"You Bet Your Life"

More On Moore: Part Deux

UPDATE!

After a TKO and a humiliating post-TKO press conference, our valiant,
newly-appointed wanna-be major general in the AID$ war, John P. Moore,
took the strategically unsound initiative of going after the referee! He
should have left the stage while he still had a chance:

PART I: THE TECHNICAL KNOCKOUT:
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Citing chronic cowardice, Moore ducks the fight!

PART II: THE PROFESSOR'S POST-TKO PRESS CONFERENCE:
===================================================

No, wait, Moore joins the scrum!

PART III: MOORE TAKES ON THE MODERATOR:
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Moore unleashed -- a torrid of flailing e-mails!

FURTHER UPDATE!

I wrote Prof. Moore alerting him to this post, and in his  haughty little  e-mail voice (think Elton John with a Phd), the Brit Twit responded immediately and predictably, referring me to an obscure quote in a vacuous West Wing episode -- How erudite, John.

He claims he doesn't debate with "AIDS Denialists," which, of course, is  another lie -- as seen by his lenghthy and increasingly deranged e-mail messagess, skillfully deflected by Doc Brown.

More so, his groundbreaking reasearch on "monkey sex gel" is stale --already been done in  2000  per Nature Medicine.

So, tell us, John, as a top-notch "Colonel" of AIDS research, is this all you do all day? Fiddle around with monkey gel and write meaningless e-mails?

But what can you expect from a real "AIDS Denialist"

John Moore: Sex, Monkeys and Microbicides!

What's the deal with our favorite AIDS whore, Prof. John Moore? And Why is he all hot and bothered over sex, monkeys, drugs and AIDS? (1) & (2)

Oh I see. He wants to save us all with a new class of hyped AIDS drugs -- the Microbicides (pesticides for humans?)

The history of "miracle drugs" is not good. They kill 106,000 people per year. (3) Let's see how AIDS drugs have fared.

1. Plan A: In 1984, the AIDS cult promises to develop a vaccine in 2 years. It never comes. Ooops.

2. Plan B: In 1987, they turn to AZT, a highly toxic, cancer-chemo drug that is carcinogenic in mice and monkeys. (4) For 10 years, Moore and his buddies wipe out an entire generation of mostly gay men, with massive over-prescriptions of toxic AZT. Oops.

3. Plan C: In 1996, they turn to protease inhibitors. Ooops. These cause Buffalo Hump -- where bulges of fat form into a hideous hump on the back of your neck. (5)

4. Plan D: Merge all these toxic drugs together into a "cocktail" and call it HAART. Oops. These cause liver failure, heart attack and more severe illnesses than the virus. (6)

So, now, touting Plan E, we have --- the Microbicides!

Moore Theory: HIV is spread thru sex. So, Moore wants the world to apply these pesticides, er, I mean microbicides, on female genitalia before intercourse! And, supposedly, these will kill the dreaded virus. Bring us the female monkeys to experiment, bellows young John!

But, before touting a drug that reduces the risk of sexual transmission of HIV, ya gotta first establish what that risk is, right?

I mean, heck, I can sell bottles of "dragon repellent" to my gullible in-laws, and I guarantee you after spraying, no dragons will appear.

So, John, I ask again: What is the risk of sexual transmission of HIV?

Remarkably, this genius IGNORES the LARGEST epidemiological study of heterosexual transmission in the United States. (Padian et al., AmJ.Epidem. 351-357 (1997).)

In Padian, we saw 175 HIV-discordant couples having sex over 6 years. The results? "No serconversions" (Padian, pg 354).

Let me repeat: AFTER ALL THAT SEX WITH HIV PARTNERS (38% anal sex too!) NOT ONE PERSON CONTRACTED HIV. (These are humans, John, not monkeys)

So, Padian estimated a heterosexual transmssion rate of 1/10000 (woman to man).

In other words, the risk is either ZERO or .0001.

Will Moore explain to the scientific world why he deliberately omitted a discussion of the Padian study from his paper?

Will Moore explain why -- in light of the nearly non-existent risk -- spraying toxic gel on your female consort is a good idea?

Will Moore explain to us if he -- scientific geek writ large -- has touched a female breast since the frickin' Magna Carta was adoped? (Just kidding John).

And I know all of you must be thinking as I did when I encountered the title of this paper proudly displayed as his latest and best scientific contribution. Gee even if this works as advertised isn't it like a gazillion times more expensive than a condom?

REFERENCES:

1. Moore et al, Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (2003) 52, 890-892.

2. Veazey et al, Nature Medicine 9, 343 - 346 (2003)

3. Lazarou, JAMA. 1998 Apr 15;279(15):1200-5

4. Olivero et al, Journal Of The National Cancer Institute, Vol 89, 1602-1608, (1997)

5. Paparizos et al, AIDS: Volume 14(7) 5 May 2000 p 903

6. Reisler et al., JAIDS: Volume 34(4) 1 December 2003 pp 379-386

Hollywood says Good-Bye to AIDS.

Funny piece in the LA Times -- Goodbye to AIDS

The red ribbons gave way to the pink ribbons, which were overtaken by the yellow wristbands — until light blue ribbons came along. And they've all been shoved aside by the latest color to wash over Hollywood: green.

Green ribbons? Is this the next cause -- standing in solidarity with flu victims. Perhaps Green representing excessive phlegm build-up?

Maybe it's the burnout factor. Or perhaps it's because Hollywood has a short attention span. But as AIDS enters its 25th year, it is no longer The Cause among celebrities. There is also the perception that AIDS now affects only developing nations instead of the U.S., where ever-improving medical cocktails are helping those with HIV live longer.

Maybe, AIDS was hyped from the beginning, many of the folks killed off by AZT monotherapy. Now its just a boring, chronic ,pseudo disease, where folks yap about the benefits of "cocktails", but throw them in the toilet, because of the toxicity.

Analogy: I think Y2K was bullshit. I remember the hype and scaremongering, this time by computer geeks! It never happened. Their response: Well, we took satisfactory measures to prevent it!

Same with AIDS -- it'll languish and die out within the next 10 years, and all these weasels will try to claim credit for it.

One very good thing from this epic tragedy, though, is that whenever a "new" horrific virus (fill in avian, nigerian chicken, European cat, E-Bola, West-NIle) enters the scene by these idiotic scaremongers, there will be sufficient numbers of level-headed skeptics to cut the nonsense off at the pass--- I hope!

Dr. Darin Brown Shoots and Scores!

Doc Brown -- a PhD in mathematics and, ahem, frequent commentator in Barnesville-- has a few insightful comments on two things: a great man and a great issue.

The great man is former Yale Professor Serge Lang -- who sadly passed away last year at age 78.

The great issue is how Professor Lang  had the scientific guts, scientific integrity and scientific honesty (unlike some current professors we know)  to challenge some of the shiboleths of the AIDS establishment.

Wrote Lang:

"I am especially concerned when people who construct a reality askew from the outside world have the influence or power to impose their reality in the classroom, in the media, and in the formulation of policy, domestic or foreign. I find the situation especially serious when political opinions are passed off as science, and thereby acquire even more force."

For AIDS, the reality was pumping 1500 mg of AZT -- toxic cancer chemotherapy -- into 300,000 or so AIDS patients from 1987-1997. This was a bad idea.  Many of these folks were killed by the AZT.

I highly recommend reading thru some of Lang's work, that Doc Brown has assembled right here.

I highly recommend reading Lang's book (1 of about 50) called Challenges.

You will learn something, kiddo.

John Moore: Limey Coward!

Surely, we did not expect our previous Schmuck of the Week, John Moore, to outdo himself with continued childish behavior. Of course, he is "liberal" and "progressive." (and wants everyone to know that)

But, then he posted a simultaneously feeble, simultaneously vicious little hit-piece in the New York Times, where, among other things he tries to exploit a child's death and then whines

The AIDS denialists use pseudoscience and non-peer-reviewed Internet postings to bolster their false claims about H.I.V.

Did someone say false claims about HIV and fail to mention Robert Gallo again? My ....how convenient.

What a poor, disgraceful old sot. If this were a schoolyard from 30 years ago, I would smack him upside his pointy-head, and then make him do my homework.

Never fear -- Dr. Bialy to the rescue! You remember Dr. B -- Phd in biology from Berkeley, former Editor at Nature/Biotechnology.

Dr. Bialy challenges Sir Schmuck-face to prove up his charges, to mix it up, to hash it out.

And How does Moore respond?

Like the sniveling little Coward he is:

Participating in any public forum with the likes of Bialy would give him a credibility that he does not merit. The science community does not "debate" with the AIDS denialists, it treats them with the utter contempt that they deserve and exposes them for the charlatans that they are. Kindly do not send me any further communications on this or any related matter. John Moore

Wah, wah, wah -- I've heard better whining from a hysterical teenager.

We've had enough of John Moore. He oughta be taken out and horsewhipped. Or better yet, have his Pharmaceutical funding stripped by Merck/Glaxo/Abbot.

What a disgrace to science. He's degenerated into a pure Pharma Whore.

Big Pharma Discovers Cancer

The Grey Lady begins its hopelessly naive article as such.

About 400 cancer drugs from 178 companies are in clinical trials, according to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association. That is twice the number of drugs in trials for illnesses like Alzheimer's disease and depression and nearly three times as many as for heart attack and stroke.

400 drugs! Wow! Bigger numbers MUST mean better treatments.......

For patients, the flood of drugs is generally good news because it means a better chance of finding one, or a combination, that will work for them. "From the standpoint of the patients there is never too many," said Dr. Robert J. Motzer, a kidney cancer specialist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Does Motzer have stock in Pfiser and Glaxo? He sounds like one of these big pharma whores, er, I mean cheerleaders.

Sarcasm aside -- listen up cancer patients.  These people view you as a customer, not a patient. They will try any and all drugs on you -- as long as they get paid for the drugs.

They will prey on your fears -- they will prey on your ill-health. Be very, very skeptical. Be strong.

Wrongful Death: The AIDS Trial

Stumbled upon this new novel by Stephen Davis: Wrongful Death.

Interesting stuff! A fictional account of a massive class-action suit, involving our favorite topic.

The author is a former State Senator from Arizona --- much more media-savvy than I would expect.

Here's the fictional trial exhibits. Lotta good stuff there -- Hell, he should link those primary source documents!

Here's Chapter 2 of the book ---well-written.

I'm impressed!

Harper's Redux!

South African Embassy

Excellent dissection of more medical hype

Who is this fellow Bill Sardi? And how did he get so smart?

This paper on Lew Rockwell's cite is a must-read

Drug Industry Sponsored Boondoggles

MarketWatch has a funny article on Pharma sponsored Congressional boondoggles, er, fact-finding missions.

Glaxo and other top pharmaceutical companies have also sponsored trips taken by the offices of lawmakers involved in the negotiations of the 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug Act. The legislation did not impose price controls on pharmaceutical companies, creating a potential windfall of millions of dollars.

Pfizer sponsored at least six trips for former Sen. John Breaux, D-La., at more than $11,500. In November 2003, Breaux took a trip on Pfizer's tab just days before he participated in Medicare negotiations.

In 2002, Pfizer was one of a group of co-sponsors that paid for an aide to former Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La., to visit Turkey to "gain insight into the U.S.-Turkish relations" in several industries, including pharmaceuticals.

In 2002, Glaxo sponsored a trip taken by a Tauzin staffer to the company's Brussels facility costing at least $2,800. Rhyne said Glaxo sponsored the trip because Tauzin's aide was majority counsel for the committee that dealt with health and vaccine issues.

Tauzin was a key negotiator of the Medicare law, and now is head of PhRMA. Tauzin has denied any conflicts of interest while he negotiated the legislation.

And Tauzin is not the only member or staffer to take trips sponsored by drug companies and later find industry employment.

In 2001, PhRMA sponsored a trip costing at least $3,100 taken by former Rep. Jim Greenwood, R-Pa. Greenwood was a member of House Energy and Commerce Committee, which regulates drug companies. He also has sponsored several bills related to the industry.

In 2005, Greenwood became president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, an industry trade group.

In 2000, Merck sponsored a $1,600 trip to its Tampa facility taken by Dave Larson, who was a health policy adviser at the time to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, the main sponsor of the Medicare bill. Larson was later hired by PhRMA.

Here's one solitary, quiet voice in opposition to this:

Massie Ritsch, of the Center for Responsive Politics, said the trips provide lawmakers with only one point of view.

"They are held captive by the sponsors," Ritsch said. "These are fact-finding missions, but [lawmakers] are only getting certain facts."

My new mission in life is to NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PRESCRIPTION DRUG FOR ANY REASON. In sum, I would rather die than give a cent to Pfizer, Glaxo, Merck:)