Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Ghengis Jon]

Good first step - only 3 months late (and no, he's not my favorite president).


https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/20/polit...eet/index.html

[CGVT]

You had a pretty decent, but inaccurate rant going on there, until the last phrase of your statement.

Sorry Dude. Your religion does not give you the right to be a bigot.

And so the lesson in being a decent human concludes...

[Jeff Buchanan]

The link is to a free article from the economist. It reviews some important details about where the three leaders in the race to develop a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine are, introduces a fourth Chinese player and recognizes another emerging therapy that in a small trial reduced the likelihood of infected patients progressing to a critical stage by 79%.

I've posted about the different kinds of vaccines. The Oxford vaccine (AstraZeneca) produces an adaptive (humeral) immune response as well as a T-Cell response. The other two leaders (not sure about the chinese entry) aren't designed to do that. Moderna's vaccine is a molecular RNA product. After injection, it enters cells and, reproduces itself and stimulates an adaptive AB response that when the host is exposed to SARS-CoV-2 these ABs immediately recognize and start attacking the virus. The Pfizer vaccine is also an mRNA product. Neither of them produce a T-Cell response and researchers believe a T-Cell response is more likely to produce protection that persists longer than the competitors. The mRNA products are reportedly easier to manufacture in large quantities.

At this point all we have are claims about efficacy. Early testing demonstrates a level of safety in a small (1000 subjects in the Oxford trial) and an immune response. It says nothing about it's ability to prevent infection in a subject exposed to SARS-CoV-2 or halt disease transmissibility (contagion). The Moderna trials of a similar type to AZ's start next week. It's easy for me to jump to conclusions about which vaccine I'd want but it is way too early for that kind of useful speculation.

https://www.economist.com/science-an...rticle-image-1

[iam416]

Actually, free exercise of religion means just that. Thankfully. The idea of fucking elites openly hostile to religion deciding what is and isn’t important to that religion is stuff of Marxist dreams.

[iam416]

The Oxford/AZ vaccine is extremely promising and, I think, already into much larger trials in multiple countries. If those trials are successful they’ll move to start distributing and no country in their right mind is going to say “we need more trials.” Lol.

Then it’ll be a question of how quickly AZ and its supply chain can crank out a billion doses.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Facuci, if you still trust the guy, and, generally I do, has said that the process being used to bring a vaccine to distribute at scale as quickly as that is being done has risks. I remember his statement he made to an interviewer where he was careful, like he always is, with his word choices, did not say I'd accept the risk that some people, maybe a lot of people, might die from adverse vaccine side effects to save another 100 or 500,000 COVID related deaths. But that is exactly what he said. Fortunately the press didn't run the headline after the interview: FAUCI ADMITS THOUSANDS MAY DIE FROM A VIRUS VACCINE. Shocking that they didn't.

[iam416]

Right. So, if the vaccine passes the next trial there will be a real come to Jesus moment. You can’t hysterically scream about COVID for months on end and THEN say, let’s wait another 6-12 months. Of course, if it’s not that bad then there’s no rush. That’s the box some people will be in.

Me? I’d volunteer for an Oxford trial yesterday provided those Limey fucks didn’t placebo me.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I'm already on the national vaccine trial registry!

Added the link if anyone is interested:

https://www.coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org/

[lineygoblue]

Sorry Dude. Your religion does not give you the right to be a bigot. And so the lesson in being a decent human concludes...

Talent's response to this is actually spot-on. You are saying that your secular point of view trumps (I know, bad choice of words) my religious beliefs.

So, if as a Christian I live my life according to what the Bible teaches, and I encourage others to do the same, that equates me to being a Nazi, or a KKK member. I am to be punished, vilified, fired from my job, run out of my neighborhood, .. any thing that is necessary to rid the world of people of my type.

What part of the Constitution or the Bill of Rights does that come from?

It seems to me that the atheists' of the 1700's were more tolerant than today's version are. They had no problem with many of our laws being based upon Christian principles, and had absolutely no problem with freedom of religious expression. Thomas Jefferson used to hold church services in the Capitol rotunda, and had the US Army Band brought in to play hymns. Today, atheists' are torn asunder by the display of a cross, or a tablet showing the 10 Commandments. If a teacher sits a Bible on their desk during school hours, they want that teacher fired. If someone wears a t-shirt to school with a Bible verse on it, we want that kid thrown out of school, and make them promise to never wear it again. Where is the tolerance of the non-believing folks?

[iam416]

The problem is that the people in power are overtly disdainful of christianity. Other religions they don't care about. But, christianity, they hate. And they ARE in power. So, there is no room for a reasonable compromise or being a decent human being. That's what these ridiculous "show" cases are. In fact, that's the reason the Colorado bakers won -- the Colorado "Civil Rights" Commission was found to be openly targeting them. They weren't fair in the least. And, of course, the bakers were entirely reasonable. Same thing with the relentless assault on the Sistes of the Poor.

[Dr. Strangelove]

They were talking a lot about the possibility of a Tech bubble on CNBC this morning. As two examples, yesterday, in just one day, Tesla's market cap rose by the value of the entire Ford Motor Company. Amazon rose by the total value of Boeing. You can possibly make a case for Amazon being appropriately priced but Tesla's market cap is so far in front of the company's actual revenue that it's insane. Unless Musk is hiding some miracle cold fusion formula or the greatest solar panels in the world up his sleeve, that stock's gonna tank hard at some point in the near future.

[AlabamAlum]

Talent,

As you know, I don’t believe in any gods. I’m usually equally mocking of all of them. Wouldn’t you say the Colorado bakers case is not that common/ Somewhat isolated? I just don’t know of that many examples.

[iam416]

They were talking a lot about the possibility of a Tech bubble on CNBC this morning

One can only hope.

As you know, I don’t believe in any gods. I’m usually equally mocking of all of them. Wouldn’t you say the Colorado bakers case is not that common/ Somewhat isolated? I just don’t know if that many examples.

They're not particularly common. There were cases in Oregon (they put someone out of business) and Indiana (the same). So, I don't know if it's a case of acquiescing because you're gonna lose or if it's just hard to find people to make an example out of. I'm assuming fervent Christian bakers don't grow on trees.

I don't share Liney's dread that freedom of religion is going to end up significantly reduced when the Supreme Court becomes a Progressive Rubber Stamp. Don't get me wrong -- the liberal justices will eviscerate free exercise if they get a chance. But, mostly I don't think the politics support it. You and I are both non-believers and likely feel the way about all religions (not just the hated Christians). But, I also suspect we both respect their right to believe whatever they believe and not be compelled by Government to act in ways contrary to their belief or, more succinctly, not to have their beliefs judged by Government as to what is deeply held and sincere and what is not so important. If the Christian Scientists want to rub cumin on their gangrenous wounds to fight infection, then so be it if it's sincere belief.

My opinion is rooted in the rule of law and more strongly in the belief that the Bill of Rights ought to be extremely strong. Whether it's the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th -- I don't care. That is our guarantee of liberty. And I cringe when the Court reduces liberty. So, even though I find the legal reasoning in the gay marriage and "sex" cases to be specious and laughable, the outcome is fine by me for two reasons (1) I generally support the outcome as a matter of policy (though, not entirely); and (2) it's mostly an expansion of liberty. The "sex" case is much harder because you have competing private interests. The gay marriage case is clear as it is a private vs. state interest batte.

[AlabamAlum]

Talent,

Absolutely. And I was kidding about being mocking. I leave the believers of the various gods alone in their beliefs unless they try to proselytize or debate the belief in said god(s). Hell, as a social custom I observe some religious holidays like Easter and Christmas.

But around here, and I know the South is different in this possibly, but Christianity is king and no one messes with their freedoms that I’ve seen. We have Christmas decorations and nativity scenes in many public buildings and places as well as Easter egg hunts and whatnot. HS football starts with a prayer and just about every public school has Christian-themed clubs. The victory of the Colorado bakers was lauded. If organized attacks on Christianity are common, I’m just not seeing it.

[iam416]

Increasingly we live in "two Americas". Hell, maybe even 3 or 4.. The "attacks" aren't coming from the Federal level. The only Federal question is whether the local attacks survive Constitutional muster.

You're also not going to see any rash of gun laws passed in your neck of the woods. Heh. But, you know they're out there in other far off and exotic places.

Again, I'm not particularly concerned re religious freedom because it's a tough political issue in most places. It is out there, though. And there is an cadre of folks who gin up cases and a few states that back the ginned up cases (the whole Colorado case was such a travesty in every fucking regard).

Anyway, it's a not particularly big fish to fry for me. I care far more about lots of others things that simmering.