Orac is the nom de blog of a humble surgeon/scientist who has an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his copious verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few probably will. That surgeon is otherwise known as David Gorski. That Orac has chosen his nom de blog based on a rather cranky and arrogant computer shaped like a clear box of blinking lights that he originally encountered when he became a fan of a 30 year old British SF television show whose special effects were renowned for their BBC/Doctor Who-style low budget look, but whose stories nonetheless resulted in some of the best, most innovative science fiction ever televised, should tell you nearly all that you need to know about Orac. (That, and the length of the preceding sentence.)
DISCLAIMER: The various written meanderings here are the opinions of Orac and Orac alone, written on his own time. They should never be construed as representing the opinions of any other person or entity, especially Orac's cancer center, department of surgery, medical school, or university. Also note that Orac is nonpartisan; he is more than willing to criticize the statements of anyone, regardless of of political leanings, if that anyone advocates pseudoscience or quackery. Finally, medical commentary is not to be construed in any way as medical advice.
Today, April 25, 2006 is Holocaust Heroes and Martyrs Remembrance Day. In commemoration, here's a list of almost everything I've written regarding the Holocaust, Holocaust denial, and anti-Semitism since the beginning:
60 years ago today: The evacuation of Auschwitz and start of the death march…
I had wanted to proceed to part 5 of my Medicine and Evolution series, but, frankly, I wasn't much in the mood for anything serious over the weekend, and, let's face it, that case of the blog blahs continued even into yesterday. Otherwise I would have done my blog buds Abel Pharmboy and Bora more…
This time, as part of their campaign of intimidation, they're suing a family that doesn't even own a computer:
A Rockmart family is being sued for illegal music file sharing, despite the fact that they don't even own a computer.
A federal lawsuit filed this week in Rome by the Recording Industry…
As a surgical oncologist whose practice is made up largely of treating breast cancer, I really hate guys like this:
MIAMI - A 76-year-old man claiming to be a doctor went door-to-door in a Florida neighborhood offering free breast exams and was charged with sexually assaulting two women who…
I'm actually surprised to find this out, but up until now there was a noticeable lack as far as medical blog carnivals go. Sure, we have Grand Rounds, but that's a general medical carnival that covers every specialty and all issues that relate to medicine. Although it's usually chock full of great…
Sometimes people come up with ideas that are just so mind-bogglingly inappropriate that I have a hard time grasping them. Case in point, recently Polish authorities granted permission by a local theater group to perform Jesus Christ Superstar at an old Nazi death camp:
POLISH authorities have…
According to Trek Today:
Paramount Pictures announced today that Lost creator J.J. Abrams will co-write, produce and direct the eleventh Star Trek film, set for release in 2008.
According to an article in the Daily Variety, the new film will be a prequel to the original Star Trek series, featuring…
This Jack Chick parody is a bit incoherent at times, but parts of it are still pretty amusing nonetheless. I'm still not entirely sure what it's about, and maybe someone can help me out there. This particular parody seems to be a parody put together from more than one Chick tract. However, one of…
OK, skeptics, listen up! Bora's set to host the 33rd Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle over at Science and Politics on next Thursday, April 27. If you haven't already done so, this weekend is the perfect opportunity to submit your best skeptical blogging to Bora before 5 PM EDST on Wednesday, April…
Via an incoming link, over at The White Coat Rack, I've found a rather amusing description of the twelve types of medical students one is likely to encounter in medical school. Looking at the description, I realize that I probably was the Overly Academic, the one who "came into med school with…
Well, well, well. The blogging this week has been mostly serious and dense, with discussions of Hitler's mother's breast cancer and two rather long posts about medicine and evolution. I don't know why, but I got a little carried away. In any case, it's Friday, and it's time for lighter fare. And,…
A Japanese soldier not seen since World War II has been found alive in the Ukraine:
TOKYO (AP) - A former Japanese soldier last seen by his family when he went off to fight in the Second World War has surfaced in Ukraine and is returning to Japan to see his relatives after 60 years, the government…
Wow. There was quite a response to yesterday's piece about why doctors are seduced by the pseudoscience of "intelligent design" creationism, more so than I expected from what I thought might be a dry topic.
A couple of the comments provoked by the post are worth discussing briefly in a separate…
I already know what the biggest musical flop of the year 2007 will be. Don't worry; it's not a difficult prediction. I just learned that Michael Jackson is back in the studio recording an album:
LONDON Apr 19, 2006 (AP)-- Michael Jackson has returned to the studio and plans to release a new album…
I've been meaning to write about this topic for a long time.
In fact, ever since our illustrious Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who also happens to be a Harvard-educated cardiac surgeon, came out in favor of teaching "intelligent design" creationism alongside evolution in public school science…
Tom Cruise has apparently told GQ magazine that he plans on eating Katie Holmes' placenta after the birth of their child:
Hollywood actor and Scientologist Tom Cruise is planning to eat Katie Holmes' placenta.
It is the latest in a series of strange revelations by the 43-year-old 'Mission:…
A few days ago, I fisked the antivaccination posturings of a certain "Libertarian Christian commenator" regarding the Geiers' claim that mercury in the thimerosal used as a preservative in vaccines is a major cause of autism. Many of the comments predicted that Vox wouldn't respond. (Personally, I…
I can relate to this one...
And, yes, between the hours of 9 PM and 10 PM EDST, don't bother me. I'll be...occupied.
But before I settle down, I can't resist posting this special Easter 24 banner:
All the other ScienceBloggers are taking this test, so why not?
What Disease Are You?
You Are Influenza!Also known as the flu, you are warm, nurturing, and make a great confidante. People admire you for your gentleness and honesty. While you can't literally wipe out 35,000,000 people by…
In 1907, Adolf Hitler's mother Klara died of breast cancer at age 47, when Hitler was only 18. The young Hitler was devastated by her death. Indeed, in Mein Kampf, Hitler described her death thusly:
These were the happiest days of my life and seemed to me almost a dream; and a mere dream it was to…
On this Easter Day, as children look forward to visits by the Easter Bunny, do you ever wonder what the Easter Bunny does the other 364 days a year?
I never realized a bunny could be such a sociopath.
Finally, I repost a link to DarkSyde's famous reflection, If I Were A Christian as good Easter…
The fundamentalist Christian right often laments that there is a "war on Christians" by secular society in the U.S. Indeed, as Easter approaches, such complaints inevitably increase. Consider, however, these clearly un-Constitutional clauses in various state constitutions that make atheists…
Out of Finland, comes a video so mind-bogglingly, surrealistically bad that it's oddly entertaining. I couldn't help but watch it with utter fascination at the amount of effort that must have gone into something so strange.
Enjoy...I think.
Who needs malpractice insurance, when you could have Sharia law? Check out this question to an Imam by a Canadian doctor regarding his culpability if a patient of his dies, and the Imam's answer:
Here's the question (typos not corrected):
Im a doctor and i want to ask about if i make a mistake that…
I'm not Jewish, but nonetheless found this one pretty funny (via one of the mailing lists to which I subscribe):
An elderly man in Miami calls his son in New York and says, "I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing. Forty-five years of misery is enough…
With all the nuttiness coming out of Tom Cruise in the name of Scientology, it's often forgotten that there are a lot of other Scientologists out there in Hollywood. One of the other most prominent ones is John Travolta. Compared to Tom Cruise, John Travolta seems, superficially at least, the…
For the first time ever, a head of state of Austria has admitted that a large proportion of Austrian citizens openly welcomed the Nazis when Hitler annexed Austria:
The president of Austria has become the country's first head of state to admit that a large number of its citizens welcomed Adolf…
