Dr. Sood, Mayo'd, woo'd, not good

The January 3 Baltimore Sun had an article touting ayurvedic woo: "Ayurvedic medicine aims to correct balance of energy."

Because, heaven knows how many times those scientifically unknown and undetected "energies" get imbalanced. Especially the imbalances with clues lurking right there on your tongue. And golly, real-medicine doctors never think to say, "Your heartburn may be caused by an imbalance of energies. Let me look at your tongue."

It's disturbing that Tribune Media Services continues to distribute articles suggesting such ridiculous, non-scientific alternative-to-real-medicine and that The Sun continues to publish them.

It's even more disturbing that the article was written by a doctor from the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Amit Sood. Is no U.S. hospital free of doctors promoting and supporting woo?

At least the article did mention that research supporting ayurvedic medicine woo was "very limited" and that ayurvedic dietary supplements may be contaminated. Nothing like contaminated supplements to cure you when you're ailing because of unbalanced energies.

The article also cautions that "[n]o formal credentialing system exists in the U.S. for ayurvedic medicine practitioners. That means there is no guaranteed that someone who claims to be an ayurvedic doctor actually has credible qualifications or specific training." Yeah, because being treated by someone formally trained and credentialed in woo will give a patient much better results than being treated by someone who is not.

WBC comes to Maryland to protest same-sex marriage

January 2 was the first day that same-sex couples could be married legally in Maryland courthouses, so the Westboro Baptist Church came to Maryland to emulate their god's disgusting vileness by their usual hateful, ugly protesting. Four WBC members protested at both the Anne Arundel County Courthouse in Annapolis and the Baltimore County Courthouse in Towson.

And at both locations, they were met by groups of counter-protesters supporting the rights of same-sex couples.
Read more in The Baltimore Sun's report.

Where you put the little "." can make a big difference

Saw this ad for CareFRESH small pet bedding on Amazon yesterday.

Ninety-nine percent is quite a big discount, even for Amazon. Maybe Amazon wasn't selling many bags at the list price of $1,599.00, which does seem to be a bit steep for 4.8 pounds, no matter how much you love your hamster. Although it is turquoise.

According to Doonesbury atheists are winning "The War Against Christmas"

In case you've missed them, G.B. Trudeau's Doonesbury has been focused on the atheists' "War Against Christmas" since Christmas Eve December 24. The December 26 strip is my favorite so far: 

Snag in the gay agenda

If your gay agenda included the item "Get Married in Annapolis and use the Discover Annapolis Tours trolleys as transportation," you'll need to cross it off your list. At least the part about the trolleys. Matt Grubbs, owner of the trolley company, has decided to get out of his popular wedding service business. 

Grubbs' god apparently told him he isn't allowed to shuttle same-sex couples and their wedding guests on his trolleys. On the other hand, the State of Maryland told him back in 2001--long before it passed the law that will allow same-sex couples to marry beginning January 1, 2013--that he cannot legally discriminate in his business on the basis of sexual orientation. So Grubbs felt he had no choice but to go out of the wedding services business.

However, Grubbs is now pushing for a change in the law that would allow wedding related businesses to discriminate against--same-sex married couples? same sex couples whether they're married or not? anyone based on their sexual orientation?--if their bigotry is grounded in their personal religious convictions.

But whether or not the current law is amended to allow discrimination, same-sex couples marrying in Annapolis will need to find a mode of transportation other than a trolley. At least until a trolley service run by someone whose god (or lack thereof) allows the business to transport same-sex couples fills the void.

Isn't this special?

Saw this sign on the sidewalk in Ellicott City. I don't know about you, but I'd certainly want my reading to be special. 

I should find out what is being read though. My palm, tea leaves, Tarot cards, a new play, Fifty Shades of Gray?

Save $1 on diluted duck innards goo

Noticed this ad for oscillococcinum with a "Save $1" coupon in the December 2 issue of Parade magazine.

Oscillococcinum is a homeopathic non-remedy for the flu. Its "active" ingredient is water anas barbarae hepatis et cordis extractum, AKA duck liver and heart, that have been allowed to ripen for 40 days into a duck innards goo that's then diluted in water many times over so that the end result is one part duck goo in 10²⁰⁰⁰ water molecules. In other words, the final product that is sold is water. And nothing but water. (So it probably, as advertised, has no side effects or drug interactions.)

The chances of water effectively treating flu is (I know some might find this hard to believe) none. Even if the water is packaged in tiny doses priced at about $1.50 - $2.00 per dose or $4.50 - $6.00 per day.

If you're going to pay that much for water that won't treat your flu, you might as well save $1.00 doing it.