By Michael Rosch, on September 28, 2010, at 7:03 am  Mike Adams sitting on a bench I just came across a video created by Mike “The Health Ranger” Adams discussing a recent study. Applying all the subtlety of a Road Runner cartoon, Adams’ video painted the researchers as crazy mad scientists with kooky ideas that any idiot could see were just folly.
So what was Mike Adams complaining about this time? There was apparently a recent study published in August in the American Journal of Cardiology that led the authors to suggest it could be beneficial to public health if fast food establishments offered packets of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs to their customers. Suffice it to say, Adams, enemy of anything with the word “drug” in it, disagreed with their professional opinion. … continue reading this entry.
By Michael Rosch, on August 17, 2010, at 7:03 am  When I first became an active religious critic, I thought I’d found the biggest taboo there was. I began to regularly receive some of the most venomous hate mail from hypocritical religious people on behalf of their omni-benevolent deities. It wasn’t all that different from the hate mail Richard Dawkins reads here.
But ever since I’ve gotten involved in the skeptical movement, I’ve found that the religious aren’t the only ones who can dish out nasty insults to those who don’t agree with them. Paranormalists, alternative “medicine” practitioners and customers, conspiracy theorists, and pseudo-scientists of all kinds have been responsible for some of the most vitriolic hate mail I’ve ever received. And ironically, one thing they all seem to have in common is a massive overlap with the New Age Movement, a group often associated with touchy-feely, infinite open-minded, post-modernism. … continue reading this entry.
By Michael Rosch, on August 3, 2010, at 7:03 am  WHAT IS FACEPALMOLOGY?
Facepalmology is a method of encouraging the body to promote natural healing and to improve functioning. This is done by applying blunt pressure or electrical stimulation at very precise points on the forehead region.
It is based on the law of humours and the science of Phrenology, which was first formulated by the renowned German German physician Franz Joseph Gall in 1796. A precise facepalmic treatment of a natural bludgeoning, which would normally cause symptoms (such as a concussion or disorientation) in a healthy person, when applied to a sick person in a specific location on the forehead correlated to the symptoms, will effect a recovery.
HOW DOES FACEPALMOLOGY WORK? … continue reading this entry.
By Page, on July 30, 2010, at 7:03 am presenting Celestial Soul Portraits by Erial Ali.
Really, keep scrolling, the before and after shots [...]
By The Quixotic Man, on July 29, 2010, at 7:03 am  How could that be possibly be hanging in the air? It must be aliens! The great joy of the Internet is that you can find the nonsense that comes out of just about any part of the world. Prime example: this morning when looking for something to write about, I found letter written to a Malaysian paper called malaysiakini titled “Gov’t should investigate all UFO sightings.”
Before I just say “no they shouldn’t,” let’s look into the article a bit. The author, identified as S Param discusses a number of UFO sightings that have happened before. Param complains that they haven’t been adequately investigated by the local authorities and yearns for a day when they will be given the respect Param believes they deserve. Param suggests that if there aren’t locals who can identify the UFO, money should be spent to bring them in from the US and Europe. … continue reading this entry.
By Michael Rosch, on July 21, 2010, at 7:03 am  Who has a question for "Dr." Wakefield? During the Q&A, I’d wanted to ask Wakefield what vaccines he was in favor of giving to infants as it’s clear that many of his supporters are far more anti-vaccine than he professes to be but someone asked a similar question first. When I finally did ask a question, I simply asked for clarification about the studies he claimed supported his research. At times during the Q&A, it seemed as though Wakefield was among the least insane in the room. But his answers were so slick as to somehow appease both less fanatical anti-vaccinationists as well as those who believe vaccines have no benefits at all and are used to deliberate poison the populous. … continue reading this entry.
By Michael Rosch, on July 20, 2010, at 7:03 am  Andrew Wakefield, the British medical researcher notorious for his discredited work that attempted to link autism to the MMR vaccine and inflammatory bowel disease based (largely on bogus analyses of twelve children), stands in the front of the room sporting an adolescent haircut. Giving a warm smile to his audience, over and over again, the man, with the sleeves of his collared shirt rolled up, angrily condemns what he calls an, “effort to erase these children’s histories from the public record.” Composing himself, he continued, “And that will fail. And I will explain to you why it will fail.”
The evening had begun with a brief introduction by a woman representing DAN! or Defeat Autism Now!, an organization that claims to medically treat children with autism. She then passed the proceedings over to Tony Lyons, President and Publisher of Skyhorse Publishing, without whom this event would not be taking place.
Skyhorse is the company that published Wakefield’s book, Callous Disregard. Lyons began his short introduction by calling the book controversial. He mentions how his own daughter has autism and that nobody knows if vaccines are responsible. In fact, he expresses this last sentiment exactly five times over the course of the next three minutes, while drawing comparisons to a time when doctors didn’t object to cigarettes and would even sometimes recommend certain brands. … continue reading this entry.
By Page, on July 9, 2010, at 7:03 am  (Illustration by The Designer) I’ve been working up to posting something on the Wacky-Woo of Suzanne Somers for quite some time. Somers has now written several books dealing with aging, cancer, and issues related to the female reproductive system suggesting that they may be alleviated or cured by something she calls “bioidentical” hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). This topic of bioidentical hormones makes my woo-meter bleep alarmingly for several reasons. The obvious one is that Somers plugs BHRT as a panacea of sorts. From her website:
Do you want great health and boundless energy? Do you want a fabulous sex life? Do you want endless vitality, at any age? In The Sexy Years I share with you the secrets of how I have remained healthy, happy and vital in the second half of life, or as I call it, “the Sexy Years!” The key to my happiness? Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. With these natural hormones, I have found the fountain of youth; the elixir that makes me feel thirty years old again. … continue reading this entry.
By Michael Rosch, on July 6, 2010, at 7:03 am  There’s a reason I’ve been absent from the Gotham Skeptic for the last week or so and that’s because I’ve been busy finishing up a certificate program in Paralegal Studies. Although I’m still currently working in television at the moment, I am now officially a Certified Paralegal.
Technically, one doesn’t require certification to become a paralegal but it’s hugely beneficial to have a document proving some solid legal education from an American Bar Association-approved curriculum. Several times here over the past few months, I’ve tried to apply some of the legal knowledge I’d acquired to expose a few misuses of the law by pseudo-scientists, quacks, cranks, and all manner of denialists. … continue reading this entry.
By Page, on July 2, 2010, at 7:03 am  (From citypages.com) This week ABC aired an episode of a new documentary news show they call Mind Games detailing motivational speaker James Ray’s rise to fame and fall from glory. James Ray, you will remember, is the self proclaimed guru that has pled not guilty to three counts of manslaughter after the deaths of several of his followers during a sweat lodge ceremony last year. Given that this guy’s psychological manipulation, exorbitant fees and questionable philosophy has led to the death those who trusted him, ABC had no option but to report on this story in a purely skeptical way. While interviewing some of Ray’s devotees who participated in that fateful “Spirit Warrior” program, the ABC reporter frequently asked, “But didn’t you think that was crazy?” … continue reading this entry.
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