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Comment Re:Mexico Vaccinates Better Than The US (Score 1) 387

He'll have a bias for the region he's in, working with a non-random sampling of the public (those at a free clinic), working the types of things he's more specialized in , etc, etc.

You certainly seem to be assuming a lot, but you don't appear to have much knowledge of the relevant topics. To avoid needless repetition and thread scope creep, please review the following related posts:

In other-words his opinion is shit.

You have contributed nothing of substance to this conversation. In other words, your opinion is shit. Cheers.

Comment Re:So there's 100 or so unimmunized? (Score 2) 387

Please reference the following resources:

While these resources alone do not paint an absolute picture of the global problem of large scale antibiotic misuse, there is no question that the United States is indeed among the highest ranked nations and regions for these problems. As for the GP's second sentence regarding particularly nasty germs in hospitals versus hotels, his statement is overzealous at present, but the problem is rapidly worsening in the United States.

In light of this information, please explain why you believe the GP's statement to be speculative, wrong, stupid, "not nice at all" and wildly ignorant. Judging by your recent posting history, you appear to place higher value on your opinion of whether things sound "nice" and much less value on facts.

Comment Re:Mexico Vaccinates Better Than The US (Score 1) 387

Precisely because we do not know that particular qualifications the person may or may not have, which I also believe you are placing undue stress on in light of epidemiological training receiving over the course of obtaining an MD/DO and compounded by a lack of undergraduate level epidemiology programs in general, I am cautioning you to temper your view of what the term "expert" would mean for such a person. I believe there is more gray area here than you are willing to accept, but it may simply be the case that our perspectives will differ on this point.

My goal is still to encourage you to review more materials on this topic instead of working to find means of discounting a view without further data. This might be a good start.

Comment Re:Mexico Vaccinates Better Than The US (Score 2) 387

Why are you assuming the physician in question worked exclusively at the free clinic? This is quite unlikely. I have known many physicians who worked rounds at free clinics in addition to their duties at other medical facilities in various metropolitan areas, but I cannot recall having known a physician who only did free clinic work for any prolonged period of time. I have seen a couple of cases where doctors who were very financially secure (not the normal "paying off medical school, dealing with other debt as well just like everyone else" conditions) only worked free clinics in urban or very rural areas for a matter of months, this does not appear to be the norm. Residencies are also typically much more balanced in the demographic mix sense.

Even assuming a physician only works at a free clinic, it seems unlikely that he would have no communication with other physicians servicing alternate socioeconomic groups. This really goes back to my request that you perform a bit of research before voicing what appear to be unfounded suppositions.

Comment Re:So there's 100 or so unimmunized? (Score 1) 387

This is a view that has come into vogue fairly recently, but in terms of practical impact it is generally considered unfounded. Johnson & Johnson has a long demonstrated history of massive spending on advertising and lobbying efforts promoting the safety of Tylenol, while working to suppress and discredit evidence of harm wherever possible. This has also extended into legal efforts such as this example from 1988 and large volumes of new litigation in 2013.

While I fully acknowledge the existence of people (who are in fact scum) who would prefer to see addicts die, their actual influence is minimal compared to the billions spent by companies like Johnson & Johnson. However, I do suspect there exists some overlap between the two groups.

Comment Re:Mexico Vaccinates Better Than The US (Score 1) 387

Rather than repeat it in its entirety, I'll refer you to my other reply in this thread. My intention here is less to scold and more to encourage you to perform any measure of research before casting blind aspersions on the credibility of any (admittedly secondhand) physician statement. I freely note that I am not a medical doctor; are you? Presuming you are not, we both have access to a wealth of published materials and the opportunity to discuss them, including discussions on the merits with practicing physicians should we wish. It should be noted that many epidemiologists are physicians, but many hold alternate degrees in the sciences and public health in lieu of an MD/DO.

Comment Re:Mexico Vaccinates Better Than The US (Score 2) 387

I've read the referenced publication twice in its entirety. You are attempting to minimize the key point "census tracts with lower median incomes, more racial/ethnic minorities, and more immigrants had higher rates of pediatric tuberculosis" by separating the factors for your convenience. I never stated that illegal immigration was the only factor, but it is nonetheless intimately linked with the rate of transmission of tuberculosis. I'll leave it to you to consult additional studies (CDC, etc) that demonstrate similar results. If you are inclined to disagree with the methodology and statistics associated with this or any other studies, you should cite specific objections and include contrary data or alternate interpretation of supplied data. Otherwise, nobody should take you seriously, as you're not adding anything to the conversation other than unfounded conjecture.

I'm confused why you seem to think I would disagree with your view that we should immunize everyone. In fact, I fully agree with that position, but you have again attempted to divert attention from a legitimate factor. I suspect this is because of your personal views on immigration, but I would encourage you to question where your priorities are in this case. Is reduction of disease transmission in the United States your actual goal here, or is there another agenda you feel ranks higher in terms of social good? If it is the latter, on what terms have you arrived at that decision, and have you considered tradeoffs and interrelated concerns involved with the picture as a whole?

Comment Re:So there's 100 or so unimmunized? (Score 1) 387

Codeine is an opiate and is generally indicated for mild to moderate pain reduction, while paracetamol (acetaminophen) is a non-opioid analgesic. While acetaminophen is commonly combined with an opioid such as codeine or hydrocodone in many pain management medications (especially in the United States), choosing an opioid/ibuprofen combination is safer in terms of reduced risk for hepatotoxicity. In addition to its action as an analgesic, ibuprofen also has significant anti-inflammatory properties, although as with any medication various risks and side effects should be considered. Unfortunately, the PR/lobby/legal machines at Johnson & Johnson (maker of Tylenol, the most common acetaminophen brand) have gone to great lengths to downplay hepatic risks associated with acetaminophen and portay it as superior to ibuprofen. Results will vary on a case by case basis, but in my case acetaminophen in nearly useless for pain reduction. In contrast, I have found ibuprofen alone to be much more effective for many kinds of pain.

It should be noted that the GP cited potential respiratory complications but did not provide specifics, and thus any opioid medication (especially stronger formulations) might be contraindicated due to heightened risk of respiratory depression. All this said, I am not a medical doctor, and this is not medical advice; it is merely my own personal views on this topic. I believe the GP should perform as much personal research as possible, and then follow up with a physician to discuss his/her findings in detail before trying another medication. Any physician who is not receptive to such a detailed discussion should be avoided.

Comment Re:Mexico Vaccinates Better Than The US (Score 1) 387

You may be interested in publications such as this: "An ecological study of tuberculosis transmission in California." If you're going to question the veracity of a statement, you should invest some effort into fact-finding on your own. The referenced publication is one of many you can find without much trouble.

Comment Re:That's not proof! (Score 1) 475

You're still entirely missing the point, so please allow me to clear it up for you. In the scenario we're discussing, specifically the utility of hidden containers with respect to plausible deniability, the police already have access to the outer container. Either the key decryption passphrase was directly conveyed to them, or they had the device owner unlock the outer container to facilitate spot inspection of the device and the device owner complied given his belief that he will be protected by hidden containers. At this point, the device is confiscated. If the outer passphrase was not supplied, it matters little at this point, because the volume is unlocked and mounted. The outer container key will be extracted shortly thereafter as a result by any one of numerous means.

The police now proceed to inspect the digital media in question. In many cases, said analysis will rapidly identify media regions which are likely to represent "hidden containers", and interesting interactions between the owner of the device and law enforcement personnel will commence shortly thereafter.

What part of this is unclear? Perhaps you should explain the nature of your experience with cryptography, preferably with emphasis on practical applications pertinent to this conversation.

Comment Re: Yawn (Score 1) 372

I'll paraphrase my reply to another poster here. I suggest we prosecute all current and former elected officials for every instance of dereliction of duty regarding the laws they swore to uphold and defend. We can start with the highest ranked members of the current and former administrations and work our way down and as far back as statutes of limitations permit. Do you take issue with this suggestion?

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