unfortunately, I'm now dating someone who hates all shellfish...le sigh. But I have a great time playing in the kitchen when it's all for me!

@Chris, I'm a really good dishwasher!

One of my teens has the cilantro=soap reaction, and certain textures make him gag but he loves heat. I have to ration the chilies when he cooks or the rest of us would be blowing smoke out our ears. We keep a jar of fish sauce with thai dragon peppers chopped into it so he can perk up his food.

Is there a support group for women married to men with Naugahyde palates? Shortly after we were married I cooked us sole bonne femme.

He. Put. Catchup. On. It.

shay, I see I married your husband's twin...

He has pedestrian tastes, I have eaten and will eat just about anything (I love grasscutter, especially in a stew). He likes hamburgers, steak, and pizza. And chicken wings. And spicy things. And chocolate and beer but not together. And that's it.

Brussel sprouts are delicious when garnished with a little room temperature quality amber maple syrup. Learned this trick from my late in-laws, Quebec born and bred.

Brussel sprouts are delicious when garnished with a little room temperature quality amber maple syrup.

I used to make them this way, with the addition of some butter, salt and pepper. Pretty darn good. Also roasting them until they are a little bit blackened is perfect.

He likes hamburgers, steak, and pizza. And chicken wings. And spicy things. And chocolate and beer but not together. And that’s it.

Sounds like a kindred spirit, although I'll eat just about anything that isn't nailed down. Narad, incidentally, makes a mean hamburger. I didn't even have to put any hot sauce on it, although the "pierogi stir fry" did get a liberal amount.

86

tumeric is currently listed as a top seller in the NN store

Sounds reasonable to me. I use quite a bit in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking.

#131 shay simons

He. Put. Catchup. On. It.
In France you probably could have gotten off with justifiable homicide.

I enjoy watching America's Test Kitchen. From time to time they prepare vegetables in some non-traditional way and describe them so well I cannot imagine they are the same vegetables that I've tried.

However, whenever I try Brussels sprouts (which I've not had in Belgium), broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, various field peas, and miscellaneous other vegetables I never find the delights that I'm promised. I do try them from time to time just to be sure my palate hasn't changed; I generally come to the same conclusion.

I haven't tried just the cores of the sprout without the green leaves, however, so if there's an opportunity I'll give it a taste.

Naturally, I'm sure I'm the one missing out. Enjoy your sprouts.

" He. Put. Catchup. On. It."

Tell me about it. One of my creatures ( not the cat) behaves in similar fashion.
Which is why we can't have nice things.

( I should mention that my own food proclivities/ avoidances are not especially the easiest with which to deal but I digress..)

@ Mephistopheles O'Brien:

For broccoli, get something from a Chinese or Japanese cook/ chef. Trust me.
For asparagus, a French cook.

The rest, I'd forget.

For asparagus, a French cook.

I occasionally do asparagus with a sauce of butter and fermented black beans. It's one of the few ways that I like the stuff.

I occasionally do asparagus with a sauce of butter and fermented black beans.

I recently had chili oil with fermented black beans at a benefit our temple put on for the Flint water crisis this past weekend. I think it was the first time I've had them, pretty good. We had a whole ton of vegetarian Chinese food there, lots leftover. I helped ferry some of it to "Mercy House," a small hangout and sometime shelter for the homeless in town.

Brussels sprouts, cut in half and roasted with a little olive oil, salt and pepper is pretty good.

For broccoli, heat some oil in a fry pan. Add some thinly sliced garlic and fry until they're crispy, but not burnt. Remove them from the oil, then add the broccoli, cut into ~1/2" slices, and sear on both sides. Remove and toss with the garlic chips.

And I'm one of those rare people that loves cilantro (but I'm not fond of soap).

Todd W.: "And I’m one of those rare people that loves cilantro (but I’m not fond of soap)."

That is because of genetics which makes my taste buds and smell receptors different from yours. I think it has to with chemical receptors, and other odd things.

I believe that those of us who are sensitive to alkaloids are a bit rarer than you. Supertasters are about one quarter of the population, and there is not a big overlap on the Venn diagram of the cilantro sensitive and supertasters. It is discussed here:
http://gastropod.com/the-good-the-bad-the-cilantro/

My admiration for Harold McGee has been reduced.

Altho' I can tolerate cilantro, I find certain tastes and smells repellent:. especially some garden plants which have an earthy, moldy smell and various herbs and spices. Offhand I can't think of any names but being within a few feet of them...
Yiii!
( I've been avoiding the curries lately because of digestive problems not taste).

Interestingly, I can separate out distinct smells within perfume formulae and often can name quite a few ingredients. OBVIOUSLY there are some that I really hate- including- oddly, many of the flower scents.
I may recoil if someone is wearing something that smells terrible ( to me at least).

I do have a thing for oakmoss and I usually like perfumes that blend several notes well so that none is overwhelming. One of the scents I wear most has lime and almonds. Another has sneakily well-hidden patchouli... but patchouli on its own? Gah!

One of the scents I wear most has lime and almonds. Another has sneakily well-hidden patchouli… but patchouli on its own? Gah!

I had a rather delicate "perfume" (not really parfum) called "Sea Mist" that I was wearing for a while. Lavendar, I think, something that mimics sea salt. Pretty nice.

So no patchouli on its own, but how do you feel about Nag Champa? I burn the stuff regularly, although I have some Chinese and Japanese incense lying around as well. Plus some random Indian stuff from the same company that makes Nag Champa.

Poutine,

Our Quebec only (or mostly) meal. French fries, curd cheese and gravy. I do make some once in a while but with two variations: beer based gravy and duck meat marinated in dark beer for 24 hours before slow cooking in the crock pot.

Speaking about beer and work (you all remember I work in a brewery), I do think a bully (to me) at work has been fired (I'm awaiting confirmation from the general manager).

I'm cautious because, so far, I've been probably the best superstar ever at work and that made a very small group of peoples (3 or 4) jealous about me including the bully but none of the jealous people sit on the management council and I have their unconditional support and then some. Even the general manager did a royal number of things for me: going to the businesses' bank (he has two businesses) to get my paycheck changed, dealing with my landowner and various other sundry things.

We're all still working hard but the number of employees doubled from my beginning there so it's a bit easier and I built myself a strong pair of muscles by doing the inventory or the malt and hops.

Finally, one of the coworkers in the management council lost her mother this weekend so I'm cooking for her beside other tasks to help her an easier load of work.

Alain

Alain, I heard our White House served a version of poutine in honor of your country at a dinner with Prime Minister and Mrs. Trudeau. Though it turned out to be just a spoonful, a wee bite of it with the flavors of duck. I wonder if someone ripped off your beer marinated duck version. ;-)

Good luck at work, because you are obviously working very hard. Bullies tend to hate those who work hard and make them look bad. I am glad you have those who are advocating for you.

"Finally, one of the coworkers in the management council lost her mother this weekend so I’m cooking for her beside other tasks to help her an easier load of work."

You are a very kind soul.

Poutine, when done properly, is amazing. When done improperly, it's merely delicious. :)

I love cilantro. This post has made me think of "what will I absolutely not eat" and that is only one thing, alfalfa sprouts. I can't stand them, they taste like dirt to me. I will eat pretty much everything else.

I love patchouli, too. Straight. I'll get my coat.

Todd W.: “And I’m one of those rare people that loves cilantro (but I’m not fond of soap).”

That is because of genetics which makes my taste buds and smell receptors different from yours.

Something something Malört something (I loathe anisettes, though). The linked paper briefly mentions cilantro as well, but the genetic evidence seems pretty sparse – I perceived it as soapy many years ago, but it passed.

Then again, if one fixates on a distaste for something, it seems quite plausible that it could be self-reinforcing.

Here's a beer for you, Alain:
https://untappd.com/b/tuatara-brewery-coq-stock/1188916

@Alain, i hope your work woes end quickly. I've had some fantastic Quebec beers over the years and am looking forward to trying some more when I head back to Montreal in the not too distant future.

I'm rather excited. Apparently, NJ has become the home of a meadery not too far from me. I'm going there on a tour this weekend with a few friends. I adore a good mead (not the supersweet ones).

I don't know what my boss did but all the staff is more respectful than ever and I was wrong in labeling the coworker a bully. No one has been laid off and probably the thing that did the trick is my introspection method which I explained to my manager:

If I encounter a problematic issue, I work it out to dissect what exactly bother and try to ask myself the question, how can I work it out so it does not bother me anymore. If that method doesn't work, I work it out with the other party if another person is involved and finally, I call in my boss as last resort.

Alain

@ JP:

I missed your comment.
Nag Champa is alright I suppose as incense not sure if I would wear it. Mostly sandlewood, isn't it?

I no longer burn incense because one of my creatures ( not the cat) has asthma which returned after a long absence. Candles are alright if I stick to mundane scents like vanilla and Birthday Cake- nothing exotic or strong.

I no longer burn incense because one of my creatures ( not the cat) has asthma which returned after a long absence.

Possibly not so good for the cat, either.

Possibly not so good for the cat, either.

Certainly not if you burn it.

Denise - It's Castroville that is the artichoke capital. Watsonville (Driscoll's) seems to be the provider of most grocery store strawberries on the west coast, and is also the home of Martinelli's cider.

@ Emma Crew:

Thanks. I imagine Prunedale has prunes. I was there in 2007. I did see material wherein Watsonville proclaimed itself Brussels Sprout City or suchlike as well- I looked it up the other day but I remember driving through and saying,
" Not for me". Now I recall Castroville as well,
However I didn't have any of these delicacies when I stayed in Monterrey/ Carmel for a few days.

@Denise, you would THINK Prunedale has prunes, but they named it before realizing the climate was all wrong. My great-grandfather had an apple orchard, which last I knew had been converted to a kiwi farm. There is also a family story that back in the day folks in the area brought in eucalyptus from Australia to make fruit crates (since they grow so fast), but accidentally brought the kind with useless wood and now it is all over the dang state. Clearly folks around there were not so great with trees...

@ Emma Crew:

That's hilarious. Especially when you think that California is THE place for trees.. I never saw such gigantic willows and oaks** not to mention redwoods.

** with oamoss.

OAKMOSS

Denice: "However I didn’t have any of these delicacies when I stayed in Monterrey/ Carmel for a few days."

When my dad was stationed in Ft. Ord in the 1960s we would go out to Castrofield and he would by a dozen artichokes for a dollar. We loved them, though we did convince my three year old sister that the hearts were poisonous.

Watsonville (Driscoll’s) seems to be the provider of most grocery store strawberries on the west coast

Oh, they're bigger than that. Standard issue around the former grounds of the Century of Progress.

Watsonville (Driscoll’s) seems to be the provider of most grocery store strawberries on the west coast, and is also the home of Martinelli’s cider.

I have been advised to boycott Driscoll's due to their stiffing Mexican farm workers on their wages. Solidarity forever, etc.

I think I know why the dose - response curve is ignored by antivaxx loons. Simple - the very fact that mercury is so diluted in the vaccines is the very reason! It may not reach the horrible potency of properly succussed 30C or 100C nostrum, but that would outright kill anyone. Still it is dilluted enough to make it more toxic by the principles of homeopathy!

Thus all of scientist who try and point that amounts of mercury in vaccines are minute, miss the point completly! Explaining that there's so little of mercury that it might just as well not be there only confirms the fears of antivaxx crowd.