Michael Hawkins how you can say that i am incoherent as Moritz
Filed under: Humor | Tagged: Andreas Moritz, Mukesh Chawla, Quack quack quack | 2 Comments »
Quote of the day
Posted on November 9, 2010 by Michael
Oh, Jesus Christ, Moritz
Posted on October 3, 2010 by Michael
I don’t even like posting about this scummy loon anymore. I’m only doing it out of a sense of responsibility.
Andreas Moritz had his Wikipedia page deleted. He was promoting himself and there are no neutral non-blog sources on the scumbag. Pretty simple. But he hates any form of criticism (because he refuses to go get educated on how anything works), so he edits the hell out stuff. He did it with a link I had here. The result? I posted the new link and copied and pasted everything to which I was referring. In other words, he should have learned a very simple lesson about editing. Instead he went and edited his discussion for deletion page. Twice. (I’ve edited out some of the Wiki coding for the sake of clarity here.)
*Absolutely agreed [the page should be deleted]. Andreas Moritz is just some random guy with enough cash to self-publish. He is not notable enough for Wikipedia.–[[User:MHawkins1985|MHawkins1985]] ([[User talk:MHawkins1985|talk]]) 23:20, 15 September 2010 (UTC)
and
*”’Delete”’ for lack of WP:RS. Article makes claims of medical practice/teaching/etc, but GS hits in the actual medical literature seem to mostly come from 2 physicians having the same exact name: one in Germany and one in Austria. I think it’s safe to assume that our particular Andreas Moritz has no actual sources in the literature. His book is touted, but that seems to self-published by an entity called the Ener-Chi Wellness Center. In fact, most of what is found via web search is promotional material that ultimately originates from the subject, e.g. http://andreasmoritz.org/ andreasmoritz.org, http://www.andreasmoritzblog.com/, http://www.andreasmoritzblog.com, http://liverandgallbladderflush.com/, liverandgallbladderflush.com, etc. The highest-ranked Google hit that ”is” independent is http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/02/andreas_moritz_is_a_cancer_qua.php this entry in PZ Myers’ blog Pharyngula that is highly unfavorable, to say the least. To me, it looks like the subject’s highly developed promotional machine effectively obscures any legit, neutral sources that might be out there. I certainly don’t see any. Respectfully, [[User:Agricola44|Agricola44]] ([[User talk:Agricola44|talk]]) 15:39, 16 September 2010 (UTC).
*”’Delete”’ This seems entirely self-promotional [[User:VASterling|VASterling]] ([[User talk:VASterling|talk]]) 16:19, 17 September 2010 (UTC)
–
*”’Delete”’ self-promotional, conflict of interest, no secondary sources. Thanks, [[User:Starblueheather|Starblueheather]] ([[User talk:Starblueheather|talk]]) 00:29, 22 September 2010 (UTC)–
*”’Delete”’. Fails WP:NOTE. Lack of significant discussion in reliable secondary sources independent of the subject. — ”'[[User:Cirt|Cirt]]”’ ([[User talk:Cirt|talk]]) 00:38, 22 September 2010 (UTC)
Stop trying to promote the harm you cause people, Moritz.
Filed under: Pure bullshit | Tagged: Andreas Moritz, Quack quack quack, Snake oil salesman, wikipedia | 1 Comment »
Andreas Moritz deleted
Posted on September 23, 2010 by Michael
I’ve said it again and again to these quacks that just won’t crawl away: they can’t make it better, only not worse. Once rational people of scientific mindsets take notice, quacks don’t tend to do so well. That’s the case with Moritz. If he only thought about it for a moment’s time, he would realize that I didn’t really care about putting him up for deletion (though another user beat me to the punch). I wanted to add some fair criticism, but since he can’t take the truth, he insisted on deleting it over and over. He can do that, but I’m afraid I’m unable to stand by while a stupid, dangerous man tries to build up a deceptive reputation that could cost people their health. I don’t much care if he has a page for whatever, but I want to make sure everyone knows that whatever he creates is going to be filled with lies.
Filed under: Pure bullshit | Tagged: Andreas Moritz, Danger, Deletion, Quack quack quack, wikipedia | Leave a comment »
Andreas Moritz up for deletion
Posted on September 15, 2010 by Michael
No, not from the medical scene, that place where he keeps causing such harm. Just his sock puppet Wikipedia page has been proposed for deletion. And you can help.
Go to the discussion page for deletion and say why his page ought to be taken down.
Moritz, like Christopher Maloney, wants to make himself look legitimate. Unfortunately, creating such an appearance on the web isn’t that difficult. But what this also means is that it’s possible to create an honest web presence that these quacks must face. That has happened with these two particular quacks and they can be considered defeated in that regard. Of course, they’re still harming innocent people with their pseudo-science and lies, and so they remain a significant danger to society.
With that slightly in mind, I’ve been editing Moritz’s page with a short criticism showing his discord with science. I haven’t been going to the significant length required to explain why the guy is a dishonest, thieving, lying, scummy charlatan, however, because I’m not doing much more than having fun. Since his page has already been recommended for deletion (I was attempting to make the recommendation at the same time as the person who actually did it), he will soon have one less platform from which he can tell lies anyway. Right now I’m enjoying making him freak out over the insignificance of temporal Wikipedia edits. That’s why I say I only have his danger “slightly in mind”; this is more about watching him get cranky. He is quite the baby.
Anyway. Let’s make sure this guy’s malarkey is never seen as legitimate. Help delete his scummy, lying page.
Filed under: Pure bullshit | Tagged: Andreas Moritz, wikipedia | 6 Comments »
Hey, thanks
Posted on September 13, 2010 by Michael
In my latest post about professional bullshitters, I mentioned Andreas Moritz has a Wikipedia page. I personally added a criticism section to it, but I expected others would do a bit more as it became more and more exposed. And I was sort of right. Whereas I expected people to help show Moritz as the dishonest, lying, thieving, trashy, scummy, dirty, snake oil selling, inhumane, selfish, dirt sack that he is, someone just went ahead and reported his page as what it is: sock puppet self-promotion.
So thanks.
Filed under: Pure bullshit | Tagged: Andreas Moritz, Quack quack quack, wikipedia | Leave a comment »
That’s how you do it
Posted on September 12, 2010 by Michael
Remember that scumbag Lawrence Stowe*?
Stowe charges exorbitant sums of money so he can insert IVs into people in some dank, run-down building in Mexico. One family sold their home to pay for Stowe’s bogus treatments. Others have paid tens of thousands of dollars of their savings with no results.
It’s hard to be a big fan of any sort of news that comes from TV these days, but there is still some worthwhile stuff that comes out of investigative reporting. Originating from “60 Minutes”, that information on Stowe should make everyone happy there are still good reporters out there.
In fact, I have to admit I’m a little jealous. I took part in the successful marring of the web presence of Andreas Moritz, another lying quack who steals from sick people. (I only say marred because while there are still hundreds of sites out there that expose him as the quack he is, he has unfortunately regained some footing, at least insofar as Google search** is concerned. However, the hits I get on my posts about him go through the same rough fluctuations as they did when I was number 2 in searches for his name. This isn’t so bad when considering 1) PZ’s post is going to obviously be more prominent and 2) typing “Andreas Moritz” into Google pops up several options, one of which is “quack”.) But this hardly compares with taking down a quack nationally as “60 Minutes” did.
And, of course, there’s our old friend Christopher Maloney. Google searches for his name bring up a lot of unrelated results, but “is a quack” remains a Google suggestion and a search of his name with “Maine” added brings up a whole slew of excellent and honest results. Regardless, this still isn’t much compared to the success of “60 Minutes”.
But these schmucks responded to criticism all wrong. They whined and moaned and tried to get an undergraduate’s blog shut down under the threat of a libel lawsuit and blah blah blah. They’re quacks and they sell snake oil in one form or another by virtue of their ‘professions’, so none of this was that surprising. But Lawrence Stowe is also a sleazy piece of trash; he causes real harm to the health of others, too. But what has his response been? Take a look.
Thank you for your interest in the Stowe Foundation. As a non-profit public charity our mission is to make available to the public an understanding of the human immune system through scientifically validated principles of Regenerative Medicine.
It isn’t until the second page of selling his snake oil that he even mentions “60 Minutes”. And when he does mention the show, he buries its relevance in a hog pile of pseudoscience and lies.
Stowe was clearly a bumbling buffoon when he was pinned down in front of the cameras. That’s what usually happens to snake oil salesman, and I suspect in front of a PZ Myers or Dr. Novella, bosom buddies Moritz and Maloney would suffer the same pathetic fate. But writing, especially on the Internet, is a different beast. Stowe doesn’t have to spend his time responding to every ounce of criticism flung his way; he knows he can’t. Just like the bosom buddies, he knows he’s utterly wrong in all the things he claims. Just as Moritz knows iridology offers no insight into other bodily ailments, and just as Maloney knows black elderberry absolutely does not “block” H1N1, Stowe knows he cannot cure ALS or any other disease. But unlike the bosom buddies, Stowe hasn’t deluded himself. He’s acutely aware that the falsity of his claims are not going to fool anyone. He knows he needs to dodge all criticism, not meet it head-on.
He’s a particularly dangerous snake oil salesman.
*I bring Stowe up again due to a sudden surge in hits. It appears “60 Minutes” updated their article on him (with what particular details, I’m not sure). It also appears that I’m number 2 in Google searches for his name. That would make me much happier if there were another 10,000 posts and articles about the scumbag immediately after FTSOS. (Or before. It isn’t about me; it’s about exposing quacks.)
**Another Google suggestion after searching for Moritz is “Wikipedia”. I took a look. Yes, Moritz has a Wikipedia page. And, gee, imagine that. Not a single disparaging word. Strange, huh? I wonder if that will change any time soon…
Filed under: Pure bullshit | Tagged: 60 Minutes, Andreas Moritz, Black elderberry, Christopher Maloney, H1N1, Iridology, Lawrence Stowe, Quack quack quack | 2 Comments »
Richard Dawkins reads some hate mail
Posted on September 4, 2010 by Michael
Quacking Christopher Maloney has tried to say my paper that was largely about him was hate mail, but I feel he does the term a disservice. I don’t have a personal grudge against the guy and since hate mail is all about the personal (not to mention the, uh, whole mail thing), it was not hate mail he received. As I’ve told him before: Chris, I don’t hate you. I hate woo.
I mention the infamous quack because, though tiresome as he is, he helps to illuminate a point I wish to make. Hate mail is something significant. In order to get it, someone has to really get under someone else’s skin. There has to be a true, seething, crashing vitriol behind it if we’re to honestly call it hate mail. Provided there isn’t a bag-o-crazy behind the veil, I’m forced to view hate mail as a badge of honor. Sadly, I’ve never received any. I’ve been left to wallow in the intellectually and morally and legally bankrupt threats of libel lawsuits (and a surprising number of times, really), occasionally peppered with whining from Andreas Moritz supporters/cancer promoters. Perhaps I need to come out in favor of seal clubbing; something drastic is needed. Until then, I watch with envy this clip of Dawkins:
Filed under: Humor | Tagged: Andreas Moritz, Christopher Maloney, Hate mail, Richard Dawkins | Leave a comment »
Andreas Moritz can’t fool them all
Posted on June 27, 2010 by Michael
Over at FTSOS’ sister blog Without Apology, Paula B. has posted an excellent response to Andreas Moritz’s bullshit and lies.
I was first intrigued by Moritz’s AMAZING LIVER CLEANSE book until I started looking at some of the incredibly broad claims he made, one of which really caught my attention. He claims that “Over 2/3 of the world’s population is vegan and has no access to animal protein. It [presumably this ‘vegan population’] shows no signs of such degenerative illnesses as heat disease, cancer, osteoporosis, arthritis, etc.” p77
It caught my attention because my well-meaning but occasionally gullible fiance decided that this book was law and that he meant to change his lifestyle accordingly, and become vegan, because he felt so great while on the “cleanse.” Well, I didn’t feel great, myself, because I was lethargic and was craving protein and fat and felt like sleeping for a week–so this broad claim that 2/3 of the world’s population (roughly 4.5 billion, based on the 6,827,100,000 estimate of total world population of the US Census, June 4, 2010) is vegan hit me like a ton of bricks–SURELY I would have heard that before, having so many vegan friends, if that were the case. Thinking about the world’s cuisine, most countries have meat recipes–how could this possibly be true? Well, researching online gave me the impression that the world population of vegetarians (not even vegan) was closer to 2.5-5%, NOT 67%, so I started questioning what other “facts” were in this book that just a month before, we were so in awe of, since it sounded so scientific (we’re both kind of gullible when it comes to pseudoscience). I found lots of other “liver flush” recipes, and people raving about them, but also found they were saying the stones “melted” and were “squishy” which seemed to contradict what Wikipedia said about gallstones, and might instead be saponified olive oil from the cleanse when exposed to the bile salts. So I got very suspicious, and was wary, because, as I said, I was doing this “cleanse” too, and suddenly it didn’t seem like such a great idea. But (maybe to say “I told you so! to my fiance) I did anyway, though I did NOT take the last dose of epsom salts, because I was tired of being hungry and going to the toilet every 5 minutes–enough is enough! I know that people claim to gain wonderful benefit from it, and supposedly Moritz himself does it twice a year even though no “stones” come out. Me and my fiance didnt’ notice a lot of “stones” (pseudoliths?), either, though, but that might have more to do with how our bodies deal with 120ml of olive oil. We’ve both decided, however, that we can do without it for the future, and I’m so looking forward to eating ice cream again, despite Mr. Moritz’s dietary guidelines.
Furthermore, I wanted to add that the danger of unsubstantiated disinformation–if such there is–is that people often read things without considering their source, then remember the (dis)information, not remembering where they heard/read about it, making it harder to trace where certain ideas came from, and therefore examine them. I guess this is a lot of what “conditioning” is about, come to think about it. But just reading that one sentence (sited in my previous post) caused me to doubt this whole book that I’d mostly read, and had already internalized, to some extent, which astonishes me–who would have thought that “open-minded” somehow became “gullible,” but I think the connection certainly exists. Therefore, a lot of disinformation can be spread to people without a “bullshit meter,” making us vulnerable unless we doubt everything. It broke my trust in the author, that’s for sure.
Crazy how all those facts get in the way of Moritz and his shenanigans.
Filed under: Pure bullshit | Tagged: AMAZING LIVER CLEANSE, Andreas Moritz, Lies, Liver Cleanse, Paul B., Quack quack quack | 3 Comments »
Moritz and Maloney conduct new research
Posted on June 19, 2010 by Michael
While it’s common to believe that quacks don’t actually do any original research, Andreas Moritz and Christopher Maloney are bucking that old stereotype. Here we see their latest scientific endeavor.
Filed under: Humor | Tagged: Andreas Moritz, Christopher Maloney, Close to Home, Quack quack quack | 2 Comments »
I just don’t get it
Posted on June 1, 2010 by Michael
I made issue of two errors in one of Christopher Maloney’s new, sort of weird blogs. First, he had a typo. I’m sure I have plenty of those; I really just wanted to see how quickly he would make a change to his site. My stats page has long made it obvious that he clicks and sends off each post I make about him, presumably because he doesn’t get that sitting down and doing nothing is still his best solution. As it turns out, it didn’t take him long to make the correction. Second, I also made issue of the title to a link where he said I could not “read science”.
Oh, and naturopaths apparently read science. Not scientific literature, raw data, or anything of that nature. They literally read science itself. It’s magical.
This prompted a change in that link title.
This is probably funnier than the way it was originally. The whole point of the first title was to say I cannot understand the Gish Gallop of citations Maloney provides when he’s trying to draw anti-science conclusions. He even goes so far as to claim I have an English degree (I don’t), specifically implying that my specialty lies outside the realm of science. But while he poorly worded everything the first time around, the point was understandable, if still false on a number of counts. Now he’s completely changed his point. It’s not that I don’t understand science, it’s that I’m illiterate. And to top it all off, he leaves the falsehood that I have an English degree.
But I don’t get this. I mean, I make one quick post to point out a number of flaws with Maloney’s work and the turn-around is impressive. Basically the next morning the guy has made a number of alterations, accepting my criticism as worthwhile. But then he still leaves several lies. He’s still saying I have an English degree. He still hasn’t changed his whine about his post being moderated, even though he knows it was caught by a spam filter:
Somehow I crossed an unseen boundary, and the following post was moderated out of existance. Myers later claimed on his blog that he has standard moderation and that he doesn’t check it. But I wrote to him personally the same day he moderated me out and received no reply. The only logical conclusion is that Myers found my posting too much of a threat to allow me to continue. I was crossing the boundary from quack to regular, and he couldn’t handle the transition.
While I’ve pointed out in the past that PZ has responded to a number of my emails, he certainly hasn’t responded to them all. I’ve managed to get his attention for a post mocking creationists, the Discovery Institute, and the validity of the term “new atheists” (a post which also showed up on RichardDawkins.net) as well as the whole Maloney-Moritz malarkey, but several of my emails have been ignored. And that’s understandable. Pharyngula gets millions of hits a year, PZ gets hundreds of emails a day. It is not a logical conclusion to say PZ did or thinks one thing or another just because he doesn’t give a personal response to every individual with an email account who wants to talk with him. Nobody moderated Maloney out of “existance” (how long until that one changes?), but basic truth isn’t his particular concern.
But what I really don’t get is that if a single, short post is enough for him to accept my criticism as valid, then why does it seem like my more lengthy posts refuting his entire profession go by the wayside? This really isn’t that hard: cite established facts with empirical evidence, use information that has the support of the medical community, and only offer patients and critics studies which involve more than 29 people. Hell, it would be nice if he just stopped citing studies which don’t even have the full backing of the original researchers, e.g., studies which say more research is needed before any firm conclusions are drawn.
But I’m asking for a lot from a naturopath.
Filed under: Pure bullshit | Tagged: Andreas Moritz, Christopher Maloney, Naturopathy, pz myers, Quack quack quack, Typos galore | 1 Comment »
For the Sake of Science 