A new venue for the ScienceBlogs Meetup!

Dawn may also attend -- or others from that hardcore anti-vaccination list.

The Pro-Vaccine community is having a Pow-wow

**Anyone live in the area? Would you like to put a face to their names? These are the same people who blog on www.scienceblogs.com They are also the same individuals spreading their hatred and lies against the anti-vaccine community by responding to numerous news articles.

Be prepared.

Not to fear. A more hostile environment to antivaccinationists I have a hard time imagining. Still, if they want to go into the lions' den, that's up to them.

O.k. Orac is [REDACTED] is SoCalGal OR whoever the HELL you are....like I said you are paid by the BIG PHARMA to sell the Anti Vaccine Campaign!!

www.greatschools.net. (google the community for SoCalGal)

Then go to www.scienceblogs.com Nothing is beneath you..You scum.

Hi Orac or shall I call you [REDACTED] or SoCalGal You scum that feeds off of hurting parents? You creep.

http://community.greatschools.net/members/SoCalGal

Can everyone say LOSER?!

If the rabid antivaxers will be there, maybe you could all get a rabies shot before you go? I the sciencebloggers take pictures of them to share.

I remain puzzled as to why Dawn and Lenny (or anyone else, for that matter) think I'm SoCalGal, whoever that is. I realize that a guy named Pat Sullivan once claimed that I was, but he was so flagrantly, extravagantly wrong and ultimately he even admitted it, albeit never in public that I'm aware of.

As for the level of venom directed at me, it's nothing but BS that I somehow "hate parents" of autistic children. Nothing could be further from the truth. On the other hand, when some parents of an autistic children spout dangerous antivaccination pseudoscience and lies, they seem to think that their difficult situation should somehow immunize them from criticism. I disagree. The best scientific evidence has failed to find a link between thimerosal and autism or vaccines in general and autism. We continue to waste money that could go to other more promising research avenues because of the "advocacy" of these ideologues who, no matter how much evidence they are shown against it, believe with an unwavering fervor that it absolutely, positively has to be the vaccines. They not only siphon money that could be used for research and services for autistic children but they endanger public health by scaring parents into not vaccinating.

Meanwhile, there's almost never any outrage at the veritable army of quacks and charlatans who prey on the parents of autistic children with false "cures" like chelation therapy.

Lenny,

you position yourself as a leader in the autism community. Here's a word from a member: grow up.

"that hardcore anti-vaccination list"

Mmmmmm...... crèmes des fanatiques......

"As for the level of venom directed at me, it's nothing but BS that I somehow "hate parents" of autistic children. Nothing could be further from the truth."

As the parent of an autistic child, I can confirm that to be nothing but the truth. I consider Orac to be a good online friend, interested in accuracy and good science. These are the things that will help our children. Conspiracy theory driven buffoons like Dawn and Lenny do nothing for our children.

Ego driven buffoons like Jenny McCarthy and Jay Gordon may be doing even more to harm my family. Orac is supporting common decency and the public good by pointing out the flaws in the antivaccine campaigners' propaganda. Orac is on the side of all parents and all families because he's on the side of real science and real medicine. Being on the side of quackery and theft is being against humanity.

Hi Dawn:

Nope, Orac and SoCalGal are two different people (glad to meet ya Orac). Dawn was correct to direct everyone to Great Schools -- I'm there and can be emailed by anyone who would like to talk. :)

Dawn's complaint with me was that I objected to her nastiness -- not her perspective. She's entitled to her opinion, we live in a country that allows us free speech. We just aren't allowed to yell "fire" in a crowded movie theatre.

SoCalGal

It's clear who "orac" is. He's that dude that sells vacuum cleaners. In which case, I wouldn't believe anything he says about vaccines, geez, he can't even get his vacuum belts to stop burning out.

Thanks Dawn!

SoCalGal & I had sort of drifted apart. As a consequence of your amusing delusion that ORAC and SoCalGal were the same person, we reconnected, to our mutual benefit.

Debi said "It's clear who "orac" is. He's that dude that sells vacuum cleaners."

The vacuum cleaner company is http://www.oreck.com/.

Seeing how you cannot read the blog owner description above (http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/about.php), you have completely failed on the spelling of the vacuum company: any reason we should believe anything you say?

I think it's pretty obvious that Dawn and Lenny are the same poster. Thier writing styles are completely identical, and the smoking gun is the example above when Lenny finished Dawn's statement.

Hey Liz Ditz - don't forget to tell your daughter to get the infamous "Gardasil Vaccine" - the cancer "preventer". She is definitely the "targeted age" or don't you trust it?

Dawn:

Don't be nasty -- that's why I got so testy with you at Great Schools. Wishing cancer on someone's child is merely mean and adds nothing to a civil dialog. I'm so tempted to go down the path of "oops, I forgot, you're not capable of engaging in civil dialog." But I'll behave myself for now.

In the meantime, let me offer my thanks to you as well: your nasty comments here prompted Liz to get in touch with me at Great Schools. The result: I've retouched bases with her, found a terrific new site I knew nothing about and been accused of having the capacity to create a fabulous blog. Wow! Look at all the nice things your ugly words have done.

I gotta hand it to you, I'm rarely this successful when I screw up.