tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46613379618584111732024-03-13T20:54:14.247+00:00doctor zorroDoctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.comBlogger1011125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-28447650747222572872023-05-21T10:47:00.002+01:002023-05-22T15:25:04.566+01:00Goodbye<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Over the
past few months DZ has made an effort to put more posts on this blog, after a
long period of neglect. But looking back over my more recent posts they all
look a bit repetitive, and stale. I’ve simply run out of things to say.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">This
coincides with the fact that I have finally taken my retirement, and my
interest in medicine is changing in perspective, from provider to recipient.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">And of
course blogging, as a form of communication is becoming distinctly passe.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">And so this
will be my last post, although I will leave the blog here for a while yet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">So as I ride
off into the sunset, inevitably, I look back on my 40 plus years in NHS
hospitals. I’ve been lucky in enjoying my work immensely, and the company of
many of my colleagues has been a joy. I’ve worked with many people I have
respected, admired, and even loved. But of course I’ve also experienced
occasions when I have been disappointed with some of the people also involved
with the NHS who I’ve encountered, and the vast majority of these occasions, on
reflection have been concentrated in one group whose ability to dismay and
demoralise has never failed to surprise and disappointment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Surprisingly
it’s not our political masters in government. Their repeated attempts to
“reorganise” has been a constant source of disorientation, and their obsession
with trying to wring every last ounce of “economy” has been a disservice to the
people who vote for them. And their concerted attack on NHS pay, by year on
year pay increases below the rate of inflation, effectively a pay cut, while
reprehensible is not surprising. We expect them to behave like malicious
arseholes, and they don’t disappoint.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Nor is it
the nursing, and other NHS staff we deal with on a daily basis. Obviously once
in a while you come up against someone who rubs you up the wrong way, but DZ
has always found the vast majority to be good colleagues and good company.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s not
even the GMC. Although they are without a doubt vindictive, unfair, malicious
and incompetent, and with a bizarre attitude that the laws of the land don’t
apply to them, most doctors have very little contact with them in their whole
career other than paying the fees, and 5 yearly revalidation. Again we don’t have
high expectations of them, and they don’t disappoint.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">It's not
management either. Their attitude seems to be mostly one of indifference born
of ignorance. They don’t seem to have a clue as to what’s going on, and they’re
easily manipulated by the real villains in the hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">So who are
the real villains. The group that almost exclusively is responsible for those
occasions when my life has been made difficult, unpleasant, unenjoyable, and,
ultimately, makes me glad to finally leave.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s hospital
senior doctors of course, my own colleagues, the medical profession. While many
of my medical colleagues have been fantastic people, and lifelong friends, my
perception is that as a group we have within our ranks an exceptionally high
proportion of those that are cynical, selfish, backstabbing, avaricious, two faced, greedy,
mendacious, dishonest, deceitful, rude, arrogant, aggressive, egocentric, scheming, venal, unethical, overbearing, vindictive, malicious and just plain mean.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">And I’m not
talking about the trainees. I’ve always found them polite idealistic and
selfless. So how do they turn into the villains I describe? In the same way
that children, abused by their parents, often become themselves abusive
parents, constant exposure to their bosses turns many of them too into monsters.
And things are not getting any better. Within the last month I’ve seen consultants
abusing and humiliating their trainees, and having temper tantrums, throwing
instruments across the room. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m not
going into details of the appalling behaviour I’ve seen amongst my consultant
colleagues on an almost weekly basis. I’d be here all day. They are the ones
who have disappointed me the most in my career.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">So. So long,
it’s been good to know ya! Some of you anyway.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zqiblXFlZuk" width="320" youtube-src-id="zqiblXFlZuk"></iframe></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><br /><p></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-43262624961898652402023-03-17T17:01:00.000+00:002023-03-17T17:01:00.212+00:00The Hague<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Wow, does someone from the international court read <a href="http://vulpesmax.blogspot.com/2023/03/war-criminal.html" target="_blank">DZ blog???!!!</a></span></p><p>"<span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-variant-ligatures: no-contextual;">International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for Russian President Putin" on YouTube"</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jgg7RmyUHv0" width="320" youtube-src-id="jgg7RmyUHv0"></iframe></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-variant-ligatures: no-contextual;"><br /></span><p></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-47171953360805309492023-03-17T08:27:00.002+00:002023-03-17T08:32:06.819+00:00Thin air scam<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">DZ is going to continue his little thread on Oxygen, and combine it with
two of his other favourite themes, scams and lazy journalism.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">They’re all together in this <a href="https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/23388943.groundbreaking-oxygen-therapy-treatment-unveiled-ruskin-spa/" target="_blank">little article</a> I came across today about a
pseudo medical therapy called “</span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">thinAir adaptive oxygen therapy”, described in the article as
“groundbreaking”. So what is it? The article doesn’t enlighten. The journalist,
Kelsey Maxwell doesn’t seem to have asked that rather important question, or anything
else for that matter. Despite describing herself as a “chief <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>reporter” all she has done is given the
providers of the therapy free rein to simply promote it without question.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I’ve had
little success in getting this information on the web either, but it seems to
involve getting the gullible mark to breathe air which can alternate in Oxygen
levels between hyperoxic and hypoxic levels. So what is it supposed to achieve.
Everything apparently. Here is a list that I’ve copied.</span><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">What are the benefits of thin air?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><b><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">Restoring health for everybody</span></b><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #202124; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">Assists
with reducing inflammation in the brain and body.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #202124; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">Uses
all of your oxygen more efficiently.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #202124; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">Repairs
damage to the body (physical and mental wellbeing)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #202124; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">Regenerates
the body on a cellular level.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #202124; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 3pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">Slows
the ageing process on a cellular level.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #202124; line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">100% safe and zero risk
to health.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">At first glance this looks like a load of steaming, pseudo scientific
bullshit, but let’s not be too judgemental. What’s the evidence? Well there isn’t
any. At all. A number of sites promoting and selling the therapy have a fair
few testimonials from satisfied patients, but, as we all know, these anecdotes
don’t constitute evidence, even if they’re genuine. To give a flavour of these
testimonials one male claims that the therapy enables him to continue playing
football in his forties. Hardly an achievement. Many sports, including quite vigorous sports, have <a href="https://veterans-fencing.co.uk/" target="_blank">active veterans</a> including people in their 80s. And the thin
air practitioners use a lot of sciency words to impress the gullible. So my
first impression is correct. It is, in fact, a load of steaming, pseudo
scientific bullshit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">In particular I’m sceptical of the claim that the therapy is “100% safe
and zero risk to health.” There are, scattered on the slopes of Mount Everest
some 200 <a href="https://www.climbernews.com/how-many-dead-bodies-are-on-mount-everest/?utm_content=cmp-true" target="_blank">unretrieved frozen corpses</a> of climbers whose deaths were caused by a
combination of hypothermia and hypoxia</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CwJkMiKusquPsdWY6fWiKT8iGlqoRRuv7Yyyphf8_VmFNU8jk_d0yJveRKbL6U0NMOgkGbip5Gan9vK0H2TB9qEerKt8TQLgEbZ1NxWaQjVUU0vDyza-UMC48qgCvYyUQklmmiX5LHjjtKDfWvT_91hobkZAZRuTPWHatYA4onnO2flRrteO-BA-/s1000/Dead-Bodies-On-Everest-Green-Boots.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CwJkMiKusquPsdWY6fWiKT8iGlqoRRuv7Yyyphf8_VmFNU8jk_d0yJveRKbL6U0NMOgkGbip5Gan9vK0H2TB9qEerKt8TQLgEbZ1NxWaQjVUU0vDyza-UMC48qgCvYyUQklmmiX5LHjjtKDfWvT_91hobkZAZRuTPWHatYA4onnO2flRrteO-BA-/w403-h302/Dead-Bodies-On-Everest-Green-Boots.webp" width="403" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><br /><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"> And ask any anaesthetist how they would
feel about giving their patient less than 21% Oxygen, even if their very
expensive machine would permit them to do such a thing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">To summarise. Human respiratory and cardiovascular physiology is very
good at optimising the body’s Oxygen level and delivery, having evolved systems
that are sensitive, responsive, robust and, when studied, actually quite
beautiful. Those selling this product are totally ignorant of these systems. Or
of the potential harmful effects of thin air therapy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">ThinAir
adaptive oxygen therapy is undoubtedly a blatant scam, and it’s only a matter
of time before someone with a genuine medical condition comes to harm as a
result of it. Avoid.</span><span style="color: #202124; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-68359978292818555552023-03-12T16:44:00.001+00:002023-03-12T16:44:22.561+00:00War criminal<p> <span style="font-size: medium;">DZ read <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/putin-expected-to-attend-g20-summit-in-india-after-kremlin-clears-diary/ar-AA18wlkt?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=f9c02d7c1a794dd1b875fdff07c15c46&ei=70" target="_blank">this article</a> today. How on Earth can it be that Putin is allowed to leave Russia and walk freely in other countries? He's a war criminal, with the blood of thousands on his tyrannical KGB hands. He should be arrested the instant he steps off the plane.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-9gdMCTlJcACmELnQ56MdIOGeWRSMVzQgtv1JaqCVItKctir5Ju7Qv0Y1D-kB4wCqazDe1GdoVyuMijF2WUzkvIs1sDeXH6JAqtOnl9UwRwg94oFRbdJVRrbA_x4leHPIRkWHdk8t37kpA_kHYQJgQNoidm7KBfyhjFPBF4OStxwQN0HpZBsJvZT/s1400/1239524340.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-9gdMCTlJcACmELnQ56MdIOGeWRSMVzQgtv1JaqCVItKctir5Ju7Qv0Y1D-kB4wCqazDe1GdoVyuMijF2WUzkvIs1sDeXH6JAqtOnl9UwRwg94oFRbdJVRrbA_x4leHPIRkWHdk8t37kpA_kHYQJgQNoidm7KBfyhjFPBF4OStxwQN0HpZBsJvZT/s320/1239524340.0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-67799981337522569912023-03-10T11:01:00.002+00:002023-03-10T11:02:14.155+00:00Coincidence?<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">DZ today came across <a href="https://phys.org/news/2023-03-oxygen-cells-tissues.html" target="_blank">this article</a>, saying almost exactly the same thing about high Oxygen levels as he wrote in his most recent article. Compare these statements;</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">You can kill anything with enough Oxygen" DZ 7 March</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">"</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212438;">At high levels, oxygen is toxic to every form of life" Phys org, 9 March</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212438; font-size: medium;">I'm not saying I've been plagiarised. I am fully aware that the work that went into the article has been months at least in preparation, but it's a coincidence nonetheless.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212438; font-size: medium;">It seems that hyperoxia is more harmful than moderate levels of hypoxia. DZ is always amused when he observes the degree of panic induced in his anaesthetic colleagues when the patient's saturation drops below 90% despite the fact that everyone in Mexico city walks around on a daily basis with saturations hovering around 80%. And those who make it to the summit of Everest without using bottled oxygen will have <a href="https://everestexpedition.co.uk/mount-everest-south-col-expedition-in-2023-2024-with-7-times-everest-summiteer-tim-mosedale/using-oxygen/" target="_blank">saturations as low as 40%</a>, the sort of level that would induce apoplexy in an anaesthetist.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicx8S5AByNxvGUg0mV9hlaN-bU-2haN4W1qWcTY64L_rEwjgsEdyNBB2D45NA8AhnBkLpBvMtSmjbC6s9MsxFfGjtdcaFxO1bDhajOXthfdTsBWPm5shLmxxXySa_URgO4dgFSef9_DFkwZeal_XtEIyieGI47H9-mDpyyrC-PfHDQmeEqoyZp6QbE/s376/cyanotic-lips-central-cyanosis-southeast-260nw-1578378907.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="376" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicx8S5AByNxvGUg0mV9hlaN-bU-2haN4W1qWcTY64L_rEwjgsEdyNBB2D45NA8AhnBkLpBvMtSmjbC6s9MsxFfGjtdcaFxO1bDhajOXthfdTsBWPm5shLmxxXySa_URgO4dgFSef9_DFkwZeal_XtEIyieGI47H9-mDpyyrC-PfHDQmeEqoyZp6QbE/s320/cyanotic-lips-central-cyanosis-southeast-260nw-1578378907.webp" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #212438; font-size: 18.75px;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #212438; font-size: 18.75px;">Perhaps Oxygen is over rated!</span></span></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-33744160129943214462023-03-07T06:44:00.001+00:002023-03-07T06:44:23.944+00:00Hyperbaric OxygenIf the only hope for the ending of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is dependent on the death of Vladimir Putin, then there is hope that Putin himself may be expediting this with his own stupidity.<div><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/celebrity/vladimir-putin-uses-a-cryogenic-oxygen-tank-to-extend-his-life/ar-AA18fZdk?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=53a4f0badcf645d5a245bdd1ce65a1de&ei=28" target="_blank">This article</a> appears to indicate that Putin is using a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to rejuvenate himself. Oh dear. As Paracelsus pointed out 500 years ago "<i>All things are poison. It is in the dose that they </i><i>become poisonous". </i>And Oxygen is no exception. Oxygen is nasty toxic stuff, and living organisms live in an uneasy truce with this substance, having evolved mechanisms over the aeons to protect themselves from it's toxicity. You can kill anything with enough Oxygen. This is why Hydrogen Peroxide is an effective bactericidal. </div><div>Ask any intensivist how comfortable they feel when patients require <a href="https://myhealth.ucsd.edu/RelatedItems/3,90904#:~:text=Oxygen%20toxicity%20is%20lung%20damage,it%20can%20even%20cause%20death." target="_blank">high levels of Oxygen</a>, even at just atmospheric pressure. As far as DZ is aware there are only two therapeutic indications for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, gas gangrene and carbon monoxide poisoning. Other than this the only effect on lifespan with this practice is to likely shorten it. The lethal dose for humans is not well documented, but 3 atmospheres of 100% O2 is probably a very bad idea, potentially causing <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32557424/" target="_blank">convulsions and death</a>. Despite this there are however various sites on the internet extolling the virtues of this therapy, which they offer commercially to a gullible public seeking "wellness"</div><div>And the consequences of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9308138/" target="_blank">generating a spark</a> in a hyperbaric Oxygen chamber don't bear thinking about.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdkbQ0QEgjv3i4-nzMItcXk_ZRr12b_RNy05APrghEp-wGKQZntJ6eeLr1E4I3yeamzIxlBVvxWyqk144eKhssQUW-4xeD0iYGSS1Dvcyo2jbzC2rcRQh_VwsDUyt9QccY6boE1LEJN2X1L0XN4YIvH8Z2DkeXBewoOWeonbaseMLavHoXZe5nltG/s2560/ghows-LK-adb2c99b-dae2-46c4-a1fa-27d73c75b755-ecfad157.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1445" data-original-width="2560" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdkbQ0QEgjv3i4-nzMItcXk_ZRr12b_RNy05APrghEp-wGKQZntJ6eeLr1E4I3yeamzIxlBVvxWyqk144eKhssQUW-4xeD0iYGSS1Dvcyo2jbzC2rcRQh_VwsDUyt9QccY6boE1LEJN2X1L0XN4YIvH8Z2DkeXBewoOWeonbaseMLavHoXZe5nltG/w426-h241/ghows-LK-adb2c99b-dae2-46c4-a1fa-27d73c75b755-ecfad157.webp" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-57132573237341784552023-02-28T18:14:00.000+00:002023-02-28T18:14:10.667+00:00Excuses<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> As a follow up to my last post, the (not a) doctor in question has now been sentenced to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/feb/28/judge-jails-fake-nhs-psychiatrist-and-criticises-abject-failure-of-scrutiny" target="_blank">7 years in prison.</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">As comment I'd like to quote from the article;</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>“That the degree certificate and supporting letter were accepted by the GMC represents an abject failure of scrutiny." (of the GMC)</i></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>“such clearly false documents” and why it took a journalist rather than a professional governing body (the GMC) to uncover the truth.</i></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The GMC <i>claimed in court that </i></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: GuardianTextEgyptian, "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;"><i>documents in the 1990s were not subject to the “rigorous scrutiny” now in place."</i></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: GuardianTextEgyptian, "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">That does not fill me with confidence. The incompetence involved is staggering, and DZ sees no evidence to suggest that scrutiny is now more rigorous. Unless of course they are referring to the appraisal and revalidation process. A process that the lady in question successfully negotiated for years.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: GuardianTextEgyptian, "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">The GMC are ingrained with incompetence, ignorance, complacency, amateurism, rank stupidity and pomposity. They are utterly unfit for purpose, root and branch.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiZOJYW0RmBgNFwLb75JQ_7t1m_85tZw6wW_T9K03GeIdhEJ_eJnZLoXtDgWLV00TdqlD5r68ABFaDyOH4N6KzQiYrH3OZXbD-X3oiEQezZnT5v9YpBfMErEBiyUQHh0eI0IS7B_lDxmwJNmvVC2pKzsFlU82zbHGGdnlG-jia5DvFOrrbiWZBhn8/s1080/comical-department-incompetence-vector-31576056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="863" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiZOJYW0RmBgNFwLb75JQ_7t1m_85tZw6wW_T9K03GeIdhEJ_eJnZLoXtDgWLV00TdqlD5r68ABFaDyOH4N6KzQiYrH3OZXbD-X3oiEQezZnT5v9YpBfMErEBiyUQHh0eI0IS7B_lDxmwJNmvVC2pKzsFlU82zbHGGdnlG-jia5DvFOrrbiWZBhn8/s320/comical-department-incompetence-vector-31576056.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #121212; font-family: GuardianTextEgyptian, "Guardian Text Egyptian Web", Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #121212; font-family: GuardianTextEgyptian, Guardian Text Egyptian Web, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">If our Health minister really wants to do something about the massive and manifest failings of the GMC it would not be enough to reform or tinker. Step one is to terminate it totally and start from scratch with a proper regulatory body, staffed by properly qualified people, rather than a bunch of aimless retirees wanting a hobby. And not one current employee of this failed organisation should have any involvement with the replacement.</span></span></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-92029579985002525942023-02-19T07:07:00.001+00:002023-02-19T19:26:09.439+00:00It gets worse<p> DZ has posted lots of instances of doctors who, despite being unfit to practice in one way or another, have no difficulty in getting regular satisfactory appraisals, revalidation and a licence to continue practicing.</p><p>But <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-64650957" target="_blank">this case </a>takes things even further. This individual obtained registration despite having no medical qualification! And then spent 20 years getting satisfactory appraisals and revalidation.</p><p>The fact that someone not even medically qualified can still pass annual appraisals is a further illustration of the fact that this entire process is not fit for purpose.</p><p>So what do you suppose will be the response of the GMC.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9et_QQsHs6Lauf0GPSRu9WHSDORQ1elYqecOqjIuz-mDXT-38AiZ8CHwysIUijEG5HAwHUZRNROj3gwQLuKhLEbHH990Fd9RS88MNQ1hO_9bSpICwIFLjbysnXytVr_sN890hTSVaTXfGJl65-LULRxS2v_kke9ehQUQs9kPqIJ16oqJto7-mauw/s1000/ostrich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="985" data-original-width="1000" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9et_QQsHs6Lauf0GPSRu9WHSDORQ1elYqecOqjIuz-mDXT-38AiZ8CHwysIUijEG5HAwHUZRNROj3gwQLuKhLEbHH990Fd9RS88MNQ1hO_9bSpICwIFLjbysnXytVr_sN890hTSVaTXfGJl65-LULRxS2v_kke9ehQUQs9kPqIJ16oqJto7-mauw/s320/ostrich.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-27759472692678581992023-02-04T12:28:00.001+00:002023-02-04T12:28:31.575+00:00Ethics<p><span style="font-size: medium;">The practice of medicine is full of moral and ethical conflicts. Although we have the GMC good practice guide there are many occasions where the advice in there will not cover a particular situation. Often there is no guidance anywhere for the doctors and other staff involved. A thankfully rare example is <a href="https://lawecommons.luc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1059&context=annals" target="_blank">described here</a>. DZ imagines that most woman carrying a wanted pregnancy would want all measures possible taken to preserve the life of her baby, even in the event of her own death. Few would argue against the expeditious delivery of a viable baby in a dying woman, and this is rare but <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3516125/" target="_blank">well documented.</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The case linked to above is a step further, and could be ethically justified.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But there is a step further that DZ thinks is a vile abomination. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFPWicWJln8" target="_blank">(1)</a> <a href="https://www.opindia.com/2023/02/columbian-medical-college-endorses-brain-dead-women-surrogate-mothers-apologises/" target="_blank">(2)</a> Who the fuck thought that was a good idea. Joseph Mengele?</span></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-42260409902448005242023-02-02T17:12:00.001+00:002023-02-02T17:12:19.571+00:00Going..........Going..........<p> I<span style="font-size: 12pt;">n 1970, the
singer Joni Mitchell released a song called “Big Yellow Taxi”. It included the
lyrics </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">“Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till
it’s gone.”</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The National
Health service was formed in 1948, so pre NHS days are remembered by precious
few people in the UK. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prior to 1948
patients were required to pay for their treatment, resulting in huge
inequalities in the provision of healthcare, and effectively depriving the poor
of access to healthcare altogether. It was a case of pay or die. Aneurin Bevan
said <i>“No society can legitimately call itself civilised if a sick person is
denied medical aid because of a lack of means.” </i>But it wasn’t long before
politicians began to realise, first, that this service was expensive to
provide, and second, ripe for corrupt self enrichment. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It was not
the only progressive new service to be eyed avariciously in this way. Free
education, all the way through to university, introduced in 1962 didn’t last
long, being lost in 1998. And it was taken away by a Labour government under
Tony Blair. It has resulted in the present situation where graduates start
their working life with massive debts to service, up to £100,000. Debts many
can never hope to pay off, and which will cripple their standard of living well
into later life. Higher education has been privatised, to the detriment of
students and the benefit of the providers of loans, accommodation, and even the
universities themselves. And it took just 36 years.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Any UK government
that overnight privatised healthcare and healthcare funding through private
insurance companies would be committing political suicide. The backlash from
the public would make the poll tax riots look like a picnic. But there’s more
than one way to skin a cat. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The first
stage is to reduce public confidence in the NHS. Steady gradual defunding will
eventually restrict services and cause dissatisfaction. Applying this principal
to staff pay will have the same effect. Repeatedly awarding pay rises below the
rate of inflation, even by a small amount will cause a cumulative and ongoing
effect which is bound to result in staff unrest when staff eventually realise
how much their pay has dropped over the years. Exactly the situation we have
today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This results
in governments asserting that the NHS in it’s present form is failing and must
be “reformed” in order to maintain services.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The next
stage is commoditisation. Not privatisation, but certainly farming off some
services to the private sector. Sound familiar? And step by step commoditisation
opens the door to full privatisation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To get an
idea of what full blown privatisation of health services looks like we only
need to look across the Atlantic. <a href="https://www.rawstory.com/were-still-gonna-say-no-inside-unitedhealthcares-effort-to-deny-coverage-to-chronically-ill-patient/?utm_source=123456&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=12943" target="_blank">This article is an appalling illustration</a> of
what happens when people are not patients, but cash cows. And when doctors
themselves are presented with the choice between doing the best for their
patients, and riding the gravy train. Spoiler alert, as Bevan knew the best way
to overcome the resistance of the medical profession is to “stuff their mouths
with gold”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So the new
private hospitals clean up, the massively expanded BUPA, PPP, and others pick
and choose who they will cover and the rest can fuck off and die. And the
politicians take their bribes beyond the dreams even of their massive avarice.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And the NHS
is gone forever, and we finally realise, once it’s gone, what we had.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMopTt9n5Wda-vYNtAQ9BHO3drgOw5ygzPvq_YF55qD1LGexNfXJewQjt7_5Vm6eXVPQsDH9ttlSpLIvY7mqoFaqYj3ZFWuJ34MuGxmcQ15lSk7C0TNOnuUmiJEGxN7fmsdZwuWkSKGkMC8W5VB8dDX80X_D19xAzajx9a6a9J8zaO7agqAktjlMu2/s1023/depositphotos_9604316-stock-photo-weeping-woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="1023" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMopTt9n5Wda-vYNtAQ9BHO3drgOw5ygzPvq_YF55qD1LGexNfXJewQjt7_5Vm6eXVPQsDH9ttlSpLIvY7mqoFaqYj3ZFWuJ34MuGxmcQ15lSk7C0TNOnuUmiJEGxN7fmsdZwuWkSKGkMC8W5VB8dDX80X_D19xAzajx9a6a9J8zaO7agqAktjlMu2/w395-h230/depositphotos_9604316-stock-photo-weeping-woman.jpg" width="395" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-13554777827832587932023-01-24T06:51:00.002+00:002023-01-24T06:52:48.252+00:001000<p> That last post was titled "<u>Back to</u> free speech" for a reason. It was post number 1000 on this blog since starting it in April 2010. And what was post number one about? Freedom of speech of course.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIfPDVzwrQlPqGxQnSVCx--WWETsVcphticgrEmItjNscsKRMv1vwY54QSNizw4Qb5IbMKPhe9UyHjAZ9yvs9Rn096Pjdy9XYWPvlNeKXxIWWfd0n4W0xgPc1IMDP4_85wgKvolPhEgVIgHtTTrpdYb345bvCEIWi1oRYn6QGyoF_ttQUn2U8L1Pq/s451/soap-box.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIfPDVzwrQlPqGxQnSVCx--WWETsVcphticgrEmItjNscsKRMv1vwY54QSNizw4Qb5IbMKPhe9UyHjAZ9yvs9Rn096Pjdy9XYWPvlNeKXxIWWfd0n4W0xgPc1IMDP4_85wgKvolPhEgVIgHtTTrpdYb345bvCEIWi1oRYn6QGyoF_ttQUn2U8L1Pq/s320/soap-box.webp" width="221" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-78120056673211049422023-01-24T06:41:00.003+00:002023-01-28T08:01:32.639+00:00Back to free speech<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> DZ does not generally advocate the burning of books. Having said that, if someone buys an item it is then their property, and they are perfectly at liberty to destroy it, by burning, or otherwise. It shouldn't be anyone else's business. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">But it's no surprise that if the book in question is a religious tome, and it's burned in public, then that is going to cause some sort of backlash. Particularly in some of the more regressive, fundamentalist countries where such an act would be called blasphemy, and might even attract <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/pakistan-further-tightens-blasphemy-laws-that-already-spell-death-penalty-for-insulting-prophet/ar-AA16DYGO?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=725b3812061e421a9b52710b0ed39bbf" target="_blank">judicial execution.</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The problem is that the "faithful" have this bizarre idea that this sort of oppression should be applied in more civilised liberal countries, as is <a href="https://www.arabnews.com/node/2236856/saudi-arabia" target="_blank">seen in this case</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Lets take this article step by step. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">First and foremost, those complaining don't seem to understand that it's perfectly legal to criticise religions in the west. Indeed most countries have laws protecting freedom of speech and religions are not given a special pass. "Blasphemy" is not a crime in Sweden.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The Saudi foreign ministry is quoted as <i>“calling for the importance of spreading the values of dialogue, toleranc</i><i>e and coexistence, and rejecting hatred and extremism,”</i><span face=""playfair display", serif, Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #ecf0e7;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This from a nation that is third in the list of those that <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/08/the-death-penalty-in-saudi-arabia-facts-and-figures/" target="_blank">executes it's own citizens</a> including children and the mentally ill.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">An institution calling itself the "Arab parliament" has also weighed in calling for<i>“total rejection of such disgraceful acts, which are considered a violation of all international laws"</i><span face=""playfair display", serif, Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif"> They don't seem to care that the "international laws" they desire don't actually exist. But they do seem to live in a fantasy world. They're most vociferous in their condemnation of the European Parliament when that body criticise human rights abuses in Arab countries</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span face=""playfair display", serif, Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif">The Arab parliament also has <i> </i></span><i><span>"</span><span style="background: rgb(236, 240, 231);">called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and enact laws and legislation that criminalizes insulting religious sanctities and provides the necessary protection for Muslims in practicing their religious rites on an equal basis with all other religions."</span></i></span></p><p><span face=""playfair display", serif, Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Now firstly DZ does not understand how someone burning a book in any way curtails the ability of others to practice their religion. Could it possibly be that fundamentalists of all religions see it as part of their religion that they should be allowed to shove it down the throats of sceptics and secularists?</span></p><p><span face=""playfair display", serif, Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">And as for "criminalising insulting religious sanctities". They really don't get it do they?</span></p><p><span face="playfair display, serif, Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">In case people think that I am particularly directing my comments at Islam I'd like to reassure that I regard all religions equally. With equal contempt.</span></span></p><p><i><span style="background: rgb(236, 240, 231);"><br /></span></i></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiqwAlr8rR_yO-Tah2OGAVrAQf9v77-sScI9dPTJpy1ijewz8VCIptjX-XjeNQzR8ldH5Q_9RYTIH5F--HS5nTr1P3P9nfnCx6CVOPq8Dg9X7PNxsXOFb4PeWv0nGzR_ZJUkaikz5Hs1iHdbba7McXulyDFsifqdSZkTqw6tIg7MuY9ywd4o-YL0T/s299/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="299" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiqwAlr8rR_yO-Tah2OGAVrAQf9v77-sScI9dPTJpy1ijewz8VCIptjX-XjeNQzR8ldH5Q_9RYTIH5F--HS5nTr1P3P9nfnCx6CVOPq8Dg9X7PNxsXOFb4PeWv0nGzR_ZJUkaikz5Hs1iHdbba7McXulyDFsifqdSZkTqw6tIg7MuY9ywd4o-YL0T/w388-h218/download.jpg" width="388" /></a></i></div><i><br /><span style="background: rgb(236, 240, 231);"><br /></span></i><p></p><br />Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-25853369346949690752023-01-10T11:43:00.003+00:002023-01-18T13:33:54.719+00:00Annnnnd.............another one.<p> Another what, you ask. Yet another instance of a doctor who, over a period of years committed such a massive <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/other/romford-gp-sexually-assaulted-28-women-after-telling-them-they-could-have-cancer-like-jade-goody-or-angelina-jolie/ar-AA16amzu?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=25b9f9145876456d936484983d8282c1" target="_blank">series of sexual assaults</a> that he had to be brought to court from prison, where he is serving three life sentences already, to have another two added.</p><p>And throughout those years he was being appraised regularly, like a good boy. I expect he forgot to mention his practices on his form.</p><p>He was caught by the old fashioned way that most bad doctors are caught, by police complaints by his victims, and concern from his colleagues. The appraisal system played no part in his apprehension whatsoever.</p><p>What on Earth is it actually for?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASgMEAiTKVTq3NXwIBNrKGmbP_jY2upjuSpWAYFWF6kyy9D6wWKFGNLV-l_k1OWRvJJIMnMXrR88qIck19wBOD4tpqYdzZOULcLDXagiXp63yk2sri5sxXU9AhiPAPVTHs1ip48Sl8uqhLOoFkx2rPO3GGyBMUyC5MXQKcra_BZNhR3MN8l5_gpZV/s1300/puzzlement-funny-cartoon-character-thinking-problem-trying-to-find-solution-answer-to-his-questions-49493107.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1276" data-original-width="1300" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASgMEAiTKVTq3NXwIBNrKGmbP_jY2upjuSpWAYFWF6kyy9D6wWKFGNLV-l_k1OWRvJJIMnMXrR88qIck19wBOD4tpqYdzZOULcLDXagiXp63yk2sri5sxXU9AhiPAPVTHs1ip48Sl8uqhLOoFkx2rPO3GGyBMUyC5MXQKcra_BZNhR3MN8l5_gpZV/s320/puzzlement-funny-cartoon-character-thinking-problem-trying-to-find-solution-answer-to-his-questions-49493107.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-82265808059974557042022-12-24T11:12:00.001+00:002022-12-24T11:12:44.449+00:00Journalists!<p> DZ has commented before on newspaper articles seem to be increasingly written by sloppy lazy journalists, and published by indifferent editors.</p><p><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/music/six-inch-metal-forceps-left-inside-patient-in-never-event/ar-AA15BGBX?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=53c313993cd34ca5ab82c971f27ad10e" target="_blank">Here is another one.</a></p><p>To read the headline you'd think this was an event of clear negligence. As if the normal theatre procedures were not diligently followed, and the patient went on his way with everyone involved blissfully unaware of the problem. </p><p>If you read the article it's obvious that, in fact that was not at all what happened. The end of surgery instrument check obviously did correctly identify that an instrument was missing, and the correct procedure for finding it was followed. While the patient was still anaesthetised. There was then a clinical decision made to leave it where it was and retrieve it at a subsequent procedure.</p><p>It's highly unlikely that the patient would come to any harm as a result of this, and in reality it's a complete non story. yet another case of some hack writer trying to generate copy out of nothing. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjErs7vZ6NruAQSFH9o1kud5F-VwqcOGj9neSVLRoS4vDWDQwlhmjeeZkqEaKos96RqshYFS7SEcXZ-XBqRnLUOaiEp0U92LY4UsIOLVBfcEdeG98UnQ7-629Mkz78eDmlV8ocZhQHFtdblSAYcLq-BmnnNKY3t1xG3asS4lTtEdBT4X21gKwLaD8/s809/2866ffc453fdf2bcf5263ac1a25034e4--expectation-vs-reality-shit-happens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="448" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjErs7vZ6NruAQSFH9o1kud5F-VwqcOGj9neSVLRoS4vDWDQwlhmjeeZkqEaKos96RqshYFS7SEcXZ-XBqRnLUOaiEp0U92LY4UsIOLVBfcEdeG98UnQ7-629Mkz78eDmlV8ocZhQHFtdblSAYcLq-BmnnNKY3t1xG3asS4lTtEdBT4X21gKwLaD8/w224-h406/2866ffc453fdf2bcf5263ac1a25034e4--expectation-vs-reality-shit-happens.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-51128016819656045842022-12-17T16:36:00.004+00:002022-12-24T09:23:56.742+00:00Nurses<p> So our nursing colleagues finally lost patience with the government over pay. What took them so long? </p><p>This table shows starkly how poorly their pay has kept up with those who control the purse strings.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJK9K77AK1uIJhleVr7aNGf9Y_ljA3oIZgTOHjxkyQgsS6Tz-2YfY7DY-MB06e8nDMsbzOGSrrDEhfMI53AX5cNUVu_S6J0MyF_gpSLuCWNNw92f-87QK1tv1tdyyUHDCIlc9-zoxyifVQPDQOBoqG8F0oSKAQJMt6hHTm9DIwA769STT9ORxkTekS/s679/319677278_1482549372234031_7737358111960394994_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="523" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJK9K77AK1uIJhleVr7aNGf9Y_ljA3oIZgTOHjxkyQgsS6Tz-2YfY7DY-MB06e8nDMsbzOGSrrDEhfMI53AX5cNUVu_S6J0MyF_gpSLuCWNNw92f-87QK1tv1tdyyUHDCIlc9-zoxyifVQPDQOBoqG8F0oSKAQJMt6hHTm9DIwA769STT9ORxkTekS/s320/319677278_1482549372234031_7737358111960394994_n.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>So nursing pay has risen only just over 11% over the last 12 years compared with almost 30% for MPs. To put this in perspective inflation over the same period totals 34%, equating to a serious fall in real term earnings for Nurses. House price inflation over the same period exceeds 53%, so even more of their income has to go on simply providing a roof, eating further into their dwindling pay.<div>Only it seems a few months ago the nurses, and others were being lauded and applauded as "essential workers" putting their lives at risk to keep the NHS from total collapse. They know now that they have to make a stand to prevent this ongoing downward spiral. The various so called "independant" review bodies have totally failed in their function of ensuring fairness and adequate pay, having simply fallen into line as government puppets. </div><div>And in those 12 years corporations continue to make record obscene profits and their CEOs take home seven figure salaries.</div><div>And don't even talk to me about fucking professional footballers, who can earn more for kicking a ball around for 90 minutes than a nurse for a year's work.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_ITSumt2mv7jB5KbFdD1dC-A1GrGxHX7JlgXKk3oqQHq0vrZ2600yymeVh08g_FwpJWDPYAm93J7rdZ7-0q-AcjmvUHydQr2e7VymnZSO3R-bcDqRrdnA9-szJBAr-SiZQP8tzbpjyyQrhossD0VRPpOyQflkM9MZ53p23epYhuorp0r3jt5wugg/s770/shutterstock_730766680-770x453.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="770" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_ITSumt2mv7jB5KbFdD1dC-A1GrGxHX7JlgXKk3oqQHq0vrZ2600yymeVh08g_FwpJWDPYAm93J7rdZ7-0q-AcjmvUHydQr2e7VymnZSO3R-bcDqRrdnA9-szJBAr-SiZQP8tzbpjyyQrhossD0VRPpOyQflkM9MZ53p23epYhuorp0r3jt5wugg/s320/shutterstock_730766680-770x453.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Oh dear, did you hurt yourself you fucking parasitic pansy!</div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-51435340970008674432022-11-30T12:01:00.001+00:002022-11-30T12:01:06.371+00:00Progress<p> Last year's census for England and Wales has revealed some very interesting trends in the area of religious observance, as is covered very well in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/nov/29/leicester-and-birmingham-are-uk-first-minority-majority-cities-census-reveals" target="_blank">this article</a>.</p><p>DZ sees the two main points as, first, a rapidly advancing move to a secular population, and second, within those who practice religion, an increasing diversity. Also, even those who describe themselves as "christian" are not all members of the church of England.-</p><p>Bearing these two points in mind is it not long overdue that the UK should disestablish itself from the Anglican church? That religion should be separated from the state, and that the bishops should be removed from the house of lords? Not forgetting of course that the house of lords is itself an insult to the concept of democracy.</p><p>While the present government is unlikely to disturb the status quo, Mr Starmer is a more hopeful prospect, as is seen <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/keir-starmer-i-may-not-believe-in-god-but-i-do-believe-in-faith-951607" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/keir-starmer-abolish-house-of-lords-labour-b2228866.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFfiuojV-E1zvFXH8FKwfY6fl3qFPHvX8quWZQnEzevMFrAf_Ve8SO4yUhkOF_Vx6zB0_NpFEx1B51nRoYnrRYmhmW7bN7WvCe0WjB0OaA65KDZsS8y19AOs_wZ0vj1lbFBX1vjXdccuzeckji4HFYJVQZAbKNahuI5BZZBqeORU9V8zIcvL5ZAvV/s1200/2VGN6JNRNZAVZCKCSPKK6GGSLE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFfiuojV-E1zvFXH8FKwfY6fl3qFPHvX8quWZQnEzevMFrAf_Ve8SO4yUhkOF_Vx6zB0_NpFEx1B51nRoYnrRYmhmW7bN7WvCe0WjB0OaA65KDZsS8y19AOs_wZ0vj1lbFBX1vjXdccuzeckji4HFYJVQZAbKNahuI5BZZBqeORU9V8zIcvL5ZAvV/s320/2VGN6JNRNZAVZCKCSPKK6GGSLE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Worth considering.</div><br /><p><br /></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-39897468750611886522022-11-15T17:21:00.006+00:002022-11-15T17:21:59.267+00:00Why so coy?<p> DZ has today come across this article in <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/mouth-cancer-symptoms-pictures-sore-treatment-uk-b2224416.html?fbclid=IwAR0FdyJF4NMpL0BKb-wmIXAPZvjbuyAVgQZJ11R-Nd7ilJ9J_RXoh9Y8r1E" target="_blank">"the Independent"</a> today. It talks about an increase in the incidence of oral cancer over the last 10 years, and particularly the increased incidence in young people. DZ actually knows what the increased incidence is due to, but the newspaper doesn't mention it explicitly. It mentions smoking, which has declined over the relevant time period, and alcohol, but the newer cause they skirt around. It's referred to as "lifestyle factors", which is not very helpful. Also they briefly mention Human Papilloma Virus, but don't elaborate.</p><p>They have completely failed in their duty to educate the public in a display of ridiculous prudishness, totally unbecoming a modern news outlet. Presumably they think that if they specify what exactly they're talking about there will be an epidemic of pearl clutching among their readers.</p><p>DZ is not so inhibited. What we are talking about here is (gasp) <a href="https://www.cancerhealth.com/article/oral-sex-18-increases-oral-cancer-risk-80" target="_blank">Oral Sex!</a> There, I've said it! Clutch away.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3n3S4Xruxd8GjIjtVnNNawJDf1RKrhWiGWqLWA7iQO_NAV4hBsMmIFitnp_00z1pgaiE1aBI_SYv4HIw9kJ_f0S4kY72OW3UfG2hY7W_REEfNrFtIFC4O_uksPT8DyP1mYic2K8eidMrjHC48NWYHBo0GJmhymiPeMPiqM8UbIwWb6vTNwpfCqC3/s246/494b3bd6e9bf4711f69d75e192942c8c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="246" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3n3S4Xruxd8GjIjtVnNNawJDf1RKrhWiGWqLWA7iQO_NAV4hBsMmIFitnp_00z1pgaiE1aBI_SYv4HIw9kJ_f0S4kY72OW3UfG2hY7W_REEfNrFtIFC4O_uksPT8DyP1mYic2K8eidMrjHC48NWYHBo0GJmhymiPeMPiqM8UbIwWb6vTNwpfCqC3/w400-h333/494b3bd6e9bf4711f69d75e192942c8c.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-84640395949479300742022-11-13T10:12:00.001+00:002022-11-13T10:12:05.798+00:00Quote<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiL6L2UxfWmU-9CNHCJAhLDxH8qpU3aRl2JGVYIpwJMaxwrnTUBH44NP3aDksBF45aP7wza_lLBYb0Fgzkg8HKaBMXkDLpoH6-KvisECHws2Xbe5ONKnV_ByxTrSZ0aCNH1dQUYU-iN8Sq_wIXaynGQv6XOdARF2aypmUfpF2eT2AepMQSlwP8moB6/s720/315365625_501487955357732_2133973170432315837_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="720" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiL6L2UxfWmU-9CNHCJAhLDxH8qpU3aRl2JGVYIpwJMaxwrnTUBH44NP3aDksBF45aP7wza_lLBYb0Fgzkg8HKaBMXkDLpoH6-KvisECHws2Xbe5ONKnV_ByxTrSZ0aCNH1dQUYU-iN8Sq_wIXaynGQv6XOdARF2aypmUfpF2eT2AepMQSlwP8moB6/s320/315365625_501487955357732_2133973170432315837_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>00</div><br /><p></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-37069821670904385842022-10-30T12:54:00.003+00:002022-10-30T12:57:05.844+00:00Tolerance<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">DZ did not write this. It's reproduced here from a FB page, the Scottish Atheist's Group </span></p><p><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <i> "Q: Why Can’t You Just Leave Religion Alone? </i></span></p><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="" dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1swvt13 xjkvuk6" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_s8" style="font-family: inherit; padding: 4px 16px;"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u" style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px;"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto" style="color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>A: The answer is simple. Atheist activism exists because religion exists. </i></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Religion permeates our culture, shows up on our doorsteps with literature, scriptures and threats of eternal damnation, influences our science books, contaminates our political systems, indoctrinates our children and postulates that its doctrine must be followed, lest we be destroyed in body, in soul, or both. Non-believers are simply responding to the <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>avalanche of religious messages that bears down upon us daily. </i></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>If the religious lived in a bubble where no ripple effects negatively impacted others, there would be no problem. But religion does not exist in a bubble. It accosts us in our homes, in our places of work, in our personal and professional lives. Believers are charged with a lifelong mission to preach, teach, disciple, shout it from the mountaintops and to “go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”And when the skeptic raises a hand of protest, he is dismissed as misguided, immoral, rudderless, angry or (wait for it) “religious about his atheism.”</i></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Is that a fair assessment? When’s the last time an atheist rang your doorbell with brochures about the Good News of Humanism? How often do you find Richard Dawkins books in the dresser drawers of your hotel rooms? When was the last atheist temple erected in your neighborhood? Have you ever attended an atheist revival? Has atheism demanded 10% of your household income? How many dedicated atheist television channels broadcast through your satellite dish? How many atheist verses were you instructed to memorize as a child? When’s the last time someone thanked a farmer (or even the cook) at the dinner table instead of God? </i></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>On a more radical front, what’s the name of the last atheist who sawed the head off of an “infidel?”Or sentenced a shrouded woman to death for displeasing an oppressive husband? Or strapped explosives to his belt in order to kill hundreds in a public square? Or publicly hung a homosexual? No, atheist activism isn’t a religion. It’s a response. Religion is a pounding drum that has gone mostly unanswered for a long, long time, and legitimate challenge to its wild and often harmful claims is long overdue."</i></div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div><div><div class="x10wlt62 x6ikm8r x9jhf4c x30kzoy x13lgxp2 x168nmei" data-visualcompletion="ignore-dynamic" style="border-radius: 0px 0px 8px 8px; overflow: hidden;"><div><div style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21;"><div><div class="xq8finb x16n37ib x3dsekl x1uuop16" style="margin-left: 12px; margin-right: 12px;"><div class="x9f619 x1n2onr6 x1ja2u2z x78zum5 x2lah0s x1qughib x1qjc9v5 xozqiw3 x1q0g3np x150jy0e x1e558r4 xjkvuk6 x1iorvi4 xwrv7xz x8182xy x4cne27 xifccgj" style="align-items: stretch; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; flex-shrink: 0; justify-content: space-between; margin: -6px -2px; padding: 4px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="x9f619 x1n2onr6 x1ja2u2z x78zum5 xdt5ytf x193iq5w xeuugli x1r8uery x1iyjqo2 xs83m0k xg83lxy x1h0ha7o x10b6aqq x1yrsyyn" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex: 1 1 0px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 2px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">To illustrate the point being made, here is a copy of an (anonymous naturally) letter sent to a brewer by one of these pious oppressive "christians"</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxO31BXH7555KNkyBhCDfR3XUJrcJuOkGWgqB3f-aeiiYu8fabaZMjE5mYvX5hodhQJTpXV45t3kPcfl8moUPxyYilfv-anT6EbnkqJyB6YiLsQevv2BoRGWbrOfUE5pVP-6FCbrA3X_-zUjH25nlICA0Pz6mGhQZ2gGNAeBj-Zb1zXRCbcPG--9g/s1321/313385389_10226314828328758_1412696597309950159_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1321" data-original-width="828" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxO31BXH7555KNkyBhCDfR3XUJrcJuOkGWgqB3f-aeiiYu8fabaZMjE5mYvX5hodhQJTpXV45t3kPcfl8moUPxyYilfv-anT6EbnkqJyB6YiLsQevv2BoRGWbrOfUE5pVP-6FCbrA3X_-zUjH25nlICA0Pz6mGhQZ2gGNAeBj-Zb1zXRCbcPG--9g/w251-h400/313385389_10226314828328758_1412696597309950159_n.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>Why indeed can't the religious just leave the rest of us alone?<br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><div class="x1i10hfl x1qjc9v5 xjbqb8w xjqpnuy xa49m3k xqeqjp1 x2hbi6w x13fuv20 xu3j5b3 x1q0q8m5 x26u7qi x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1ypdohk xdl72j9 x2lah0s xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x2lwn1j xeuugli xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1n2onr6 x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1ja2u2z x1t137rt x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x3nfvp2 x1q0g3np x87ps6o x1lku1pv x1a2a7pz" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-radius: inherit; border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x1ey2m1c xds687c xg01cxk x47corl x10l6tqk x17qophe x13vifvy x1ebt8du x19991ni x1dhq9h" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="border-radius: inherit; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="x1jx94hy x12nagc" style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 4px;"></div></div></div></div>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-49212881797357977532022-10-26T10:28:00.001+01:002022-10-26T10:28:41.087+01:00Watch this space<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVY-ZGNNEDvMId-m99NZM86XkBnw1MyxU44nkmO18W2qLBjlyX0ugDLAbmxMHOzvCjfAcqFxC_7Tv-LaWnF1titJ0iqmLdTd1Q52HMK9Tq2eeLqmQMyB8J8vTARPbfSBive4MVlLStIud5Z8MGaYLs4qh6TRABGBor4Oh4QJYuSjRJw39-O_3rWjT/s1140/hotseat-steve-barclay-1140x772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1140" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVY-ZGNNEDvMId-m99NZM86XkBnw1MyxU44nkmO18W2qLBjlyX0ugDLAbmxMHOzvCjfAcqFxC_7Tv-LaWnF1titJ0iqmLdTd1Q52HMK9Tq2eeLqmQMyB8J8vTARPbfSBive4MVlLStIud5Z8MGaYLs4qh6TRABGBor4Oh4QJYuSjRJw39-O_3rWjT/w400-h271/hotseat-steve-barclay-1140x772.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Barclay" target="_blank">Steve Barclay</a></div>So this is our new health secretary. There isn't much to go on in his wiki entry. He's been an army officer, for all of 5 months. He doesn't seem to be one of the rich privileged upper class Eton/Harrow Bullingdon twats we've become used to from this party. Does he have any previous experience in healthcare services provision? Well no. But on the plus side it's hard to imagine he could be as useless, idiotic and ignorant as the previous incumbent. Give him time. His main problem is going to be contending with the predatory impulse of that NHS nemesis Hunt. If he can stop Hunt from financially raping our health services then I'll be impressed. We shall see.<p></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-44323173030953034082022-10-19T15:14:00.003+01:002022-10-19T15:14:36.306+01:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVUxxZ_z_YbNoHVsWBDi4bjyFmREVnEqd6B6I6WAm0CGChe59KRr-Y7h5ij0RnVDzq_BWuG-sv1c-SoG36dWyw233mD4lnFaV0Cky6HV1ndfcx17lVd2sTJVui8w0l2K9FoQBrhk6Gngt2_XqkBXUvIHZwMNZZudnmtNTab5q48wwXqH6lw4-tlE8z/s679/305920703_10160598210867848_7693845158617347110_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="679" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVUxxZ_z_YbNoHVsWBDi4bjyFmREVnEqd6B6I6WAm0CGChe59KRr-Y7h5ij0RnVDzq_BWuG-sv1c-SoG36dWyw233mD4lnFaV0Cky6HV1ndfcx17lVd2sTJVui8w0l2K9FoQBrhk6Gngt2_XqkBXUvIHZwMNZZudnmtNTab5q48wwXqH6lw4-tlE8z/w400-h266/305920703_10160598210867848_7693845158617347110_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">BUGGER!!. Missed it</div><br /> <p></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-71808546566787664872022-10-18T20:32:00.000+01:002022-10-18T20:32:09.690+01:00Plus ca change<p> Ten years ago DZ put up these two blog posts. <a href="https://vulpesmax.blogspot.com/2012/12/prioities.html" target="_blank">(1)</a> <a href="https://vulpesmax.blogspot.com/2012/12/arithmetic.html" target="_blank">(2)</a></p><p>Since then things have not improved. In fact they are far worse. Every school in England now has children attending who are quite literally starving. In one of the richest countries in the world. DZ has always tried to stay clear of politics, but he has to point out that in those ten years we have had only one party in power. A party that has allowed the gap in wealth distribution to increase to breaking point. Giving us a country where so much wealth is now sequestered by the ultra wealthy that the economy can no longer function. And only recently their approach was to offer the wealthy even more tax cuts at the expense of everyone else. We are getting to a "let them eat cake" situation.</p><p>Scotland, and soon Wales show that free school meals for all primary school children is not unaffordable, unless you are preoccupied with using vast amounts of taxpayers money to, directly and indirectly, line the pockets of your cronies and financial supporters. </p><p>This government's priorities are so far removed from attending to the well being of it's people that you can only conclude that they don't care as long they're OK. Even the <a href="https://vulpesmax.blogspot.com/2022/01/as-is-nowwell-known-recent-new-years.html" target="_blank">last Labour PM</a> of the UK came to power as a down at heel politician, and is now worth £45MILLION!!! What the absolute fuck?!</p><p>And they're now bickering about who should be in power, and even talking about bringing back that overprivileged upper class twat Boris. Fuck me!</p><p>They are courting disaster. Civil dissatisfaction is coming, inevitably to the boil as everything we had is being taken away. Decent pay, reasonable house prices, free education all the way to university, affordable utilities, and a decent health service. The list goes on & on.</p><p>In 1886 the people of France gifted to the USA the Statue of Liberty. Perhaps we should be asking them to gift us something too.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtCVhn60AJuJ3SjOOZsoV90aUq5lPAXVAz4JkbGIbVCXPzRtJeKv_ym6-eg-5-fogI3wzeV3-z3qEI4wqjIudW0P6VvVX1vRIp-ULLNYwEvOQtHH3X74Ol_7SFJToFjKJpbr9uCT_PVBsCdDFYxEMML9uMvWnwkoDjaK8UVO2NbwEC_DJdvyO9kmX/s525/OIP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="253" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtCVhn60AJuJ3SjOOZsoV90aUq5lPAXVAz4JkbGIbVCXPzRtJeKv_ym6-eg-5-fogI3wzeV3-z3qEI4wqjIudW0P6VvVX1vRIp-ULLNYwEvOQtHH3X74Ol_7SFJToFjKJpbr9uCT_PVBsCdDFYxEMML9uMvWnwkoDjaK8UVO2NbwEC_DJdvyO9kmX/w193-h400/OIP.jpg" width="193" /></a>0</div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-67437975520699164752022-10-17T18:27:00.000+01:002022-10-17T18:27:42.082+01:00What?<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> DZ is still working via agencies, so gets to see a fair few hospitals that are new to him. So he occasionally comes across stuff that makes his eyebrows go up. Like the hospital where the cleaners had put notices on the bins asking people not to shit in them. Or the hospital with a notice in the changing rooms informing staff that the CCTV cameras in the changing room had been removed!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Well today brought another surprise. At one time today I needed to use the staff toilet, and was surprised to see this on the wall in there.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdUYxtwR2Y4KpO_6xJFlzgc1ZoxUeQiVWE2JQNZdJKUfusDyJtlsD7ZqnYJ338tTF5Ki5E7_0yg_OZxJWsoDN-WVct2lhSKloJudfMCLXVh2fxexgFLkXN9YSU0zZfOSl7h3rDn8pwD4rL4dPrQA7BbnSbgzINF5f_wz_UU2atzvHSLBgNfwkSA-F/s206/311891214_771816200581520_2515095545182077601_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="155" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdUYxtwR2Y4KpO_6xJFlzgc1ZoxUeQiVWE2JQNZdJKUfusDyJtlsD7ZqnYJ338tTF5Ki5E7_0yg_OZxJWsoDN-WVct2lhSKloJudfMCLXVh2fxexgFLkXN9YSU0zZfOSl7h3rDn8pwD4rL4dPrQA7BbnSbgzINF5f_wz_UU2atzvHSLBgNfwkSA-F/w301-h400/311891214_771816200581520_2515095545182077601_n.jpg" width="301" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">The presence of the hole I'm sure has a perfectly reasonable explanation. But what the hell is that message supposed to mean. I suspect I'd rather not know.</span><p></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-62524312783290180862022-10-04T16:56:00.008+01:002022-10-04T17:20:20.653+01:00Royal quackery<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">So, we now
have a new King. Before we get too carried away with enthusiasm let’s pause for
a moment to remember some of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/quacktitioner-royal-is-a-menace-to-the-constitution-and-public-health-16448" target="_blank">odd views</a> he has in the medical field, a field
he is not at all qualified to pontificate on. He has made it quite clear in the
past that he is <a href="https://pbbk1.com/prince-charles-love-affair-with-alternative-medicine/" target="_blank">sympathetic to the use</a> of complementary and alternative
medicine (CAM) in the NHS. He has previously given his patronage to a pseudo
college of pseudo medicine which eventually <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/aug/02/prince-charles-college-medicine-holistic-complementary" target="_blank">crashed and burned </a>amid
allegations of fraud and money laundering.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">One of the
excuses used by proponents of these pseudo medical disciplines is that they supposedly
have no adverse effects. A shame that that’s not true.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Firstly all
alternative modalities have the adverse effect that they have no beneficial
effect. This, combined with the fact that many practitioners of CAM discourage
their patients from resorting to normal medicine, thus allowing the patient’s
condition to develop unchecked. The poor gullible patient is even encouraged to
perceive doctors, or allopaths as they are referred to, as dangerous and in the
pockets of “Big Pharma”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">And specific
practices can have specific adverse effects. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62692632" target="_blank">Take this case</a> for example. It would
appear that the acupuncturist in this case was not aware that the lungs and
pleura are right in the line of his fire, with inevitable consequences. </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Sticking needles in to the chest, without being familiar with what’s in there has also been reported to result in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21093944/" target="_blank">cardiac tamponade</a>.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Even anaesthetists, well familiar with the anatomy, approach intercostal block with some trepidation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">And
vertebral artery tear, with subsequent stroke, <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/caitlin-jensen-chiropractor-stroke-paralyzed-b2176389.html" target="_blank">as in this case</a>, is now a well
reported complication of chiropractic neck manipulation. Yet no chiropractor
will warn patients of this complication and some even deny the problem. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Fortunately,
in developed countries at least, CAM provision is heavily in decline and state
provided health services are finally abandoning these absurd practices.
Although in the USA osteopaths are considered to have the same status as
medical doctors most western countries have now cut their ties with these
quacks. The Homeopathic hospitals in the UK are now gone, and even in France,
the home of Boiron, a water bottling company masquerading as a medicine
producer, <a href="https://edzardernst.com/2021/06/the-situation-of-homeopathy-in-france-an-update/" target="_blank">homeopathy is no longer funded</a> by the state. Even in the USA <a href="https://www.rawstory.com/walmart-and-cvs-will-go-to-trial-for-placing-bogus-homeopathic-products-next-to-legit-over-the-counter-meds/?utm_source=push_notifications" target="_blank">things are looking up</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BjvEegjyIhRzlNf36R7VPA9q_mZUiSrj13bRaw6j5pf1FAytGCTLg3l4aJybOkxyVqi53elwK1ONA_n9PrREH9rsAQeF5lKXYllR0oo4hQ3l8gr1VnWQScoa7snfWYqTVPnSaWyKaNM7-x6yVAxnI5752ps7jeocUFUTR0r9yEYLfLAjILPqo0u9/s590/Prince-Charles-1400572.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="590" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BjvEegjyIhRzlNf36R7VPA9q_mZUiSrj13bRaw6j5pf1FAytGCTLg3l4aJybOkxyVqi53elwK1ONA_n9PrREH9rsAQeF5lKXYllR0oo4hQ3l8gr1VnWQScoa7snfWYqTVPnSaWyKaNM7-x6yVAxnI5752ps7jeocUFUTR0r9yEYLfLAjILPqo0u9/s320/Prince-Charles-1400572.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">So let’s hope
that Charles’ new position doesn’t result in him giving his uninformed opinion
free reign. When it comes to stuff he knows nothing about he should follow his
Mother’s example and keep his nonsense to himself.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4661337961858411173.post-77697042457529049012022-09-27T11:38:00.002+01:002022-09-27T11:40:44.110+01:00Taking the piss<p> It is now over three years since the fire that devastated Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. Almost immediately a fund was set up to rebuild, which has to date received almost one billion pounds in donations from all over the world. But the catholic church has stated that this is not enough, and they have gone, <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/notre-dame-fund-raising-1980724" target="_blank">cap in hand</a>, to obtain more millions from the French government.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEsqrtdkd_XetbVScjI-rEoGovANLRZe_QkaCMzym6R80BHud3p8_1nm2OLaSh92xFRUuqDFhW2Qs9g3ry-5xvGYXEtu4EUq10v8lNqpjCbU_gZvN82b3dvSWHx5QZLT4Ni-srxA3PO-GTK-7Nr-sHrH7gcRbFmZh8NeW9n09lsPtmZdQNhkfSoQA/s634/302446372_3421320908127870_6085618132068711811_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="480" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEsqrtdkd_XetbVScjI-rEoGovANLRZe_QkaCMzym6R80BHud3p8_1nm2OLaSh92xFRUuqDFhW2Qs9g3ry-5xvGYXEtu4EUq10v8lNqpjCbU_gZvN82b3dvSWHx5QZLT4Ni-srxA3PO-GTK-7Nr-sHrH7gcRbFmZh8NeW9n09lsPtmZdQNhkfSoQA/w381-h504/302446372_3421320908127870_6085618132068711811_n.jpg" width="381" /></a></div><p>What a bunch of fucking parasites!</p><p><br /></p>Doctor Zorrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02066781456935894741noreply@blogger.com0