Friday, August 14, 2020

The Weird, Wonderful World We Live in

 I've been goofing off carefully, thoughtfully updating my knowledge of world events, and have run across multiple WT* moments. Below, in no particular order, are the ones that struck me as noteworthy.

COVID-19 Panic - the limitations of Science (capitalized, because Important). I've long been aware of the problems of inaccurate results - both False Positives (you DON'T have it, but the test says you do), and also False Negatives (you DO have it, but have been assured you don't).

The False Negatives cause more danger for both the patient and the public, usually. You may not get treatment, until too late, because of that kind of result. If you are infectious or contagious (not the same thing), you may spread a mini-epidemic before the error is corrected.

But, in the case of COVID diagnosis errors of the False Positive kind, there are worse outcomes - you may isolate, and fall into depression, you will likely lose money - either directly through paying for useless treatment, or by being forbidden to appear in public/on the job - or, both.

As very few have the actual disease, the problem of False Positives is a bigger problem. We have virtually shut down massive numbers of people, based on the idea that the disease is running rampant through their state. A substantial number of the "positive cases" are not; but, as that cumulative total keeps getting publicized, the panic in the easily frightened is growing, not shrinking.

How many? One study found 30% False Positive, 20% False Negative.

A better metric is: Currently Affected. That would include all of the current cases, and also include those who have not fully recovered (a small portion). By seeing that number decline, people might take heart, and begin to clamor for release from lockdowns.

That's why the media and the Leftists won't use that number.

Even without test errors, the problem of bad data persists. A CA official, the Health Director of the state, Sonia Angell, has just resigned because of the mismanagement of the statistics relating to this case. In that instance, UNDER-reporting was the problem.

AntiFa rioters are using the revolving door method of incarceration, facilitated by Leftist organizations with big bankrolls and attorneys on call. How about a change in the bail system? Don't just make a cash bail a criteria, make the person signing for the release, AND their organization, if any, PERSONALLY responsible for the cost of any crimes committed while on release.

The idea of 'Soft Leftie' is one that I want to think about for a while. It probably is a better description of many average people who have traditionally voted Left/Dem. Many of them are: Yes, but- on many issues. 

They are against racism, but really don't like the system being stacked against all men and most women, based on their color.

They are for - sort of - abortion rights, but squeamish about the limits of it being unrestricted. And, they are REALLY against the harvesting of body parts.

They are in favor - in public - of Black Lives Matter protests, but REALLY, REALLY opposed to riots. And, as the riots seem to follow the protests like lemmings to the sea, their thinking about the 'rightness' of BLM is lessening.

It's not Proust, but it is a remembrance of things past - in this case, quite appropriate to our current situation. If you believe all of the experts, the NLDs (Non-Leftist Dissidents) are about to have their asses handed to them in the upcoming election - and beyond, as Civilization Falls.

John Wilder reminds us that we don't just fight for ourselves and our families. We also fight for time, so that those who follow can continue the fight.

Who else is heartily tired of the phrase, "The New Normal"?

It is decidedly Ab-Normal. It may become a common situation, but it will NEVER be Normal.

Does anyone reading this have free time, and an investigative bent? Wikileaks released 137 files on Kamala Harris - I've no time to spend on the project. If you have, here's the link. Give me a way to contact you, and I can arrange for you to report out on your findings (either you can write it, or we can converse, and I can record it/take notes and post it).

I, like many with ties to Cleveland, OH, have followed the career of Lebron James from the beginning. I wasn't that bothered by his move to FL (although, I thought he did it in a particularly poor way), as he stood to make a LOT more money, in great part due to no state income tax.

I'm just not all that interested in basketball. I topped out in high school at 5'3" tall - even in girls' sports, I'm too short (and with few ball handling skills) to be a useful player. I mostly watch the sports I've played. But, as I am surrounded by rabid fans, I've kept up on the controversies.

But. 

Lebron, and other multimillionaire players are making a very bad decision in supporting China's policies against Hong Kong and the Uyghurs, and failing to act on the exploitation of Asian workers in the many factories in that region, who make the shoes he, and other players, benefit from via contracts for their endorsements.

It's hypocritical to expect the average person to relate to aggressive support for Black causes, while ignoring other causes that - should you but flex your celebrity muscles - could make a real impact on the lives of truly oppressed humans.

Take a stand, Lebron. You have clout, and your failure to use it will NOT lead to glowing treatment by historians of the future.

6 comments:

daniel_day said...

Linda, were you going to explain your WT acronym?

Mike Guenther said...

I think she meant H E double hockey sticks, to be polite.

On the Covid-19, I got a positive result and put on mandatory self isolation for 10 days. I have had no symptoms since July 20 when I was supposedly exposed by my brother, when I took him to the hospital for a procedure.

He ended up on life support because his doctor didn't catch the Covid-19. Last week we had him disconnected from all the machines that were keeping him alive. He passed away less than an hour after they took him off the machines. His death has been attributed to "natural causes", not Covid-19. That way, the hospital can go after his estate for the full bill instead of the government for a partial payment through Medicaid.

It really sucks because after the hospital gets through, there won't be anything left for his 11 yr old daughter.

daniel_day said...

Mike G, thanks. I can be slow.
I'm very sorry to hear about your brother.

John in Indy said...

Mike, have a privately hired medical examiner do a review of his medical records and an autopsy, then hire a midical malpractice law firm to represent in a malpractice suit against both his doctor snd the hospital.
Hospital is in the trick bag for altering cause of death for their gain.

John in Indy said...

Mike, hire an outside medical examiner to review his records and do an autopsy to determine cause of death, then get a medical malpractice law firm to sue the doctor and the hospital.
The hospital is in the trick bag because they put an inaccurate cause of death on the death certificate for their befefit.

Linda Fox said...

I do agree about hiring a lawyer. The whole thing - the death, your quarantine, and the convenient classification of deaths for maximum profit - all are just rotten things.