New CNN Poll

On another board I've been on for years, we meet once a year In Real Life. The folks who are great on the board tend to be great In Real Life; the folks who are jerks tend to either be jerks In Real Life or not attend at all. Personally, I'd love to have a PC get-together, but that's a whole other thread.

Anyway, if he is indeed a doctor and not a stolen identity (90 Quatloos says the latter), he seems to be totally unfamiliar with the Hippocratic Oath. Not only would I not go to him for even a hangnail, if I knew anyone who said they were going to him, I'd show them this board to see if they'd reconsider.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(danoday @ Feb 2 2007, 12:19 AM) [snapback]384272[/snapback]</div>

Too cheap?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Feb 2 2007, 01:39 AM) [snapback]384289[/snapback]</div>

That's four.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dbermanmd @ Feb 2 2007, 01:02 PM) [snapback]384628[/snapback]</div>

Instead of diverting the topic, why don't you address the facts stated in this thread and others?

You are a coward, that chooses to run away from any argument that gets backed up with facts against your propaganda material. You just divert attention to something else in the thread or plainly move on to the next topic.

If you did that, there would be no need for any other actions; which is laughable to be honest. The only thing you need protection from is well thought out arguments that squash your poorly stipulated propaganda nonsense.

Simply stating:"If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen" If you throw BS around, it is bound to come back around and land on your face.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rufaro @ Feb 2 2007, 07:30 AM) [snapback]384334[/snapback]</div>

Maybe it's a weight thing. All of the dogs I've owned have had great senses of humor. Caesar (doberman/lab at 70 lbs.), Goliath (mostly pointer at 60 lbs) and Ramses, my current lab/terrier at 55 lbs. My parents' lab is also an 80 lb barrel of fun, always up for a good joke. And she takes as well as she gives. Maybe sense of humor is in direct correlation to mass?

None of them have stellar grammar or spelling.

All were/are housebroken.



Caesar was also a really good sport.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hyo silver @ Feb 1 2007, 03:56 PM) [snapback]384167[/snapback]</div>

Aw shucks, hyo--please don't! (Keep quiet, I mean...if you're being funny, anyway...)

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Feb 1 2007, 05:08 PM) [snapback]384191[/snapback]</div>

Godiva, I will have you know that my dog has IMPECCABLE grammar--his sense of humor, however, is somewhat limited. And--I'm guessing that he, like many of us, wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a Doberman and dbermanmd. Like the doc, my 7lb doglet has difficulties with reality and is unclear on the concept that just about every other dog in the whole world is a whole lot bigger than he is, and addresses the world based on his flawed self-image. In most ways, this is far less of a problem for a critter of 7lbs, without opposable thumbs and an inability to speak in a language understood by most than it is for any human.

An interesting thought...Psychiatrists, who are indeed MDs, have to go through psychotherapy as part of their qualification. Do you think, maybe, ALL MDs should need to be analyzed--and not have any illness found in DSM in order to qualify?


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(airportkid @ Feb 1 2007, 07:01 PM) [snapback]384244[/snapback]</div>

I am SURE he's just as nice a guy as my next door neighbor.

My next door neighbor is a dentist who I wouldn't trust to just clean the teeth of my worst enemy. This bozo once pulled out his video camera and pointed it at me and my (still 7lb, soaking wet) dog one day while I had doglet out doing his thing, as it were (and, for the record, I always carry a baggie for cleanups--never mind that 7 lb dogs who eat mostly dry kibble do not put out much in the way of waste in any case--and I have no front lawn, and no backyard as such--the house is built on a very steep hill). We were by the lawn of the neighbors on the other side (Doctor Darling also has no front lawn--and his 70 lb Retriever is scared of my 7lb Poodle--go figure).

I allowed doglet to do what he needed to do, then challenged Doctor Delightful about his video--said, fine, let's go and show your tape to those neighbors and ask them how they feel about this.

Doctor Demented backed off so fast you'd think *I* was a doberman in attack mode..."oh there's no tape in here...oh I was just messing with you..." etc etc etc.... (and I am 5'0" with--then, anyway--a weight in proportion to my height--not physically imposing, in other words.)

Cowards and bullies are VERY happy to challenge those they perceive as weaker than they are, and/or those to whom they actually do not have to answer. Doctors of all types are not infrequently cowards and/or bullies--that seems to be part of the general personality type attracted to such occupations (by which I mean those requiring their practitioners to believe in their own infallibility and superiority to the rest of the population).

One point of clarification here...I DO know some very good and nice doctors (and even lawyers ). For example, the orthopedic surgeon who was in charge of my care when I was hospitalized and in traction for three months. But, I gotta say, in my own experience, that surgeon was a rare exception among the breed.

As to amount of time available to hang out places like this...well, my neighbor Dr. Dips**t seems to work maybe one day a week--it may be less than that--I don't actually know his office hours and he could well be on the golf course some of the days he's not hanging out at home doing "guy stuff" around the house (mostly in his garage with some right wing talk radio blaring out to share with neighborhood).

Rant over.

For now.

(Except--as to berman's financial support or lack thereof for dubya--you only get listed if you contribute over a certain amount at one time, no? Don't a lot of people choose to fly below that radar?)

 

While I believe (and hope) that Godiva is joking about literal dogs and cats, all the above leaves me more than ever convinced that the person posing here as Dr. David Berman is not the doctor himself, but someone who knows enough about him to pose as him. On the other hand, the IP at the hospital narrows the possibilities. A disgruntled lower-level employee? A colleague with a grudge? An angry neighbor with a hacked remote access to the hospital computers?

Maybe the real David Berman is a liberal Unitarian Universalist who never uses a computer except for the patient database.

Any volunteers to drop by his office and ask nicely if he posts to Prius Chat? If the answer is yes, I don't care if he considers it an intrusion. If the answer is no, he may appreciate knowing that someone is impersonating him.

 

Lovely

Now we've gone from personal attacks here to seeking people out in real life, stalking, and even advocating personal confrontations, in their workplace no less.

Makes me really ashamed to be a member of this group sometimes.

This has degenerated to a truely shameful level. You don't like someone's speech so you're going to 'out' them in real life, publish that info on the web, and ask people to track them down and disturb their real life and livlihood.

I would hope the Mods would draw some kind of line here about publishing personal info other than what the poster themself reveals, and would absolutely hope they would draw the line at stalking and real life threats implicit or otherwise.

Worse, we've now published the personal info of someone who may or may not be the person you've all got your hate on for, and potentially exposed some innocent to this crap.

Disgraceful.

P.S.

Mods, I've managed some very huge online communities, and believe me, if this kind of thing goes wrong, there is a liability aspect to this for the board operators.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tempus @ Feb 2 2007, 09:23 AM) [snapback]384443[/snapback]</div>

Great. They can start with the "doctor" himself, who recently challenged one of our posters to a fight.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tleonhar @ Jan 31 2007, 04:45 PM) [snapback]383509[/snapback]</div>

I noticed, but I ignored the doctor - he's not particularly good on facts. In another thread a long time ago, he questioned me saying that deficit spending during the Vietnam war caused inflation - he said inflation didn't happen until the Reagan years when he had to pay high interest rates on med school loans<sigh>.

 

Tempus does have a point. I'm apologize for any role that I've had concerning this. It's not my usual demeanor.

However, every action has a reaction and this thread is testament to the affects that an individual can have on a community. This individual has to "own" some of this too.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tempus @ Feb 2 2007, 12:23 PM) [snapback]384443[/snapback]</div>

I have been watching from afar and agree with you in toto. In a way it is better to have things in print rather than spoken words. One can always deny something they said unless it was caught on "tape" while printed conversations cannot be denied.

I also agree with you in that now that they are trying to get personal with potential threat to my physical and economic well-being they are taking it a level which borders on actionable. I will say this - if anything becomes of this - I will bring all options available to me to bear and at the fullest extent possible. I have been copying this and forwarding it to the appropriate people.

 

There is a simple solution:

[attachmentid=6427]

 

Well, I guess that settles that. Not only does Dbermanmd not own his mistruths, he won't own his behavioral missteps. Dbermanmd, have you thought to extend apologies to those that you, yourself have threatened or misinformed? If an apology still remains a nonconsideration to you, those of us with far less insecurities apologize to you. I don't believe I've ever encountered anyone in my entire life that is so defensive. As I now recognize where this now comes from, I will never say a word unkind to you ever again. I am truly sorry for you. There is no sarcasm here, so please don't read any.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SSimon @ Feb 2 2007, 01:27 PM) [snapback]384509[/snapback]</div>

I appreciate it - no sarcasm is detected.

I have never threatened anyone - never. As a student of martial arts (Krav Maga) as a holder of various permits as a parent as a human being I have never threatened anyone physically - ever. I cannot remember my last "fight" - i do not like the concept of fighting or hurting others - I spend my life healing and doing my best to take care of others in lots of various ways (even if I do not donate to the Republican Party) I have suggested that if people are going to call me names they do so to my face - not a threat - a request to IMO behaive like a man. If I have an issue with someone they will know about it up front and in person.

There is no need to be sorry for or to me - honest. I am a big boy and have handled my affairs in an appropriate and responsible manner for a number of decades - and I think have done so in an admirable way.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tempus @ Feb 2 2007, 09:23 AM) [snapback]384443[/snapback]</div>

Agreed. Dropping by Dr. David Berman's office to confront him is unacceptable behavior under any circumstances. I certainly don't advocate that. To be honest, I'm still not convinced that that particular David Berman is the same as our dbermanmd (as I said in a previous post).

There is a point here that we're probably missing... nobody is anonymous on the Internet, as much as you would like to believe you are. When one hides behind the cover of the Internet, where "nobody knows you're a dog", you leave a very easy to follow trail. We all do. E-mails are saved, posts are googleable, and information is out in the open. This information is indexed, compiled, and is easy for anyone to find. People establish opinions based on this information, and the opinions are usually pretty valid. There is no guarantee of privacy on the Internet.

Many employers now google their prospective candidates, and make decisions based on both the positive and the negative information they see. Is this legal? Of course it is... the information is publicly available. If dbermanmd is the David Berman we're talking about, he should probably be concerned about the tenor of his posts, and whether or not he will be alienating potential patients (they can google too... I googled my doctor!). If I were a vitriolic as he, I'd certainly be concerned about that.

If someone were to visit or otherwise harass Dr. David Berman, would that be actionable? Probably, yes. If you are considering doing this, don't... it's a stupid idea anyway, and crosses a distinct line.

If someone recommends to a friend that they not see Dr. Berman because of his postings, would that be actionable? Probably not... the posts are public information, and if it truly is the same Dr. Berman, he needs to accept that his published writings might deter patients from giving him business. Of course, it might boost his patient load among neo-con conservatives... they're probably the ones getting ulcers nowadays anyway.

Personally, I don't like to shop at stores that donate too much money to Republicans, and often couple my buying decisions to information from BuyBlue.org. Is that legal? Of course it is. Websites like Angie's List track people's opinions of contractors. If the opinions are truthful and not libelous, is this legal? Of course it is. Websites like this could conceivably cause economic harm, but since the economic harm is based on truth, it isn't actionable.

We all need to be concerned about the image we portray, whether we're rabid liberals (here!) or neo-con conservatives. If our postings are generally negative, rhetoric-spewing and uninformed, people are going to form opinions about us based on that. They should, and if our posts damage our personal reputations and economic situations, we're really the ones responsible... nobody else is.

Dr. Berman - if someone harasses you at your home or office, sue them... they probably deserve it. If someone tells their friends not to see you (in a professional capacity), because of your postings here, accept that your posted opinions affect your business and move on. You stated that "One can always deny something they said unless it was caught on 'tape' while printed conversations cannot be denied. ". At this point, there isn't a whole lot you can do about changing your history.

 

I would oppose stalking. And I personally would never publish anyone's personal information. But I see nothing wrong with paying a polite visit to the office of David Berman to inform him that someone is using his name on Prius Chat. If it's really him, no harm is done by the visit as long as it is polite. If it is not him, you'd be doing him a service, by informing him of the existance of the impersonator.

As far as "outing" personal information, the user-name of dbermanmd essentially identifies himself, or the person he claims to be.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(danoday @ Feb 2 2007, 02:29 PM) [snapback]384566[/snapback]</div>

Like i said - i will use all options available to me based on existing state and federal laws - some of which are apparently very explicit. Whatever legal opinons that I need will be and possibly have been sought from sources outside this bb - according to recently obtained opinions i do not believe your views expressed here to be legally accurate - again opinions here - you can search case law yourself. And, not that it is important or relavent, my history has absolutely nothing to do with this at this point and never did - again opinions being stated.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Feb 2 2007, 02:53 PM) [snapback]384582[/snapback]</div>

I will state for the record that any action or actions pertaining to information derrived here on this bb will be taken seriously. I retain the right to use each and every option(s) available to me under state and federal law(s). "Actions" will include but not be limited to "paying ""polite"" visits" to my office for anything other than medical consultation.

There should be no doubt left about this at all - any physical visitation to my office not intended for medical purposes will be viewed as an act punishable by existing laws in the State of New York - I also reserve the rights to view such visitation(s) as an act with possible hostile intentions with the implications and possible ramifications implied as such.

This post will serve as notification of such.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tempus @ Feb 2 2007, 12:23 PM) [snapback]384443[/snapback]</div>

They continue to do so even after your post and several responses. I have taken appropriate steps to protect and defend myself in all aspects.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dbermanmd @ Feb 2 2007, 12:26 PM) [snapback]384608[/snapback]</div>

Don't forget that it was you who invited a poster here to visit you in person, at which time you would react to him calling you a "doberman" with a physical fight. As I said in an earlier post, it is you who has put yourself in a dangerous position (legally) with your words. It is you who has made a physical threat. No one else here has crossed that line. It is you, and only you, who has shown hostile intentions. Your previous post serves as notification of such. Please be careful with your words. They can do more harm than you might think.