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November 18th, 2009
12:09 am - Give 'Em an Inch...
As you may know from previous posts, I have lately been a regular reader of the blog Science-Based Medicine.
Although they occasionally review new literature, criticize pharmaceutical companies for unethical behaviour, or discuss new developments, one of the main foci of the SBM crew is debunking the set of treatments often referred to as 'complementary and/or alternative medicine' (CAM).
It appears a great deal of argument in favour of CAM is a simple implication argument, formed thusly:
P1: The state of modern scientific knowledge in the realm of medicine is self-admittedly incomplete.
C: Therefore, our treatment for (some/all disease, illness, &c.) should be adopted.
The problem that arises is that many CAM treatments (homeopathy, acupuncture, reiki therapy, crystal therapy, and so on) don't fill in the knowledge gaps in contemporary medical science. More often, they run afoul of well-established biology such as the Germ Theory of Disease or what is known about cancers.
This does not stop CAM proponents from advocating the usefulness of their pet therapies, in many cases suggesting (usually by implication as regulators frown upon openly fraudulent claims) that they can treat an enormous number of conditions. Witness this Canadian homeopath's website. Karen Jonas claims to have "significantly improved the well-being of individuals with the following:" and goes on to list over one hundred illnesses, disorders, phobias, and other health issues.
All that with homeopathy? I have traditionally considered myself a fairly credulous person, but I fail to see how chemically/phamacologically inert water can solve one hundred plus health problems, no matter how often it's been 'succussed'.
What about the customer testimonials, I hear you say? Well, these are a collection of anecdotes, and there are several reasons why anecdotes often end up not being useful, especially in assessing the usefulness of medical therapies.
On the other hand, look at her fees... hmm... what am I doing being a worker bee in an office again?
Current Location: Home
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/tired.gif) tired
Current Music: Debussy
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November 17th, 2009
03:30 pm - The Tax Grab That Wasn't...
On July 31 next year, Ontario will move from a GST/PST (federal goods & services tax and separate provincial sales tax) system to an HST (harmonized sales tax) system.
( Possible side effects include boredom, headaches, anxiety, rage, high blood pressure, fever, haemorraghing, coma, death, and halitosis. Tax reform discussion is not for everyone, please consult with your doctor before discussing tax reform. )
Current Location: Lunch break
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: CHEZ 106.1
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November 16th, 2009
04:00 pm - Koodo can <Censored>
Over the last year or so, I have been bombarded by bus-poster and radio advertisements for a discount-brand cellphone provider named Koodo, which I believe is a brand sponsored by Telus.
Koodo's advertisements feature mind-numbing made-up words such as 'tabtastic', 'textellation' and other neologisms linking cell-phone terminology and superlatives like some sort of horribly disfigured conjoined twins. I'm all for coining similar words for the purposes of a joke (one thinks of EA Sports' NHL 2003 title with the colour commentator whose 'colour' comments included "That was save-tacular!"). But for mass advertising campaigns? Please, spare me!
Current Location: At the office
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: CHEZ 106.1
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November 12th, 2009
09:55 pm - Umm.... Yeah...
So most of you will probably not know that in early September I had a bout of mononucleosis.
It was, in my estimation, quite mild. I did not suffer from weeks and weeks of fatigue beforehand (I probably picked it up while on vacation in mid-August), and while the symptom 'trough' was quite unpleasant, my recovery was quite rapid.
The only long-term concern was the doctor we saw (not my normal family doctor as he was on vacation himself at the time) advising me to stay off the bottle for about three months.
This was a concern (for Jonathan too, as it turns out, since when he had mono he received no such advice concerning alcohol) as while I certainly do not make a habit of drinking a lot, I do often have a glass of wine at dinner and I like having my pints at the pub.
Today, Leyna (my girlfriend) got me an 'Advent calendar' (you know, the kind with the chocolate punch-out days) from the NHL. The NHL calls it a 'holiday countdown calendar', so Leyna scratched out the word holiday and put in Beer (there is a reason I love this woman!).
I am astounded that, of all groups, the NHL created such a calendar. Advent calendars are an explicitly Christian phenomenon (although marking the days of Advent, when one is busily preparing oneself for the Incarnation, by picking out and eating chocolates is a rather sketchy way of going about the whole business) - I'm sure my readers can correct me if other religions have adapted the practice or if Christianity adapted it from someone else (although since chocolate has only been a staple of Christian-majority societies since the peoples of Eurasia discovered and colonized the Americas, I doubt it).
On the other hand, for the purpose I am putting it to use for (busily working on the first 12 days as I write this) it seems perfectly suited, since hockey and beer are quite related and it would be a bit tawdry to use an explicitly religious calendar to count down the days to drinking beer.
On the other other hand, will I be saying a prayer of thankfulness on high after my first sip of sweet, golden beer in three months? Yeah, probably.
Current Location: Leyna's
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/smile.gif) chipper
Current Music: None
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November 11th, 2009
09:55 pm - Remembrance Day
Known as Veteran's Day for Americans (and other names worldwide, but I'm not sure anyone reading this blog is from anywhere outside North America).
A day of great importance, one that has grown beyond its original commemoration of the veterans of the Great War (the First World War) to include, of course, the Second World War, the Korean War, and indeed all 20th-21st century conflicts in which North Americans (and others) have participated.
The practices surrounding November 11 vary greatly; it seems to me that the victors of the Great War (and especially of the war on the Western Front) are the countries most likely to have a holiday or special commemoration on November 11, and the ones who were in from the beginning more likely to have sombre ceremony on November 11 than the ones who joined in later (the US, for example, has its sombre remembrances of war dead on Memorial Day - American readers, please correct me if this practice is changing!).
While it seems to me that over the years a great deal of mythology has accumulated around Remembrance Day - at least in Canada - the core of the day remains intact: an imperative for citizens to take time to reflect upon the sacrifices made, if not necessarily on our behalf, then at least at our behest (via acts of Parliament declaring war or authorizing troop deployments to foreign battlegrounds) by the personnel of our armed forces.
One of the most common misconceptions I find arising is the notion that the soldiers of past wars were fighting and dying, in some Christ-like way, for the benefit of us, the present generation. This strikes me as being a bit full of hubris, as if somehow we are more important than their generation was. Certainly we have benefitted from the work of our veterans and war dead, past and present, although it is highly doubtful that the basic freedoms of the North American polities would have been seriously undermined in the event of, say, a German victory in either world war (never mind that the Germans could not have won either war) or, say, a North Korean victory in the Korean War.
It is without doubt, on the other hand, that the participation of North Americans in the world wars and in Korea led to much improved outcomes for the peoples living in the affected theatres. The Canadians were widely regarded as the finest troops in the Great War; their expertise and the Americans' fresh and numerous armies (and possibly also the flu) certainly shortened the conflict. Without the Allied invasion of Western Europe in 1944 the Red Army would have had to advance through all of Germany to ensure the destruction of the Nazi Reich, the result of which would have meant Soviet domination over Europe (save for the Iberian and Italian peninsulas). And even the most cursory glance at the two Koreas today leads one to believe South Koreans are glad the US-led UN forces intervened in the Korean War.
That Western Europe and South Korea remained free has surely resulted in an improved situation - in terms of liberty, security, and prosperity - for North America.
We also commemorate our dead and veterans of wasteful wars (the Great War, Vietnam) and of contemporary conflicts whose outcomes are still in doubt (the 2001-present Afghan conflict and the 2003-present Iraq war).
I think it is very important to separate our political views about the wars acknowledged today from the requirement to remember those who served in them and what they went through - or are going through - at the command of their civilian governments. Whether we think this war or that is justifiable or unjustifiable, or was necessary or a senseless waste, is of no importance. What matters is that we have demanded, in the past and in the present, that our armed forces enter into battle to kill and destroy, to suffer and die, and we must put aside time in our quotidian lives to remember the ones who come back and the ones who don't.
I can't find it on YouTube, but the British composer John Tavener crafted a beautiful setting of the text "They Shall Grow Not Old" (the Ode of Remembrance), often recited at Remembrance Day ceremonies. Had I found something, I would surely have linked it to this blog for your enjoyment and edification.
Current Location: Home
Current Mood: sombre
Current Music: None
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November 7th, 2009
08:04 pm - I've Been Meaning to Do This for a While...
At lunch break at work or at home I often read weblogs. This post from the Ottawa Citizen Ed Board, from last week, is one I've been meaning to comment on for some time, but never got a chance to. Since my comment would, strictly speaking, be trolling (since I would not, in fact, be commenting on the original post) I have chosen to do so here.
I would like to offer comment on the comment posted by the person anonymously titled 'doutfull taxpayer'. Allow me to go through line by line.
( Dissection under the cut (har!) )
Current Location: Leyna's
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: In my head
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November 6th, 2009
November 5th, 2009
09:52 pm - Only in Canada...
... can a scandal about professional hockey players and H1N1 vaccination lead to a senior public health official getting sacked.
The players of the NHL Calgary Flames and their families were able to 'jump the queue', so to speak, in getting vaccinated before Albertans else who had spent hours or even days in line waiting. They got their shots shortly before the clinics were temporarily shut down due to shortages of vaccine supplies.
While I can understand the outrage (the rich and famous apparently getting a leg up over the rest of us for no discernable reason), I do not feel too much outrage is justified, nor should heads have rolled at Alberta's health board.
The article notes that at the time the Flames made their visit the clinics were open to anyone who wanted to get a shot. CBC expands on this, noting that AHS (Alberta Health Services) officials apparently set up a special clinic for the Flames, reasoning that their appearance at a regular clinic would cause a commotion.
So, yes, this does seem like queue-jumping, and surely there are more important people to be vaccinated (in Ontario, the flu vaccination clinics are presently taking priority demographics over others with some exceptions which I will now discuss).
However, my mother noted that the priests at our church have been vaccinated, even though they are not in the high-priority categories. This was done because they go out and visit people a lot, in their homes and in hospitals. You do not want priests to be vectors of disease transmission.
Similarly, NHL players are public figures. They visit hospitals, they show up to events, they make appearances. They also travel a lot. So an NHL player with H1N1 could spread it around. Usually during the first few days the virus is incubating there are no symptoms. A team heading out on a road trip could find a player is sick waking up in the hotel one morning, after sharing a plane with the players and team staff (to say nothing of exposing the flight attendants, press following the team, airport staff and others).
AHS is taking full responsibility for the affair, up to sacking a staffer. However, this sacking has all the appearance of scapegoating to appease public fury. 'Because the mob demanded it' is not a good reason to fire someone. Can a suit for unlawful dismissal be far behind? Or perhaps the staffer who got canned feels (s)he deserves it - lucky for AHS if (s)he does. Setting up a special clinic is a questionable call, but I have (hopefully) demonstrated that there could be at least some rationale behind it.
I agree that the circumstances in which the Flames received their shots are objectionable. I disagree that they are unjustifiable, I do not support the kind of self-righteous outrage that the comment boards of those news posts are surely filled with, and I do not believe it was necessary to fire someone at AHS over it, especially if the staff involved had been otherwise competent in the execution of their duties.
Still an 'only in Canada' story.
Current Location: Home
Current Mood: creative
Current Music: TEAM 1200
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12:58 pm - Japanese Diplomat, (Sort of) Holocaust Hero
This is an interesting story an old colleague of mine posted on Facebook about a Japanese diplomat who defied his own Foreign Ministry to help Jewish refugees in Lithuania flee to Asia, North America and the Caribbean.
The diplomat, Chiune Sugihara, filled out visas, against explicit orders by Japan's Foreign Ministry, in the summer of 1940 to allow Polish and Lithuanian Jews to leave the country after its annexation by the USSR. Approximately 6,000 Jews are estimated to have escaped Lithuania due to Sugihara's efforts.
While this took place before Nazi Germany invaded Lithuania as part of its invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, it is quite likely that many or most of the people Sugihara assisted would have perished in the Einsatzgruppen massacres in the summer or once the extermination of Jews in Europe began in earnest in the fall and in 1942.
Suhigara did not receive any recognition of his deeds until the late 1960s; today there are a number of memorials commemorating him.
Heartwarming stuff.
Current Location: At the office
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: CHEZ 106.1
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November 2nd, 2009
03:30 pm - Hallowe'en Over, Vincent Price Overdose Avoided
So, thank goodness, since Monday there were, to my knowlege, no further lunch requests for Thriller, nor was it played (to my knowledge) on BOB last week during working hours. Any possible worse songs were also fortunately avoided.
Even better, I switched the station to CHEZ 106.1 (Classic Rock) one day while working late and we got to listen to it through Thursday, Friday and today. The music is much more enjoyable.
On average, BOB played a mix of stuff I enjoyed, stuff I couldn't stand, and 'meh' stuff. CHEZ tends to play more enjoyable music overall, almost nothing I detest, and a good deal less 'meh' music.
All that is my opinion, but it is making me happier (and maybe more productive?) here at work.
In particular, Friday saw the kick-off of the monster music Classic Rock weekend, which had some great stuff (Werewolves of London, Highway to Hell, &c).
Best of all: no more 'boogie breaks'. At least until we switch back.
Current Location: At the office
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: CHEZ 106.1
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October 26th, 2009
01:47 pm - For you punctuation mavens...
When using the abbreviated form of et cetera (either etc. or the older &c.) are there any guidelines for using commas after it when the term is used in a subclause or list?
For example: At the hardware store, I am buying nails, screws, washers, etc., so I have all the bits I need to put up the shed.
In the example, would the comma be necessary or not? As a matter of clarity I would use commas myself, but I would like to know what other people think.
Current Location: lunch (at my desk)
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/confused.gif) curious
Current Music: BOB FM
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12:08 pm - Vincent Price 'till your ears bleed
Today on the all-request lunch on the radio, one of the first songs played was (surprise, surprise) Michael Jackson's Thriller.
By Friday, I expect to be quite sick of hearing Thriller. But I should have nothing to fear: surely, no one in their right mind would request One-Eyed Purple People Eater (or whatever the title is), right?
...
...
Right?
Current Location: At the office
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: BOB FM
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October 20th, 2009
12:17 pm - Rule #32: Enjoy the Little Things
I thought I should recommend Zombieland to all who haven't seen it.
It's a very funny movie with surprisingly good cinematic qualities (characterization & character development, the plot). The actual cause of the zombie contagion is hilariously ridiculous, but is ultimately irrelevant to the story - all that matters is the focus on the central characters as they try to survive in a zombie-infested world.
The movie has its touching moments of human connection, its sad moments as the inherent tragedy leaks through the humour (the premise of the film is that humanity has mostly been destroyed in this plague, surely as tragic as it gets), and its sublime moments of bone-crunching destruction of zombies.
And the celebrity cameo is priceless.
Current Location: At the office
Current Mood: chipper
Current Music: BOB FM
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October 16th, 2009
11:23 am - Mythbusters, H1N1-style
If you like seeing ridiculous people getting taken down a peg (and I do - I even enjoy getting taken down a peg myself when I'm being ridiculous) then you will like this SBM post.
Apart from being informative, the post is humourous and entertaining, and written in a more colloquial style. As someone who has not done science classes (and never done medicine classes) I can assure you this is a plus.
The post does have its serious turns: the author points out his pediatric ICU is generally at capacity these days (during what in other years would be the 'dog days' at the ICU) due to H1N1.
Current Location: At the office
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: BOB FM
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October 15th, 2009
02:14 pm - Get thee thy flu shot!
My understanding is that Canadians will be able to get H1N1 flu shots Canada-wide from November 1st. Older citizens and residents & staff of nursing/old-age homes are already getting seasonal flu shots, while the rest of us will be able to get them in December. American or other readers of this blog should check with their respective public health authorities as to when H1N1 and trivalent seasonal flu vaccines will be available.
In addition to getting vaccinated you should practice proper handwashing, keeping surfaces clean, and sneezing/coughing into sleeves or tissues rather than hands or the open air. If you get sick, stay at home and do not go to school or work.
Reasons to get your H1N1 flu shot - Unless you are older (60+ or so) you have approximately no immunity to H1N1.
- H1N1 tends to inflict its worst damage on young, healthy adolescents and adults from 10 to 60, which is most students and workers.
- You will either avoid getting infected outright or attenuate your symptoms even if you get H1N1 flu.
- If you get flu anyway, you will decrease the likelihood of passing flu to others, whether you are symptomatic or asymptomatic.
Reasons to get your Seasonal flu shot - If you deal with the very old, the very young, or the ill, if you get the flu you pose a potentially mortal danger to them.
- You will either avoid getting infected outright or attenuate your symptoms if you get seasonal flu.
- If you get flu anyway, you will decrease the likelihood of passing flu to others.
- Seasonal flu can still cripple or kill you, although it is much less likely to if you are young and healthy.
Reasons not to get a flu shot - You are allergic to the vaccine.
- You have a past medical history of moderate to severe adverse reactions to vaccination (thus making it likely you would suffer an adverse reaction to this vaccine).
- You live in complete isolation from other humans and expect to interact with no one else this flu season.
There are, I believe, no other good reasons not to get a flu shot (especially not "you didn't feel like it").
This 2003 article estimates approximately 36,000 deaths annually in normal flu years from influenza in the US and 700-2500 deaths annually in Canada. I have seen estimates that the added effect of H1N1 flu will result in up to 90,000 deaths worst-case in the US this flu season (haven't seen a Canadian estimate).
This is not a large number of people as a total of the population, but it's not insignificant (CDC estimates for annual homicide deaths in the US is approx. 20,000, or 55.6% the 'normal' annual influenza death toll), and flu deaths are preventable via vaccination.
As usual, this blog is an excellent resource for further flu information and additional research. I also recommend the Centers for Disease Control and Health Canada websites.
Also, don't listen to doomsayers who think another 1918 flu is around the corner. Flu vaccination (which was not available in 1918-19, after all) should ensure a multi-million death toll is avoided. So should the lack of 'industrial-scale' modern warfare involving large masses of troops packed tightly in trenches (hardly known for their hygeinic conditions).
Current Location: Lunch break
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: BOB FM
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01:21 pm - Car Drivers on Highways....
... need to not cut in front of city busses.
Hint to such drivers: if the bus cannot stop in time it will rear-end you.
The bus might get badly dented up front and passengers knocked around with mild to moderate injuries to driver & passengers. Your vehicle will be smashed up completely and you will probably be severely injured or even killed.
So don't do it.
Current Location: At the office
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/angry.gif) annoyed
Current Music: BOB FM
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October 14th, 2009
October 13th, 2009
11:22 am - Too... Much... Turkey....
Edit: Found a sentence that ended nonsensically. Had to fix. - Oct 14
So I don't often post synoptic blogs on this journal. But I thought a little bit of narrative would suit the end of the (Canadian) Thanksgiving long weekend.
This was a pretty good weekend for a number of reasons:
- Lots of excellent food;
- My girlfriend was able to come;
- The weather forecast was wrong and there was very little rain.
On Saturday, we picked my girlfriend up from her work (she works at a wine retailer) just after 7, whereupon we drove to my aunt and uncle's in Tweed, Ontario, to meet with my Dad's side of the family. We met up with my brother in Tweed (he is in London for school as you are no doubt aware). Would have been nice for my sister to be there, but she is on the Pacific coast in British Columbia, living near a ski resort (Whistler) of all places. Incidentally, my sister will be in the thick of things during the 2010 Winter Olympics, which I would say seems pretty cool.
Anyway, while my brother stayed at the Vances', my parents, Leyna (girlfriend), myself, and two of my cousins stayed at a bed & breakfast outside of town. The B&B is based on a farm, we've been using it on Thanksgiving weekends for years, and the food is fantastic. The room Leyna and I stayed in didn't have the world's best beds, but it was a good enough sleep and the breakfasts were really, really good. Did I mention how good the food was?
Anyway, Sunday was spent in Tweed, with three walks (one of which was a shopping expedition), a quick (for me - knocked out early) game of Risk, and a turkey dinner. We slept at the B&B again and were up early in the morning to go to Renfrew to see my Mom's side of the family (Monday being a holiday here in Canada).
This was a much shorter Thanksgiving (which was actually too bad). My grandmother lives in town now, instead of a sprawling property next to the golf club. We had more turkey 'dinner' (at about 1:15 or so in the afternoon, only 4 hours after a hearty B&B breakfast!) with a whole bunch of extra guests. After lunch we went up to the Renfrew Golf Club for a brief ceremony. My step-grandfather, Larry died this past spring, and since he was an avid golfer all of his life - although his ability to play golf was impaired by a collision many years ago - it was decided that his final resting place should be the golf club. As my grandmother joked on Monday, sometimes she thought golf was his first love and she was a close second.
Anyway, for the ceremony, the golf club had planted a maple tree in Larry's honour next to the clubhouse, and his ashes were poured into a hole dug near the base of the tree, then covered up. During good weather months while the club is open, a bronze plaque will be in place at the base of the tree to identify it as his last resting place.
After that, the five of us (parents, brother, girlfriend & I) returned home and got ready for our final weekend event: Jonathan was dropped off at the bus station to return to London and the rest of us went to the Sens game. The Senators were playing the defending Stanley Cup-winning Pittsburg Penguins, who took the Sens out 4-1. The score was not, we think, an accurate reflection of the game, which was actually reasonably well-balanced.
And that, as we say, was that. One could hardly ask for a better Thanksgiving weekend.
Current Location: At the office
Current Mood: calm
Current Music: BOB FM
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October 8th, 2009
01:08 pm - Have You Seen This Hoax?
So I log into Facebook at the start of lunch and discover an old school chum has posted this:
AMBER ALERT IN OSHAWA, ONTARIO>>>3 year old girl TAKEN BY MAN DRIVING NEWER SILVER TRUCK. ONTARIO PLATES 72B 381. If all of you reading my status would you copy and Paste... this Amber Alert in...to your status .It could potentially save a little girl's life... PASS THIS ALONG
Initially, I think to adapt this to post in my own status.
Then I decide to link to an amber alert website. So I search for one on Google that supports Ontario. And lo and behold I find this:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/2009/02/10/fake-amber-alert-spreads-far-and-wide-and-fast-via-sms-twitter.htm
It turns out that a similar message, about a 3-year old abducted girl with the exact same plate #s, has been circulating across North America since February. Almost every state in the US has been affected and at least two Canadian Provinces.
The two websites I found that actively post currently-active amber alerts are codeamber.org and the (US) National Centre for Missing Children. I am not certain if either posts Canadian alerts; I could not find any Canadian-focused sites that similarly posted real-time amber alerts.
In any case, this particular message turned out to be a hoax.
Moral of the story: whenever you get messages from others asking you to pass on information of this nature, be sure to check first with the appropriate authority and/or confirm if it is a hoax or not. Passing it on could lead to people wasting police time and resources.
Current Location: At the office
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: BOB FM
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October 7th, 2009
03:49 pm - 99 More Beers on the Wall
Another random thought sort of post.
This is a 'version' of this song I saw while on vacation in August:
99 bottles of beer on the wall
99 bottles of beer
Take one down
It's mine, dammit
I'm not sharing
Go get your own
98 bottles of beer on the wall
Current Location: At the office
Current Mood: productive
Current Music: BOB FM
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