Fear and Loathing, a Rat Flu Odyssey

[KQ]

I think most of us probably have a little of that magical thinking--at least subconsciously. We were all a lot more careful when cases were sparse and the odds of being exposed were a lot less. Anyone still clorox wiping their groceries. (I realize that the chance of getting the covid from surfaces is now thought to be minimal.) A lot like people taking more chances in avy country the more experienced and lucky they get.

Classic: "My last two kids were girls so odds are this one will be a boy!"

Three of my least favorite statements:

“This is how it’s always been done...”

“This has never happened to me before...”

“There must be something we can do...”

That first one is uttered around these parts more often than not and of course we see it subtitled in the push back comments on Biden's new infrustructure bill. Not to go all Poliass here but ... heard Asa Hutchinson saying he was all for "traditional infrustruction" not this new stuff. He also complained that his state had TOO MUCH Federal money that they would never be able to spend. I think he needs to apply your last statement "There must be something we can do" because his state ranks at the bottom in so many things like education, housing, child care, health care etc. etc. I'm sure there is plently to spend that money on.

[splat]

[bennymac]

Has this video from this doctor been shown here yet? Feel free to debunk, critique, and discuss. Perhaps vape smoke =/= normal breath, but would like to hear thoughts on it. Some of it seemed to make sense, ie anything with an exhalation valve is just plain silly.

Here are a couple more who won't be told what to say by deep state China Fauci and big pharma CDC. We should give their opinions credence because they are doctors and doctors are never wrong except for when they are part of a worldwide conspiracy to do a great reset and inject us with gene modifying GPS tracking 5G brain implants.

But when they are staunchly against the reams of evidence we should listen to them because that seems kinda cool and rebellious and kinda like we are in on the secret that only smart people can figure out.

Also neither of these people are medical doctors. One has a doctorate in English Lit and she tweeted out this porn star playing a doctor with a fake quote.

[old goat]

There are a shockingly large number of doctors with shockingly bonehead ideas. My favorite was the previously reputable, well qualified, academic medical center neurosurgeon who put bacteria into a couple of patients' brains after cutting out their tumors, on the theory that developing a brain abscess would kill the tumor cells left behind. It is true, the cancers didn't come back--neither patient lived long enough. This was done without any approval from the institutional review board. (Things are getting better--as more and more doctors work for large groups, often employed by hospitals, they face the scrutiny that solo practitioners previously escaped. But nothing can stop the idiots from going on you tube and twitter.)

[bennymac]

[KQ]

Here are a couple more who won't be told what to say by deep state China Fauci and big pharma CDC. We should give their opinions credence because they are doctors and doctors are never wrong except for when they are part of a worldwide conspiracy to do a great reset and inject us with gene modifying GPS tracking 5G brain implants.

But when they are staunchly against the reams of evidence we should listen to them because that seems kinda cool and rebellious and kinda like we are in on the secret that only smart people can figure out.

Also neither of these people are medical doctors. One has a doctorate in English Lit and she tweeted out this porn star playing a doctor with a fake quote.

Got to have the story to go along with this:

A Prominent Anti-Vaxxer Got Tricked Into Endorsing A Fake Quote From A Fake Doctor In A Porno

[bennymac]

Of course there will be many text books written on the COVID-19 pandemic.

But we’re also gonna need one on how seemingly well educated professionals fall deep into the conspiracy theory rabbit holes.

I mean it’s not surprising when the person crying “vaccines cause autism” or “the election was stolen by lizard people” has “d-list celebrity” as their only credentials.

But when they’re Ivy League educated professionals or Rhode scholars you kinda expect some modicum of critical thinking ability.

[LeeLau]

Of course there will be many text books written on the COVID-19 pandemic.

But we’re also gonna need one on how seemingly well educated professionals fall deep into the conspiracy theory rabbit holes.

I mean it’s not surprising when the person crying “vaccines cause autism” or “the election was stolen by lizard people” has “d-list celebrity” as their only credentials.

But when they’re Ivy League educated professionals or Rhode scholars you kinda expect some modicum of critical thinking ability.

The pandemic has revealed a lot of deeply buried mental instability. And shown that intelligence is no barrier

[bennymac]

Agreed.

Is all it takes for these previously very high functioning people to fall into full delusional disorder is their kids being kept home from school and their favorite wine bar to require face masks? (Not trying to belittle the damage and disruption the pandemic has caused to many)

They must have been walking a razors edge between genius and insanity to fall so easily. Maybe if you never have to struggle for academic success due to natural talent you miss out on any lessons in resiliency.

[Buster Highmen]

There are a shockingly large number of doctors with shockingly bonehead ideas. My favorite was the previously reputable, well qualified, academic medical center neurosurgeon who put bacteria into a couple of patients' brains after cutting out their tumors, on the theory that developing a brain abscess would kill the tumor cells left behind. It is true, the cancers didn't come back--neither patient lived long enough. This was done without any approval from the institutional review board. (Things are getting better--as more and more doctors work for large groups, often employed by hospitals, they face the scrutiny that solo practitioners previously escaped. But nothing can stop the idiots from going on you tube and twitter.)

I'm sincerely sorry to have offended you regarding my contempt for doctors, but it's this sort of shit to which my father and mother were exposed.

[old goat]

All bleeding stops--I'm sure I heard that one a hundred times. Another thing doctors aren't good at--originality.

[PB]

There are a shockingly large number of doctors with shockingly bonehead ideas. My favorite was the previously reputable, well qualified, academic medical center neurosurgeon who put bacteria into a couple of patients' brains after cutting out their tumors, on the theory that developing a brain abscess would kill the tumor cells left behind. It is true, the cancers didn't come back--neither patient lived long enough. This was done without any approval from the institutional review board. (Things are getting better--as more and more doctors work for large groups, often employed by hospitals, they face the scrutiny that solo practitioners previously escaped. But nothing can stop the idiots from going on you tube and twitter.)

I remember that guy - Chair of his department, if I recall. MDs + research often go badly awry.

[Ted Striker]

Of course there will be many text books written on the COVID-19 pandemic.

But we’re also gonna need one on how seemingly well educated professionals fall deep into the conspiracy theory rabbit holes.

I mean it’s not surprising when the person crying “vaccines cause autism” or “the election was stolen by lizard people” has “d-list celebrity” as their only credentials.

But when they’re Ivy League educated professionals or Rhode scholars you kinda expect some modicum of critical thinking ability.

The pandemic has revealed a lot of deeply buried mental instability. And shown that intelligence is no barrier

It's possible to be intelligent and stupid concurrently. Just read this forum.

[old goat]

I remember that guy - Chair of his department, if I recall. MDs + research often go badly awry.

I wouldn't call what he did research though--no theoretical basis for his idea (I won't dignify it by calling it a hypothesis), no animal studies before human trial, no research protocol, no controls, no approval to conduct human research, I think he may have told the patients that his treatment was unproven but no true informed consent.

Nice, long article about the cases (3, not 2 as I said before). https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2...a-on-the-brain

[MTT]

Dead thread

[old goat]

If only that were true.

Just read--24 covid cases at Truckee HS.

[::: :::]

Two weeks of in-person hybrid high school & already three emails home from our HS about cohorts with confirmed covid & sent home to isolate for 14days...
So glad the boy opted to stay home
It’s just dumb to fire up in-person school for a month & it helps no one that it’s not even close to full time: asynch time=glorified study hall. PPS not winning at all
lose/lose all around...
JFC

[PB]

I wouldn't call what he did research though--no theoretical basis for his idea (I won't dignify it by calling it a hypothesis), no animal studies before human trial, no research protocol, no controls, no approval to conduct human research, I think he may have told the patients that his treatment was unproven but no true informed consent.

Nice, long article about the cases (3, not 2 as I said before). https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2...a-on-the-brain

Yeah, definitely not even a hypothesis - should have put research in quotes.
Wonder if he was the one behind the Stanford "study"?? Starting to make sense.

[Benny Profane]

There are a shockingly large number of doctors with shockingly bonehead ideas. My favorite was the previously reputable, well qualified, academic medical center neurosurgeon who put bacteria into a couple of patients' brains after cutting out their tumors, on the theory that developing a brain abscess would kill the tumor cells left behind. It is true, the cancers didn't come back--neither patient lived long enough. This was done without any approval from the institutional review board. (Things are getting better--as more and more doctors work for large groups, often employed by hospitals, they face the scrutiny that solo practitioners previously escaped. But nothing can stop the idiots from going on you tube and twitter.)

Yeah, but, from this article about longer lives I posted (and I hope you read):

https://nyti.ms/2PoUF9a

"
The classic story of health progress from the age is Edward Jenner’s invention of the smallpox vaccine, which ranks alongside Newton’s apple and Franklin’s kite among the most familiar narratives in the history of science. After noticing that exposure to a related illness called cowpox — often contracted by dairy workers — seemed to prevent more dangerous smallpox infections, Jenner scraped some pus from the cowpox blisters of a milkmaid and then inserted the material, via incisions made with a lancet, into the arms of an 8-year-old boy. After developing a light fever, the boy soon proved to be immune to variola, the virus that causes smallpox. As the first true vaccination, Jenner’s experiment was indeed a watershed moment in the history of medicine and in the ancient interaction between humans and microorganisms."

I mean, ewwwwww. Imagine if some doctor tried that today. But, damn it, it worked.

[KQ]

Just heard from a neighbor that they are in quarantine as their HS age daughter (16) had several classmates test positive for Covid. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

[old goat]

24 cases at Truckee HS. A bunch of people in quarantine.

I was talking to my cousin in affluent NW suburb of Detroit--his doctor friends tell him the cases in the latest surge are largely spring break returnees--Florida, Cabo, etc. Looking at a map of Michigan hot spots though it looks like the less affluent areas--Detroit proper, Flint and Saginaw areas, rural areas. The U of M and MSU areas relatively spared. So different factors in different locales and demographics.

[bodywhomper]

NPR was reporting cases and fatalities in India likely 10x the current reported values

[dunfree]

But when they’re Ivy League educated professionals or Rhode scholars you kinda expect some modicum of critical thinking ability.

Motivated reasoning and epistemic bubbles eat critical thinking for breakfast. we are in the golden age of bullshitting.

[PB]

NPR was reporting cases and fatalities in India likely 10x the current reported values

Can't help but also wonder what's really going on elsewhere e.g. Turkey.

[pureantigravity]

From "Fear and Loathing, a Rat Flu Odyssey" to "Courage and Calmness, a Health Journey"

This epic masterpiece was produced on many continents and chronicles the travels of a little piece of nucleic acid as it introduces itself to the inhabitants of a blue planet. Rolling Stone says, "Brilliant - one for the decade. Sure to be hit with crowds all over." The London Times said, "Deep and Touching. This will surely wake you as if you have been pinched by a needle."

Buy your tickets now at your local health provider. For the best viewing, be sure to get seats in the Moderna and Pfizer aisles. The Astra-Zeneca seat section is cheaper, doesn't have the same sightlines and is like the 'Nosebleeds Section' in hockey arenas. For people wanting a shorter - ADHD compatible viewing, try the Johnson and Johnson showings.