Rain causes autism!

[GunnyMo]

Oh noes! West coasters are screwed! (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27536036/)

WASHINGTON - Children who live in the U.S. Northwest's wettest counties are more likely to have autism, but it is unclear why, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.

Aaaaaaaaaa! Keep your kids out of the rain! No, wait, don't keep them out of the rain! No...wait...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

I can't wait to get the plethora of forwarded emails from dingbats on this one. As if the mercury urban legend wasn't enough. :rolleyes:

[LongStepMantis]

wKjxFJfcrcA

Directed at the article, not you Gunny. ;)

[GunnyMo]

haha nice! Good find!

I was just thinking that maybe these researchers watched "Gremlins" one too many times. Don't get kids wet! Is the next "scientific" article going to warn parents not to feed their kids after midnight?

[biosc1]

Perhaps us Nor-Westers are just better at diagnosing the issue than Easterners...

[LongStepMantis]

haha nice! Good find!

I was just thinking that maybe these researchers watched "Gremlins" one too many times. Don't get kids wet! Is the next "scientific" article going to warn parents not to feed their kids after midnight?

Just remember to expose them to direct sunlight the next morning. If they melt, then we can talk. :D

[Mike Kelehan]

Autism is caused by vaccinations and not believing in God. If you can't trust Eli Stone, who can you trust?

[GunnyMo]

I grew up on the west coast and thought I'd make a joke about how I don't have austi...oo sparkly!...don't look at me!....mine!

(bad joke but I've been on my way to Hell for a long time so it's ok)

[walkstheplanes]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_(2008_film)

Relevant.

[President Fred]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_(2008_film)

Relevant.
The link is missing the last parenthesis. It's there in the post but it's not in the link.

[LongStepMantis]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_(2008_film)

Relevant.

The link is returning a "non-existent entry" message.

the closest one it found was for a movie of the same name and year...that's a kung-fu flick. Is that the one? It does say she is autistic, so I would think so.

Edit: NVM, Fred caught it.

[GigaFuzz]

The link is returning a "non-existent entry" message.

the closest one it found was for a movie of the same name and year...that's a kung-fu flick. Is that the one? It does say she is autistic, so I would think so.

Edit: NVM, Fred caught it.

Girl with autism learns kung-fu from TV and goes and whacks some fools.

[Goronmon]

The link is missing the last parenthesis. It's there in the post but it's not in the link.

Coding Horror - The Problem with URLs (http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001181.html)

[Dorkandproudofit]

Is this International Moron Week? First the CCF thing, then the BBC says girls have cooties, now this?

[Johan]

Genetics is one causal factor. (http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/04/02/autism.sperm.donor/index.html)

Another is a pre-existing mitochondrial disorder which, in normally developing children but combined with vaccines, triggers autism. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/government-concedes-vacci_b_88323.html)

Julier Gerberding, head of the CDC, admits the link between mitochondrial conditions, vaccines, and autism. Vaccines don't "cause" autism, but CAN trigger it in individuals with this underlying condition. (http://adventuresinautism.blogspot.com/2008/03/julie-gerberding-admits-on-cnn-that.html)

One of several studies on underlying mitochondrial conditions which, when triggered by vaccines, can trigger autism. (http://jcn.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/21/2/170)

Mitochondrial disorders are now thought to be the most common disease associated with ASD. Some journal articles and other analyses have estimated that 10% to 20% of all autism cases may involve mitochondrial disorders, which would make them one thousand times more common among people with ASD than the general population.

Another article, published in the Journal of Child Neurology and co-authored by Dr. Zimmerman, showed that 38% of Kennedy Krieger Institute autism patients studied had one marker for impaired oxidative phosphorylation, and 47% had a second marker.

The authors -- who reported on a case-study of the same autism claim conceded in Vaccine Court -- noted that "children who have (mitochondrial-related) dysfunctional cellular energy metabolism might be more prone to undergo autistic regression between 18 and 30 months of age if they also have infections or immunizations at the same time."

Vaccine ingredients. (http://www.novaccine.com/vaccine-ingredients/)

A support site for those concerned. (http://www.generationrescue.org/)

My advice to those who have autistic children is to contact their doctor for a test on this particular mitochondrial condition, AND to contact your local school system (if the child is old enough) for support behaviorally, educationally, developmentally, and otherwise.

[LongStepMantis]

Lots of informative links and text about Autism

I am in no way belittling or denying your message, but what do you think about the rainfall idea? I'm well aware of your passion about this subject and was honestly hoping you would show up. :D

I'm not 100% sure what I believe about the vaccination connection, although I am in no way disputing it either. I do, however, definitely think the rainfall connection is ridiculous.

[sparkfizt]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correlation#Common_misconceptions_about_correlatio n
Edit:
My favorite example, the following statement is true.
The number of drownings in the US has a postive and defensible correlation ice cream consumption in the US. The more ice cream we eat, the more people drown.

The media would run off and say: Ice cream causes drownings!

When the reality is that drownings and ice cream are unrelated to each other, but both positively correlate with season. More people go swimming in the summer, and eat ice cream during the summer.

Statistics needs to be a mandatory part of high school graduation.

[Johan]

I do, however, definitely think the rainfall connection is ridiculous.

You're kidding, right? Of course it's ridiculous!

Here's the CDC head admitting that vaccines can trigger autism in youngsters who are developing normally otherwise but have a specific mitochondrial disorder. Ten minutes. Worth a peek.

Dh-nkD5LSIg

The research I linked to above also indicates the same thing.

I'm not anti-vaccine. I'm pro-information and truth on the subject. The reality is that vaccines are, like much in life, a risk-reward choice. There are risks. There are rewards. Too many blindly jump into them, however, without any regard for the risks, or knowledge of them.

[LongStepMantis]

You're kidding, right? Of course it's ridiculous!

Whoa...slow down there chief!

I was only asking because you didn't mention anything about it in your initial post. Clarification and all that. ;)

[Wraith]

http://tkfiles.storage.msn.com/x1pWjGVXX8SHGxxzv0rJVYp6G5Pn1fwXAeTI80jWcBABJI0Lvm 4ITbTaoHFlRJwQBRPILtuaqelUdJcelpOQ806LrAhNc1CQzwlH 638IOXWhi4p6M0IfY6LIkigcIqnMYiC9Zw2gdWjycU

Invisible?

[Johan]

It occurs to me that the connection between rainfall rates and autism could have to do with a number of real possibilities, including greater exposure to toxins/chemicals indoors since it's raining more often and one would naturally spend more time indoors, exposing one to substances like lead paint, mold, chemicals, and the like for greater lengths of time.

It deserves further research, as it's interesting to say the least.

Oh, and yes...ban water.

[Scull]

Wait. Mitochondria? Parasite Eve was autistic? Or are all Jedi's autistic?

One of my friends from the Seattle area has two autistic children, so maybe there is something to the lunatic rantings. Of course, this doesn't take into account that the average rainfall in many East Coast cities is higher than Seattle.

New York - 37.5 in./annually
3.3 in
3.3 in
3.8 in
4.1 in
4.3 in
3.6 in
4.3 in
4.0 in
4.0 in
3.1 in
4.0 in
3.6 in


Seattle - 37.2in./annually
5.4 in
4.0 in
3.5 in
2.3 in
1.7 in
1.5 in
0.8 in
1.1 in
1.9 in
3.3 in
5.8 in
5.9 in