Recommendation: "Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction" by Maia Szalavitz

I first heard of Maia Szalavitz from the Citations Needed Podcast episode 99, The Cruel, Voyeuristic Quackery of Rehab TV Shows. Her book Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction basically contradicts everything I'd ever thought I knew about addiction to mind-altering substances before involvement with supporters of recreational and medicinal cannabis legalization and decriminalization, who opened my eyes to the compound hypocrisies and harms of prohibition and incarceration.

Review: The Barbary Plague: The Black Death in Victorian San Francisco by Marilyn Chase

Marilyn Chase's The Barbary Plague: The Black Death in Victorian San Francisco is an easy-to-read, non-technical history of public health authorities' efforts to contain an outbreak of bubonic plague in San Francisco in the first decade of the 20th century C.E. Reading it during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, brings to mind the adage that "History doesn't repeat itself but it does rhyme," as Ms. Chase noted regarding a May 19, 2020 column she wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle.

The most obvious parallel is the reluctance of business elite and their political lackeys to take public health concerns seriously for fear of a reduction in profits. For years, San Francisco oligarchs used their influence with city and state officials and media to obstruct the work of public health officials. Only the threat of losing authorization to host a large United States naval fleet persuaded these authorities to address the threat of bubonic plague with the seriousness and resources public health officials had long sought.

Review: Ep 1 & 2 of "Containment" on The CW Network

Updated 2019-May-25. I did watch the first season, and the show never had a second season. It turns out the Syrians weren't responsible for the outbreak. We learn several episodes later that corporate shenanigans were responsible. I don't believe the plot "twist" absolves the show from the criticisms I and others made. #1, the images of panic & disease and flatness of the "Syrian" characters won't leave viewers' subconscious minds, regardless of the story. #2, many viewers won't ever watch the later episodes. #3, many viewers will come away with the conclusion that, "We had a close brush with civilizational-ending bioterrorism because of these migrants. We really ought to just stop them coming to avoid the risk." #4, even when the characters learn that their suspicions about the Syrians was unfounded, they never actually discuss them at all.

Storify by Ayman Hossam Fadel

Sat, May 07 2016 19:33:02

Edit

CW's Containment Will Make You Scared of ... Brown People!

These comments are based on watching the first two episodes of The CW Network series "Containment."

1. You can follow Containment on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
2. Within the first several minutes of the first episode, we learn that an undocumented Syrian had left the hospital with symptoms. I stopped watching and Googled "cw containment syrian illegal alien" to see if anybody besides me found this troubling. That's when I found the xenophobic article below.
3. 

   Ayman Hossam Fadel@aymanfadel

   Islamophobes use @CWContainment, where infected Syrian illegal immigrant=Patient 0, 2 spread fear of brown ppl  http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=12742 

   Sat, May 07 2016 15:13:06

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4. I should preface the remainder of this by emphasizing that I'm not attacking any of the actors who appear in this series. If I was offered a 10 second non-speaking role in a basic cable drama series as a suicide-vest wearing terrorist Arab playboy with a sombrero riding a donkey made up in blackface with a stack of TVs behind me while eating watermelon, I'd jump at the opportunity. I know it's that bad for non-white actors in Hollywood.
5. I then searched in Twitter to see if anybody else noticed this. Thankfully, several others found the association of a deadly outbreak with an undocumented immigrant troubling.
6. 

   Coolhunter One@CoolhunterOne

   In @CWContainment, a black kid knocks up a white teen; a #Syrian refugee brings a #WalkingDead virus to USA; a #wall protects.. Wow...

   Sat, May 07 2016 19:09:47

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7. 

   Sugaree@sugaree71

   And now illegal Syrian Muslim immigrant brought vial of bio-engineered virus into US. We're not sufficiently xenophobic? Ugh #Containment

   @aymanfadel

   ·

   Thu, Apr 21 2016 18:22:08

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8. 

   Karen@KarenQueLinda

   First 3 mins of Containment.. It takes place in Atlanta and an illegal Syrian immigrant started it. Cancel this shit.

   @aymanfadel

   ·

   Sat, Apr 23 2016 18:16:27

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9. 

   Samantha Holloway@pirategirljack

   It's unfortunate they went with the illegal immigrant vector. He could has been anything. #Containment

   @aymanfadel

   ·

   Wed, Apr 20 2016 01:31:12

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10. 

    Khadijah Ennazer@deejapples

    #Containment wow what a shocker, they made the arab the terrorist. cool.

    @aymanfadel

    ·

    Wed, Apr 20 2016 02:03:47

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11. 

    Khadijah Ennazer@deejapples

    i hope @CWContainment doesn't go the hella racist route and blame everything on the "illegal middle eastern kid" 🙃

    @aymanfadel

    ·

    Wed, Apr 20 2016 01:23:24

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12. I watched the remainder of episode 1, and I thought other aspects of the show promoted anti-Arab sentiments.
13. 

    Ayman Hossam Fadel@aymanfadel

    When police go to Sayid's house in @CWContainment, the Arabs hoot & howl, just like the irrational savages racists portray. Thanks, @TheCW

    Sat, May 07 2016 15:56:04

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14. 

    Ayman Hossam Fadel@aymanfadel

    .@CWContainment had option of showing @AtleastLevesque or @Ronny_Mathew in aggressive phase of disease. Brown guy provokes fear much better

    Sat, May 07 2016 18:41:34

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15. Khadijah Ennazer reviewed episode 1 of the show, mentioning her fear that the show would promote hostility towards Arabs and immigrants. One of the show's writers, Julie Plec, promises that the series will not go that route.
16. 

    Khadijah Ennazer@deejapples

    really disappointed with @julieplec at the writing in #Containment ... you had the chance to change perceptions and you did not

    @aymanfadel

    ·

    Wed, Apr 20 2016 02:15:49

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17. 

    julieplec@julieplec

    @deejapples If you keep watching you will see that we make a point of exactly that. I promise.

    @aymanfadel

    ·

    Wed, Apr 20 2016 04:11:06

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18. I do some ranting against Hollywood, this time for how it employs actors to play "ethnic" roles.
19. 

    Ayman Hossam Fadel@aymanfadel

    Should Hollywood, when plot uses ethnic stereotypes, employ actors of that ethnicity? @Ronny_Mathew @CWContainment  https://twitter.com/aymanfadel/status/728965890121867264 â€¦

    Sat, May 07 2016 15:49:27

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20. I started to watch episode 2.
21. 

    Ayman Hossam Fadel@aymanfadel

    Ep1, @CWContainment uses @Ronny_Mathew 2 demo zombie phase of disease. Ep2, it uses his autopsy 4 gross special effects. Brown ppl scary

    Sat, May 07 2016 16:45:41

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22. 

    Ayman Hossam Fadel@aymanfadel

    Ep2 @CWContainment White girl @TheElleRoberts too friendly with Syrian boy, gets sick outside of cordon sanitaire. Dangers of miscegenation

    Sat, May 07 2016 17:20:39

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23. Here's an attempt to evaluate the show from a public health perspective. Sadly, it leaves out the ethnic, xenophobic bias at the center of the plot.
24. 

    Craig Klugman@CraigKlugman

    Watching @CWContainment? Wondering how close it is to an ethical response? Read my blog  http://www.bioethics.net/?p=59003  @bioethics_net _net

    @aymanfadel

    ·

    Tue, May 03 2016 21:39:31

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25. I hope you're not going to react to this by thinking, "It's a TV show. Nobody takes this seriously. Chill."
26. Raed Saleh, head of Syrian Civil Defense, denied entry at U.S. border

    Raed Saleh, head of the Syrian Civilian Defense, a 2,800-strong team of volunteers who aid Syrians affected by shelling and barrel bomb attacks, arrived at Washington's Dulles International Airport on Monday after a 10-hour flight from Istanbul. Saleh was due to receive the 2016 Humanitarian Award from InterAction, a Washington-based alliance of more than 180 international NGOs.

    

    Lucy Westcott
27. 

    CAIR National@CAIRNational

    Syrian Refugee With Valid Medical Visa Denied Entry Into U.S., #CAIR Says Local Muslim leaders are demanding the...  http://fb.me/2IZCAJd8p 

    Thu, May 05 2016 23:53:16

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28. 

    CAIR National@CAIRNational

    #CAIR-LA: Family Members Make Plea for Amputee Refugee (VIDEO) A double-amputee Syrian refugee was denied entry...  http://fb.me/37X3mOTFC 

    Fri, May 06 2016 16:45:27

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29. 

    Carolina Peace@carolina_peace

    Anti-refugee bill S.997 comes up for a second subcommittee hearing this Thursday. Voice your opposition....  http://fb.me/50mav6JWZ 

    Wed, May 04 2016 10:41:23

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30. I've written about ethnic, racial and religious stereotyping in numerous TV shows and movies.
31. Muslim Media Review: TV Shows

    In "Un-American Graffiti," episode S3E16 of Veronica Mars, a brother of a veteran wounded in Iraq vandalizes "Babylonian Gardens," a restaurant run by naturalized US-citizen "Arabs," no nationality mentioned. There are a number of ethnic stereotypes and tropes the episode uses which I hope producers and writers will avoid in the future.

    

    Ayman Fadel
32. Finish this by listening to the Public Enemy classic, "Burn, Hollywood, Burn!".

Review: Bad Faith: When Religious Belief Undermines Modern Medicine by Paul Offit

Bad Faith: When Religious Belief Undermines Modern Medicine by Paul A. Offit (Twitter)

Dr. Offit reviews a series of incidents in which children died of treatable illnesses due to the pursuit of their guardians or parents of spiritual healing through supplication in lieu of standard medical practice. He then gives an interpretation of Christianity which rejects spiritual healing as a substitute for medicine. Then he provides an overview of the historically recent development of state protection of children from abuse by their parents and guardians. Finally, he discusses efforts to proscribe and punish parents and guardians who fail to provide standard medical care to the children in their care and resistance by some religious groups which led to religious exemptions to these anti-neglect laws.

The organization of the book makes for a logical progression to Dr. Offit's call for an end to all religious exemptions to laws designed to protect minors.

Support Training for Pediatric Oncology Health Professionals in Baghdad

Claudia Lefko is raising money for a training retreat for doctors and nurses treating cancer in children in Baghdad. Please consider supporting the project.

Book Review: "The Heroine Next Door" by Zeena Nackerdien

Book Review: ‘The Heroine Next Door’ by Zeena Nackerdien http://t.co/izQS5LeaAA

— Blogcritics Magazine (@Blogcritics) September 8, 2015

Sheri Hoyte reviewed The Heroine Next Door by Zeena Nackerdien for BlogCritics.com on September 8, 2015.

The book has an official website. You can buy the book from the publisher.

In her day job, Zeena Nakerdien is a real-life scientist, and she's got a non-fiction book published on Type II diabetes.

HIV / TB / Diabetes Resource Kit: In our second excerpt from science writer Zeena Nackerdien, we look at an ex... http://t.co/i4dPHhvLiu

— Sweet Life (@sweet_life_mag) August 21, 2015

I have not read the book.

Review: The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies? by Jared Diamond

I love popular science books. I hope that many would be translated into languages Muslims often speak, particularly Arabic, since many educated Arabs only read Arabic, unlike Urdu, for example, of which I'm told its educated speakers typically can read English.

One of the authors whose books I suggested should be translated is Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse. His latest book, The World Until Yesterday: What We Can Learn from Traditional Societies?, also deserves the widest possible audience.

By comparing how modern and traditional societies handle war, raising of children, care of the elderly, health risks, religion, language and diet, The World Until Yesterday stretches our conception of the ranges of choices available to us in a matter similar to the best science fiction.