Ellen Kramer: Homeopathy and Sceptics

Ellen Kramer, yet another flaming quack who blocked me so fast – before I even knew she existed, in fact – on Twitter that it made me extremely suspicious. And, it has to be said, when you see what she advertises it’s no bloody wonder she hides from critics. Advertising wonks are not renowned for having a conscience, but it takes a special kind of evil and/or stupid to push homeopathy as hard and as mendaciously as Kramer. And boyohboyohboy does she tout her wares, especially on Twitter.

Her speciality is selling worthless diplomas to the gullible. That shit doesn’t come cheap either: the least expensive one comes in at £225. It’s hard to work out exactly how much time this is supposed to take, but since it covers 3 modules of assorted homeofuckwittery I’m guessing it’s something like 3 or 4 weekends’ worth. The Licentiate Diploma in Homeopathy is claimed to take 3 years on a part-time basis (10 weekends over 10 months, covering 10 modules per level). Fees per level: £2500 if paid in full, or £2750 if paid in instalments...

Read more: Ellen Kramer: Homeopathy and Sceptics

"Avogadro", the killing curse for homeopaths - Plague of Mice

OK, this is a good one. Since real science doesn’t support any of the claims homeopaths make, they have decided to write their own science books. And yes, they are the quack equivalent of Intelligent Design – which, as you no doubt know, is merely creationism in a lab coat and hipster glasses. I found this choice selection of arrant drivel on Homresearch, a webshite of monumental stupidity available in English and German. Allegedly, it was presented at a recent ECH meeting.

These morons came up with the following. Physicists and chemists, please take a deep breath and think many happy thoughts before reading on. I’ll split it up a bit so it doesn’t hurt too much at once. The ECH Spring Meeting appears to be where this complete waste of electrochemical impulses was presented...

Now read on: "Avogadro", the killing curse for homeopaths - Plague of Mice

On the move

The original blog had to move. I'm not happy about it, but it's too exhausting trying to run sites in different languages with more than one Google profile. Also, I don't want to drop my pseudonym. There are many honourable reasons for this, but I'm too busy doing repetitive website maintenance to spell them out for now.

I'm saving this site for reblogged stuff, mostly from sceptic sites I read (or write for), but not exclusively. I'm using reblog and RSS features to feed the posts in, how much text appears will depend on the length of excepts from the various RSS feeds.

Reblogs will always be excerpts. Want to comment? Go to the original site.

New rantings will now show up on the main site, while new reviews, short stories etc will appear on Wordpress. All the old posts worth moving have already been migrated.As it's been a while since all this happened and extra tidying-up has been done since then, you should probably visit these sites and update bookmarks etc

So, to recap: the general blog is still at Disjointed ramblings, but that ain't here no more. Sceptic writings are at Plague of Mice. Just follow the links.

Encyclopedia of American Loons: #1016: Ron Paul

... Since he is a religious extremist, Paul does predictably not have much of an aptitude for science. He is, for instance, a creationist, dismissing evolution as “just a theory” that he does not accept. He is also a climate change denier.

More notably, Paul – an MD – is a heavy promoter of all sorts of medical woo...

Read the full lunacy here: Encyclopedia of American Loons: #1016: Ron Paul

Mercola on Thermography: “it’s cheaper, safer and more accurate” | Western Sloth

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to provide some information regarding a new and improved breast cancer screening test which was being touted somewhere in the South of England.  It transpires that the new test was in fact our old friend Thermography, an apparently cheaper, safer and more accurate way to screen for breast cancer...

Read the full story: Mercola on Thermography: “it’s cheaper, safer and more accurate” | Western Sloth

The All Trials dilemma | WWDDTYDTY

WDDTY has a dilemma.

On the one hand, Ben Goldacre‘s book Bad Pharma is, on the face of it, a gift to quacks, shining a light on chronic abuse of the clinical trials system by Big Pharma – and the All Trials initiative is a public campaign that is likely to effect material change.

On the other, WDDTY is part of the world characterised by Wally Sampson as “sectarian medicine”, where taking sides is the thing that matters most. Sectarianism is why quacks support each other even when their ideas are mutually exclusive. WDDTY cannot promote Bad Pharma or support All Trials, because Ben Goldacre is one of the most effective critics of quackery today, and All Trials is promoted by Sense About Science.

As in politics: the mere fact of having been suggested by the “opposition” makes it ideologically impossible to get behind an idea, no matter how transparently sensible and correct it is.

Continue reading: The All Trials dilemma | WWDDTYDTY

How to build a body of misleading pseudo-evidence for bogus treatments and mislead us all | Edzard Ernst

Because this sort of thing can't be said often enough.

Some sceptics are convinced that, in alternative medicine, there is no evidence. This assumption is wrong, I am afraid, and statements of this nature can actually play into the hands of apologists of bogus treatments: they can then easily demonstrate the sceptics to be mistaken or “biased”, as they would probably say. The truth is that there is plenty of evidence – and lots of it is positive, at least at first glance.

Alternative medicine researchers have been very industrious during the last two decades to build up a sizable body of ‘evidence’. Consequently, one often finds data even for the most bizarre and implausible treatments. Take, for instance, the claim that homeopathy is an effective treatment for cancer. Those who promote this assumption have no difficulties in locating some weird in-vitro study that seems to support their opinion. When sceptics subsequently counter that in-vitro experiments tell us nothing about the clinical situation, apologists quickly unearth what they consider to be sound clinical evidence.

Read the rest here: How to build a body of misleading pseudo-evidence for bogus treatments and mislead us all | Edzard Ernst.

Encyclopedia of American Loons: #783: Suzanne Humphries

Suzanne Humphries is a nephrologist turned vocal proponent of pseudoscience, woo, and worse. She has been involved with the International Medical Council on Vaccination, a front group for anti-vaccinationism, and has written several blog posts and done several podcasts and interviews (e.g. for NaturalNews) insinuating that kidney failure is caused by vaccines...

Full lunacy here: Encyclopedia of American Loons: #783: Suzanne Humphries

Encyclopedia of American Loons: #780: Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington is – as most of you know – the socialite founder of Huffington Post. Despite other potential virtues, the Huffington Post’s attitude to science, especially in their health and well-being sections, is more than questionable; indeed, Huffpo is an abysmally shameless pusher of pseudoscience and woo, including anti-vaccinationism, Deepak Chopra-style altmed garbage; and self-help articles most of all reminiscent of The Secret....

Full lunacy here: Encyclopedia of American Loons: #780: Arianna Huffington

Encyclopedia of American Loons: #775: Steve Hotze

Steve Hotze is a wingnut crackpot who runs a big, lucrative practice in suburban Houston focused on “nontraditional therapies” and treatments for allergies, thyroid problems and yeast infections. He is particularly known for promoting natural progesterone replacement therapy for women, a treatment that can hardly be said to be particularly science-based. He also runs a daily health and wellness show that airs on Sen. Dan Patrick’s Houston radio station, KSEV. Quackwatch has taken due note of him, though...

Full horrific details here: Encyclopedia of American Loons: #775: Steve Hotze

Encyclopedia of American Loons: #697: Charlotte Gerson

Gerson therapy is a treatment regimen of which it is claimed that it is able to cure even severe cases of cancer through a special diet, coffee enemas, and various supplements. It does, of course, not cure cancer, but Charlotte Gerson – the current main promoter – has anecdotes! The treatments is named after the German crank Max Gerson. Charlotte is his daughter....

Encyclopedia of American Loons: #697: Charlotte Gerson

Harpocrates Speaks: Mark Geier: Not a Leg to Stand On

Poor, poor Mark Geier. For those who don't know, Dr. Mark Geier is half of the father-son team that developed the "Lupron Protocol" for treating autism. Put simply, Geier and his son came up with the scientifically unsupported idea that testosterone and mercury bind together in humans, allegedly causing autism. His treatment for this involves dosing children with leuprolide, followed by chelation. Leuprolide (also known by the brand name Lupron) is legitimately used for treatment of precocious puberty and as part of IVF treatment. It is also used off-label to chemically castrate sex offenders...

Read more: Harpocrates Speaks: Mark Geier: Not a Leg to Stand On

Book Review: Everything You Need To Know To Help You Beat Cancer by Chris Woollams | Josephine Jones

This is billed as the most comprehensive anti-cancer book available, published by CANCERactive, a UK Registered Charity founded by the author, Chris Woollams. Their agreed aims are to inform and support cancer patients and to provide research into treatments...

Read the rest: Book Review: Everything You Need To Know To Help You Beat Cancer by Chris Woollams | Josephine Jones

Patent Medicines and Alternative Medicine I: The Dawn of Patent Medicines | Steelclaws on Snake Oil

Patent medicines or nostrums were originally so named in the 17th century because those finding favour with the reigning monarch were given letters patent, which authorised the use of the royal endorsement in their advertising. It does not have anything to do with the modern concept of patenting. Indeed, throughout their history, most were not patented but trademarked instead, as patenting would have forced them to disclose the formula – something quite a few of them desperately wanted to avoid.

During the 18th century medicine was in flux. Old ideas – Galen and the Hippocratic tradition – were slowly on their way of being phased out as doctors influenced by Enlightenment sought to make medicine into a science, although it would take a very long time before medicine truly could be called scientific. At the same time, increased access to exotic plants brought to Europe during the Age of Exploration encouraged experimentation. People speculated freely on diseases, how best to treat them and systematise medicine. In addition to scientific progress – though slow – the 18th century gave rise to quackery on an unprecedented scale, some of which survives to this day, homeopathy being the most famous and widespread example....

Read more here: Patent Medicines and Alternative Medicine I: The Dawn of Patent Medicines | Steelclaws on Snake Oil

HIV/AIDS, and recognition of some of the worst “Science” I have ever unfortunately laid my weary eyes on.

After last week’s battle with a group of HIV and AIDS denialists, I thought this would be the opportune moment to pick apart this prime example of not only bad science, but downright dangerous and hypocritical cult, umlingo wamaNgcolosi.

I think it is necessary to first give a little background on HIV and AIDS for those who don’t know a lot about it, if you’re not interested or already have an adequate understanding skip this section. This is the first article I have written that I am actually a semi-expert on (or so I like to think!); you may or may not know that HIV is my research specialism, so I welcome any questions you may have on this topic and will attempt to answer them as best I can. I do not like to pass judgement on other people’s personal beliefs, funnily enough, however, when they have the potential to harm others then I have no qualms in absolutely tearing them to pieces for the benefit of others who may be on the fence...

Read the full post: HIV/AIDS, and recognition of some of the worst “Science” I have ever unfortunately laid my weary eyes on.