Book Review: If it Sounds Like a Quack

If It Sounds Like A Quack: A Journey to the Fringes of American Medicine
Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling
Public Affairs Books
Copyright 2023 by the author

It starts out innocently enough. Maybe you see the rare occasion when an old “folk remedy” actually works. Or the lifestyle changes you promote (usually diet and exercise) along with your treatment help the patient heal themselves while your treatment does nothing. Or maybe it’s just the placebo effect. In any case, the end result is the one you hoped for. So you become convinced that you have the One True Cure that can fix all the things that ail people. You go into business promoting and selling it, and an understaffed FDA (and other government agencies) can’t get out of the way of its own bureaucracy fast enough to stop you.

Word spreads, and people dissatisfied with the current health care industry (which often seems more concerned about profits than patient care) buy your One True Cure. What can go wrong, especially now that the money is coming in?

Multiply this by the Internet which gives everyone both a platform to hawk their wares and a way to find out about these “treatments”, health care “deserts” in rural and poor regions that push people to seek out cheaper alternative treatments, and a political party that encourages “individual freedom” over the needs of the society as a whole, and you’ve got a story that, in the hands of Hongoltz-Hetling, is both funny and infuriating.

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On the 2024 All Star Game

Well, that was a game. In that it followed the rules of Baseball. I can’t call it exciting, since there wasn’t that much to get excited about. As has become typical for an All Star Game, pitchers aren’t allowed to be in for more than one inning, and batters rarely get more than two trips to the plate. So you’re not going to have to worry about pitchers getting tired or batters trying for three hits. You know, the usual things that add a bit of interest to the average game.

At least we did get to see the matchup that everyone was talking about – Paul Skenes vs Aaron Judge. Frankly, it’s a travesty that we even had to worry about whether it would happen or not. Look, I get that Skenes is a “hot young stud” and you don’t want to break him, but if you’re worried about him pitching more than one inning, make him a reliever and keep him in bubble wrap between appearances. Also, get over the thing about making sure every player on the roster gets to be on the field. It doesn’t matter if they get in the game or not; they are still an All Star. Right?

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The Bobby Richardson Award – 3

With the introduction of the “wild card” in the playoffs, it became more likely that a mediocre team could make it into the World Series just by getting hot at the right time. While it is true that there are more “meh” Series now 2006), there are still plenty of all time Classics (2016) to provide some deserving winners of this award.

1995: Atlanta Braves 4, Cleveland Indians 2

Reliever Jose Mesa got the win in Game 3 and a save in Game 5.

1996: New York Yankees 4, Atlanta Braves 2

John Smoltz got the win in Game 1, and gave up only a single run in eight innings in Game 5. Continue reading →

So Biden is Too Old?

I will give a little attention to your arguments that President Biden should step out of the race at this late date if you can first tell me this:

Why aren’t you FIRST calling for the CONVICTED FELON and rapist, who is showing obvious signs of senility, who lies seemingly every time he opens his mouth, AND has made it clear that he intends to turn the country into a fascist dictatorship, to step out of the race?

In case you’re wondering, here’s the Official Republican Party Platform (as described in their “Project 2025” plan:

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Great American Composers

It’s that time of year again, when pretty much every orchestra in the country has an “All American” program for the Fourth, in which they play the works of American composers.

“Pops” orchestras will drag out the usual suspects: Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, John Williams – and wrap things up with some John Philip Sousa.

More “serious” orchestras will feature works by Charles Ives, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, John Adams, Florence Price, or Samuel Barber.

But there are some American composers who really deserve to be included in that crowd.

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The Bobby Richardson Award – 2

This is actually more difficult a decision than the regular MVP Award. With the “Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player Award presented by [this space for rent]”, it’s almost always obvious who should get the award.

But picking an honoree on the losing team? There’s a reason they lost. If you can find someone who might be deserving, do you go with the player who had the best overall performance, or the one who came up big in key moments that won a game for his team? And what’s the cutoff for deciding that a “No Award” is called for?

Good thing this is just an exercise….

1977: New York Yankees 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 2

Reggie Smith hit three home runs while scoring seven. Only WS MVP Reggie Jackson had more of either.

1978: New York Yankees 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 2

Davey Lopes hit .308 with three home runs and seven RBIs.

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The Bobby Richardson Award – 1

Several months ago, I was involved in a discussion about the most valuable players in the World Series. I made a passing comment wondering about the best players on the losing teams. Someone who contributed a great deal, but it wasn’t his fault that his team lost. Someone suggested it should be called “The Bobby Richardson Award”, for the only player who won the World Series MVP despite being on the losing team.

Well, I finally got around to doing the research and writing it up.

You’ll note that I allow for a “No Award” – sometimes, there just isn’t a player who performs well enough above the level of his teammates to justify it (or the team just stinks overall, and no one deserves it).

Also, keep in mind that these are subjective. If I did this again in a few years, more than a few of these are likely to change. And I’m starting it in 1955, when the World Series MVP award began. You can do it for all the previous World Series if you want.

1955: Brooklyn Dodgers 4, New York Yankees 3

Whitey Ford won Games 1 and 6.

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MOVIE REVIEW: Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Everyone in the Newton household in Santa Rosa is delighted that “Uncle Charlie” (Joseph Cotton), the younger brother of matriarch Emma Newton (Patricia Collinge), is coming over to stay a while. Especially Charlotte “Charlie” Newton (Teresa Wright), the oldest child in the family, who seems about to die of boredom in the small town. Uncle Charlie has apparently been living a well-traveled life, filled with experiences of all sorts, and can always be counted on to shower the family with presents.

But what they don’t know while we do (because we’ve seen the “prologue”), is that Uncle Charlie is some sort of ne’er-do-well. He’s living in a rooming house where he has wads of loose cash scattered about, and is dodging two men who have “staked out” the place. And he’s heading to Santa Rosa not because he wants to see his family, but because he needs to get out of town post-haste.

Will anyone in the household figure out what Uncle Charlie’s really been up to before it’s too late?

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Next Steps

Well, the former president has finally been held responsible for something. In a way, this particular case is a perfect encapsulation of his lifetime of shady dealings.

There was a tawdry affair with an adult entertainer, political campaign shenanigans, questionable (at best) financial practices…..even a bit of a circus atmosphere around the whole matter.

As to what happens next, well, I’ve got some ideas.

The Sentence

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Pond in a Jar – 5

Well, it’s still alive. Don’t know if I can call it “thriving”, but I’ll take “Not Dead” any day.

The fuzzy algae is challenging the sprouted plant for control, and has trapped a LOT of air bubbles.

There are at least three snails that are just a bit bigger than poppy seeds. Their shells are either translucent or a pale yellow-green that just matches the color of the plants. There’s one snail that’s a bit bigger than a sesame seed – it’s usually in hiding.

Not much in the way of swimming things. A few dust speck sized things that stay near the top, and one larger speck that zooms around a lot. It appears to be dark blue in color.

I’ve had to add some more pond water twice to counter evaporation. Just about two ounces each time. I’m trying to catch some snails or swimmers when I go back to the source waters. I am resisting the frequent temptation to add a drop or two of something like coffee or booze just to see what happens.

I rotate it a tiny bit each day to give everything an equal amount of light, and to stir up the water a little.

Maybe I’ll add a photo later.