Welcome back E/O, leagl and Fringey: no one say the name "Penske" 3 times in a row

[Adder]

Originally Posted by barely_legal

If you've never tried it, and you don't have any information to base your opinion on, what is the point of even posting?

Because there is no worse method of picking a medical treatment than personal anecdotes. "It worked for me" simply means nothing at all, although it is a great way to convince, for example, the devoutly religious to take sugar pills to cure their cancer instead of going to the doctor.

Which is not to say there is anything wrong with trying something in addition to medical treatment.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally Posted by Did you just call me Coltrane?

Actually, that picture on the right is on of the most unflattering pics I've seen of her. She usually looks great all the time.

That green disco outfit she wore last night was just downright hideous. They've been in Vegas too long.

[Pretty Little Flower]

Originally Posted by taxwonk

My point was not that they are unfuckable, but that after you fuck loons you then have to deal with them. There are guys out there willing to do that, but I ain't one of them.

Gross!

[Pretty Little Flower]

Originally Posted by Adder

Because there is no worse method of picking a medical treatment than personal anecdotes. "It worked for me" simply means nothing at all, although it is a great way to convince, for example, the devoutly religious to take sugar pills to cure their cancer instead of going to the doctor.

Scrappy!

[evenodds]

Originally Posted by Adder

Not the lone dissenting voice, although I haven't tried it myself, I am highly skpetical that there is anything other than placebo effect going on. But clearly I am talking out of my ass.

Given that "western medicine" is using acupuncture and other techniques as part of an overall pain treatment plan, yes, you are talking out of your ass.

From the Mayo Clinic:

Basic research suggests that acupuncture works by regulating the body's nervous system, and by promoting the release of pain-killing chemicals (endorphins) and immune cells. Another possibility is that acupuncture alters brain chemistry, affecting brain chemicals and hormones associated with the immune process and regulation of blood pressure, blood flow and body temperature. . . . . Evidence suggests that acupuncture may help cancer patients by relieving nausea and vomiting after surgery or chemotherapy treatment. Studies are looking at the role of acupuncture in stroke rehabilitation and asthma treatment.

As they say, it's difficult to do a double blind study on it, but that is true with treating pain in general. I assume you've not suffered from chronic pain because had you, like Sidd or Gwinky, you might not agree, but you might be more open-minded.

Even if it were just a placebo affect, if it enables someone with debilitating pain to function, that would be a significant benefit. The research indicates that it's more involved with brain chemistry, but hey, why let big pharma and cultural imperialism get in the way of helping people.

As a culture, we have embraced the impact of food, lifestyle, exercise habits, etc. on health. Gerontology has long been incorporating yoga and tai chi to help the aging. There is so much more involved in the mind-body connection than we know. The fact that we don't know exactly why crossword puzzles help the aging does not mean we shouldn't send grandma (or mom) a NYT puzzle book.

[Pretty Little Flower]

Originally Posted by evenodds

Given that "western medicine" is using acupuncture and other techniques as part of an overall pain treatment plan, yes, you are talking out of your ass.

From the Mayo Clinic:

Basic research suggests that acupuncture works by regulating the body's nervous system, and by promoting the release of pain-killing chemicals (endorphins) and immune cells. Another possibility is that acupuncture alters brain chemistry, affecting brain chemicals and hormones associated with the immune process and regulation of blood pressure, blood flow and body temperature. . . . . Evidence suggests that acupuncture may help cancer patients by relieving nausea and vomiting after surgery or chemotherapy treatment. Studies are looking at the role of acupuncture in stroke rehabilitation and asthma treatment.

As they say, it's difficult to do a double blind study on it, but that is true with treating pain in general. I assume you've not suffered from chronic pain because had you, like Sidd or Gwinky, you might not agree, but you might be more open-minded.

Even if it were just a placebo affect, if it enables someone with debilitating pain to function, that would be a significant benefit. The research indicates that it's more involved with brain chemistry, but hey, why let big pharma and cultural imperialism get in the way of helping people.

As a culture, we have embraced the impact of food, lifestyle, exercise habits, etc. on health. Gerontology has long been incorporating yoga and tai chi to help the aging. There is so much more involved in the mind-body connection than we know. The fact that we don't know exactly why crossword puzzles help the aging does not mean we shouldn't send grandma (or mom) a NYT puzzle book.

I don't sock, with one past exception <sniff>, but if I did, I would be replying to this with my Big Pharma and Cultural Imperialism sock.

[evenodds]

Originally Posted by Pretty Little Flower

I don't sock, with one past exception <sniff>, but if I did, I would be replying to this with my Big Pharma and Cultural Imperialism sock.

I miss Pushy the Puppy, too.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Adder

Not the lone dissenting voice, although I haven't tried it myself, I am highly skpetical that there is anything other than placebo effect going on. But clearly I am talking out of my ass.

With acupuncture, you can sing out of your ass.

Or, uh, so I hear.

[Pretty Little Flower]

Originally Posted by evenodds

I miss Pushy the Puppy, too.

<sniff>

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Atticus Grinch

Dahlia Lithwick is a courageous writer, in the sense that she doesn't even flinch when flying a metaphor straight into the fucking ground.

My favorite line was: Because in the parade of First Amendment horribles, there always, always has to be a Hitler there at the end, banging on the snare drum.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Adder

Because there is no worse method of picking a medical treatment than personal anecdotes. "It worked for me" simply means nothing at all, although it is a great way to convince, for example, the devoutly religious to take sugar pills to cure their cancer instead of going to the doctor.

Which is not to say there is anything wrong with trying something in addition to medical treatment.

Then there is the "it's worked for a few billion people over the last thousand years" argument, but I think what you're saying is that you only want something validated by a bunch of Harvard profs. Go the www.nejm.org and search "acupuncture" and you will get a dozen or two articles doing just that.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by evenodds

I checked my video collection, but they are mostly non-video videos -- concert performances or acapella renditions for promos, so no help there.

My favorite videos usually feature interesting tracking shots (Janet Jackson, When I Think of You, as mentioned previously), entertaining dance numbers, or both, like Jamiroquai's Virtual Insanity or Fatboy Slim's Praise You or Weapon of Choice.

Sometimes, like Juvie's Ha or NWA's Straight Outta Compton, Dr. Dre's Nuthin But A G Thing, or Clipse's The Funeral (which has made me a fan of their music since I first saw it), they just let you see things you've never seen before, which can be really compelling.

I would also add Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit. When you think of seeing that for the first time, it was completely arresting visually and a complete game changer culturally.

Lastly, Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer, REM's Losing My Religion, and George Michael's I Want Your Sex, Faith, and Freedom are classics.

ETA: Stylus Magazine has a list of their top 100 all-time (through 2006) with embedded youtube vids. Lots of Radiohead and Sigur Ros and Bjork and Pulp.

I really don't like videos a lot. I tend to find the music ruins them if I don't like the song and if I do like the music, I resent someone else trying to impose em's vision on me.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by evenodds

From The Awl:


I could never wear these, as I would need a micro-mini or "jeggings" to balance the weight of the shoe, but I love the audacity.

They remind me of foot-binding.

[barely_legal]

Originally Posted by Adder

Because there is no worse method of picking a medical treatment than personal anecdotes. "It worked for me" simply means nothing at all, although it is a great way to convince, for example, the devoutly religious to take sugar pills to cure their cancer instead of going to the doctor.

Which is not to say there is anything wrong with trying something in addition to medical treatment.

Is it better to choose medical treatment based on a post from somebody who has never gotten the treatment and knows nothing about it?

Originally Posted by barely_legal

Is it better to choose medical treatment based on a post from somebody who has never gotten the treatment and knows nothing about it?

It's kind of like Penske exhorting everyone to have more sex. We all know he's getting none and wouldn't know what to do if he did, but that doesn't make it bad advice.