Kim Bannon has Passed Away

Kim Bannon in AIDS Denialist film
 'House of Numbers'

Kim Marie Bannon-Barber, 48, certified court reporter, passed away Tuesday, November 15, 2011. A celebration of Kim's life will be held, 1 p.m., Saturday, November 19, West Heights United Methodist Church. Private family inurnment will follow at a later date. Kim was born in Topeka, Kansas, graduated from Goddard High School as salutatorian of her class and was captain of the Roaring Wheatchix Drill Team. She loved to be outdoors riding horses, water and snow skiing and rollerblading. Preceded in death by grandparents, Gordon Barber, Mick Ewing and Erma McQuirk. Survivors: parents, Raymond and Anne (Ewing) Barber of Wichita; grandmother, Mary Barber of Topeka; her little dog, Daisy; aunts, uncles, cousins and many, many friends. Memorial established with Sweet Emergency Fund in memory of Kim Barber, 1010 N. Kansas, Wichita, KS 67214. Downing & Lahey Mortuary West. Tributes may be sent to the family via www.dlwichita.com 

No comments will are being accepted on this post out of respect for Kim and her family. An earlier post on Kim can be found here.  

The Truth, Nothing But the Truth: Celia Farber's Defamation Claim Against AIDS Activist Is Dismissed

Journalist's Defamation Claim Against AIDS Activist Is Dismissed

Brendan Pierson

New York Law Journal

November 8, 2011

A state judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a journalist against a prominent AIDS activist for allegedly defaming her in a public dispute over an article she wrote challenging the scientific consensus that AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Louis B. York ruled last week in Farber v. Jefferys, 106399/09, that the journalist, Celia Farber, was a public figure for the purpose of the lawsuit and that her defamation claims against AIDS activist Richard Jefferys could not survive the heightened scrutiny required for public figures.

Ms. Farber began covering the AIDS epidemic for Spin magazine in the 1980s. While at Spin, she conducted a sympathetic interview with Peter Duesberg, a professor of biology at the University of California at Berkeley who rejects the scientific consensus that AIDS is caused by HIV. Mr. Duesberg claims the disease is caused by recreational drug use, and is sometimes aggravated by antiviral drugs used to treat it. He contends that HIV is a harmless "passenger virus" and has argued that the pharmaceutical industry has suppressed dissent in order to sell antiviral drugs.

Don't Tell it so Straight: New Scientist Magazine takes on the anti-science movement

Published in New Scientist Magazine

October 31, 2011

by Peter Aldhous

Opponents of science are experts at winning the battle for hearts and minds. It’s time to learn their game and beat them at it, says Peter Aldhous

JOHN HOLDREN, science adviser to President Barack Obama, is a clever man. But when it comes to the science of communication, he can say some dumb things. In January, Holdren welcomed the prospect of climatologists being called to testify before Congress: “I think we’ll probably move the opinions of some of the members of Congress who currently call themselves sceptics, because I think a lot of good scientists are going to come in and explain very clearly what we know and how we know it and what  it means, and it’s a very persuasive case.”

Fat chance.

Surprise (NOT): AIDS Deniers Contribute to Vax Hysteria

This article relies heavily on an interview with Rethinking AIDS Board Member Christian Fiala. It is no surprise that AIDS Deniers have their hands in anti-vaccine hysteria; but it is not any less disturbing.

Gardasil controversy soars, as Bachmann, Perry drop Drug blasted as 'money-making machine' that's useless in fighting cervical cancer
Posted: October 02, 2011
By Bob Unruh
© 2011 WND

Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann, two presidential candidates who sparred over the issue of Texas vaccinations, may be floundering in the polls, but the topic of Merck's controversial Gardasilis heating up – with an Austrian physician who studied the drug saying it is not only dangerous, but useless in reducing cervical cancer, the stated reason it would have been administered to young girls under an executive order from Gov. Perry.

Dr. Christian Fiala, who successfully fought the use of the drug in Austria, told WND this week "there is no proof of a causal relationship of HPV and cervical cancer (correlation is not necessarily causation) and there is no evidence that HPV vaccine reduces the overall number of cervical cancer (cases)."

Rethinking AIDS: When 99% of the world disagrees, we must be right

The AIDS Denialists are planning their World AIDS Day conference. If you are in Washington on December 1, you should drop by the Washington Court Hotel. In case you find it hard to believe that anyone in 2011 questions the existence of HIV, seeing these guys is believing.  Here is the latest announcement that Rethinking AIDS emailed to potential attendees.  Remember, this is not a joke, at least it is not meant to be a joke.


UPDATE: As discussed in comments below, the AIDS Deniers have cancelled their 2011 Rethinking AIDS conference. 
So sad. 
The reason is obvious -- 
     a clash of delusions. 
The AIDS denier camps are fighting, again. There is a battle between those who say HIV does not exist (Perthians) and those who say HIV exists but is harmless (Duesbergians).
I am not sure why they just don't have a denialist debate? What are they afraid of?  I would be happy to sponsor the debate and host it on this blog. 
Any takers?
Have a few minutes for some mindless entertainment? Visit the Rethinking AIDS page in Facebook. 
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An Open Letter to Clark Baker from Concerned Citizen

Dear Mr. Baker,

You recently wrote a letter to Dr. Kalichman requesting his expertise in HIV Criminalization Cases.  You made this request for the prosecution, even though you speciously claim to work for the defense.  Would you consider this to be an ethical request?  If you wish to be accepted as a serious, respected, criminal justice professional, a letter with such childish pandering does not bode well for your credibility.  It is not only unprofessional to taunt a man credentialed and well respected in his field, it also gives you the appearance of a bully.  It is also a waste of Dr. Kalichman’s precious time.

Strategy & Slander

First you mention the so called strategy of OMSJ.  Your stated strategy in the letter is to go over the medical and scientific evidence to be used by the prosecution and “render opinions as to whether they have sufficient evidence or not.”   That is the only truth I have ever seen you write.  You admit that what you are offering is opinion; speculation; conjecture.  How could you offer an educated opinion when you do not accept the current, accepted science of HIV?  Or when you do not have the necessary education or experience to render a valid opinion?  This obvious oversight on your part is not lost on logical, mentally stable people.

 However, the true strategy as stated at your OMSJ site is to perpetuate an agenda of “HIV Science as incoherent gibberish”.  You state that “HIV tests are worthless” and that “HIV tests are designed to do nothing more than market HIV as a disease.”   You accuse HIV Scientists, Researchers and Doctors as being “Pharma Sluts” and anyone else who disagrees with you as “meth trannies.”  How can you make these ridiculous, unsubstantiated and libelous accusations and expect to be taken seriously?

Vaccine Hysteria Takes Hold in the USA

Vaccines not safe, say one of four Americans in new poll
Posted on October 1, 2011 by Stone Hearth News

ANN ARBOR, Mich. and WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — More than one-quarter of Americans are concerned about the value and safety of vaccines and 21.4 percent believe vaccines can cause autism, according to the Thomson Reuters-NPR Health Poll.

Thomson Reuters and NPR conduct the monthly poll to gauge attitudes and opinions on a wide range of health issues.

In the latest survey in the series, 26.6 percent of respondents expressed concern over the safety of vaccines. Households with children under the age of 18 demonstrated the greatest level of concern (30.8%). The lowest level of concern (18.5%) was found in respondents 65 years old and up.

Worst Case Scenario: Michele Bachmann Launches into Total Vaccine Hysteria

On the national stage of presidential primary politics, Rep. Michele Bachmann is ranting that the HPV vaccine can cause permanent damage to children. The HPV vaccine is safe and over 99% effective in protecting against HPV - the cause of genital warts and linked to cervical cancer. Uptake of the vaccine is already low, with less than 1 in 3 US teenage girls being vaccinated. Coverage is worst among minorities and low income kids. 6 million people are diagnosed with HPV each year, and 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer. Her misinformed and irresponsible comments will likely do damage to public health, at least among those few who see her as credible.

Bachmann claims HPV vaccine might cause ‘mental retardation’
The Washington Post
Posted by Rachel Weiner at 11:02 AM ET, 09/13/2011 

After piling on Texas Gov. Rick Perry in last night’s presidential debate, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is continuing to attack the 2012 frontrunner for mandating that young girls get the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

A Decade Of Denial: 9/11 Truthers Alive and Well

The Facts Speak For Themselves
Jon Gold
September 11, 2011

Before I begin, I would like to say that theorizing about what happened on 9/11, when you’re not being given answers to your questions about that day by the people who SHOULD be able to do so, is PERFECTLY normal. As is suspecting that the reason these answers aren’t being given is “sinister” in nature. As Ray McGovern said, “for people to dismiss these questioners as “conspiratorial advocates”, or “conspiratorial theorists”… that’s completely out of line because the… The questions remain because the President who should be able to answer them, WILL NOT.” When you think about everything the previous Administration did in 8 years, the idea that they might not be giving us the answers we seek because of something “sinister” is not crazy. In fact, it’s the most logical conclusion one can come to at this point. After years of obfuscation, spin, lies, and cover-ups regarding the 9/11 attacks, it is unavoidable to think that criminal complicity is the reason why.

Clark Baker's Appeal

Clark Baker with the late Karri Stokely
(died of AIDS after refusing treatment)

AIDS Denialist Clark Baker sent me the following letter. I thought you might enjoy it as much as I did. Does California just hand out Private Detective licenses to anyone who applies?
      If you have experienced discrimination due to your HIV status, I recommend that you contact a legitimate legal aide group, such as the HIV/AIDS Law Project or a state organization such as AIDS Law Project Pennsylvania. To learn more about what Clark Baker is up to, particularly the 'cases' he mentions below, visit The HIV Innocence Project Truth.
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Professor Kalichman:

As you know, OMSJ (Office of Medical and Scientific Justice) has been involved in several dozen criminal HIV cases since October 2009. Our strategy is simple – we ask prosecutors to produce all of the medical and scientific evidence that they plan to use against the accused. We then examine the evidence and render opinions as to whether they have sufficient evidence or not.

Rethinking AIDS Convention 2011: Will the rooms be padded?

AIDS denialists will hold their 2011 convention in Washington, DC on December 1, World AIDS Day. The conference will focus on uncovering the US government's and pharmaceutical industry's global conspiracy to sell HIV tests and medications. The conference organizers say "The myth that blames a single retrovirus for a complex multi-factorial syndrome has left in its wake millions of people terrified of an 'HIV test', a pharmacopeia of toxic drugs prescribed without informed consent and an effort by the myth-makers to shut down intelligent public discussion. Thousands of scientists, epidemiologists, academics, physicians, journalists, and activists who oppose the use of toxic medications and inaccurate tests have been called 'denialists', an attempt to equate dissent with those who deny the Nazi Holocaust."

Peter Duesberg: Wrong on AIDS and Wrong on Cancer

Peter Duesberg continues to claim that HIV is a harmless passenger virus that cannot possibly cause AIDS. Although AIDS Denialists rely on Duesberg to spin their alternative universe, Duesberg himself has most recently been focused on cancer. He says that cancer, all cancer, is caused by environmental toxins/carcinogens, an idea dating back to Theordor Boveri in 1914 . Duesberg's assistant, David Rasnick, even claims that the HIV medication AZT causes cancer. Duesberg and Rasnick state that there are no genetic bases for cancer - none!

Peter Duesberg points to Aneuploidy - the abnormal number of chromosomes that are characteristic of cancer cells - as the cause, rather than an effect, of cancer. The article below published in The Scientist discusses important new discoveries that identify the genetic causes of Aneuploidy. 

If we know anything about Peter Duesberg it is that the genetic evidence will not change his mind. The bad news is that Duesberg's failed ideas on cancer may be just as destructive as his nutty stand on AIDS. David Rasnick, David Crowe and other Denialists claim that cancer screening is a scam and cancer chemotherapy does not work. They use Duesberg's fringe science to bolster their claims. The article in The Scientist, which does not mention Duesberg, helps to keep people informed. A follow-up article is needed to correct the misinformation spread by Duesberg and his Denialist followers.