Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Dr. Strangelove]

Lin is a piece of shit. A fucking snake if I've ever seen one.

He also cashed in off of Sandmann as much as he could while doing next to no actual legal work as I recall

[Kapture1]

He also cashed in off of Sandmann as much as he could while doing next to no actual legal work as I recall

I bet the two of them shared storied when they spoke on phone of that asshole, glad word is finally getting out. He makes my skin crawl.

Still, more interested in their conversations about suing news networks, Kyle H Rittenhouse is going to be a wealthy man.

[Mike]

Why? They are idiots and what they say on Twitter has nothing to do with shaping policy - well, they might think it does but the reality is that they become enamored with how many other idiots as measured by "likes" are buying the stupid shit they spout.

I think there are influential non-government types out there that get listened to by Congress and the current administration that actually does make policy but they aren't on Twitter.

If it were just loudmouth nobodies talking crazy I would agree. But when members of the United States congress are unhinged wackados, we need to pay attention.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Fair enough. When I reconsider my position, it is true that the unhinged whackados do seem to influence Joe Biden regarding his policy positions but let's get real here. Is anyone taking him seriously? Anyone thinking what ever stupid stuff he appears to support to assuage the progressive caucus is not going to make it into law? Some inconsequential shit might but there are enough, rational people in the Senate to block enough of the progressive agenda to keep the liberal US democracy from becoming illliberal.

I'm not getting anywhere near that cesspool. I have enough information to deal with and enough reliable sources of information that I sure as shit don't need Twitter among them.

[Da Geezer]

Mike:

What is your view on prophylactic Ivermectin or Hydroxycloriquin?

[CGVT]

Snake oil

[Hannibal]

I don't know about hydroxychloriquine.

But I do know that if sanitation and vaccines were the only way to prevent people from dying from Covid-19, then they would be stacking bodies like cords of wood in places like India, and they aren't. That cheap and previously available drugs like Ivermectin are effective on a mass scale in preventing the spread of and fatalities from Covid-19 shouldn't be dismissed so easily.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Mike:

What is your view on prophylactic Ivermectin or Hydroxycloriquin?

You asked me this question yesterday and I forgot to respond. The NYT keeps a running data base on COVID therapies including those that could be considered prophylactic. The link is below the section on Ivermectin where I copied and pasted it. The link may or may not be paywalled.

Hydroxychloroquin also got panned. You can ding this list for not being from a reliable medical journal. However, for each entry, the NYTs claims they review the evidence for or against its use, based on published scientific findings and consultation with experts. I do read medical journals and I'd have to say the reviews of therapies is consistent with what I read in those journals about them.

Ivermectin

For decades, ivermectin has served as a potent drug to treat parasitic worms. Doctors use it against river blindness and other diseases, while veterinarians give dogs a different formulation to prevent heartworm. Studies on cells have suggested ivermectin might also kill viruses. But scientists have yet to find strong evidence in animal studies or human trials that it can treat viral diseases. As a result, ivermectin is not approved to use as an antiviral.

Last April, Australian researchers reported that the drug blocked coronaviruses in cell cultures. But they used a dosage that was so high it might have dangerous side effects in people. The F.D.A. immediately issued a warning against taking pet medications that contain ivermectin. “These animal drugs can cause serious harm in people,” the agency warned. On March 5, 2021, the F.D.A. issued another warning not to use ivermectin to treat or prevent Covid-19. The European Medicines Agency released a similar warning later that month.

Nevertheless, ivermectin gained widespread popularity as a supposed treatment for Covid-19. In the United States, the Senate held a committee hearing in December where a doctor extolled ivermectin as a “effectively a ‘miracle drug’ against Covid-19.” But those claims were not backed up by clear results from large, randomized clinical trials.

A number of small clinical trials have been carried out to test ivermectin against Covid-19. In July 2021, a team of researchers reviewed the studies conducted up until then. “We found no evidence to support the use of ivermectin for treating or preventing COVID-19 infection, but the evidence base is limited,” they concluded. One high-profile study that seemed to show ivermectin was highly effective was removed from a preprint website because of concerns about serious flaws in the research.

A number of large-scale randomized clinical trials are underway that may provide a clearer picture. In August, the National Institutes of Health began testing the drug on people 30 years old or older who test positive for Covid-19 within the previous ten days and have at least two symptoms for a week or less. Shortly before that study launched, another trial on 1500 patients found no benefit from ivermectin.
Updated Aug. 30

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-drugs-treatments.html

[Jeff Buchanan]

You'll recall that months ago as our COVID concerns rightfully receded that I questioned why PH authorities weren't using the airways and print media to advise people how they can keep themselves and others safe. What you see is the face of the federal PH authorities, Fauci and Walenski, who have rendered themselves untrustworthy and unreliable by their blathering and mixed messaging not coming close to doing this. Moreover, the CDC web site where you might want to look for such advise is unreadable because of it's complexity. I've tried.

The void has been filled by other organizations and, while some might disagree because they don't like the source, the NYT is particularly good in this public health and service role. Setting aside your political viewpoints, they have been running an excellent series of article on how to keep yourself and others safe. The first link should take you to an article about COVID Testing, understanding it and properly using home tests. Since I started writing here and elsewhere about pandemic related things I've stressed the need for testing as a means of controlling the pandemic and reducing it to a manageable local and regional epidemic. The US has sucked at this for a lot of reasons. We are getting better though with renewed emphasis on testing. The messaging in support of it is, again, not coming from where you'd expect it. The second link is a way to assess your risks for holiday travel and gatherings. I don't think these are paywalled. If they are, post it and I'll try to recap them.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/24/briefing/thanksgiving-covid-rapid-test.html

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/11/17/well/live/holiday-gatherings-covid.html?refer=hp-promo&answer=no

[Dr. Strangelove]

[Hannibal]

Not a surprise. It sounded like that trial went south for those guys from day 1. I'm still trying to figure out how the guy videoing the event is guilty of "murder", but trivialities like guilty and innocence pale in significance compared to social justice.

[Da Geezer]

Mike:

What is your view on prophylactic Ivermectin or Hydroxycloriquin?

Sorry. I meant this question for Jeff, but he answered it anyway.

I am still struck by the article about why Covid is not decimating Africa, at least in those countries that give out H+I. I am never struck by anything the NYT puts out.

What I will note is that during the election year, CNN and MSNBC both had inserts on every show dealing with the number of cases and deaths. Now that more deaths have occurred this year, why don't they keep us updated?

[lineygoblue]

So are cities going to burn, or can the firefighters take Thanksgiving week off?

[THE_WIZARD_]

Rioting and looting is a noble prog cause...they will not take time off...

[Cody_Russell]

Jurys getting both big cases correct in the past week. Nothing controversial based on the two decisions.