GOP Texan Richard Berns speaks out about “retards”
I debated for a while whether to post the below comment, but I’ve decided it’s important for readers to know that this kind of sentiment is out there. The person who wrote it, Richard Berns, lists Free Republic as his URL. Free Republic is a conservative message board. The posters there call themselves Freepers, and are fairly extreme in their right-wingedness. You want a live Fox News feed? Rush Limbaugh’s pharmacy number? A gun registered to the Second Amendment Sisters? I’m guessing the Freepers will help you out.
I vehemently disagree with their positions, which I like to think are not representative of most Republican points of view. I’m happy to admit there’s room on this planet for all species of political opinion, but the Freepers are so extreme, I think they probably embarrass mainstream conservatives. I can’t imagine any self-respecting Swift Boater would affiliate with them, and I certainly don’t know of any conservative politicians who are linked to them. I don’t think they have much credibility.
That’s probably a good thing, ’cause here’s what Richard Berns wrote:
The mentally ill in this country are an abomination to G-d. Back when America was still Christian and conservative we used to lock the retards up and abuse them and give em lobotomies. Oh for the days we used to use them as fuel in the ovens. GOD BLESS AMERICA! HEIL BUSH!
Sorry for unleashing this on a Funday. I think we have to know what we’re up against sometimes.
liz | 10:44 AM | Uncategorized
Fair play: Eli Lilly’s response
Here is Eli Lilly’s official rejoinder (aside from the lawsuit they’re readying) to the series the NY Times has been doing about Lilly’s marketing of Zyprexa:
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY), vigorously objects to the characterization of company practices in a New York Times article based upon selective documents illegally leaked by plaintiffs’ lawyers.
“At Lilly, we do not engage in off-label promotion – as alleged in The Times article,” said Dr. Steven Paul, Lilly’s executive vice president, science and technology. “Lilly is committed to the highest ethical standards and to promoting our medications only for approved uses. We have clear guidelines and extensive training for our sales representatives to help assure that they provide appropriate promotional information that is within the scope of prescribing information approved by the FDA.”
Lilly works to bring Zyprexa to physicians who are confronted with the need to diagnose and treat serious schizophrenia and bipolar disorder wherever they practice.
* About half of medical care for serious mental illness takes place in a primary care physician’s office. This is due to the fact a large number of people in the United States have no access to a psychiatrist or do not seek psychiatric care.
* Our experience in mental health has taught us that primary care physicians are asking for education on severe mental illnesses, since they see many of these patients in their offices.
* We believe that it is absolutely appropriate to discuss Zyprexa and its indicated uses with primary care physicians in the interest of meeting a critical medical need.
* It is important that the public understand that physicians can and do prescribe medications outside of their approved indications to meet the needs of their individual patients.
liz | 3:36 PM | Uncategorized
Cute fix: Kittens on the bed!
This is Billie Matthews’ video of new Oriental Shorthair kittens playing on the big bed for the first time. According to the video description, they were “delighted.”
P.S. My cat Augie was an Oriental Shorthair. They’re really fun.
liz | 3:16 PM | Uncategorized
Doing the tangi
The Maoris in New Zealand struggle with rising suicide numbers, and now there’s an initiative that would ban traditional funerals in the case of people who take their own lives.
From Stuff.co.nz:
Under the plan, the families of young people who commit suicide would be offered a brief low-key tangi, without the grand speeches, catering, marae stay and extensive iwi visits of a multi-day traditional tangi.
Araiteuru Marae chairman Tom Duff said the move was one of a raft of measures – including hui, youth workshops and mentoring – being considered in response to an upsurge in Maori youth suicides nationwide.
I don’t know the meanings of the words “tangi,” “marae,” “iwi” or “hui,” but I suspect banning them will only hurt families trying to work through the grieving process.
liz | 1:37 PM | Uncategorized
More … on … Eli … Lilly
I’m getting out of breath just typing that. Alex Berenson, of the NY Times, is on quite the roll, and I can barely keep up. I read something on a media website yesterday that suggested the Times is presenting all these multipart series as a way to curry awards favor in the last month before the big journalism awards are decided. Whatever the motivation, it’s great to see this kind of thing explored in a major newspaper like this. If the mainstream media actually held big pharma to account more often, I bet you’d see big changes.
Disparity Emerges in Lilly Data on Schizophrenia Drug
liz | 11:40 AM | Uncategorized
Offensive? Funny?
A publicist sent the below email to our music editor, who forwarded it along to me. Usually, when publicists send stuff, it goes out to a huge list of people, so I’m guessing it wasn’t just Brian who received it. Which then begs the question: Is this offensive and stigmatizing? Or stupid and harmless? You tell me.
From: redacted
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2006 16:07:46 -0800
To: ‘Brian McManus’
Subject: FW: Christmas Fun!
CHRISTMAS CAROLS
* 1. Schizophrenia — Do You Hear What I Hear?
* 2. Multiple Personality Disorder — We Three Kings Disoriented Are
* 3. Dementia — I Think I’ll be Home for Christmas
* 4. Narcissistic — Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me
* 5. Manic – Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and…..
* 6. Paranoid — Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Get Me
* 7. Borderline Personality Disorder — Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire
* 8. Personality Disorder — You Better Watch Out, I’m Gonna Cry, I’m Gonna Pout, Maybe I’ll Tell You Why
* 9. Attention Deficit Disorder — Silent night, Holy oooh look at the Froggy – can I have a chocolate, why is France so far away?
* 10. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder — Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle,Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells , Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells…
[Photo of pretty and obsolete iMac courtesy Apple Inc. Taken by Terry Hefferman.]
liz | 10:28 AM | Uncategorized
Also…
If you’re interested in the ongoing Zyprexa scandal, head over to Furious Seasons, where once again this Dawdy guy is more serious about things than I know how to be. For one thing, he’s not turning himself into an elf.
liz | 5:38 PM | Uncategorized
Protein shake
When I want to kick back and relax, I start with a hot cup of tea and the most recent issue of the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Proteome Research. And because I’m such a faithful reader, I got a sneak peek at the January issue, which is filled with informative articles about, like, alkalines and whatever. Plus, one of my fave researchers, Sabine Bahn, M.D., Ph.D. (pictured here), has led her team to some really cool discoveries about proteins and schizophrenia and red blood cells and stuff like that. The important thing is the brain-tissue vs. body-tissue, but I don’t want to confuse everyone. You’ll have to read for yourself:
Abnormal proteins linked to schizophrenia found in body tissue
liz | 4:34 PM | Uncategorized
Jewish elf
Click here for holiday cheer.
Because I’m tiny, I really didn’t have far to go in the elfamorphisis.
liz | 4:11 PM | Uncategorized
Also in pharma news
Court Orders Lawyer to Return Documents About an Eli Lilly Drug
liz | 4:28 PM | Uncategorized
