Debt Rattle January 30 2020

 

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  • #53189

    Ben Shahn “Just one more bolt of cloth”, county fair, central Ohio 1938   • Coronavirus Deaths Leap In China As Countries Struggle To Evacuate Ci
    [See the full post at: Debt Rattle January 30 2020]

    #53190
    V. Arnold
    Participant

    Ben Shahn “Just one more bolt of cloth”, county fair, central Ohio 1938

    An amazing, if hilarious, picture…given its date…

    One of the problems is that, most of us do not understand the numbers…
    This thread goes to explaining the numbers; thanks for that Ilargi…
    On no level is it easy to understand what’s really going on across the globe.
    Pandemic or no; we’ll soon know one way or the other.

    #53192

    About the numbers: Albert Bartlett said:

    “The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function.”

    More numbers: that the mortality rate now appears so much higher (11%) than the “official” rate (2-3%) is so scary I would like to see that from more sources.

    Still, the source is the Lancet, no fools, even if the study group is just 99 people in a Wuhan hospital from Jan 1 to Jan 20.

    #53194
    John Day
    Participant

    The Lancet case study should be interpreted in context. Who had an 11% mortality rate during the trial was those people sick enough to make several selection/concentration jumps, firstly, to select themselves to go to a hospital, perhaps repeatedly, then to be tested, because they were not getting better, then to be shipped to the bigger hospital to be in the study. This selects the sickest patients, who die more.
    Look at the pattern, though. Guys like us get hit the most, especially chronically ill and smokers. Guys like y’all, then. I’m healthy and take vitamin-D, which I’ll get to next.
    Rapidly advancing pneumonia, followed by multi organ failure, seems related to the virus whacking the T-lymphocytes, disabling the immune system, and/or inflaming it in deadly “cytokine storm”.
    Antivirals, AIDS drugs were used on 3/4 of patients, but any relative benefit is not discussed.
    Why not?
    https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30211-7/fulltext

    Clif O. MD, i n Hawaii sent me this nice NIH paper on antiviral benefits of vitamin-D. Take 5000 to 10,000 units per day of vitamin D-3, available cheap and OTC. If you have not been taking it, take 10,000U/d for the first month to get it up to speed. It accumulates slowly.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3308600/

    Don’t smoke stuff. Eat fresh vegetables in large amounts. Sleep all night and be active every day.
    Be a healthy young woman, if possible.

    #53195
    zerosum
    Participant

    Casino slot machines typically have the highest payouts at 95%.
    What are your odds of getting and surviving the coronavirus?

    https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200129-sitrep-9-ncov-v2.pdf?sfvrsn=e2c8915_2
    Data as reported by 29 January 2020*

    SITUATION IN NUMBERS
    Globally
    6065 confirmed
    China
    5997 confirmed
    9239 suspected
    1239 severe
    132 deaths

    Outside of China
    68 confirmed
    15 countries

    #53196
    zerosum
    Participant

    “can’t get any medical treatments, can’t even get a diagnosis. can only sit and wait.”

    https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/6000-quarantined-italian-cruise-ship-due-virus-scare-russia-closes-border-china
    Summary:

    7,921 confirmed cases worldwide, 170 fatalities
    South Korea confirms first human-to-human transmission
    China reported largest one-day jump in fatalities on Wednesday with
    Hong Kong warns of surgical mask shortage
    Russia closes border
    6,000 quarantined aboard Italian cruise ship
    Thailand leads with most cases outside China (14)
    Chinese national hospitalized and quarantined in York
    Virus arrives in India, Philippines
    Air France suspends flights to/from mainland

    Update (1000ET): Italians are breathing a sigh of relief. Initial tests suggest there is no coronavirus aboard the quarantined cruise ship.

    #53197
    Dr. D
    Participant

    “The Choice is Now Between Witnesses and Dictatorship (Turley)”

    They’ve pointed out that the House was supposed to collect evidence, establish witnesses and refer to the Senate trial. They’ve failed to do any of that, including choosing a specific legal crime, much less a ‘High” crime. I have to admit that’s a compelling argument. If they didn’t want witnesses and evidence before, why would we add them now? I think this DOES happen in court, but in the movies where someone happens to find the missing person or the smoking gun and puts the trial in disarray as they struggle to add evidence later.

    And dictatorship? Words have meanings: use them some time. So dictators usually obey all court orders, send all legislation through parliament, stop if it doesn’t pass, tolerate impeachment and removals meekly and without so much as counter-arresting, counter-impeaching, much less calling the generals and having mass arrests of resisting officials? I think that may be the opposite of every tick on the checklist for “dictator”. “Dic·ta·tor /ˈdikˌtādər/ a ruler with total power over a country, typically one who has obtained control by force”. Laughably lacking total power, and lacking control by force of any kind, and arguably much of any control at all as the executive refuses direct orders every day, and he cannot even fire insubordinate Ambassadors or reverse executive orders. But I’m sure if we don’t call ONE witness, all that will change and suddenly everyone will slavishly obey Cheeto-in-Chief, you know, ‘cause: reasons!

    …As if Americans obey anybody, ever. Talk about arguments “absurd”

    Actually, in a world of lies and madness I appreciate Dershowitz’s argument that you’re SUPPOSED to use “Abuse of Power”… but as a POLITICAL accusation, to win elections. It’s tradition. Go ahead, knock yourself out, it’s free speech, make your case, win your contest. …However, it is not a specific legal crime and has been hurled against 45 Presidents in a row, including George Washington, so it can’t be a legitimate standard. Seemed more compelling than Schiff’s “Orange Man is Bad, RussiaRussiaRussia.” Okay, great Adam: where and when? This is your case. Evidence please? “Adam Schiff just argued on the Senate floor that House Democrats can’t possibly be expected to prove their case” Because they, he, has no evidence, apparently? He’s not just the prosecutor, he’s the House manager who gathered the evidence and forced the vote. But now YOU, the chief gatherer-of-ecvidence find you have no evidence? The evidence you were supposed to have long before now as your job and your homework? Sorry, sir, I cannot help you now.

    White House Told Bolton His Book Contains ‘TOP SECRET’ Information (ZH)”

    Surprise to no one, media reported by this that Trump “attacked” Bolton. By telling him some things were still classified and would need to be reviewed. As is done 100% of the time. And is his required job to say. I guess Government officials doing their job really WOULD be news, wouldn’t it? And making them follow the rules in a time of universal failure really IS an attack! I mean, why single out this poor guy when no one else follows laws?

    Bolton also called Trump’s communications with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “warm and cordial,”

    Just like the House and the delayed foreign aid, Bolton was so disturbed by Trump, he told no one and reported nothing. He had no objections and filed no complaints. Then he went on T.V. in full support. Sounds serious! Who can stand such villainy? And all America loves John Bolton. We are breathless on his every word and trust him implicitly.

    Ukraine Investigates Ex-President Poroshenko over Embezzlement (RT)”

    They’re Slavs so nothing they say or do can ever matter to the Ubermench in the media and DNC. Even when they have official reviews, official statements, and start new investigations into Joe. That’s all “unproven” “not suggested” as if they don’t exist. Those silly slavs! They’re not like real people, they are just children who must be guided and told by their betters. White Swede’s burden, who will graciously tell them what to do.

    #53198
    zerosum
    Participant

    All is calm in la-la-land
    Impeachment trials hiding/diverting reports/danger/concerns of coronavirus.

    #53200

    Dr. D, just imagine what will happen if the Senate votes against witnesses. The Dems will use that as their main tool to carry into the election: “We would have proved it all if only they let us…” No matter where you look, there’s much more ugliness on the horizon.

    schiff

    #53201

    Interesting, John. Don’t think I should try to turn into a healthy young woman though, certainly not before the epidemic hits; these things take time. I hope everyone takes your Vit. D3 advice to heart. Just ran out of mine (2,000 units), which I took to make up for lost daylight. That didn’t work at all.

    I’ve been in almost full hibernation state (why I’ve been writing so little) ever since I left Athens for Amsterdam mid Dec. Won’t try that at that time of year again. 2 hours less daylight, and what there is, is always overcast. I grew up as a kid in Holland, but my body doesn’t like it anymore apparently, it demands light, sun. Only now, 5-6 weeks after the shortest day, am I waking up a bit. Been going to the gym 3-4 times a week all the time, but then early afternoon I just fell asleep.

    But, so, yeah, Vit. D3. Get it guys, for now it’s much easier to get than face masks.

    #53202
    John Day
    Participant

    Thanks, Ilargi. Sorry you are under-the-weather.
    If you can’t be healthy young woman, be a surf-lifeguard.
    http://www.johndayblog.com/2020/01/fatal-mechanisms.html
    Switching to poison as a purported cause of death, I am grateful to Tom for sending​ this essay explaining Joe Stalin’s belief that FDR was poisoned to death by “the Churchill gang”, as he explained to FDR’s son, who he had met previously at a high level negotiation in Iran, during the war. My Grandmother Day was always of the belief that FDR was murdered, and may have seen this same interview summary.
    ​ ​Stalin took a few steps around the office, and almost in a rage roared, “They poisoned your father, of course, just as they have tried repeatedly to poison me.”
    “They, who are they,” Elliot asked
    “The Churchill gang!” Stalin roared, “They poisoned your father, and they continue to try to poison me…the Churchill gang!”
    http://www.prouty.org/coment11.html

    Cat sends this whimsical essay by CJ Hopkins, where he paints Trump as a ​”​Dead President Walking”​:
    ​ Relax, folks. I’m just kidding, of course. The Intelligence Community would never dream of doing anything … you know, illegal. The Community doesn’t assassinate people, and commit all sorts of other atrocities. That’s just a thing they do in the movies. In reality, they would never assassinate a president, especially not one they had been telling everyone is a “Russian asset,” and “literally Hitler,” and a “traitor,” and a “dictator,” for over three years.
    ​ ​OK, those are pretty harsh words, but they probably don’t really mean all that stuff. Odds are, they’re just horsing around. They’re a notorious bunch of jokesters, those CIA guys.
    https://www.unz.com/chopkins/dead-president-walking/

    #53203
    Diogenes Shrugged
    Participant

    The MSM calculations are misleading.

    Please give Chris Martenson one full minute of your attention:

    It looks to me like the infection rate is approaching a full order of magnitude every seven days. That’s approaching a tenfold total every week. Having the supplies to do so for a year, I self-quarantined three days ago. It’s the shedding of virus for a week before showing symptoms that told me this one was the one to avoid.

    If your calculation includes only the resolved cases from hospitals, the number of dead throughout China has always exceeded the number of fully-recovered patients released from hospitals. Deaths have ranged between 50% and 60% of resolved cases every day for the last week or so.

    Quoted below is Brandon Smith from his article yesterday:
    Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/how-viral-pandemic-benefits-globalist-agenda

    “Only three months ago, John Hopkins, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Economic Forum (a hive of self-professed globalists) ran a “pandemic simulation” called “Event 201” specifically focused on Coronavirus. Not Ebola, or Swine Flu or even Avian Flu – but CORONAVIRUS. The simulation features the spread of coronavirus in South America, blamed on animal to human transmission (pigs). The conclusion of the exercise was that national governments were nowhere near ready, scoring 40 out of 100 on their preparedness scale. The simulation projected over 65 million deaths worldwide.

    “Event 201 played out almost exactly as it has been in China today. Some very disingenuous or perhaps rather stupid people have been arguing that this kind of thing is “normal”, claiming that we are “lucky” that the elites have been running simulations in advance in order to “save us” from a coronavirus outbreak. I assert that Event 201 was not a simulation but a war-game to study the possible outcomes of an event the globalists already knew was coming. Set aside the fact that before almost every major crisis event and terrorist attack for the past few decades authorities were running simulations for that exact event right before it happened; does anyone really believe that Event 201 is pure coincidence?”

    Personally, and it’s just my opinion, but I now strongly believe that 2019-nCoV a bioweapon. And rather than an accidental release, I suspect this was actually an act of war against world “over-population.”

    By the way, Albert Bartlett was my physics professor at the University of Colorado in 1971. My sole claim to fame in life is that I passed his class with a ‘B.’

    #53204

    Schiff is really getting to me now. he’s doing a little CNN press-op surrounded by real stupid looking lackeys, repeating all the same stuff again that he has for half a year now. But Schiff has zero proof about anything bad in the Trump-Zelensky call, he only has the story he made of it. He also has zero proof about Russia, just like Robert Mueller did, but keeps talking about “..so we don’t have to fight Russia over here”. Another made-up story. It’s insulting.

    Thing is, he’s the only Democrat who’s “attractive” to viewers and voters right now, much more than any of the candidates. They must be wishing so hard he’d run for president, he’s all they have, with his made from whole cloth tales and all. And CNN, NYT,MSNBC and WaPo will go all out for him, because they need to create the impression there’s an actual contest for the presidency.

    The story is not Trump, it’s the moral and spiritual bankruptcy of the entire US political system. Which no-one is trying to fix; the Dems have dick-all, so they make you believe it’ll all be fixed and fine if only Trump were gone.

    When do you think the civil war will start, before or after November 3?

    #53205

    Diogenes,

    I covered the Event 201 simulation in my article yesterday (Eric Toner).

    I think you’re talking infection numbers, not rate.

    #53206

    First US human-to-human transmission. Illinois. Things will change.

    #53207
    zerosum
    Participant

    I like your “clown picture”
    I can’t tell if its photo shopped or real.
    ;_)

    #53208
    Arttua
    Participant

    Immune system.
    A British study of cyclists aged 70 through 80s found their immune system to be close to a 20 something. At the age of 63, as a cyclist I have had certainly less than 63 colds, nothing like Wes from yesterday with 100 to 200.

    #53209
    Dr. D
    Participant

    Civil War? Virginia just had their little armed discussion with an enormous number of fully- armed citizens 10x more than needed to overrun the State.

    “Roger-dodger loud and clear. We hear you. So we are going to DOUBLE the number of gun laws, AND outlaw criticizing anyone in Richmond, AND have any case against anyone we bring be held in Richmond instead of “by a jury of your peers”. So going after the 1st, 2nd, and i dunno, 4th? Amendments now? Sigh. Okey-dokey.

    The thing of moving ALL trials to Richmond so we can get a hanging judge and jury is ominous, totally 3rd world. As much as this:
    VA
    The Seal of the State of Virginia. Thus to all Tyrants. How we’ve fallen.

    #53210
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    “Be a healthy young woman, if possible.”

    Oh, John, I tried so hard. Really. But not only am I improperlu anatomically provisioned, I’m also hopelessly heterosexual, or if one prefers: a male lesbian. I just plain like pussy.

    I used to be a moderately successful wimp, which our culture sadly equates with femininity, but discovered before I’d turned 30 that I am simply not someone to fuck with. I have a kill switch and know how to turn it on.

    I am now struggling to relieve myself of the popular delusion (imo, and I’m sticking to it) that violencve other than obvious blatant self-defense, does anything to promote more good than evil in this world. It doesn’t. Violence as our culture codifies and condones it, the popular concept of “necessary evil”, is not. It is unnecessary evil.

    WHile I do not absolutely claim that all evil is necessary, I do believe that this is true only in the hands of intelligence, wisdom, and power beyond our own. “Vengeance is mine,” saith the Lord, and all that. And evn that allegedly Almighty hypothetical Being gave up on trying to whip or euthanize or coerce and sense into humanity, and this thing they say His Son did was to receive violence unto Himself (for reasons so many claim to understand but not I, although I have a peth theory).

    We’ll fight each other and reality to death. Reality will win. We won’t.

    But that is just my personal moral sphere, something I have to do to preserve my sanity. Others feel a need to fight and I deeply sympathize with them: been there, done that. It just doesn’t work for me.

    Blowing Away

    We’ll have corpses enough to bury ere soon.

    #53211
    Dr D Rich
    Participant

    Have I detected a little objectivity and a turn away from the xenophobia to China exhibited on this blog recently?

    #53212
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    “Schiff is really getting to me now. he’s doing a little CNN press-op surrounded by real stupid looking lackeys, repeating all the same stuff again that he has for half a year now. ”

    Schiff is like a scarecrow. After awhile, the birds ignore him except as a place to roost and shit. Wait and wee what happens when they discover he’s stuffed with peanuts.

    eat crow

    I repost the image as a link in case the IMG button fails:

    Eating Crow

    ***

    “Personally, and it’s just my opinion, but I now strongly believe that 2019-nCoV a bioweapon. And rather than an accidental release, I suspect this was actually an act of war against world “over-population.”

    I quite understand the rationale of your logic and how existing data defines a trend of drill-before-deliberate-calamity, so I can’t naysay the concept’s viability. Zerosum has several times said that when it is shown to transit via wealthy persons’ private air yachts, we’ll see and hear a different response from elite-dominated instruments of social manipulation.

    I can hear their logic over espresso and cognac: “It’s a necessary evil if we’re to save humanity, which only we can do, being the gods of this milieu.”

    It’s plausible.

    But self-deceiving arrogant blind self-delusion works as well or better running on stupid ignorance as on intelligent hubris (and the likes of Bill Gates have both in spades).

    So I won’t forego the prospect that this is just the natural consequence of overall cultural ignorance, our culture being mostly a tissue of silly dreams driven by the highly accurate applied physics discovered by mostly rogue geniuses, their acolytes, and lackeys. That E.O. Wilson quote again:

    “The real problem of humanity is the following: we have paleolithic emotions; medieval institutions; and god-like technology.”

    A guy like Gates is perhaps as well satisfied to have his reflection say, “We told them so,” as it is to say, “Looks like it’s up to save the world via encrypted mass euthanasia.” Maybe more so.

    It’s hard to say with egoes so hyper-inflated and financially empowered.

    ***

    “Thing is, he’s (Schiff) the only Democrat who’s “attractive” to viewers and voters right now, much more than any of the candidates. They must be wishing so hard he’d run for president, he’s all they have, with his made from whole cloth tales and all. And CNN, NYT,MSNBC and WaPo will go all out for him, because they need to create the impression there’s an actual contest for the presidency.”

    Sadly, when I learned from you that Nicole Foss was endorsing the notion that removing Trump is the solution, the inescapable logic I perceived is that the people who identify with whatever it is they call the “left” these days have grown to be the biggest obstacle to meaningful political reform.

    If I had a dollar for every time someone said, “At least Obama could form coherent sentences” as if that morally elevated his actions above their vile swamping grounds, as if it’s better to be lied to with elegant sophistry rather than with word salad sound-bites (Trump’s verbal forte), as if it’s better to believe those elegant lies than face discomfiting truths, I’d be able to go out for a swell dinner with my wife tonight.

    Eat at Home

    #53213
    boscohorowitz
    Participant
    #53214
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    Yeah, I know the scarecrow corpse is fake. Sort of a triple entendre.

    #53215
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    “Have I detected a little objectivity and a turn away from the xenophobia to China exhibited on this blog recently?”

    I hadn’t seen any xeno-. I saw a healthy mistrust of its government, and a subjective distaste for China’s willingness to not hide all of the animals-for-food slaughtered, but no xenophobia either in the true sense (fear of China/Chinese) nor condescencion toward same.

    I too have detected a little objecticvity which, with human beingsd, is as good as it gets: a little here and there. We’re not rational beings.

    #53216
    Dr D Rich
    Participant

    Hahahahaha!

    #53217
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    Here is Patrick Cockburn comparing his personally lived, later journalistically researched, with a polio outbrak in Cork, Ireland (apparentl;y the national whiskey bottle stopper or something?). It presents (at least superficially) as seasoned, level-headed, experienced prudent perspective (but appearances are often deceiving):

    Cork Polio Outbreak

    #53218
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    I tend to doubt Prouty’s version of FDR’s death, and Stalin is as credible as witness as Trump: not.

    Which is not to say that the astoery is entirely false, just that it’s not entirely true’ For example, this is a false attribution. The actual quote comes from the 19th century (which one can also see in the VIctorianesque iron trellised prose).

    That said, I certainly wouldn’t put it past Churchill, a shiny-nosed SOB albeit a gorgeous writer and somewhat shrewd philosopher so long as he stuck to abstractions and physical reality or factual history.

    #53223
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    My reply to a survey request received just now from OHSU, Portland’s ludicrously over-sized, over-priced, narcissitically self-elated medical monolith, I sent this rather than click the survey and begin answering inane question on a scale of 1-10:

    I’m sure that hitting reply won’t place my response before human eyes except maybe one of your IT people, but I have no time to waste on abstracted numerical surveys. Gawdamighty. But if you do read this, I’ll share this:

    Despite the constant confusion and the inevitable malfunctions in protocol/procedure produced by an impossibly over-large bureaucracy and the omnipresence of useless, wasteful marketing/PR, I find that, once one gets through the rat’s maze of unnecessary redundancy coupled with missing necessities (‘undone-dancies’), your actual medical staff is an extremely competent joy to work with. It’s almost as if they’re compensating for an administrative structure they know is out of control and incompetent.

    #53224
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    “When do you think the civil war will start, before or after November 3?”

    Like epidemics, it’s hard to identify a desicive ‘nodal inflection point’ (I think, I hope, I used that 3-word expression aprtly, maybe even accurately). Retroactively, perhaps easier.

    But if you mean armed bands of self-identifying groups shooting at bands of self-identifying groups (armed or not), I’d say when the food, or water, or lights run out or turn off. Possibly with crank-crime-labelled miniature precursors fighting for gasoline. Can’t say how that relates to the next election.

    Or perhaps will see a coup d’etat from within the military, assuming there are enough military personnel in high enough places, of sufficient charisma and skill in clique manipulations who would not be caught up in the slime bomb (call it the unBarred-Epstein virus for poetic sake) I personally believe would explode if Trump were offed. Again, uncertain relation to Nov 3.

    I don’t think people will get their civil war on over this election alone. For all the armed protestors milling about some legislature on a public holiday, the USa plebiscite is a bovine mass on hormones, antibiotics, piped-inmusic, eating weird-ass food while doing their best not to think about the way big bunches occasionally leave after being rounded up in cattle cars headed toward death camps that very few of them can even imagine unless they’re watching All Hitler All Day on The History Channel.

    Moo Chew News

    #53225
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    “The Seal of the State of Virginia. Thus to all Tyrants. How we’ve fallen.”

    It wasn’t fall too far. Virginia is the rotten center that produced this nonsensical polity known as the Unitesd States, with its silly Declaration of Independence for slave owners or slavery-endorsing wannabes who hogged the l;and from its native inhabitants while revering a buncha same if long dead greeks because, hey, at least they’re not Catholics.

    Not far at all. The American dream is something I’ve never once drwamt of nor heard of anyone else doing likewise. It’s something we collectively hallucinate in our somnambulistic waking hours. I know: I’ve seen it on TV. (Don’t tell me that TV isn’t real. Ic havwe personally smashed the screen and sung songs with Little Elmo. That boy’s got some good drugs!)

    #53226
    V. Arnold
    Participant

    But, so, yeah, Vit. D3. Get it guys, for now it’s much easier to get than face masks.

    Ilargi, 2 – 4 grams of vitamin C per day does wonders and is an excellent adjunct to vita D…Linus Pauling pioneered vita C research and himself, took 4 grams a day.
    I take 2 grams every day; vita D is redundant here in the sunny tropics… 😉
    Besides, I eat a lot of natural, plain, yogurt; zero added sugar…

    #53227
    Dr D Rich
    Participant
    #53228
    John Day
    Participant

    Lovely thread today, guys. I’ve ridden my bike to work, worked, and am back home, since Jenny let me put my bike in the back of he Toyota Matrix as she headed home.
    While riding to work I formulated an engaging Unified Conspiracy Theory hypothesis, which should work for all of us, as to how things may have come to appear as they do with Wuhan coronavirus pandemic.
    Let’s look at the article about Wuhan’s Institute of Virology, which we saw yesterday. https://www.zerohedge.com/health/man-behind-global-coronavirus-pandemic
    This institute was advertising on November 18 for a couple of hard working grad level research slaves, sleep under desk kinda; guys. The implication of this ZH article is that thefruit- bats-carry-deadly-coronavirus program was ramping up, but what if they just had to fire a couple of guys in mid November? Have you ever worked in animal research? I have, and sometimes people have to be fired for violating animal treatment protocols. It’s actually really important, and can go on a long time before anybody at the boss level finds out. (I’m thinking of somebody. Hi Larry. I presume you are not reading this.)
    Lab animals are typically docile, raised and fed well by humans in captivity their whole lives, then “sacrificed” at the end of the study. Nobody paid much attention to the rat corpses I had to create in college and med school, but they were not infected with stuff, either.
    Imagine you are a hard working Chinese grad student guy, taking really good care of these lovely fat, pleasant fruit bats every day, and there are lots of them that you are just supposed to euthanize at the end of each project run, then cremate.
    What a waste! These are prime dining, and no hassle at all to slaughter, and there is this guy at the exotic meat market who gives good money for each and every one, no questions asked.
    It’s arguably un-Chinese to persistently ignore such an obviously efficient and virtuous business arrangement. It could be a real steady thing.
    (Larry seemed to have mistreated monkeys and chimps for years, and lab primates are a sensitive issue.)
    So for months there is an intermittent supply of live fruit bats delivered to the Wuhan fish market, variously infected with viral strains that have been tested in previous months. It’s a regular thing. Goes on for at least months, maybe years, until a researcher finds out one day. Unfortunately, it’s something like a month after the virus is already doing human-to-human spread at the fish market (RNA mutation regression analysis placed case-1 in October)
    Case-temporarily-closed. Hire new qualified workers and let them know why the other guys got fired, so they don’t try it.
    Event 201, making the world safe for coronavirus pandemics, was held October 18, which is about the time the virus started it’s journey of spreading and mutating in human hosts, one month before the job postings.
    Well, what if you had researched the Chinese lab, and wanted to hoist it upon it’s own petard, while unleashing a bioweapon on the Chinese economy? Just askin’.
    So you are a deep-state-economic-hit-man spook with flair, a boss who likes your style, plenty of budget, and you know these guys who take care of the infected fruit bats at the virology lab would really like to have girlfriends and money, and you know some guys who can show them a way to help make that happen, with nobody hurt, and nobody the wiser?
    The sort of weakness with this simply scenario is that nobody in the world is protected from whatever weaponized virus finds out it can spread in humans. There has been no real picking and choosing, unless your intel was so good that you actually knew the details of each ongoing experiment, and COULD pick and choose which bats went to market…

    Anyway, Dr D, and Boscohorowitz , and Zerosum, Gilligan, the Skipper, too, I hope everybody can find something to like in this tragicomic screenplay.
    More or less sincerely yours and taking vitamin-D, John

    #53229
    John Day
    Participant

    Oh, this mistreating lab primates Larry is not the Larry who just flew to Thailand with his wife, Timi yesterday, viral-prepared.
    I just wanna’ clarify that is the-good-Larry.

    #53230
    V. Arnold
    Participant

    Chinese Resilience and Silent, Simple and Steady Resistance: a Model for Mankind

    A good and timely article Dr. D Rich; thanks.
    The U.S. is, at its roots, a racist and bigoted country. Some few have always recognised this and gotten beyond that life view.
    Almost twenty years in S.E. Asia has taught me all people/cultures are racist and bigoted; but the U.S. version is particularly pernicious and violent; unlike most of the rest of the world.
    This new iteration of the corona virus has sparked fear, bordering on panic, in the west (especially the U.S.) and they express that by projecting onto the other…

    #53231
    WES
    Participant

    Raul:. Noted your comment about your winter blues.

    I was raised in northern Labrador near the tree line. Winters were long (October to May) snow from September to June with few hours of sun. So I know first hand about what the shortage of sun does to one’s body and mind! Everyone from Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia can verify this too!

    One thing you never hear about is the use of phototherapy. Specifically UV B light.

    I built my own dual 6 foot light fixture to fit neatly behind the bathroom door out of the way and I do a full body 5 minutes every night before I go to bed.

    I have been doing this for just over 2 years (3rd winter) now. Since I started the phototherapy, the one thing I have noticed is that I no longer have a craven for sunlight! Of course the main reason I do this is to tame my eczema (dry skin).

    When you first start only do 1 minute the first few days. It is like getting a mild sunburn. Look for some slightly pink skin! When you no longer turn pink increase the time exposure. Then increase the time to 2 minutes for a day or two, then 3 minutes, 4 minutes, then 5 minutes. After reaching 5 minutes it then depends upon how you feel whether to keep increasing the time. Your body/mind will tell you how much is enough!

    The special UV B light blubs are made by Phillips of Holland. In Canada they cost about $150 for one 6 foot tall bulb. You can get smaller sizes too. Check Phillips website for available sizes and nearest dealer. Commerical units are greatly over priced! All they are, are nothing but glorified ordinary light fixtures!

    I made mine for about $400. All you need, in my case, are; eye protection goggles, 2 UVB light bulbs, a timer, an electronic ballast, and 2 pairs of light blub end caps. It helps to be an electrical engineer!

    If you don’t want to build you own unit then you should be able to buy shorter light bulbs that should fit an ordinary 4 foot ceiling light fixture. Get one with it’s own on/off pull chain then you don’t need to buy a timer either! Use your phone as a timer instead. In Canada an ordinary 4 foot shop light fixture runs between $25 to $40. I know everything in Europe costs more!

    Years prior to this I built a small solarium so I could sit in the sun during the winter months. It was the only way I could afford to go south during the winter months. This didn’t work so well during December or January as that is when we see little sun here in Toronto due to the clouds plus shortest daylight. Just like in Holland! Lots of clouds but no bloody sun!

    Anyway Raul, I would give serious consideration to getting yourself a UV B light blub! It doesn’t need to cost you an arm and leg either!

    Don’t be like me! It took me 64 years to figure this out!

    If you need any help let me know and I will gladly guide you the best I can!

    #53232
    WES
    Participant

    John Day:. Your short parable makes perfect sense!

    Your character was merely doing what he/she had been taught since he/she was a kid!

    Recycle!

    #53233
    WES
    Participant

    That Stalin was paranoid about being poisoned is no surprise!

    Especially considering what he did to everybody else!

    #53235
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    O bravew world and Hail Motherfucking ATLANTIS!
    So What Awreddy

    #53236
    boscohorowitz
    Participant

    Synchronizing the two p[layers requires some careful grace.

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