Vaccine Ingredients: What You Should Know

Most vaccination conspiracy theorists have a habit of tossing out random statements to try and paint vaccines as harmful, even when it is blatantly obvious they have no idea what they are talking about and Lowell Hubbs is no exception.  They make statements about aluminum being in vaccines and how harmful it must be or they rail on against formaldehyde being found in vaccines (even in trace amounts).  In the past, they have gone out of their way to blame mercury for various neurological disorders up and and including autism although now that mercury has been pulled out of all childhood vaccines and even though the rates of autism have remained unchanged... they have suddenly swept that little gem under the rug as they shifted focus elsewhere.

Throughout all of these discussions, one point kept rising to the surface about all of the ingredients that anti-vaxxers complain about, and that is the fact that they don't appear to know what these ingredients actually do or why they are found in vaccines.  Instead, they simply read on one of their many anti-vaxxer websites that these ingredients are harmful, and the nonsense began to take hold.  They never actually bother to research the ingredients to determine why they are included or what function they hold.  They never even bother to determine at what quantities they can be found or how much of these ingredients are already found in the human body even before a single vaccine is administered.

Admittedly, telling someone you are going to inject them with aluminum or formaldehyde seems like a bad idea at face value, but once you know the facts about these ingredients it is an entirely different story.  In fact, most people may not even understand that the human body already contains chemicals such as formaldehyde even if that person has never had a vaccination in their life.  Also, vaccine conspiracy theorists try to suggest aluminum may be responsible for all types of neurological disorders or other medical issues, yet they have zero evidence to support that viewpoint.  I chalk these views up to simple ignorance about what aluminum really is and how the body reacts to it, but in the mind of a vaccine conspiracy theorist any form of metal has no reason to exist in the human body apparently.

I can only assume that vaccine conspiracy theorists conveniently ignore that the human body includes trace amounts of various metals and in fact relies upon these elements for proper function.  Take zinc for example.  Zinc is used for protein synthesis, it contributes to would healing, it contributes to a strong immune system, it has been found to help with memory, and even contributes to skeletal growth.  Then you have iron which is required for the production of hemoglobin and myoglobin. 

Next you have copper.  Copper is required to help regulate blood pressure and helps with nerve function.  Chromium enhances the action of insulin as well as assists with carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism.  Magnesium helps maintain a strong immune system, helps maintain muscle and nerve function, and contributes to energy metabolism and protein synthesis.

As you can clearly see, the human body contains a various amount of metals and numerous other trace minerals.  In fact, the human body already contains trace amounts of aluminum, mercury, and even lead.  They key point here is that it is important to know and understand what levels are acceptable, and what levels could result in toxicity.  Any mineral including those mentioned here can be harmful to the human body if they are found in excessive quantities.  Obviously we all know iron is essential for many bodily functions, but if someone has excessive amounts of iron in their blood it can result in numerous side effects including weight loss, shortness of breath, nausea, and fatigue. 

The phrase "all good things in moderation" comes to mind here.  Given in proper amounts, most minerals will not be harmful to humans, but obviously if excessive amounts are ingested there can and will be side effects.

Because of the common misunderstanding of what various vaccine ingredients are capable of, it seems some education is in order - and the following PDF file from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Vaccine Education Center does a fabulous job of explaining some of the basics in layman's terms that even the most prolific anti-vaxxer should be able to understand.

Of course the PDF also includes references for those who are interested in learning even more about the science behind vaccines and although most anti-vaxxers tend to ignore anything which requires independent research, some others might find those articles interesting as well.  It is a good read, and something everyone who has any interest in vaccine ingredients should take the time to review.

Vaccine Ingredients: What you should know

A Typical Day in the Life of a Vaccine Conspiracy Theorist

Mr. Hubbs apparently loves this blog.  In fact he not only loves it, but he finds it so incredibly fascinating that he just can't seem to get enough of it and he stands by patiently awaiting yet another new blog post.  How do I know this you might ask?  Well... it might have something to do with how much time he spends here on a daily basis.

Take September 27th for example.  Here is a breakdown of the comments he left here on that one day alone:

12:11AM - Mr. Hubbs makes some statements about sugar consumption in North Carolina causing Polio.  Color me surprised he can't support his claims with legitimate science.  He also tosses in a few colorful insults and profanity for good measure and then wonders why I don't publish his comments.  Amazing.

12:39AM - Mr. Hubbs performs a link dump which as far as I can tell has nothing to do with the blog post he attempted to comment on.  Again he wonders why I don't publish his 1000 word comments when 998 words of them are copied and pasted from his website and contain no less than a dozen links to various quack websites which don't relate to the actual discussion.

1:31PM - After a brief absence, Mr. Hubbs posts some nonsense about HPV DNA in a vaccine.  Information which was thoroughly debunked.  This obviously pissed Mr. Hubbs off.

2:49PM - Hubbs misunderstands the concept of burden of proof, and because he now is starting to understand he cannot possibly prove his points with science, he has instead decided that I should disprove everything he has ever said.

Does anyone wonder why nobody gives vaccine conspiracy theorists and credibility when they can't even engage in a simple debate without resorting to the old "I'm right until you prove me wrong" garbage?  Yea... me neither.

3:30PM - Hubbs decides since he can't prove anything, a better tactic is to ask me a list of 15 or 20 questions which once again is an attempt to control the discussion and hide the fact he can't support his viewpoints with science.  Once again he has failed, and I'm not about to humor him because there is no use debating a conspiracy theorist.

3:50PM - Hubbs goes on the offensive yet again.  This time he devotes a 500 word comment to Dr. Gorski and then starts asking me about my background and education.  Classic deflection and attempt to dominate the conversation.

4:22PM - Hubbs is now asking me to provide studies that prove there isn't a link between Gardasil and (insert whatever medical condition you can think of here).  Based upon Mr. Hubbs continual misunderstanding of how this whole "burden of proof" concept works, I'll just tell him that I have a trillion dollars worth of Oreos in my basement and it is his duty to prove me wrong.  Hilarity forthcoming.

5:01PM - Hubbs starts off complaining about drug companies and patents and then starts drifting all over.  The comment was long enough I had to scroll my screen just to see it all so I'll admit even I don't have the patience to get through all of his incoherent nonsense.  Nothing of value was in the first 250 words... I doubt anything of value was in the next 500 either.

5:02PM - Hubbs copies and pastes the same exact comment as above (or at least it appears to be the same based upon the first few sentences).  I guess he feels that the more words he spams me with, the more likely it is that I will publish some of them.  He is wrong... again.

5:04PM - Hubbs claims because I am not debating him that I lose.  So nice of him to attempt to keep score. I guess because he says it... it must be true right?  Oh wait - that isn't how it works.  Granted if Mr. Hubbs really did feel he was "winning" he wouldn't feel the need to spend hours on this blog, but lets not let pesky facts get in the way of anything.

7:59PM - Hubbs claims he has submitted the "studies I requested" but I have yet to see a single peer-reviewed study that has ever supported his primary claims that A) Vaccines cause autism, B) Vaccinated children are less healthy than non-vaccinated children, C) The Gardasil vaccine is responsible for harming or even killing women or D) that reducing sugar consumption can help prevent polio.

He then starts rambling on about my identity and how there was a $5000 price paid to "mess him up" and get him to shut down his site (apparently he is blaming me for this).  Aside from the fact that Mr. Hubbs isn't worth $5 much less $5000, and aside from the fact this is yet another example of Mr. Hubbs' magical persecution complex and paranoia, the reality is he has made these claims dozens of times yet never seems to be able to provide any evidence.  Big shocker there.

Oh yea... and Mr. Hubbs so eloquently says F___ You (you can fill in the blanks), and then adds a few links to YouTube (although I never visit any of the links he sends, I'm assuming it makes him feel better).

8:49PM - Hubbs accuses me of needing psychological treatment.  Keep in mind this is the guy who so far in this one day has submitted a dozen comments over a period of 20 hours!  Wow... obsessed much?

10:09PM - Hubbs once again directs his attention towards Dr. Gorski even going so far as to claim he sold his soul to the devil (something he has accused me of numerous times as well).  He also claims the "pharma industry" pays Dr. Gorski to be dishonest.  So do you think Mr. Hubbs can provide any evidence to support that little gem?  Of course not.

10:49PM - Hubbs once again is complaining that I haven't provided evidence to disprove his theories (yawn) and then he adds something about the differences between Becamp and Pasteur.... which pretty much tells me he read an article somewhere on one of his alternative medicine themed websites and is now convinced he knows some deep dark mystical secret that hundreds of thousands of doctors, scientist, and researchers have all overlooked.  Yep - that sounds about right.

11:56PM - Almost a full 24 hours after submitting his first comment of the day, Mr. Hubbs sends in the final comment of the day.  Much like the previous 14 comments he has left, this one isn't a whole lot different.  This time Mr. Hubbs decides to provide me with some links to his personal blogs and websites.  I've explained that I never visit his website or blogs, but that doesn't stop him from sending me links several times a week.  I guess he is a slow learner.

The content of Mr. Hubbs' messages really isn't all that important of course (it never is), but the fact that he literally spends hours visiting this site and replying to the blog posts here is somewhat disturbing.  The fact that the guy has a day off of work and decides to spend his time visiting this blog over and over and over at all times of day and night is just sad and pathetic.  The reality is, Mr. Hubbs spends more time on this blog than I spend writing these occasional blog posts - which begs the question why he feels the need to focus so much energy one one blog?

Have I hurt Mr. Hubbs' feelings to the level he feels he needs to spend every waking moment here to defend himself and his bruised ego?  Is he really so upset that I have made him play the part of an ignorant fool month after month?  Is he upset that I have shown the world who he really is via his own words and actions?

I guess I really don't know what goes on in the mind of Mr. Hubbs, but what I do know is he has proven time and time again that not only is he scientifically illiterate, but he is obviously suffering some significant mental issues as well, because no normal person would put quite so much energy into making themselves look like an idiot hour after hour, day after day.

The good news is that at least his new hobby keeps him out of the bars and away from a motor vehicle.  Because we all know how that has ended in the past.  Unfortunately, I really don't have the patience to read all of his comments on a daily basis which is why the vast majority end up in the spam folder.  I just read through most of them today to make a point... but I'm not about to do that every day because 90% of Mr. Hubbs' comments are just the same old regurgitated nonsense time and time again.  If I filter out the profanity, the links to his personal websites, the links to his fellow anti-vaxxer websites, the comments have that no relation to the actual blog post, the comments which ask me to "disprove" him, the comments he attempts to post under different usernames, or the comments where he claims to be winning the "debate" about vaccines... well there really isn't anything left to publish.

Is there really any wonder why I have once again banned him from commenting?

HPV DNA in Gardasil: The Wild and Unsubstantiated Claims of the Intellectually Challenged

Quoth the anti-vaccine group SANE Vax: Beware HPV DNA in Gardasil!

Recently Mr. Hubbs has felt the need to jump on yet another anti-vaccine bandwagon after reading some random article on one of his many favorite anti-vaccination websites. Unfortunately for Mr. Hubbs, he has fallen into the same old trap of not actually understanding what he is reading before jumping to conclusions (or rather before allowing the authors of the articles he is reading to jump to conclusions at which point he merely accepts what they have written at face value because he lacks the scientific understanding to question them).

So it was no surprise that Mr. Hubbs would start adding comments to this blog about how some random antivaxxer website commissioned some research and found HPV DNA in the Gardasil vaccine. In fact, when I read about this "story" several weeks ago, I predicted that Mr. Hubbs would be jumping on this bandwagon... and he has failed to disappoint.

Now I could go into great detail to explain how these claims are unsupported or how the science hasn't even been validated. I could also go into detail about how the methodology used to "find" this DNA hasn't even been made public or how the results have not been replicated by any other reputable (or even non-reputable) agency. I could even go into great detail explaining how Sane Vax relied upon polymerase chain reaction to produce their results which effectively amplifies a single piece of DNA to levels it could actually be measurable... in fact it can be used to manipulate results if a scientist so desires at which points the results themselves are at best suspect, and at worse nothing short of fraudulent.

The thing is, I really don't need to go into great detail about any of these things, because Dr. David Gorski over at Science-Based Medicine already has.  I should warn Mr. Hubbs however that Dr. Gorski goes into great detail to explain the flaws in Sane Vax's methodology and he incorporates detailed explanations using technical terms and references to scientific processes... so it is clear Mr. Hubbs won't understand at least 80% of what he reads.

In any case there are a few key points to take from this.  As the SBM post states:

"First of all, one notes that there is not a single scientific paper–or even scientific report–describing the methodology used and the specific tests used."

If a researcher isn't willing to disclose even the most basic information which would allow others to replicate his or her results they are either trying to hide something (fraud) or they know there are gaping holes in said methodology (still fraud).

Sane Vax tries to blame this on "proprietary" processes, but you don't need proprietary processes to detect DNA contamination!  In fact, using anything other than industry approved methods calls the results into question, which is most likely why Sane Vax doesn't want to reveal their methodology.

SMB Continues:

"Worse, in the SANE Vax letter to the FDA, SANE Vax demands assurances that the FDA will protect Dr. Lee’s proprietary methodology before it will provide the FDA with its results. The hypocrisy and intellectual dishonesty are staggering. More importantly, without SANE Vax’s alleged results being available to the FDA and independent scientists to examine, all we have to support the claim that there is recombinant DNA in the HPV vaccine is the word of an anti-vaccine group."

That paragraph pretty much sums up the game that Sane Vax is trying to play here.  They can put out a fancy press release and they can filter their idiocy across the land of anti-vaxxer websites, but in the end none of the results have been replicated or validated.  In fact, Sane Vax won't even provide the results to the FDA... which once again proves they have something to hide.  If they honestly felt there was something within the Gardasil vaccine that was harmful, don't you think they would be willing to provide their data to the FDA immediately?

I haven't smelled anything this fishy since I was in the Fulton Fish Market.  Unfortunately, we already know that these gaping holes are simply ignored by antivaxxers like Mr. Hubbs because once again they turn a blind eye to science when they feel it benefits their case.  Yet again antivaxxers push forth statements without complete understanding of what they mean, and once again they invent more and more excuses on why this data is valid even before a single result has been verified.

The ignorance of the antivaxxer community is astounding, but the intellectual dishonesty is downright disgusting.  That is never more evident than it is when Lowell Hubbs decides to comment on a "new development" as we have here.  To think this man feels he is some type of an expert when he doesn't even understand the most basic scientific processes is downright comical. 

Unfortunately, his ignorance and ineptitude are anything but a laughing matter, because unsubstantiated statements such as those Mr. Hubbs has made recently can be downright dangerous.

Lowell Hubbs: Quote of the Day

There are some days that Lowell Hubbs seems to be operating at almost a normal level of intelligence, and then there are other days when he says something and totally redeems himself as the most ignorant man in his zip code.  Based upon the following quote, I'd say we are looking at the latter rather than the former:

"In fact if you eliminate sugar and supplement adequate levels of vitamin D, there is no virus you can not beat”  ~Lowell Hubbs

This is a prime example of the level of ignorance displayed by Mr. Hubbs during most of his waking hours. He claims simply by cutting sugar and taking sufficient levels of Vitamin D, you can "beat" any known virus. Notice he didn't even bother to say almost no virus, but rather he emphatically says "there is no virus you can not beat"

That is interesting of course, but lets look at a few nasty viruses and see if this magical cure holds water.

What about Yellow Fever?  It is a virus still found in parts of Africa, and it kills approximately 30,000 people a year.  This is no known cure, although a vaccination is available and has saved countless lives.  Since Mr. Hubbs is obviously against any and all vaccinations, apparently he feels those silly Africans are just dying by the tens of thousands due to a lack of vitamin D.

So how about Rabies?  It too is a virus, and it kills over 50,000 people each year.  It can lead to a variety of symptoms up to an including death.  There is a vaccine available, and if someone is treated within a few days of contracting the virus, they are generally able to make a full recovery.  Obviously if you follow the medical advice of Mr. Hubbs, you should be able to slash sugar intake and take vitamin D supplements so the next time a rabid skunk bites you on the hand... you don't even have to worry because you're protected.  Or something.

So what about Measles?  Again it is a virus, and it kills almost 200,000 worldwide each year mostly in areas that lack vaccination programs.  Even though it is generally not fatal, the sheer number of people who are infected each year is staggering, and since many of these people will suffer from other medical conditions such as pneumonia or myocarditis (inflammation of heart muscle), it can result in the virus being fatal.  No need to vaccinate the populace against it however, because according to Mr. Hubbs all you need is a bit of Vitamin D.

Odd that vitamin D production can be triggered by the sun, and yet those people who are most often exposed to sunlight (those in desert climates in West Africa etc) are those who are also at the highest risk for contracting many of these viruses.  Could it have something to do with lack of vaccination programs?  Nah... it must be too much sugar in their diets.  I guess a steady diet of rice, wheat, and corn is just packed with sugar... instead of dropping bags of rice into areas suffering from famine, we must be dropping bags of Rice Krispies.  Sure thing.

There are many other viruses of course.  Everything from Hepatitis to the common cold.  There are various strains of Influenza, Rotavirus, and probably the one virus guilty of causing more death than any others... the HIV virus.

Just think if all of the people who have contracted these viruses would just take some vitamin D supplements they would be fine.  Those pesky scientists who are working to develop new vaccines and treatments are just wasting their time.  The doctors who prescribe treatments are just being foolish.  The governments who do everything in their power to prevent pandemics as they push vaccination programs are just clueless.

Yes... according to the genius medical mind of Lowell Hubbs, all you need to do is cut sugar, and add vitamin D.  Once again Mr. Hubbs has shown us he is worthy of a Nobel Prize, but because his ideas would destroy the profits of the healthcare industry, his brilliance will once again be overlooked.

It goes without saying that I'm laying the sarcasm on a bit thick here, but this is yet another example of how Mr. Hubbs says things without bothering to even think about them.  I have no doubt he read somewhere that vitamin D can help fight off viruses, but it as probably something to the effect of it helping to reduce the chances of contracting a cold and/or shortening the time a person will suffer from a cold.  Rather than reading and fully comprehending whatever it was that he read, Mr. Hubbs just made up his own version of the story and it leads him to make these ridiculous statements time and time again.

Now I would ask Mr. Hubbs to provide some type of peer-reviewed scientific study about his vitamin D theory, but we all know how well such a request has worked in the past, so I'm not going to bother.  Aside from the fact that I know he would dodge the issue and never actually provide such a study, I really don't feel the need to be bombarded with another dozen or two comments full of random nonsensical messages, profanity, and a laundry list of links to various alternative medicine websites, blogs, forums, or conspiracy theory strongholds.

A Public Service: The Real Lowell Hubbs

Lowell Hubbs often wonders why I have created this blog and he has suggested I am somehow compensated for running it.  On more than a few occasions he has accused me of being associated with various medical groups and claimed the only reason I publish what I do is because I have "too much to lose".

Unfortunately for Mr. Hubbs, he has no idea what he is talking about.  Nobody has ever offered me so much as one cent of compensation for this blog, and my salary is not provided by any of the groups or companies he has referenced.  Frankly I don't even know most of the names he has mentioned, and the few that are recognizable to me is only due to their names being in the paper or on television from time to time. 

The reality is, this blog is nothing more than a public service.  The information contained here allows any prospective employers to know what they are getting before they make a mistake, and it allows anyone else who comes into contact with Mr. Hubbs (co-workers, friends, or potential romantic targets) to see him for who he really is before it is too late.

Who Mr. Hubbs really is tends to be the problem, because if he actually shows people who he really is, most people would distance themselves pretty quickly.  That may explain why Mr. Hubbs has found it difficult to find a career where he can really prosper in and why he has (last I heard) been forced to work in a meat processing facility in another state where has has to be bussed back and forth over 60 miles each way.  This may also explain why Mr. Hubbs is in his mid-50s yet has never been married nor has he ever had children, and it may explain why he is so desperate to fill the void in his personal life.

Don't take my word for it though... just look at his personal MySpace pages.  One one page he lists the following:

Who I'd like to meet:  "A woman. Any woman that looks good." 

And on another one of his pages he lists this:

Who I'd like to meet: "A good woman. Needs not have anything materially."

So there you have it... Mr. Hubbs is trolling for a good looking woman who doesn't really need to have anything else.  I guess his meat cutting wages are more than enough to provide for a good woman... and she can ride on the handlebars of his bike when they go grocery shopping.  Sounds fun.

Of course what would a self-proclaimed "Internet researcher" be without an online dating profile?  Mr. Hubbs doesn't disappoint here either and has posted a profile to the Activist Passions website.

http://www.activistpassions.com/seeme/wildman440.html

Now I should state that Mr. Hubbs has claimed this is not him and that it was a "spoof", but it appears that profile has been online for a few years so unless someone has a time machine it seems unlikely that someone else posted it to mock him but then failed to tell him about it.  Oh and before you ask... no I had nothing to do with it.  I might take some personal satisfaction from mocking Mr. Hubbs, but it wouldn't be nearly as much fun if it wasn't all true, so I just stick to the facts.

I suppose he could claim it wasn't him in the profile, but I would find it rather odd to see someone else using the username "Wildman440" who also just so happens to live in Sioux Falls, considers himself an activist, is high school educated, and shares the same general physical characteristics.

Yea... sure thing.

The entire point here is that Mr. Hubbs can remain upset that this blog exists, but the simple truth is he has nobody to blame other than himself.  It isn't like I have quoted him unfairly or that I have simply made up information about him.  The fact is, when I quote Mr. Hubbs they are his own words. When I call him on his nonsense it is based upon his own writings, and when I discuss his past it is based upon legitimate evidence such as his criminal record or published legal documents bearing his name.  None of this is fabricated simply for personal enjoyment... rather it is shared specifically because those who come in contact with Mr. Hubbs deserve to know what they are getting themselves into.

Now it goes without saying that I'm not going to manage this blog forever.  Yes it has moments where it is entertaining, and based upon many of the comments I have received it seems well received, however this isn't something I intend to do the rest of my life.  There have been several others who have contributed information with me in the past so perhaps in time someone else will administer this blog, but if not I could see this blog going idle in the future.  The best part is that even if I never post to this blog again... it will be on the Internet for years, and therefore it will have served its purpose long after I have moved on to something else.

Don't you just love technology?

A Simple Request For Lowell Hubbs

If there is one thing I have learned since starting this blog, it is that vaccine conspiracy theorists don't like it much when you question their views.  They like it even less when you use legitimate science and peer-reviewed research to invalidate their opinions, and they absolutely hate it when you use their own words to show how ignorant they are about matters of science or the world around them.

This is probably why, even months after being banned from commenting on this blog, Lowell Hubbs continues to try to add various comments to this blog on a regular basis - sometimes as many as ten comments in a single day.  Once I informed Mr. Hubbs I would no longer post his nonsense he became rather agitated and actually increased his daily visits to this blog.  Perhaps even more disturbing is how he visits the blog numerous times each day often hours apart as if responding to the posts here has become his sole purpose in life.  I guess that isn't necessarily a bad thing if it keeps him off the streets and occupies enough of his time that he can't pollute legitimate scientific discussion elsewhere, but one has to admit it borders on obsessive.

In truth I had hoped to start allowing Mr. Hubbs to comment again because frankly much of my best information comes from his own words, and the posts that have received the most traffic on this blog are those that stem from statements has has made here or elsewhere.  However, Mr. Hubbs has had to resort to dishonesty and deceit as he has continually attempted to post comments under other names in the hopes I might actually publish a few of them.  Of course Mr. Hubbs is quick to deny this fact, but it seems odd that he complains about me not publishing comments which he wouldn't even know exist had he not been the one to submit them in the first place.

Then again, it seems odd that half a dozen different usernames all originate from the same source too.  It is also odd that different usernames all seem to refer me to the same anti-vaxxer websites, rely upon the same grammatical and spelling errors, contain the same improper use of participles, run-on sentences, and the overabundance of common splices.  It is odd that all of these different usernames use the same version of Internet Explorer, log on during the same time of day, and of course exhibit the same psychotic behavior by posting angry, profanity laced messages mixed in with a dose or two of random conspiracy.

But I'm sure those are all just coincidences, because of course Mr. Hubbs denies that he has ever posted as anyone else.  Granted he has actually been caught doing this on several occasions elsewhere as well, and although he initially tries to deny he is doing so, eventually he falls into the same pattern of lying in order to cover up previous lies, and eventually he gives up and just admits it is him as if everyone should just forget the fact he was lying about it in the past.

This is probably why nobody takes these vaccine conspiracy theorists seriously.  I mean honestly, why would someone take the word of a man who changes identities every time his views are questioned?  Why would anyone trust a man who has to post under dozens of different usernames just to defend statements he made under a different name?  Why would someone trust a man who refers to himself in the third person in order to act as if he is a separate person?  Why would anyone trust a man who has been caught lying about who he is time and time again?

The answer seems clear... nobody would.  This explains why nobody ever comes to the defense of Lowell Hubbs other than Lowell Hubbs.  I'm not talking about this blog by any means (although nobody defends him here either), but I'm talking about all of the other blogs and forums and websites that Mr. Hubbs posts on.  Everywhere he goes, he finds himself alone.  He isn't even able to make friends on well known anti-vaccination strongholds, and he is routinely mocked at any website that deals in matters of science.  In truth, the only place Mr. Hubbs goes unchallenged is on his own websites and blogs that are under his sole control and where he can refuse to allow anyone else to comment. 

This is why it bothers Mr. Hubbs that I haven't allowed him to have free reign on this blog.  It is why he spends hours upon hours drafting comments to add to this blog and why he has submitted hundreds of comments to the various postings here.  Literally hundreds of comments to this one blog alone some of which are 250 word single paragraph missives full of absolute rambling nonsense.  It is also why he grows more angry and bitter as time goes on, even going so far as to project his disturbing views on to others as he fabricates stories of him being stalked and hacked or that people are offering as much as $15,000 as a reward to "take him out", or that people have offered as much as $50,000 or $75,000 to harass and stalk him.

My only question is - where can I get in on a little of this cash? 

(Lighten up Mr. Hubbs... it is a joke)

The entire point is, if Mr. Hubbs honestly wishes to engage in any level of legitimate debate (which I fully understand is a gigantic stretch), the first thing he needs to do is start attempting to publish comments using his blogger ID.  That way everyone can be assured it is the real Lowell Hubbs posting as Lowell Hubbs since it would require his blogger login to post.  If he chooses to NOT use his blogger username, I'm afraid his comments will once again be diverted to the Spam folder... which actually isn't an issue for the 70 - 80% of his comments that are sent there automatically by Google.

That said, if I do allow Mr. Hubbs' comments to be posted - and obviously I'm not making any promises since he most likely will continue to attempt to post under whatever name he can think of that day - there is going to need to be a basic framework and a basic starting point to prevent Mr. Hubbs from moving the goalposts or switching to a new subject anytime he feels like it.

Thus, for starters, lets ignore the previous posts and focus on one issue and one issue alone.  For the sake of discussion, let's focus on the subject of vaccinations since that seems to be at the heart of most of Mr. Hubbs' random conspiracy theories.

If  Mr. Hubbs wishes to continue to comment here, he needs to show us his evidence that children who have not been vaccinated are healthier, or that children can be reliably protected from vaccine-preventable diseases without vaccination.

This is not a request to be bombarded with anti-vaccination websites nor is it a request to be sent YouTube videos, links to his personal writings, links to some self-proclaimed expert who once wrote a book on the subject, or some random Internet expert who has a website devoted to the subject.  This is a request for real, legitimate science.

I'm not asking for this science to be from a US government agency nor am I asking for it to be published by the CDC or FDA or WHO or anything of the like.  What I am asking for is legitimate peer-reviewed science published in a legitimate medical, scientific, or scholarly journal and that has been acknowledged as adding to the scientific field of knowledge on this subject.

It isn't really a difficult request.  If Mr. Hubbs believes that non-vaccinated children are healthier, it would seem sufficient to post a reference to one single legitimate study that shows this to be the case.  There is no need to muddy the waters with dozens upon dozens of links nor is there any reason to post a 1,200 word response full of opinion and conjecture.

One single study, one single link... one single response, posted by a legitimate blogger username.  It really should be that easy.  However, as we have all discovered time and time again, Mr. Hubbs is the type of guy who read some words and now thinks he knows something.  He is the type of man who honestly tends to believe that quantity takes precedence over quality.  This suggests he can't be bothered to provide legitimate science or a peer-reviewed study, because he just knows the truth and therefore shouldn't be required to prove it to anyone else.  If he actually does bother to comment on a subject, it typically comes in the form of a train wreck of a message that will contain 40 or 50 URLs the vast majority of which won't even relate to the original subject and the bulk of which are merely pasted from one of his many websites.

I hate to sound pessimistic, but I pretty much know how this will play out.  Either Mr. Hubbs will spam the comments section with dozens upon dozens of anti-vaccination sources mixed with some overtly biased 'expert' opinion, or he will claim that the truth cannot possibly be published in a legitimate journal due to the massive conspiracy which somehow controls the flow of all scientific information on the face on the planet.  Mix in a reference or two to the term "sheeple" along with a few links to his own personal website (which is in effect nothing other than a repository for other biased links and scientifically unsupported viewpoints) and you have the makings of a typical Lowell Hubbs response.

I'd like to be wrong... so let's see how it goes.

The Difference Between a Scientific Study and a Survey

Recently, I posted some information surrounding some recent studies which have once again shown a strong genetic component to autism.  This included three peer-reviewed scientific studies which have been published in reputable medical journals, and conclusions were drawn from the studies that were in line with what many previous studies have found... that autism is primarily genetic, and that there can be some environmental factors that contribute to a lesser degree.

When I wrote that post, I fully expected that Lowell Hubbs would appear out of the woodwork and attempt to discredit the studies by claiming they were biased or that they were secretly funded by some arm of "big pharma", but what I did not expect was the nonsense that he posted as a comment (shown here):

"You can not possibly be that dumb as to suggest autism is genetic? That is over the top for even the level of stupidity you have already put forth. How, in one generation did the genetic gene pool change from 1 in 10,000 autistic children to now 1 in 100 or at times even less than 100? The vaccines were steadily increased after 1988 and after the vaccine manufacturers were given complete legal immunity. They are now 49 shots of 14 vaccines before the age of 6. And you think there is no grey area, no questionable area anywhere? Who the hell pays you for this shit? Vax UnVax Study Results http://www.ageofautism.com/2011/08/vax-unvax-study-results.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ageofautism+%28AGE+OF+AUTISM%29 Managing Editor's Note: From the Child Health Safety site: A new survey of 7724 participants shows unvaccinated children are healthier and have vastly fewer chronic conditions than the vaccinated. The survey is published here The Health of Unvaccinated Children, Survey Results."  ~Lowell Hubbs

Ok a few things need to be pointed out here.  First of all this comment was added soon after the original post was added to this site, meaning it is doubtful Mr. Hubbs even bothered to review the original studies as he would not have had time to analyze them or find any deficiencies in their methodology.  It isn't really a new phenomenon to have a vaccine conspiracy theorist simply ignore reputable science, but it does just show yet again how Mr. Hubbs is unable to even comprehend or fully understand the science he attempts to ignore. 

Had Mr. Hubbs responded with direct criticism of the studies or questions about the results it would be one thing, but it is obvious that rather than be bothered to actually review the source data, Mr. Hubbs instead just scans the titles and makes up his mind.  In fact, Mr. Hubbs has already made up his mind in regards to vaccinations and autism, so no amount of new data or scientific study can change it.  This is the basic premise of a vaccine conspiracy theorist like Mr. Hubbs... they don't allow the data to lead them to conclusions, but rather they form a conclusion and then spend all of their time finding data which supports it while ignoring data that challenges it.  This is not how science works - which is why Lowell Hubbs and his ilk will always remain nothing more than a distraction to the real science being performed each and every day.

So what else can we learn from Mr. Hubbs' comments?  Well... as sad as it is, Mr. Hubbs has displayed an ignorance to basic scientific concepts which honestly calls into question whether he is even fit to comment on these issues when it is so clear he has no clue what he is talking about.  I'm referring to the fact that Mr. Hubbs provides a link to a survey, and yet he confuses this with a study.  Mr. Hubbs believes the nonsense he has linked to somehow proves the unvaccinated children are healthier, and he honestly believes this is a smoking gun.

Let me explain the major flaws in Mr. Hubbs thinking.  First of all, the survey he linked to is just that... a survey.  This means it is nothing more than anecdotal evidence and is in no way considered scientific.  No research was performed to identify the people who responded to the survey, there is no indication that bias was addressed, and no mandate for those responding to the survey to even bother to answer honestly.  There was no direct contact between any doctor, scientist, or researcher and the survey respondents, and there was no analysis performed on medical records or test results.  The fact that Mr. Hubbs feels a survey is worthy of being considered a "study" only shows how poorly he understands the scientific process.

So for the sake of discussion, lets go ahead and examine this little survey to see what we find.  Let's look at the science behind how they gathered their data, and let's examine the methodology behind the survey itself.  The first glaring red flag here is who actually designed the survey.  It was distributed by the website www.vaccineinjury.info which is nothing more than an anti-vaccination website which seeks to label all vaccines as harmful as they try to sell various antivaxxer books (as any good antivaxxer will tell you, fear is very profitable).

Second, and perhaps more important that who distributed the survey, is HOW they distributed the survey.  According to their website, the responses they received were "[d]ue to social network pages and the help of many people who supported the survey".  So essentially they relied upon social media like facebook pages to distribute the survey, and then they even openly admit it was distributed by people who supported the survey!  Do these people even understand the concept of bias?  This is like asking a five year old to distribute a survey to other five year olds and then reporting that the survey says peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are the most healthy meal on the planet while playing kickball is the world's most popular sport.

These people just don't get it... and I doubt they ever will.

It gets better though.  Out of the 7,799 responses to the survey (none of which were validated in any way which means a single person could respond to the survey 300 times if they wished), only 582 of the survey respondents indicated that conventional medicine is their preferred medical treatment.  Considering that conventional medicine is actually the preferred treatment of well over 95% of the public, this figure shows how skewed this survey is, but there is no mention of this discrepancy by the authors.  Apparently they are more concerned with distributing their bias and they have no interest in pointing out the fact that there are numerous glaring flaws in their methodology. 

So what was the preferred medical treatment?  Well not surprising, 2,826 of the respondents relied upon homeopathy, 2,370 relied upon naturopathic medicine and 1,729 relied upon other medicine which according to the survey's authors is mainly chiropractic and supplemental.  This basically tells us of the 7,799 people who took this silly survey on their facebook pages or from anti-vaxxer websites that 6,925 of them (or 89%) rely upon unproven forms of 'alternative' medicine while only 7% use conventional medicine.  Don't ask me what happened to the other 292 survey respondents (4%) which apparently were not counted... I guess statistical accuracy or explaining major discrepancies in the data just isn't important to antivaxxers.

It is painfully obvious this survey is a joke, and not even a good one at that.  Even the most ardent anti-vaccination quackjob on the planet understands that most people use conventional medicine as their primary source of treatment, thus if you have a survey with drastically different results it doesn't take a brain surgeon (or even a research scientist or statistical analyst) to figure out the survey is heavily, heavily skewed and full of bias.

As entertaining as this is - it actually gets better!  The next piece of data we are shown indicates that over 99% of the survey respondents were happy that they didn't vaccinate their children.  It was actually 99.69% which is a statistical super-mega-amazing-majority! 

But wait... I thought this survey was supposed to show how much healthier unvaccinated kids were when compared to vaccinated kids.  If 99.69% of the kids in the survey are unvaccinated, that would equate to 7,775 of the 7,799 children which would only leave a maximum of 24 kids who are potentially vaccinated.  How do they expect to perform a valid comparison between group A of 7,775 people (99.69%) and group B of 24 people (0.31%)?  The fact that I even have to point this out to someone like Mr. Hubbs who has taken the survey at face value only serves as more evidence on how disconnected the antivaxxers are from reality.  Critical thinking skills, common sense, and any level of scientific understanding apparently don't exist within the antivaxxer community - and this little survey acts as a prime exhibit of those facts.

In fact, if you actually read on into the survey results, you will soon discover that they did no such comparison between vaccinated and unvaccinated children who were counted in the survey.  None whatsoever.  Instead, they are comparing their survey of unvaccinated children to other scientific studies which determine the rate of various medical conditions such as allergies or asthma.  Once again there is a severe failure to understand the scientific process and the fact that the distributors of this survey fail to understand the glaring flaws in their methodology is comical at best.

Where things really get interesting is when you drill down into the survey results a bit further and you come across their graphic which shows their survey results displaying autism cases in unvaccinated children.  The graphic they use is shown below:

Click to View in Full Size

Unfortunately there is a lot left up to the imagination surrounding this image, and no explanation is given for the numbers shown.  It is understandable that there would be very few if any cases of autism reported in children under the age of three since autism is often undiagnosed until the child is a toddler, but beyond that the numbers shown in this table seem rather high.

We are continually told that the rates of autism are roughly 1 in 110 American children and that this number has bloomed in the past decade, yet this graphic (if you average all children from 0-12 years of age) shows the rate to be 1.46%.  If you factor in all children through age 18 the rate averages to 1.25%.  So if the rate of autism in the general population is 1 in 110, that equates to 0.9%.  However this survey is suggesting that the rate of autism in unvaccinated children is anywhere from 1.25% to 1.46%... which is an increase over the general population of 38% to 62%!

Now let me be clear that I give no credibility to this survey nor do I feel it is in any way scientific.  However if the antivaxxers wish to consider this a valid survey, then by all means they need to be willing to accept the data, and that means an unvaccinated child is 38% to 62% more likely to be autistic than a vaccinated child.  Hey - I can only go off of the chart provided, and math doesn't lie, so I guess that is what they want us to believe.

Then again, the website does include a disclaimer which readily admits that they "cannot guarantee that the information provided is complete, accurate and current", so I guess that allows them to wipe their hands from all of the fear-inducing headlines that don't seem to mirror the actual results of their survey.  Funny how these antivaxxers always seem to have some type of a disclaimer, so that made me wonder... do legitimate peer-reviewed medical studies have disclaimers on the bottom that state the study's authors can't guarantee that the results are complete or accurate?  The answer is no - because real science needs no such disclaimer, and a legitimate study would never be published until the study's authors were confident the data was not only complete, but that it was accurate and current as well.

This it is more than obvious even to a casual observer that this survey is worthless.  I really was looking forward to a legitimate scientific study that includes a large enough control group to make it meaningful, but once again the antivaxxers have let me down.  Obviously I could go on and on about the flaws in this survey, the overwhelming unscientific bias that has blended into everything from the survey creation, to survey distribution, collection, analysis, and even production... but I think what I have shown in this one post alone is enough to prove that not only is the survey entirely non-scientific, but even using their own skewed and heavily biased data still shows a result which contradicts their own predetermined viewpoints.

This also goes to show that how the Age of Autism website authors have no understanding of what true science is.  The fact that their article states "[t]his is excellent work from an independent source" just goes to show they not only misunderstand the term "excellent" but they have no clue what it means to be an independent source.  Unfortunately most of the comments added to their article thus far appear to have bought into the bait hook, line, and sinker and most likely those individuals haven't bothered to objectively analyze the data.

Is there really any wonder why anti-vaccination conspiracy theorists like Lowell Hubbs are never taken seriously when they can't even be bothered to identify the fatal flaws in the very data they use as evidence?  The only thing this survey has proven is that the ignorant will remain ignorant, and the scientifically inept antivaxxers will remain scientifically inept.

Real science wins.  Again. 

Even More Evidence to Suggest Autism is Genetic

Back in July I wrote a post that pointed to a few studies which suggested Autism is primarily caused by a genetic component but also to a smaller degree can be brought on my environmental factors.  In one of those studies the environmental factor examined was usage of antidepressants, which were found to have an effect if a women took them during pregnancy.

It seems that the subject of Autism is a hot topic right now, because I have just reviewed several additional studies on the subject all of which show a strong genetic component to Autism as well.  These studies were all published in the journal Neuron on June 9th, 2011.

The first study is entitled "Rare De Novo and Transmitted Copy-Number Variation in Autistic Spectrum Disorders".

The second study is entitled "Multiple Recurrent De Novo CNVs, Including Duplications of the 7q11.23 Williams Syndrome Region, Are Strongly Associated with Autism".

The third study is entitled "Rare De Novo Variants Associated with Autism Implicate a Large Functional Network of Genes Involved in Formation and Function of Synapses".

These studies were all performed in collaboration with the Simmons Simplex Collection (SSC) which is a core project and resource of the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI).  SFARI is a private organization involved in multiple aspects of Autism research and contains a Scientific Advisory Board which is filled with prestigious doctors and scientists from Universities such as Columbia, MIT, Duke, and Harvard.  Obviously if you wish to know more about them I urge you to review their website, but I mention it here because vaccine conspiracy theorists tend to ignore any data that has any connection to the CDC, FDA, WHO, or any other government agency, thus I thought it fitting to mention who SFARI is to ensure it is clear they are not just another rubber-stamping government agency.

The bottom line is these are reputable peer-reviewed scientific studies which point to a strong genetic link to Autism.  I realize that the concept of peer-reviewed science is often difficult for a vaccine conspiracy theorist like Lowell Hubbs to understand, but the bottom line is these are three different studies all of which have been published in a very reputable journal, and as much as Mr. Hubbs may like to pretend Neuron is somehow biased or is nothing more than a shill for "big pharma" or the vaccine industry, I'm afraid that isn't the case.

I suppose Mr. Hubbs will simply discredit these studies by suggesting all of the authors and members of Neuron's editorial board are biased or that they have been paid off etc, but when you consider there are over 100 experts on the editorial board, and several dozen authors not to mention the scientific editors, managing editors, reviewing editors as well as various directors and manages involved... well that seems like quite the conspiracy theory to suggest that all of these people are somehow in on the little shell game.

So what do these studies tell us?  Well according to John Timmer over at ARS Technica, the two studies that examined CNVs (copy number variations) "...found slightly different numbers, but the same general trend: new CNVs (deletions or duplications that are not present in either parent) are much more common in autistic children than they are in their unaffected siblings. One study found that they showed up 3.4 times more often; the other showed 3.9 times. In either case, there were many more changes in the dose of genes among autistic individuals. Moreover, most of these changes are rare, showing up in only one or a few individuals. This low frequency implies that, with a larger population, even rarer CNVs would be uncovered. The statistics are such that the authors estimate that there may be several hundred potential sites in the genome that could be linked to autism."

Timmer goes on to explain that the third study focuses upon what these CVNs do which primarily surrounds the formation of synapses etc in the brain.  This helps understand what the effects of Autism actually are and could potentially lead to additional research to counteract those effects down the road.

Now it needs to be stated that these studies are not suggesting Autism is always caused by a genetic component, and they even go on to state that there can be environmental influences.  However it is clear that as more and more research is performed, it seems the common conclusion is the genetic component which means those that tend to blame vaccines for Autism (such as our very own Lowell Hubbs along with the long discredited Andrew Wakefield as well as pseudo-celebrity Jenny McCarthy) are looking more and more like the fools they are each and every time a new study is released.

So how many peer-reviewed studies have been published thus far which have been able to even so much as identify a link between vaccines and autism?  Once again... the answer remains zero. 

Science wins.  Vaccine conspiracy theorists lose.  Again.

The Safety of the HPV Vaccine (Gardasil)

There has been a lot of talk the past few years about the HPV vaccine Gardasil.  For some it has been a miracle and a lifesaver.  For others it is just another vaccination they aren't sure they need.  However for a vaccine conspiracy theorist like Lowell Hubbs, Gardasil could quite possibly be the worst thing mankind has produced since Hitler himself.

Keep in mind Mr. Hubbs has never been too keen on supporting his viewpoints with hard science so rather than look at facts and figures he would much rather point you to random Internet testimonials about how some woman suffered some ill effects from the vaccine or how someone contracted a random condition soon after receiving the shots.  He is also a big fan of sharing stories of parents who are "convinced" all of their daughter's medical problems are due to the Gardasil vaccine even if doctors, scientists, and evidence disagree.  Apparently in the mind of a vaccine conspiracy theorist, the word of a parent is as good as a multi-year scientific study.  Go figure.

Therefore when I came across a visual image of the safety of the HPV vaccine I only thought it appropriate that I link to it from this blog.  The image can be found on the Information is Beautiful website, and in case you are curious... they include all of their sources, data, and even their calculations to support the graphic itself.  There are numerous scientific studies referenced, and you won't find a single part of the graphic which isn't supported be evidence nor will you find a piece of it based upon the opinion of a lone parent who "just knows" what the real truth is.

The graphic does a much better job of telling the story than a few words of written text can because it helps visualize the actual data, but at the end of the day here is what is important:

There have been 35,000,000 doses of the Gardasil vaccine distributed in the United States.  Of those 35,000,0000 there have been 1,498 people who experienced serious side effects, which equates to 0.009%.  There have been 68 people die withing one year of receiving the vaccine (0.0004%), however this doesn't mean their deaths had anything to do with the vaccine as they include ALL deaths.  Of these 68 people there were three deaths from car accidents, one from a suicide, and many many more from unrelated medical conditions.

Of those 68 deaths, 32 of them were reviewed by a doctor... and are you ready to hear how many of them were attributed to the Gardasil vaccine?  If you guessed zero give yourself a pat on the back.  This means out of 35,000,000 doses of this vaccine there has not be a single death anywhere in the US which has been directly attributed to Gardasil nor has Gardasil even been considered to be a contributing factor.

Yes I know this is shocking, but it gets even better.

There have been seven studies which have examined the effects of the Gardasil vaccine.  These studies have covered over 44,000 women which were broken up into two primary groups.  One group was given the Gardasil vaccine while the other was given a placebo.

Statistically speaking, the number of women who experienced side effects after receiving their injections was nearly identical as were the number of women who died within several years of receiving the vaccine.  There were a total of 18 deaths reported in the group who had received the vaccine vs. 15 deaths reported in the group which had received the placebo, however none of these deaths (for either the vaccine or the placebo) were judged to be related - so essentially it is a non-issue.

So what else do we learn from these studies?  Well, the lifetime risk of developing cervical cancer in the US is 1 in 147 for those women who are unvaccinated while it is only 1 in 400 for those women who are vaccinated.  Similar numbers were shown in studies over in the UK as well, so this is not a random anomaly.

The fatality rate of cervical cancer is around 35%, so a bit of math tells us that the Gardasil vaccine could potentially save approximately 2,500 lives per year in the US, or a whopping 159,700 lives worldwide.

Think about that... almost 160,000 women could be saved each and every year due to one simple vaccine.  The very same vaccine that conspiracy theorists like Mr. Hubbs claim causes more harm than good.  If we are to believe Mr. Hubbs' nonsense, then where is the data showing this vaccine contributes to over 2,500 American deaths every year?  Where is the data that shows it is responsible for 160,000 deaths worldwide?  Where is the data to suggest it causes more injuries or that it doesn't actually prevent cervical cancer?

As we all know such data doesn't exist because quite simply all the studies that have been done have come to the same conclusions regardless of who was performing the study or who was financing it.  Even the skeptics have to admit that if there was a smoking gun against Gardasil you can rest assured it would have been brought to our attention... yet none exist.

It just goes to show that when the real data is examined, it once again contradicts the opinion of the vaccine conspiracy theorists, and try as they might they have nothing to counter it.  Once again real science wins, and pseudo Internet-educated experts like Lowell Hubbs find themselves on the wrong side of reality.

The Pill Popping Hypocrisy of Lowell Hubbs

Quite some time ago, a frequent visitor to this site sent me a URL to a Yahoo discussion group where Mr. Hubbs has posted in the past.  Aside from some of the rather interesting statements made by Mr. Hubbs, what is even more interesting is how once again we find evidence proving that although Mr. Hubbs claims to be anti-big pharma (anti pharmaceutical company), he is more than willing to use their products when he feels they may benefit him.

He have witnessed this same pattern of hypocritical behavior with Mr. Hubbs' usage of Paxil and Xanax.  We have also seen it with Mr. Hubbs' use of Alprazolam, and he has also mentioned using Klonopin in the past.  Although Mr. Hubbs admits those drugs were all prescribed for specific reasons and he attempts to defend their usage, it doesn't change the fact that he is more than willing to use the products from the very same companies he claims are responsible for conspiring to keep people sick and dependent upon medications.

Therefore, it really isn't a surprise that Mr. Hubbs has been shown to use yet another product of "big pharma", nor is it a surprise to discover Mr. Hubbs claims to have specific side effects that include rage and violent behavior.  This time around, the drug of choice is Dostinex which Mr. Hubbs seems to have admitted taking for quite some time.  Dostinex has a variety of uses so I won't even speculate what condition Mr. Hubbs was or is attempting to address here, but what is interesting is some of Mr. Hubbs' statements surrounding the side effects he has experienced while taking the drug:

"What Im talking about is temper flare ups increased due to Dostinex, not the drug reducing that as prolactin went down. That has occasionally been seen in previous posts Ive read on another site; and I just have no question its had similar affect on me. I have benefited from Dosinex as it has rebalanced prolcatin and testosterone the typical previous high low ratio..."  ~Lowell Hubbs

So Mr. Hubbs admits to having temper flare ups?  Who would have guessed?  However it doesn't stop there:

"[...] I'm on three times as much Dostinex as you. .75 twice a week. I go from calm to wanting to throw things; and impatient isnt even the word; rage is more like it; very scarey. That drug quite honestly has an effect on sex drive that is something more than just testosterone levels going up. Ive heard that also posted. Because in all honesty, even when they went up to just below normal things started raging like I had the testosterone levels of a 17 year old and Im 48."  ~Lowell Hubbs

Once again we see Mr. Hubbs admitting violent behavior, although based upon his previous pattern of behavior I'm quite certain he will continue to blame his medications rather than accepting responsibility.  If that is the case however, how can Mr. Hubbs explain the fact that he continues to display these same characteristics time and time again right on this very blog?  If it isn't Mr. Hubbs making direct threats against those who disagree with him, it is Mr. Hubbs displaying Internet Toughguy Syndrome.  Even casual visitors to this blog have noticed the rage and anger displayed in many of Mr. Hubbs' comments... and even worse are those I am unable to publish due to their non-PG content.

As much as Mr. Hubbs' rage is a problem, I'm actually more concerned about him rambling on about his sex drive.  Normally I wouldn't have an issue with someone explaining increased virility, but when it comes from a man who has made questionable statements about young girls and who has on numerous occasions submitted pornography laced messages to this very blog... well I would be lying if I said it isn't concerning.

Those issues aside, as we see in this next quote Mr. Hubbs also feels he is qualified to discuss pharmacology and even includes the obligatory statement asking others to prove him wrong rather than him bothering to prove he is right.  Once again he displays a complete misunderstanding of how the scientific method works... but this shouldn't come as a shock to anyone who knows Mr. Hubbs.

... "So, my guess would be exactly this with Dostinex in your system possibly we dont produce enough natural dopamine which is one of the needed feel good chemicals the brain has. I defy and doctor to dispute it; or come up with a study, or any medical teaching proving Im wrong. Thats why we feel like we do and have no patience. I am on .75 mg twice a week."  ~Lowell Hubbs

Finally, we have Mr. Hubbs admitting other side effects he claims are due to the Dostinex.  These appear to include a short temper, inability to deal with stress (which relates to the anxiety Mr. Hubbs has taken other medications for), and he even admits to being defiant and hostile:

... "if anything my ability to deal with stress on Dostinex is worse and I am short tempered and tough, become very defiant and hostile, yet I can get very emotional and nearly in tears over the littlest things"...  ~Lowell Hubbs

I'm not about to claim I know whether these side effects are due to Dostinex or due to some other supplement or series of medications that Mr. Hubbs may be taking at any given point.  For all I know, the hostility and rage that Mr. Hubbs describes may be part of his core personality and he is just looking for some random drug to blame for his actions.

We have witnessed in the past that Mr. Hubbs has refused to accept responsibility for his multiple DUIs.  We have also seen that he has various excuses for his arrests for theft and for shoplifting.  Essentially it seems that Mr. Hubbs is never willing to accept responsibility for anything, and he is always looking for someone or something else to blame for his actions.  Maybe in the past it was Paxil, then later it was Dostinex.  Other times it is a combination of Xanax and alcohol, and sometimes it may be to anti-anxiety herbs mixed with alcohol... but the repeating pattern here seems to be that it is never Mr. Hubbs' fault.

Never mind the blatant hypocrisy involved from Mr. Anti-Big Pharma himself taking numerous prescription medications while continually attacking big pharma... the question remains: if Dostinex does in fact cause side effects of rage and hostility... does that help explain a lot of what we have witnessed from him right on this very blog?  If on the other hand he is no longer on the Dostinex, then what other excuse could he possibly have for his actions? 

Either Mr. Hubbs is still on the Dostinex (which makes him a raging hypocrite), or he is no longer on it and therefore has nobody to blame for his continual fits of rage, hatred, and ever-increasing hostile behavior.  One also has to wonder... if Mr. Hubbs is no longer on the Dostinex, does that mean modern medicine cured whatever condition he was being treated for? 

Being an anti-big pharma and anti-modern medicine vaccine conspiracy theorist just seems to be a lot easier if you are a hypocrite.