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9. september 2004
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Homeopathy is not always harmless quckery
A lot of people say that even if alternative medicine doesn't work, at least it doesn't do any harm. That in particular applies to homeopathy, which uses rather expensive 'sugar pills' that once touched some ingredient that created the same symptom as the disease it is alleged to heal.
A silly idea, but harmless, right? Well, it is certaintly not harmless if it replaces scientifically tested and necessary medication. Some homeopaths are indeed very militant in trying to convince people to not accept medical science. One particular long term crusade of homeopaths has been their fight against vaccinations. The vast vaccination campaigns in the 20th century are arguably the most life saving project humans ever started.
Even today, some homeopaths are fighting against vaccination programmes. British General Practicioner Michael Fitzpatrick has written a well-deserved and hard-hitting opinion about one particular quack agitator.
At the height of the recent furore over the new five-in-one jab for newborn babies, a mother came into our baby clinic with a 27-page document, downloaded from the internet, which recommended that she should refuse consent for any childhood immunisations. Closer inspection revealed that this document was a copy of the one submitted by Dr Jayne Donegan, a GP and homeopath, to last summer's court case arising from the conflict between estranged parents over whether their children should receive vaccinations.
The judge found this doctor guilty of using "selective quotations", of making "unsubstantiated claims", and of "being confused in her thinking, lacking logic, minimising the duration of a disease, making statements lacking valid facts, ignoring the facts, ignoring the conclusion of papers, making implications without any scientific validation, giving a superficial impression of a paper, not presenting the counter argument, quoting selectively from papers, and of providing in one instance no data and no facts to support her claim". It was Dr Donegan's evidence that Lord Justice Sedley dismissed as "junk science" at the subsequent appeal.
But tell us what you really mean, your honour.
10:43:06 PM 
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Kerry has not taken Clinton's advice to heart
Whoever wins the US presidential election in November, stand up comedians, cartoonists and tv show hosts will have a great time with a president who constantly misspeaks.
8:38:36 PM
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Caught in the drug net
I've heard say that no matter how primitive people are, they always have a way to make some drug that will make them high, no matter how disgusting the process. This is apparently true for inmates in Australian jails, too. Yuck!
7:21:31 PM
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Polls are great for Kerry - over here
If Hans Blix had his way and all the world had been allowed to vote in the US election, Kerry would have beaten Bush by a landslide.
"It is absolutely clear that John Kerry would win handily if the people of the world could vote," said Steve Kull, director of The Program on International Policy Attitudes of the University of Maryland, a co-sponsor of the survey. "It is rather striking that just one in five people surveyed around the world support the re-election of President Bush."
All regions preferred Kerry, and there were majorities supporting Bush only in Poland, Nigeria and the Philippines. And Norway had the distinction of being tied with Germany as the most Bush-hating country in the world.
Norway and Germany tied - at 74 percent - as the countries where those polled most strongly support Kerry.
Of course, you'd be hard pressed to find one Norwegian in a hundred having the faintest clue what is John Kerry's platform. As this blog has demonstrated over time, Norwegian media is absolutely one-sided in its coverage of the US election and the US generally, and not very well informed. On domestic issues, people are able to form their own opinions based on their everyday experiences. On foreign policies, almost all information available is filtered through the press. The result speaks for itself.
7:35:11 AM
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© Copyright 2004 Jan Haugland.
Last update: 01.10.2004; 07:23:16.
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