2022-01-29

Canadians Protest

I have been loosely following this.   Been hard to keep up because I've been preoccupied with other things.

On Fri, Jan 28, 2022 at 10:21 PM al  wrote:
Truck driver caravan heads to Parliment


2022-01-26

Famous orangutan driving a golf cart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6ze-nVh2Bs

From the comments:

His behaviour while driving is very much like a human's. His expression, the way he's gripping the steering wheel with one hand and his semi relaxed posture as he's cruising along, scanning the road ahead. I'd trust him to drive me around lmao.

That would be boss cruising around with him haha

Maybe this was the true self driving car we needed all along

The Insane Engineering of the 787

Excellent natural immunity confirmed

2022-01-25

Man who needs heart transplant refuses to get COVID-19 vaccine

The Simple Genius of the Interstate Highway System

sprawl is not the biggest concern to people seeking a better life

Here's What I Learned (COVID) - Youtube

Mass release of single adult male illegal aliens on video


Large numbers of single adult illegal immigrants are being released and transported into the U.S. in Texas via a small, unmarked office in a parking lot, video caught by Fox News on Sunday shows.

Fox News footage shows several federally contracted buses dropping off dozens of mostly male migrants at a parking garage in Brownsville, Texas. Black tarps were set up with a makeshift sign said "Border Patrol drop-off" above it

Fox witnessed men go into a small, unmarked office, then re-emerge moments later as multiple taxi cabs then showed up to collect the migrants -- who were then shuttled off to nearby Harlingen Airport. There were no children or migrant families among the groups.

Several of the migrants told Fox that they had crossed illegally that morning, paying approximately $2,000 per person to cartel smugglers. They also said they were flying to destinations including Miami, Houston and Atlanta.

Single adults are typically being expelled via Trump-era Title 42 public health protections. The Biden administration kept Title 42 in place but is not applying it to unaccompanied children or most migrant families. However, single adults have long been the easiest category of migrant to deport.

In a statement to Fox News, the city of Brownsville said its Office of Emergency Management, through federal assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), works to facilitate "the transfer of these migrants to their final destination by allowing them to use services to contact their families, NGOs, or a taxicab."

It confirmed that the parking garage serves as a staging area for migrants to be given travel information to "facilitate their transfer to their final destinations." Migrants can also be given a health screening there, a spokesperson said.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said its agency was not involved in the release. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) source who viewed the footage said they believed it was an ICE release.

The development comes just as CBP officially released its December border numbers -- showing 178,840 encounters in December, a slight increase over November, but significantly higher than the 73,994 encountered in December 2020

Fox News footage shows mass release of single adult migrants into US | Fox News



Fwd: Powerful James Web Telescope

According to NASA, the telescope will be 100 times more powerful than Hubble and could detect the heat from a bumblebee as far away as the moon.

The next phase of the telescope is to figure out how to tilt each mirror segment to get the best focus possible on the images, which may take several months.

The telescope is going to orbit a position 2,930,000 miles from Earth. Webb's telescope is also complete with a sunshade that will block heat that may interfere with its detectors. Once the camera cools to an operational temperature, Webb will be pointed at a bright star and mosaics will map out the size of it.

New space telescope images promise to 'knock everybody's socks off' | WKRC (local12.com)


2022-01-24

Re: 37%

FYI.

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: GRANT 
Date: Mon, Jan 24, 2022 at 12:57 PM
Subject: Re: 37%
To: John Coffey 


John,
I came back from the NOA tournament in Las Vegas with a full car due to Tony Padron's accident where his car was no longer drivable, but he and his passengers were all ok, so they drove down and back with me.  Winter accidents due to snow and ice are frequent but normally less sever than dry road accidents.  Anyway, everyone in my car got Covid except me.  I tested negative and have had the Molina booster.  Tony was never vaccinated, since he moved here recently from Saint George where folks have never taken it very seriously.  We stopped at a restaurant there where I noticed that none of the workers wore masks.  
On 01/20/2022 12:55 PM John wrote:


Results We included 3,442 Omicron-positive cases, 9,201 Delta-positive cases, and 471,545 test-negative controls. After 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine effectiveness against Delta infection declined steadily over time but recovered to 93% (95%CI, 92-94%) ≥7 days after receiving an mRNA vaccine for the third dose. In contrast, receipt of 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccines was not protective against Omicron. Vaccine effectiveness against Omicron was 37% (95%CI, 19-50%) ≥7 days after receiving an mRNA vaccine for the third dose

Conclusions Two doses of COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to protect against infection by Omicron. A third dose provides some protection in the immediate term, but substantially less than against Delta. 






2022-01-21

It's Time to Live

34%

Results We included 3,442 Omicron-positive cases, 9,201 Delta-positive cases, and 471,545 test-negative controls. After 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine effectiveness against Delta infection declined steadily over time but recovered to 93% (95%CI, 92-94%) ≥7 days after receiving an mRNA vaccine for the third dose. In contrast, receipt of 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccines was not protective against Omicron. Vaccine effectiveness against Omicron was 37% (95%CI, 19-50%) ≥7 days after receiving an mRNA vaccine for the third dose

Conclusions Two doses of COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to protect against infection by Omicron. A third dose provides some protection in the immediate term, but substantially less than against Delta. 




What must you become? Jordan Peterson

2022-01-19

What is the price of Lasagna?



I'm a big fin of this lasagna. For years the price was $3. Recently the price went up to $3.52, so I thought this is due to inflation, nothing I can do about it. I put in a Walmart curbside pickup order last night, and the lasagna was priced at $4.68. Either we have a big bout of monetary inflation, which we do, or there is a shortage of the product. Today it is listed out of stock so the shortage theory applies. Rather than pay $4.68 for what is a single serving for me, I ordered the Walmart brand, which I don't like as much but it is okay. That is the normal reaction to price inflation. Sometimes people choose cheaper alternatives.

--

2022-01-13

Vaccines don't protect against the spread of the disease?

I am hearing repeatedly the misinformation that the COVID vaccines don't protect against the spread of COVID.  What if this is true?  My response to things like this is to try to find as much information as possible.

After looking at a number of sources, I conclude that it is all relative.  If you are vaccinated then you are less likely to catch the disease and spread it, but this is less effective against the Delta variant.  Still, you have about 75% protection against the Delta variant, but this could wane after 3 months.  Against the Omicron Variant, you can get pretty good protection with a booster, but two vaccinations might not be enough.  This protection might also wane in 3 months, 

However, vaccinations give longer-lasting protection against severe disease.  Being vaccinated is much better off than not being vaccinated.

Personally, I would be happy to get a booster every three months or get the new vaccine for the Omicron variant.

You are much more likely to be hospitalized if you are unvaccinated.  

Vaccines protect against the spread of COVID:
https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/how-vaccines-reduce-transmission
https://www.osfhealthcare.org/blog/fully-vaccinated-less-likely-to-pass-covid-19-to-others/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/11/17/fact-check-covid-19-vaccines-protect-against-infection-transmission/6403678001/
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/vaccinated-people-can-transmit-the-coronavirus-but-its-still-more-likely-if-youre-unvaccinated
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/10/13/do-coronavirus-vaccines-prevent-transmission-of-the-virus
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/vaccinated-people-are-less-likely-spread-covid-new-research-finds-n1280583
https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/mounting-evidence-suggests-covid-vaccines-do-reduce-transmission-how-does-work
https://theconversation.com/no-vaccinated-people-are-not-just-as-infectious-as-unvaccinated-people-if-they-get-covid-171302
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/dec/09/facebook-posts/no-covid-19-vaccines-do-not-increase-transmission-/
https://www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n1112

Vaccines offer some protection against the spread of COVID:
https://fullfact.org/online/neil-oliver-vaccines-effect/

Vaccines help protect against the spread of the Delta Variant:
https://www.rivm.nl/en/news/vaccination-reduces-transmission-to-unvaccinated-household-members-by-63-for-delta-variant
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(21)00690-3/fulltext
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/10/covid-vaccines-protect-against-delta-dont-fully-stop-disease-spread
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2294250-how-much-less-likely-are-you-to-spread-covid-19-if-youre-vaccinated/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-risk-of-vaccinated-covid-transmission-is-not-low/
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/231557/covid-vaccines-effective-household-transmission-delta/
https://patient.info/news-and-features/does-being-vaccinated-against-covid-19-stop-you-getting-infected

Vaccines protect against the spread of the Delta variant but for only 3 months:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02689-y

Vaccines are 75% effective against the Delta Variant:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/delta-variant-vaccines-protect-from-severe-disease-but-do-not-stop-all-transmission
https://www.rollcall.com/2021/07/30/cdc-report-shows-vaccinated-people-can-spread-covid-19/

Breakthrough infections only occur in a small proportion of vaccinated people:
https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-breakthrough-infection-transmission

Vaccines are safe and effective.  Less effective against variants:
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/vaccines/vaccines-faq 
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccine-benefits.html?s_cid=10466:should%20i%20vaccinate:sem.ga:p:RG:GM:gen:PTN:FY21
https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/6-myths-about-covid-19-vaccines-debunked

A large number of cases are among the unvaccinated:
https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2021-11-19/why-the-covid-19-vaccines-do-not-stop-the-virus-from-circulating.html

Vaccines do not prevent spread within households, but unvaccinated more likely:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/28/covid-vaccinated-likely-unjabbed-infect-cohabiters-study-suggests

Vaccinated people carry less infectious virus particles:
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/11/vaccinated-spread-the-coronavirus/620650/
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/10/12/1044553048/covid-data-vaccines-breakthrough-infections-transmission

Boosters protect against Omicron:
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-59696499
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/by-the-numbers-covid-19-vaccines-and-omicron
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/omicron-cannot-escape-t-cells-boosters-protect-households-omicron-2021-12-29/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/how-booster-shots-can-help-protect-you-from-omicron
https://www.uchealth.org/today/booster-shots-protection-against-omicron/
https://www.prevention.com/health/health-conditions/a38461092/omicron-covid-variant-vaccine-booster-efficacy/
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/omicron-has-arrived-heres-what-we-know-so-far
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/how-effective-are-covid-19-vaccines-against-omicron
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/12/14/1063947940/vaccine-protection-vs-omicron-infection-may-drop-to-30-but-does-cut-severe-disea
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/omicron-variant.html
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/vaccine-efficacy-data-shows-how-shots-protect-against-omicron-covid-variant/2716776/
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/vaccines-that-protect-best-against-omicron-variant/85-aefef265-550a-4493-ab61-41158bad6f5a
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/covid-19-mrna-booster-vaccine-offers-best-protection-against-omicron
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/how-booster-shots-can-help-protect-you-from-omicron
https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/news/20211220/moderna-booster-increases-protection-against-omicron
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/significant-increase-protection-vs-omicron-mrna-boosters-study-says-2021-12-22/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/12/20/moderna-booster-effective-against-omicron-study-shows-covid-19-news/8963500002/

Booster protection against Omicron wanes in 10 weeks but prevents severe disease.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/23/health/booster-protection-omicron.html
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/232657/boosters-vital-mitigate-impact-omicron-lose/

Omicron Vaccine might be ready by March:
--

2022-01-10

The $100 Billion Dollar Ingredient making your Food Toxic - Vegetable seed oils

On Mon, Jan 10, 2022, David wrote:

This 28 minute video is outstanding.  It is clear, understandable, interesting, and entertaining as well.

 

Anyone who cares about their long term health should find the information in this video to be of great value.

 

The $100 Billion Dollar Ingredient making your Food Toxic – Vegetable seed oils

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQmqVVmMB3k

 

Thanks for watching.



I just watched some of this video yesterday.  I had seen it already a few months ago. 

There are always going to be people with different views, but that doesn't make them right.

We should try to verify the claims.  Both times that I watched this video, I did some online research.  What I found was ...

1.  Consumption of saturated fat causes an increase in cholesterol levels, especially LDL "bad cholesterol".


3.  According to some studies, the type of fat and amount consumed have no effect on mortality.  A few studies say otherwise.

Just because heart disease and consumption of vegetable oils are correlated does not show causality.  Over time Americans became much fatter and consume higher amounts of salt, sugar, and deep-fried foods.

I think that the video possibly has a point about reheated oil from deep-frying possibly being bad.   There is some research showing that deep-fried foods are bad for us.  

The main point of the video is that oxidized oils are bad for us because they contain oxygenated byproducts.  However, I can't find any studies backing this up.  They claim that olive oil is bad because it is easily oxidized, but all the information on the Internet lists olive oil as one of the healthiest oils.  It has more antioxidants and other things that are good for us.    I'm using much more olive oil.  (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266258)  (https://www.oliveoil.com/high-polyphenol-olive-oil/)

Do I think that it is possible that we have been misled into thinking that unsaturated fats are good when saturated fats are really better?  Yes, but I can't find studies to back this up.  Just when I start thinking that there might be something to this, a study comes out showing that consumption of polyunsaturated fat lowers the risk of stroke.  This puts much doubt on the claim that polyunsaturated fats are bad.  (https://www.healio.com/news/cardiology/20211113/simple-food-swaps-may-lower-stroke-risk)

The American Heart Association lists the fats that they consider healthier:  https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/healthy-cooking-oils

--



2022-01-09

Biden administration guidance prioritizes race in administering COVID drugs

One such "risk factor" is being a race or ethnicity that is not White due to "longstanding systemic health and social inequities."

"Non-white race or Hispanic/Latino ethnicity should be considered a risk factor, as longstanding systemic health and social inequities have contributed to an increased risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19," the memo reads.

In guidelines issued by the state of Utah for the distribution of monoclonal antibodies in the state, residents who are "non-white race or Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity" receive 2 additional points when calculating their "COVID-19 risk score."

"Race/ethnicity continues to be a risk factor for severe COVID-19 disease, and the Utah COVID Risk Score is one approach to address equitable access to hard hit communities," the Utah guidance stated, adding a reminder that national guidance from the FDA "specifically states that race and ethnicity may be considered when identifying patients most likely to benefit from this lifesaving treatment."

A healthcare worker attaches an IV infusion to a patient's hand during a monoclonal antibody treatment in the parking lot at Wayne Health Detroit Mack Health Center in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., on Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021. 

Similarly, the framework issued by the state of Minnesota advises clinicians and health systems to "consider heightened risk of progression to severe COVID-19 associated with race and ethnicity when determining eligibility" for the allocation for monoclonal antibody therapies.

"FDA's acknowledgment means that race and ethnicity alone, apart from other underlying health conditions, may be considered in determining eligibility for mAbs," the framework states. "It is ethically appropriate to consider race and ethnicity in mAb eligibility decisions when data show elevated risk of poor COVID-19 outcomes for Black, Indigenous and other people of color (BIPOC populations), and that this risk cannot be adequately addressed by determining eligibility based on underlying health conditions (perhaps due to underdiagnosis of health conditions that elevate risk of poor COVID-19 outcomes in these populations)."



2022-01-07

2022-01-01

Can the Police STOP You For.... - YouTube

Anti-vax

 This is regarding all the anti-vax people.  In the United States, this was originally around 20% of the population but now it might be slightly less.  (https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/12/26/heres-how-covid-19-vaccine-hesitancy-has-and-hasnt-changed-over-2021/?sh=7ffac54673ba)   There are some unwilling to take the COVID vaccine who otherwise would not be anti-vaccine.  However, around 40% of the U.S. population is still not fully vaccinated.

An individual who is anti-vax might not catch the disease, or if they do they might not spread it to other people, but statistics say that they do catch the disease then they are likely to spread it to multiple people.  The anti-vax crowd as a whole is causing more people to get sick and die by spreading the disease, but also by spreading a great deal of misinformation.  I routinely get emails from friends with completely absurd statements about the vaccines that are not backed by science and are easily debunked.  People follow this information like it was the gospel truth.  So-called experts lacking any form of relevant credentials promote this information without backing it up with any convincing evidence or peer-reviewed studies.  When you look at the particulars of the claims being made, they fall apart quickly.  Yet, if you try to confront people with evidence, they just double down on their anti-vax position.

My frustration with the anti-vax crowd is turning to anger.  I have more than one family member who would most likely die if they were to catch COVID-19.  The anti-vax people care a great deal about their risk with the vaccines, which is so minuscule that it is hardly worth mentioning, but they don't seem to care at all about the much greater and very real risk to other people.  If the death rate of the disease were around 25%, I don't think that we would be having this discussion, but since the death rate is only around 2% for known cases, it is in an area where people start to think that it is not important.  Because the disease mostly kills the elderly and people with comorbidities, I often hear the excuse that those people would have died anyway.  However, those people's lives still matter, and they most likely would live years with whatever medical conditions they have.  They don't deserve to have their lives cut short by a mostly preventable disease.

In the year 2020, we had 20% more deaths than normal. 

There is much misinformation floating around about how the vaccines don't prevent you from getting the disease, nor prevent you from spreading it.  However, the data shows that vaccinated people are much less likely to get the disease, spread it, have severe symptoms, get hospitalized, and die.  Getting any vaccine is playing the odds; it doesn't fully protect you, but it is far better than nothing.

People are confused because the immunity from the vaccines has waned over time and the vaccines are less effective against the variants.  However, we always knew that any form of immunity would wane over time and that eventually we would need boosters.  The vaccines were designed to combat the original COVID-19 disease, against which they are incredibly effective.  We always knew that variants could arise and that we might need different or modified vaccines.

-- 

Best wishes,

John Coffey

Daily COVID Cases

First, we set a record with 313,000 new daily cases. It dropped for a couple of days, but then we got numbers of 339,000, 572,000, and 443,000.

World's Best Table Tennis Robot