Episode 109..um...really I don't know..WERE YOU THERE?! 'Cause I wasn't there this week

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00:00 Credits, Intro, How Was Your Week
09:42  Skeptical Birthday
13:51 Cannibal Colonists
24:18 TV Crime Drama Digression
27:49 Cleveland Kidnapping And Sylvia Browne
54:16 Eugenie Scott Retirement
55:50 Closing and Outtakes

Harpo wants to learn how to be a Blackjack dealer

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And here's a picture of a 58 Corvette. Because. So There.

On End of Life Options

We skipped this topic on the podcast last week for two reasons: 1) because the segments we had were already long, and 2) because it's kind of depressing. Not to say we can't talk about depressing things on the podcast, but we can blog about them as well.

In our live show a few weeks ago, we discussed the documentary made by the BBC and author Terry Pratchett concerning Pratchett's dealing with Alzheimer's and questions about euthanasia, assisted suicide, and the right to end one's life. Here is the documentary “Choosing to die” of which we spoke. It is also available on youtube with a bit of searching, if this link becomes broken. Also: be warned that they follow a Dignitas client through to the end: it's a powerful moment.

Terry Pratchett - Choosing to die from Lisette Leona on http://vimeo.com">Vimeo.

and Terry Pratchett's article:

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1203622/Ill-die-endgame-says-Terry-Pratchett-law-allow-assisted-suicides-UK.html

Dr. Steven Novella to be on the Dr. Oz Show Tuesday

On the show titled "Why Your Doctor is Afraid of Alternative Medicines"
What's great about the above clip is they then go into a segment where they ask "What's real and what's a lie?" as far as endorsements. What: they can't ask the same question in regards to "alternative medicine"? Ah: they assume that Oz has already done the required research he claims he has done.
Another fun quick- cut is Dr. Novella's eyes looking a bit shocked and angry, ostensibly at something Dr. Oz has said. So I bet it's going to be a fair treatment, don't you?

So it will be interesting to see how they are going to cut it: Oprah and her off-shoots have never been worried or honest in their cutting a show together to promote their woo-ish beliefs. Dr. Novella is going to have to be pithy in his replies so they cannot splice and quote-mine his side of the "conversation". I hope Dr. Novella can get a full copy of the pre-cut show, but I would imagine that is bad business practice for the O.W.N.

And hopefully, they'll put the thing online so those of us without a TV can watch it while sipping our Mountain Dews and gnawing on our Cheetos*.





* I believe these are required nutritional assistants when viewing LCD screens. They counter-act the radiation, or something.