Northern Ireland has been at the centre of European, even world politics, over the last three years, as a result of a referendum in Britain that was held with little, if any, thought of the possible consequences for Ireland. If an alien zooming towards Earth burst through the atmosphere and was faced with the Western European Archipelago (WEA), it might figure these islands … [Read more...] about Spotlight on the Suicides in Northern Ireland
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Women, Men and Drugs
I’ve been a fan of Placido Domingo for 40 years or more. His role alongside Teresa Stratas in Zeffirelli’s La Traviata (if its emotion you want – one of the greatest movies ever made) can still bring tears to my eyes. I always liked his voice more than Pavarotti’s, Carreras, or others – and he looked much better as Alfredo. Pretty well everyone else suffered when I heard them … [Read more...] about Women, Men and Drugs
Saint Candida’s Day
This is the final post in the Bruce Willis series - see Osama, Obama and Reckless. It's the point behind the series. And it comes on the 28th anniversary of the original event. Train Tracks Its 1991. Two trains are heading toward each other on the same piece of track. One has a shiny badge that was new for trainspotters - Evidence Based Medicine (EBM). It had been … [Read more...] about Saint Candida’s Day
329 Deja Vu; We’re all Northern Irish now
Study 329 is the most famous clinical trial of all time - see Study329.org. The only trial with two diametrically competing versions of what happened in print at the same time. 329 (March 29) was the date Britain was supposed to leave the European Union - but didn't - with close to GUBU consequences. And its 329 years since the Battle of the Boyne, which effectively … [Read more...] about 329 Deja Vu; We’re all Northern Irish now
Reckless MP causes Brexit
Editorial Note: The image featuring Samantha Cameron and her husband, David, comes from the front cover of Private Eye, a British satirical magazine, who might have thought twice about adding to the pressure on Cameron if they had known what was going to happen next. This is the third in a Bruce Willis series - See Osama saves Millions and Obama kills Millions. Its … [Read more...] about Reckless MP causes Brexit
Obama kills millions of patients
This post continues a series of Bruce Willis unintended consequences posts, of which there will be two more. There is a degree of truth in all of them. As outlined in last week's Osama Saves Millions, Yusuf Hamied stepped in at a critical point in the unfolding global AIDS story and in offering Triple Therapy at a dollar a day decisively shifted the storyline. His company, … [Read more...] about Obama kills millions of patients
Osama bin Laden saves millions of lives
Editorial Note: Think of this as a Bruce Willis set of posts. I'm no BW fan. Nor a fan of the nuclear bomb. Chances are neither were the makers of the movie Armageddon. But someone probably got a thrill out of forcing a bunch of people who hate BW and were members of CND cheering Bruce on when he set off with the atom bomb to destroy the asteroid threatening earth. Ditto … [Read more...] about Osama bin Laden saves millions of lives
Decernimus Ergo Summus: Citizen’s Assemblies
Recap When it comes to assessing the benefits of drugs randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are over-rated, rarely if ever objective, and easily gamed. If you don’t know what you are doing to begin with, RCTs won’t find an answer and in practice will make the situation worse. The operationalism of RCTs helped tee up a Neo-Medicalism. Neo-liberalism is another word for … [Read more...] about Decernimus Ergo Summus: Citizen’s Assemblies
Something Happened: Neo-Medicalism
This continues a Something Happened Series, A Western moral order fractured between Luther’s nailing of his Credo Ergo Sum, I believe therefore I am, to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral in 1517, and Descartes’ Cogito Ergo Sum, I reason therefore I am, in 1649 the year of Charles I’s decapitation. Justice Justice and benevolence were central to the moral order monarchs held … [Read more...] about Something Happened: Neo-Medicalism
Something happened to Science
Editorial: One of my regular readers dropped me an email after the last post saying that the Montelukast Withdrawal Syndrome post on RxISK was wonderful but Something Happened on the same day was incomprehensible. The title was a give-away. Something Happened but it doesn't seem to me that anyone knows quite what. Here's another take on Something Happened and a currently … [Read more...] about Something happened to Science