In the first half, George Knapp welcomed Dr. Mark Ibsen to discuss his 19-year legal battle with the Montana Board of Medicine over prescribing opioids, describing the situation as a "pain refugee crisis." He cited a 2011 Institute of Medicine study stating, "In America, over 100 million people live with chronic pain," yet many of these patients don't seek treatment out of fear of being labeled as addicts, exacerbating their suffering.
He claimed that "25 million people require high doses of opiates," yet many have been abandoned by their doctors who fear repercussions from regulatory bodies. Ibsen referenced a personal account of an elderly cancer patient denied adequate pain relief in hospice care, illustrating the absurdity of current practices. "People are dying from lack of pain management," he asserted. He also shared his experiences as an emergency room physician where "80% of doctor visits are pain-related," and explained that chronic pain is often a sign of malpractice masked as standard procedure. He emphasized that doctors are more focused on avoiding disciplinary action than effectively treating their patients. "If you don't treat pain, you are not interested in 80% of the patients that come through the door," Ibsen lamented.
He recounted his struggles with the medical board, beginning with accusations stemming from his personal life that resulted in a psychiatric evaluation, which he insisted was unwarranted. "I lost trust with medical authorities at that time," Ibsen said. Despite winning multiple cases against him, he remains wary of the system. "Once those authorities conclude that you are a problem, you remain branded," Ibsen remarked.
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In the second half, Gabriel Mckee, a librarian at New York University, shared his journey uncovering the life and legacy of Gray Barker, a pivotal figure in the UFO culture of the 1950s and 60s. Mckee's fascination with Barker began while he was inventorying acclaimed sci-fi author Jack Womack's UFO book collection, which included works by Barker. "Barker was such a character and such an entertaining writer," Mckee explained, emphasizing his storytelling abilities. According to Mckee, Barker viewed himself not just as a purveyor of facts, but as an entertainer, tapping into the rich culture of folklore and storytelling in his West Virginia upbringing.
Mckee noted that "for Barker... it wasn't really a question of belief or disbelief. It was more, is this enjoyable for me?" This approach, often met with skepticism from contemporaries, positioned Barker as a controversial figure within both the science fiction and UFO worlds. Mckee detailed Barker's significant role in popularizing the "men in black" concept, spearheaded by mysterious occurrences surrounding fellow researcher Albert Bender. After Bender abruptly ceased his UFO investigations, claiming to have been visited by three men in dark suits, Barker seized upon this story, amplifying it in one of his books.
Mckee mentioned that Barker's immersion in UFO culture may have offered him a shield against societal scrutiny of his homosexuality. He described how the "eccentricity" of investigating aliens was more palatable in conservative West Virginia than being gay. Mckee also pointed out how Barker's name remains relatively obscure among modern UFO enthusiasts, despite his significant contributions to the subject's early narratives.
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Knapp's News
George Knapp shared recent items of interest, including articles about painkillers and Iranian nukes:
- Newly Released Footage Shows 'Disc'-Shaped UFO Making Abrupt Turn Over Hindu Kush Mountains
- Dead Wrong: What West Virginia’s OD Deaths Tell Us About U.S. Opioid Policy
- People Who Live in Rural Areas Have More Pain and Less Access to Treatment
- "We Are Past the Event Horizon": Controversial AI Visionary Says the Singularity is Here, and It’s Not What We Expected
- How the FBI and Big Ag Started Treating Animal Rights Activists as Bioterrorists
- Insect Numbers Are Plummeting: Here Are Eight Easy Ways to Help
- Loose Nukes In Iran Is A Scenario U.S. Special Operators Have Been Training For