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posted by janrinok on Saturday March 22 2014, @09:14PM   Printer-friendly
from the the-upside-and-downside-of-social-media dept.

Papas Fritas writes:

"Measles is spreading in upper Manhattan and the Bronx, according to public health authorities in New York as about 16 cases have turned up, including two that involved contagion in doctors' offices. Outbreaks have also been reported in the Boston area, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Now the LA Times reports that the first signs of a backlash against anti-vaccination falsehoods emerged last week, when that noted scientific authority and spokesmodel Jenny McCarthy, who has been spreading anti-vaccination drivel for years, got wasted by the Internet community when she left herself open to a reaction.

On Thursday, McCarthy asked a question of her fans on Twitter to see what they'd say. What she got was a dose of the reality she helped spawn. The question: "What is the most important personality trait you look for in a mate? Reply using #JennyAsks".

Just when you think that Internet commentary is nothing more than a wretched hive of scum and villainy, a light shines through so strongly it can help restore your optimism about people says Phil Plait as McCarthy received hundreds of replies including "They vaccinate their kids," "Someone who vaccinates, b/c I'd want our kids to survive," "Someone who respects that science isn't on some secret malicious crusade to screw us over and that vaccinations save lives," "What qualities do I look for in a mate? Science literacy and critical thinking skills," and "Ideal mate accepts scientific consensus & considers the elderly, infants & immune compromised b4 spreading baseless hysteria." McCarthy responded with a tweet saying "Thank you to all the haters who tweet my name. You make my Q SCORE higher and higher. It's because of you I continue to work. Thank you! : )" However, she did not address the substance of the tweets directed at her that her advocacy on behalf of the anti-vaccine movement has contributed to a dramatic rise in vaccine-preventable illnesses."

Meanwhile, Appalbarry writes: (somewhat tongue in cheek):

"Jenny McCarthy's anti-vaccination brigades are 'cheering the news' that British Columbia is in the midst of a growing measles outbreak.

In less than a month the number of infected individuals climbed from zero to over one hundred, surely a small price to pay to avoid the (mumble mumble) scourge of MMR-caused autism! (In fact the outbreak originated in the Netherlands, but there is no apparent linkage between wooden shoes and autism either.)"

 
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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by aristarchus on Saturday March 22 2014, @10:48PM

    by aristarchus (2645) on Saturday March 22 2014, @10:48PM (#19826) Journal

    Big Pharma is anti-vaccine! Imagine, a single dose and immunity? Where's profit in that? We need maintenance drugs, twice a day for the rest of your life, like Viragra!

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  • (Score: 1, Offtopic) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday March 22 2014, @11:54PM

    by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Saturday March 22 2014, @11:54PM (#19839) Homepage

    The recommended dose for Viagra and similar drugs (PDE5 inhibitors) is only one prescribed dose no earlier than every 24 hours. I had a prescription to Levitra, and had to work "hard" to get it because I told the doctor it was about stage fright* rather than ED. With the implementation of Obamacare, which according to my pharmacy tech friend actually cracks down hard on prescription abuse, my prescription was rescinded, and I had to go in for an ED evaluation in order to have my prescription reinstated.

    Fuck. Does that mean I'm gonna get a handy or a prostate massage from some dude, and have to slip on a peter-cuff? Anyway, Doc asks me if I can get hard masturbating and I tell him yes. He declines my prescription renewal and I plead that I could just go to a shrink and say I'm depressed and get any pill I want, and how is this situation any different?" Like a skilled Judo practitioner turning my leverage right back upon me, he said, "Well, then I can make an appointment with the shrink and you can solve your issues that way." Shit. I would only find out later about the stringent but not publicized Obamacare overhaul with regard to drug policy, as well as that the problem was out of Doc's domain so he felt it didn't apply to him.

    Now, I know you all are curious, so I will explain the effects of the drug. First of all, you can control your erection. The drug puts "ants in your pants" but still leaves the control up to you. That being said, it is extremely effective at helping you to pop and maintain boners instantly and on-demand. You take the dose and within 30-45 minutes you start to feel the itch. The medication causes a drop in blood-pressure, and typical side-effects include a hard-to-desrcibe diminishing of hearing volume and eyesight. Against the advice on the label, I have taken it while extremely drunk -- and not only is that a very bad idea, but it does not cure the infamous whiskeydick. Most men can have sex only once, and then a sloppy second time. With PDE5 inhibitors, you can be rock-hard in a matter of seconds after ejaculating, even after having exerted yourself and being out of shape. It is for this reason that, as an experienced online dater, I have mastered the trade of taking it clandestinely without alerting my date. Timing is crucial. I keep a dose in my pocket where I know I won't lose it, and take it in the restaurant or bar bathroom if I know for certain that we're gonna go back to my place afterward. That they don't know I'm taking Levitra makes me mate like a stud, and even the women who have admitted to hating me have called me back for romps in the sack.

    Finally, a funny story about that -- Years ago, my girlfriend came over to visit, and so I popped a pill expecting sex. I really, really cared for this women, and the purpose of her visit was to break up with me out of the blue. So not only was I crying from the hurt, but masturbating because my boner wouldn't go away. It was by far one of the most self-conflicting experiences of my life.

    Some people say that using those drugs could be bad due to fostering a psychological dependence, using it as a "crutch." If you are a fairly self-actualized person and do not use it all the time, that point is moot. It is addicting, though, imagine having spent your life walking through the desert and then riding your first motorcycle through it.

    * I'm not bad without it, but I had stage-fright after a really high-profile first-date which ended with poor sexual performance on my end, and was determined to never allow that to happen again

    • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Monday March 24 2014, @05:16PM

      by tangomargarine (667) on Monday March 24 2014, @05:16PM (#20344)

      So you're complaining that the doc won't prescribe you an ED medication because you don't have ED. Which you don't.

      Granted, I'm not exactly sure what the "correct" use case is for Viagra to begin with...allowing people who have ED to be able to reproduce much more cheaply than via artificial insemination? Or are we just giving up on all pretense of this being a necessary drug and just stamping "hedonism" on it? Not that there's necessarily something wrong with that, but your whole argument that you have a right to Viagra in order to bang your date every time seems pretty blatantly hedonistic rather than medical.

      --
      "Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"