Monday - July 06, 2020
Monday Morning COVID BS
Sorry. I’m sick to death of it too.
NEW JERSEY – New projections and data suggest New Jersey is on the right course after nearly a month of reopenings that have impacted the coronavirus outbreak. But Gov. Phil Murphy said there are signs that “we run the risk of this thing coming back at us” if New Jersey doesn’t remain cautious.
Indeed, there are signs that the rate of transmission is still too high in New Jersey’s more rural counties, particularly in South Jersey. And a study from researchers and epidemiologists says New Jersey is no longer on track to contain the coronavirus as infection numbers surge to record new highs across the country.
According to the administration’s models:
Hospitalizations were expected to drop 22 percent from July 1 through 7.
Active infections were expected to drop 22 percent to 2,174 from July 1 through 7. The July 7 number would be a 53 percent drop from June 19th.
ICU patients were expected to drop from 170 to 131 on July 7th.The Murphy administration also noted that numbers have declined since the reopenings started more than a month ago.
On June 4th, 1,982 people were hospitalized. On Sunday, the number was 917.
On June 4 th, 537 people were in critical or intensive care. On Sunday, the number was 210.
On May 17th, when the reopenings started, Murphy announced that New Jersey had 1,272 new cases. On Sunday, the number was 303.But, based on the models and other factors, there are some concerning signs that perhaps contributed to Murphy’s decision to suspend the reopening of indoor dining.
Here are some factors that may cause concern:
The state’s case rate is actually running ahead of its recent projections. The Murphy administration’s models predicted that New Jersey would have 170,842 total cases by Tuesday; it had 171,667.
Yes, the lead factor for “concern” is that the real world number is less that 1/2% higher than the latest projection. Oh noes, reality! Run, hide, shelter in place!!
Meanwhile, another 80,000 people have been tested here in NJ since my last screed on this topic. Well, given the PCR swab test. No numbers for the antibody test, and 1,270 for the saliva test in our local 2 county pilot testing project. This adds up to 17.25% of the population of the entire state.
This is the very first news article I’ve seen anywhere that mentions the number of active cases. Obviously this number is known, and known in every county in the nation. Yet it is not a stat the public needs to see I guess. Um, wrong! It’s the only stat that matters.
Hunterdon County is still not fully opened. Masks must be worn to go into any business, customers limited to 25% of capacity, haircuts, manicures, massages, by appointment only, movie theaters still not open, no eat in dining, etc.
A recent report by a leftwing, Silicon Valley/Soros funded “watchdog” group called COVID Action Now ( IMO anything with “action” and/or “now” in it’s name is guaranteed to be a leftist commie rag ) has declared that my county is not “controlling” the virus, and that our spreading rate, the infamous R value, is greater than 1.0. Danger Will Robinson, Danger!!! This is an obvious farm cart full of horse apples.
Each color is one of our townships or boroughs. The 3 at the top are the ones with the prisons and the LTC centers. Removing those cases to get an “adjusted public” case count drops those 3, top to bottom, to 29, 0, and 112, respectively. That 112 belongs to Raritan Township, which is the largest township in the county and has the largest population.
Posted by Drew458
on 07/06/2020 at 07:39 AM
Filed Under: • pandemic and epidemic diseases •
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Permalink • Saturday - July 04, 2020
Happy Fourth, Whatever Is Left Of It
Remember to remember today. And to talk about it with the people around you. I’ve got a pocket sized copy of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, left over from Tea Party days. I’m considering reading it out loud, letting everyone orate a paragraph or two.
There will be no fireworks in our area. They’ve been canceled, because gathering to watch them could limit social distancing. Personal fireworks are generally illegal in NJ anyway, although the state has reluctantly allowed small sparklers (labeled use with adult supervision and wear eye protection!!) and poppers. And the feds regulated firecrackers and anything larger down to anemic levels back in the 60s.
We’re supposed to go to the annual party at the cousin’s place. Better wear your mask, or at least be seen wearing one when entering his yard. Thankfully, the governor has allowed us to have gatherings larger than our group will be. Don’t ask me how we’re going to maintain social distancing with 50 people in his backyard. Thankfully his place is still in NJ. That way we don’t have to quarantine if we cross state lines.
Obviously, don’t drink and drive. Even if you are wearing your government mandated seat belts, in your fairly new vehicle that reports your location and possibly your conversations to the government. As does the cell phone in your pocket. But it’s a big crime to be operating a vehicle of any kind, including boats, dirt bikes, scooters, canoes, golf carts, and probably mobility chairs if you’ve had even a couple of beers in the last hour or two.
Can you go to church today if you wanted to? Or, if you’re Christian or Jewish, will the authorities still come and ticket or arrest you, even if you’re in the parking lot with the windows closed, listening to your preacher on the radio? Muslims get a free pass.
And for goodness sake, remember to not say anything negative about Black Lives Matter, or the open war on our society by antifa and other anarchist Marxist groups, or lament any lovely old statues in your area that have been destroyed, or even obliquely refer to the media’s war on our President, our culture, and our nation. If you do talk about any of the Founding Fathers, remember to always mention that these dead white males were members of the patriarchy and that most of them owned slaves, therefore nothing that they ever said, wrote, or did has any validity. And for God’s sake (oops, sorry, God isn’t allowed either) Gaia’s sake, DO NOT POST your thoughts and opinions on social media. This could cost you your job either now or decades from now, and if your opinions are bold enough it could get you arrested for Hate Speech. Remember, everyone around you is a Karen for the state if they feel like it.
Perhaps you’ll just enjoy this day communing with nature, getting out of the built up areas and back to the forests in the national parks. This makes you a racist.
So celebrate today, because we are a free people.
Yeah.
Posted by Drew458
on 07/04/2020 at 07:54 AM
Filed Under: • FREEDOM •
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Permalink • Thursday - July 02, 2020
yay, bowling
King Murphy has finally allowed the bowling alleys in NJ to reopen. With all sorts of precautions, masks, barriers, social distancing, etc.
So I went up there today and threw 4 games. I haven’t bowled since March 13. I figure it’s time to learn how to bowl all over again, so I tried the Drop Your Shoulder method. This allows a straighter, more perpendicular swing. And it seems to work. First game I threw was a 194, with the first 2 frames open. Then I threw a 164, followed by a 166 while trying out different lines. That gave me a 523 series, which isn’t so bad considering. Just for fun I threw one more game, and came up with a 199 that had 4 opens. In other words, every closed frame was a strike, but my right corner spare throw was not working at all today. So far my hand isn’t hurting and my back isn’t out, so maybe this is a smarter way for me to roll.
She has tomorrow off, so we’ll both go up and toss a few. And then it’s the big holiday weekend. Not sure if I’m going to her cousin’s party Saturday or not. I saw all those people at Christmas and got sick afterwards. This will be outside, in the swamp humidity of a NJ summer.
Posted by Drew458
on 07/02/2020 at 04:25 PM
Filed Under: • Bowling Blogging •
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Permalink • The MERV Of Them!
ONE instance in China where an air conditioner is suspected of spreading COVID by blowing droplets around. One. The thesis was not tested or replicated in a lab, but it seems to make a bit of sense. So let the panic and the kneejerk and the political weaponization ensue. Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of Dem. We must all live in a sanitized bubble from now on, or else we’ll die. Riiight.
Cuomo says malls may need to improve air filtration before they can open
ALBANY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo contended Friday that ventilation systems in malls and theaters could spread the coronavirus, an assertion immediately disputed by the largest operator of shopping plazas in upstate New York.
Pyramid Management Group, in a statement responding to Cuomo, said, “There is no documented link between HVAC systems and the spread of COVID-19 in malls.”
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Cuomo said the state is trying to determine if there are any ventilation filters on the market that can trap the coronavirus.
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Other venues with HVAC systems that have remained open or have reopened at reduced capacity include office buildings, subway stations and retail stores outside of malls. Schools were closed in March, though the reason given was concern over the density of people in classrooms, not ventilation issues.Pyramid said it has been working with HVAC technicians to increase fresh air flow into the buildings it manages and install new filters. The company said it has complied with all guidance offered by the Centers for Disease Control, a federal agency, as well as by the state government led by Cuomo.
“This week, we have spoken with dozens of HVAC companies who have shared that Pyramid has done considerably more than other businesses that they represent who are open,” Pyramid said.
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Cuomo said the state Department of Health, led by Dr. Howard Zucker, is overseeing the effort to determine if there is a filtration system available to remove the virus from air circulation.As for gyms, Cuomo said he is concerned that people could exhale the virus into the air while vigorously exercising.
This sort of reminds me of the old Beatles song Taxman; government controlling every aspect of your life right down to the air you breathe, through taxation and regulation.
If you drive a car, I’ll tax the street
If you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat
If you get too cold, I’ll tax the heat
If you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet
Pushed just a tiny bit further, this is a Catch-22 hurdle put in the way of businesses. Not only would an effective HVAC mitigation be very expensive to install and maintain, not one of them exists that is Officially Approved to capture or kill this specific virus. That seal of approval will take years and cost millions. And what are businesses and offices to do in the meantime?
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I saw this coming a couple months ago and posted about it. While dining and working in the great outdoors is probably the best and least expensive solution, the whole point of civilization is to get as far away from nature as possible. Away from the wind and rain and bugs and dirt and cold. That’s what indoors is all about.
Yes, there are possible solutions. HEPA filters are kind of like the N95 masks of the HVAC world. They do a pretty good job, but they cost more and usually require a stronger ventilating system. It takes stronger fans to pull the same amount of air through a tighter filter. How do you know it’s a “good” filter? That’s where MERV comes in. MERV stands for minimum efficiency reporting value and is a metric for filtration effectiveness. A MERV rating below 13 isn’t going to do the anti-viral job. HEPA filters are generally in the MERV 17 - 20 range.
There are also air washing systems to which disinfectants could be added. Humidity control plays a significant role here. Electrostatic precipitation filters may also be effective, and adding a significant amount of UV-C lights inside the HVAC system may kill enough germs and viruses to make a difference. Airflow itself is a factor; a vertical air path, bottom to top, will strongly mitigate lateral droplet movement, the issue that all this social distancing and mask wearing is all about. But almost no buildings are designed for vertical air movement. You’d be living on a fan screen with a ceiling made of vacuum cleaners, and a high volume of airflow would have Marilyn Monroe effects.
OTOH, you’d smell the pleasing aromas of your food more easily, although it would get cold quickly. Which could encourage you to eat fast and get out, which limits your virus exposure and gives the restaurants a higher turnover rate (assuming more customers are in the queue). Win win? Or suck suck?
This requirement comes as infectious disease experts start more aggressively studying the ways in which the virus can spread through inhaling small particles that could hang around in the air for hours—otherwise known as aerosolized particles.
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This risk of infection through these small particles is especially high in small enclosed spaces like offices, and restaurants, where the air is not being circulated as often and many people are spending prolonged, direct contact with one another. Experts agree that efficient ventilation may likely be an important part in safely resuming indoor activities.“Obviously cleaning surfaces is still important but cleaning the air that recirculates through buildings is now a huge focus,” according to Nancy McClellan, an industrial hygiene specialist.
Effective ventilation can clean the air through recirculation while filtering out small, potentially infectious particles. Experts are also evaluating special technologies that can disinfect incoming viral particles, like UV light.
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The performance of a filter is characterized by its Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values, otherwise known as MERV rating. On the MERV rating scale, HEPA filters are rated anywhere between 17-19.“The higher the MERV rating the more efficient and effective that filter is,” said Krause.
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Most HVACs found in homes or small workplaces, however, cannot accommodate these fine HEPA filters, since they do not have motors that can produce a strong enough pressure to pull air and push it through a HEPA filter. Krause said some HVACs may be able to
accommodate a filter with a MERV rating of up to 13 but that still would not achieve the necessary number of air changes per hour that would effectively reduce the viral particles in the air.
Health experts agree that indoor spaces are higher risk than outdoor spaces when it comes to the virus’ spread, which is another reason New Jersey has paused indoor dining, Murphy said. Health experts specifically warn that dining indoors, where there’s less air flow, can be a higher risk since people can’t wear face coverings when they eat.
“We know that this virus moves differently indoors than out, making it even more deadly. We have seen spikes in other states driven in part by the return of patrons to indoor dining establishments where they are seated and without face coverings for significant periods of time,” [ NJ Governor ] Murphy said.
More info on air filtration can be found here.
All of this is ramped up even further by the risk-free utopian world people have come to expect over the past couple of decades. They are just going to have to accept some reality. Indoor businesses will do what they can, but the cost has to be taken into consideration. Or you can go live outside in the dirt, roasting in the summer, freezing in the winter, sharing your food with every insect and critter that comes along. In other words, go back to being a caveman. Which would make the greenies very happy, so no thanks.
Posted by Drew458
on 07/02/2020 at 08:05 AM
Filed Under: • pandemic and epidemic diseases • The New Normal •
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Permalink • Wednesday - July 01, 2020
We’re All Immunologists Now
Dammit, I thought I could go a whole day - one damn day - without being driven to make another COVID specific post. I can’t. The BS triggers me and I can’t put it down. Sorry.
Sensationalist journalism comes at us from both sides. While not necessarily “fake news”, the level of bias can bend an interpretation of events into surrealism. I think you know what I mean. I read it every morning in the over-the-horizon-leftwing NY Times Daily Briefing that shows up on my cell phone.
So I’m online (still super speedy and stable, yay!!) and I go over to Gateway Pundit. This is not a news blog that I visit too often, but I’ve found some good articles there lately, so I’m now stopping by routinely.
“BSA". Big. Scary. Articles. Evil Government Is Out To Get You, Because OrangeMan Bad and Freedom Worse!!!
Now Even The COMMON COLD Is Being Counted As A Positive COVID-19 Result, CDC Says reads one headline.
HUGE: MASSIVE CDC FRAUD UNCOVERED – CDC Grossly Overcounting Active China Coronavirus Cases Causing States to Keep Their Economies Closed Indefinitely reads another headline.
I’m losing it. WTFF?? After all the screw ups they’ve done, after all the flack I pray they caught over adding the untested “probables” and the “COVID associated” deaths to the soul destroying TOTAL COVID DEATH COUNT UNDER TRUMP numbers they throw at us, now they’re counting the common cold as COVID, and they’re counting recently discovered recovered cases as new and active cases, just to enable tyrannical governors to keep you frightened and under their thumbs even longer? This can’t be. OK, it can be, but I won’t accept it. I’m fed up and pissed off, tired of being pissed on.
But let’s hold on a minute. Let’s not just accept anything I read as clear fact. Let’s look into things a little bit. Education and illumination. And that means a ton of links, a bunch of reading, and another endless blog post by me that no one will read because TLDR.
There are several kinds of COVID tests out there.
There’s the PCR test, also known as the nasal swab (nasopharyngeal), also known as the viral test, also known as the antigen test, also known as the diagnostic test. This same test can also be done with a throat swab, which makes that one the oropharyngeal test. Different swab location, same test. It’s looking for the presence of the actual virus, also generically called a pathogen.
Then there’s the antibody test, also known as the blood test, also known as the serology test. This one is looking for antibodies; evidence that your body is fighting the virus.
Then there’s the saliva test, developed by Rutgers and not yet widely disseminated. It works pretty much the same way as the PCR swab test.
Lastly, there’s the test you’ve probably never heard of unless you or someone close to you has been sick enough with this to be admitted to the hospital. They run a test called the C-RP, which stands for C-reactive Protein, which they can use to determine just how sick you are. They already know you’ve got it before you get there; this test helps them figure out how bad it is.
It’s confusing that these tests have so many different names.
So generally, there are two kinds of test available to us out in the world. The 3 kinds of PCR test, and the antibody test. And while all of them look for COVID, they look for different aspects of the disease.
The CPR test can ONLY tell you if you have the disease active in your system. Am I sick with COVID, right now? Yes or No.
The antibody test tests for antibodies. Antibodies are what your body creates to fight off antigens. Antigens are foreign baddies in your body. Like SARS COV-2 virus particles. And now it gets a bit complicated. At this point two main COVID antibodies are being looked for with this test. One, the immunoglobulin M, commonly called IgM, are produced by the body early in the infectious stages. They don’t stick around long, whch is probably what those 4 international studies I blogged about last week were referring to. If they aren’t enough to beat the virus, your body starts making immunoglobulin G, commonly called IgG. These are the long term antibodies that can stay in your body forever. [ Should that not be enough to win the day, your body can then activate some aspect of white blood cells, called T cells, that can rip the infected cells right out of your body. In severe cases they can go haywire, totally overreactive, leading to this cytoskine storm thing you’ve heard about. This is bad. In children this is extremely rare, but it’s called the Kawasaki Syndrome, even though it’s proper name is Paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome. Everything to do with COVID-19 has multiple names!! ]
So what does the antibody test tell you? It tells you that your body is fighting, or has fought, the SARS COV 2 virus. This is not the same thing as “you have the COVID”. It can mean you’ve had it to one degree or another, or it can mean that you still have it and are fighting it. Given that it often takes a few weeks for your body to produce these antibodies, the test is not at all a useful indicator of recent infection. And this is why every single source that describes the antibody test says it should never be used to definitively say that you have the virus.
Ok, that wasn’t too bad. Now let’s muddy the waters further. No test is perfect. All tests need to strike a balance between sensitivity and specificity. Huh, what?
A good test needs to be sensitive enough to find what it’s looking for, even if there are only small amounts of it in a sample. Tests that are too sensitive will give too high a rate of false positives. Tests that aren’t sensitive enough will give too high a rate of false negatives, and are essentially worthless.
A good test also needs to be fairly specific. SAR COV 2 is a variation of the SARS disease that was around 17 years ago, and it’s also a coronavirus. Sure, you hear on the news people talking about THE coronavirus, because that’s easy to say. But there are quite a number of them. SARS is one, duh, and there are at least two other kinds that cause the common cold. No doubt there are millions of different coronaviruses, but they aren’t germaine to this diatribe of mine. The point is, a good test needs to be specific enough to be able to tell one coronavirus from another, and only trip on this particular SARS COV 2 one. But it can’t be too specific, because the virus is known to mutate. But in order to be broad enough to react to the mutated versions, it might also trigger on non COVID coronaviruses. Like the common cold. Obviously that leniency has to be pretty small; if even 5% of the tests found a common cold virus and called it COVID, then the test wouldn’t be very reliable. So I’m sure the FDA/CDC has some kind of tolerance limit - damnation they had better!! - but some small percentage of other viruses will trigger some of the tests. That’s just the way it is. No test is perfect.
It’s important to note that some tests can mistake IgM antibodies from other coronaviruses, such as common cold strains, for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
However, to pounce on that long known lack of perfection and make headlines out of it, COMMON COLD now counts as COVID-19, is sensationalist journalism. Yes, there are a few. Damn few, but a few. So what?
Let my lack of medical professional study and training make a guess ... I wonder if the early stage IgM antibody is somewhat generic. Like, the same antibody could work against SARS COV-2, or “regular” SARS, or the common cold. And that the IgG antibody is more specific, aimed just at SARS COV-2. Just a guess on my part. Any doctors, virologists, or immunologists, feel free to correct me in the comments.
I wonder this because the antibody test tests for both of them. And if it comes back showing ONLY the IgM antibody, that could mean you’ve got some kind of coronavirus. Or it could mean you’re in the early stages of the COVID-19 illness. Or it could mean that you had one of these coronaviruses, but not severely, and you got over it recently, fighting it off with only IgM. See why the antibody test is useless as an indicator of current infection?
And now, FINALLY, to the second post, about CDC cheating the new case numbers in a massive fraud against freedom. Well, eventually. We’re getting there, I promise!
It seems obvious to me that anyone testing positive in any way to the antibody test should immediately have the PCR swab test done. If you’re not symptomatic and just curious to know if you have, or have had. this annoying disease, then the PCR test is a good first step, but that comes back negative and you’re still curious you should take the antibody test.
Now that I’ve thought about it a bit, it would probably be the best idea to give everyone being tested BOTH tests at the same time. Maybe even the saliva test too. That’s such an obvious idea that my county has a special graphic to help people interpret the results from getting both tests.
Put in my simple, slightly sarcastic terms, they say:
PCR positive, Antibody positive: you’re sick, and you’ve been sick for a while.
PCR positive, Antibody negative: you just got sick.
PCR negative, Antibody positive: you were sick but you got better.
PCR negative, Antibody negative: why are you wasting our time? You’re a COVID virgin. If you’re sick, it ain’t from COVID. Go away.
CDC BAD, AGAIN
So if the CDC is lumping newly found cases found by the antibody test in a generic category called NEW CASES, causing the totals to spike and the media to freak, then they are doing us a gross disservice. At this point it is pretty inexcusable to NOT have a category for recovered people, or to make secondary PCR testing mandatory for these people, delaying tabulating those cases as NEW until that result is back. Because until they decide that everyone who ever had this is infectious FOREVER so stay in your house quivering in fear until you die!!!, the rest of us don’t have to worry about anyone who had it before but is over it now. They aren’t infectious, so who cares? Herd immunity and all that. Lumping those results into one big mish mash and then using that as a policy sledgehammer is a dirty rotten thing to do, and the CDC themselves admits this is what they are doing. This is pointed out by both The Atlantic and Forbes, two fairly well respected magazines. It is really hard to believe this is not politically motivated. Investigate, fine, fire, execute.
Ok, so maybe the 2nd post at GP isn’t overly sensational.
The CDC is over counting the number of China coronavirus cases in an apparent effort to keep the country shut down throughout the summer. This fraudulent activity was uncovered by the far-left Atlantic proving even a dead clock is right twice a day.
On May 21, 2020, the Atlantic reported that the CDC was over counting the number of cases of individuals with the China coronavirus:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is conflating the results of two different types of coronavirus tests, distorting several important metrics and providing the country with an inaccurate picture of the state of the pandemic. We’ve learned that the CDC is making, at best, a debilitating mistake: combining test results that diagnose current coronavirus infections with test results that measure whether someone has ever had the virus. The upshot is that the government’s disease-fighting agency is overstating the country’s ability to test people who are sick with COVID-19. The agency confirmed to The Atlantic on Wednesday that it is mixing the results of viral and antibody tests, even though the two tests reveal different information and are used for different reasons.
This is not merely a technical error. States have set quantitative guidelines for reopening their economies based on these flawed data points.
Or maybe it’s just sensational enough.
Hell, the CDC themselves says not to use the antibody test as an indicator:
Except in instances in which viral testing is delayed, antibody tests should not be used to diagnose a current COVID-19 infection.
This is statistical sleight of hand by the bean counters. And it was brought to their attention weeks ago, yet they’ve done nothing to correct it. Like I said, no excuse for not having an Active category and a Recovered category. And yeah, it’s political.
It leads directly to more stupidity by Fauci and more governors pulling the rug out from under us again. And it spreads fear, and hurts the economy. When will heads finally roll at the CDC? It’s long overdue.
https://medical.mit.edu/faqs/faq-testing-covid-19#faq-1
https://gulfnews.com/world/rapid-covid-19-tests-what-negative-or-positive-results-mean-1.1593518787640
https://www.webmd.com/lung/antibody-testing-covid-19#1
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/testing/serology-overview.html
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Testing-Guidance.pdf
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/coronavirus-antibody-nasal-swab-saliva-testing-what-to-know-about-covid-19-tests/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine_storm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paediatric_multisystem_inflammatory_syndrome
https://www.webmd.com/lung/copd/covid-copd-overview
Posted by Drew458
on 07/01/2020 at 09:09 PM
Filed Under: • Pandemic Pandemonium •
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Permalink • Boston Caves To Insanity
Good Lord, if these destructors would only spare one statue, wouldn’t it be this one?
With a unanimous vote, the Boston Art Commission voted Tuesday to get rid of the Emancipation Memorial commemorating President Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the proclamation that ended slavery in America.
The statue, first erected in 1879, is a replica of the monument in Washington, D.C., that depicts Lincoln standing with a freed slave in the process of standing up as shackles fall from his arms. The inscription at the base of the statue, which was paid for by freed slaves and dedicated by the beloved abolitionist Frederick Douglass, reads: “A race set free and a country at peace. Lincoln rests from his labors.”
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During his dedication of the original statue on April 14, 1876 — 11 years after Lincoln’s assassination — Douglass delivered a powerful dedication in front of then-President Ulysses S. Grant, members of the U.S. Congress as well as justices of the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Let it be known everywhere,” he declared, “[that] we, the colored people, newly emancipated and rejoicing in our blood-bought freedom, near the close of the first century in the life of this Republic, have now and here unveiled, set apart, and dedicated a monument of enduring granite and bronze, in every line, feature, and figure of which the men of this generation may read, and those of after-coming generations may read, something of the exalted character and great works of Abraham Lincoln, the first martyr president of the United States.”
Posted by Drew458
on 07/01/2020 at 03:26 PM
Filed Under: • Democrats-Liberals-Moonbat Leftists • Politically Correct B.S. • Racism and race relations •
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Permalink • Tweedledee, Tweedledum and Tweedledumber
New York City will not allow indoor dining to resume next week as originally scheduled due to growing coronavirus outbreaks in other parts of the country, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday.
“We see a lot of problems and we particularly see problems revolving around people going back to bars and restaurants indoors. Indoors is the problem more and more, the science is showing it more and more,” de Blasio said at a press briefing.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday he would consider delaying the city’s reopening of indoor dining areas and would make a final decision on Wednesday. The governor is scheduled to hold a press briefing later.
De Blasio said outdoor dining, which was allowed to open on June 22, has “unquestionably” been a great hit and “outdoors has been working.” The city will allow its beaches and some outdoor pools to reopen starting Wednesday, he said.
The percentage of people testing positive in the city has remained steady at around 2%, which is a “very very good number,” de Blasio said. The figure has remained below the city’s threshold of 15% since early May.
New York has allowed regions of the state to reopen in phases. New York City is expected to begin its “Phase 3” reopening on Monday.
Personally, I don’t buy it. This smacks of punishment for even thinking about not obeying their almighty authority. And I’m getting really tired of it. Who wants to bet that fellow tyrant Wolfe over in PA does the same thing next?
Remember how the whole point of the lockdown was to flatten the curve, to delay the onset in as many other places for as long as possible? It wasn’t to prevent anyone from catching it ever. Well, that delay happened. And now it’s those other places’ turns.
I’m sorry for them, but I doubt that their cases came from people visiting from the former hotspots, and I doubt that their spikes came from a few hundred young folks going out to bars for a night. But it might be very insightful to see who it is who is getting sick now, and whether they were some of the thousands involved in any of those massive protests (a question these contact tracers are NOT allowed to ask), or if they just got back from a trip to Mexico (or just snuck over the border from there). And let’s get some age data for a change too ... because if the vast majority of these new cases turn out to be healthy people under 45 years old, then STFU. They’re in the really low risk zone, and 99% of them will be better in a week or two.
Posted by Drew458
on 07/01/2020 at 03:10 PM
Filed Under: • Pandemic Pandemonium •
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Permalink • Jihadi Drug Lords
Hey remember when they all laughed at President Bush when he said the terrorists and the drug cartels were working together? What if the terrorists were the drug cartels??
Italian police said Wednesday that they had seized a world record 15-ton haul of amphetamines made by ISIS in Syria. The drug, in the form of 84 million Captagon tablets, was worth about one billion euros ($1.1 billion), police said in a statement, describing the operation as “the biggest seizure of amphetamines in the world.”
“We know that the Islamic State finances its terrorist activities mainly by trafficking drugs made in Syria, which in the past few years has become the world’s largest producer of amphetamines,” the statement added.
The shipment was hidden in three containers found in the port of Salerno, just south of Naples.
Posted by Drew458
on 07/01/2020 at 12:29 PM
Filed Under: • Crime • International •
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Permalink • Speed Blogging
Sorry, no time for this today. Here’s a few links to news stories
• Scientists cure lab mice with Parkinson’s by accident. This could be big, but it will take lots more R&D.
• Summer snow dumps 6-8” in high rockies. Must be global warming again.
• CHOP gets the chop in Seattle. Plenty arrests made. I’d treat them as invaders or traitors. Either way, here’s the gallows.
• Harvey Weinstein buys his way out. $19 million, cases dropped. Did you every really believe #MeToo was about anything other than money??
• China is asshoe. Hong Kong eaten up like Dim Sum. Life under communism: new “security” law is ex post facto. Bye bye freedom.
• And the arrests in Hong Kong begin. China reneges on agreement made 20 years ago. And this is a surprise to whom??
Posted by Drew458
on 07/01/2020 at 11:01 AM
Filed Under: • Miscellaneous •
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Permalink • Tuesday - June 30, 2020
Naptime Interruption
When all else fails, there’s always cat blogging.
Our half feral outdoor kitteh Ginger, “G cat”, settles down in the shade to take a late morning nap. He’s lost all his thick winter fur so he’s smooth and sleek. I want to pet him so much, but he’s not a people cat.
His nap got interrupted by a couple of engineers who came by. We’ve got a chunk of PVC barely under the grass near there that the downspout on the back roof drains into. The pipe takes the rain water over to the edge of the cliff. So they’re going to hack back some of the bushes where it comes out at the top of the gully, and put some rip rap gravel down so it doesn’t erode the hillside. Of course, putting that gravel down will kill the pricker bushes that grow there that hold the edge of the lawn in place. What can you do? I told them that the area was crawling with poison ivy, and that they should have the landscape guys come and spray first.
Right, indoor kittehs got their kibs. Ooh, they got the new salmon flavor of the Rachel Ray brand. It costs more, but it’s comparatively good kibble, compared to the other brands which seem to made from sawdust and soy powder.
Posted by Drew458
on 06/30/2020 at 10:07 AM
Filed Under: • Miscellaneous •
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Permalink • My Big Digital Day
UPDATE: HORRY CLAP what a difference!!!!
Installation was super easy. Put card in slot in PC, close cover, attach antenna, run the install CD. Instant improvement. Take a look at the settings, notice that the PC now has Wifi and Wifi2, turn Wifi off and Wifi2 on, and this sets the ASUS adapter as the default in the 5Ghz bandwidth. Signal is now at maximum strength, and internet speeds are insane. The Win 10 available networks thing is showing me 10 more networks than before; not mine, but that’s how good the antenna is. The graphics heavy blog Feral Irishman loads in an quarter second, FoxNews loads instantly.
I am a happy camper. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ok, all the bits and pieces have finally arrived, so I can attack the WiFi situation here.
It’s not a hard thing to do, but there are several steps that will turn into more effort than I’d like to do.
But first I have to go to the grocery store and get some cat kibble. We ran out last night, and heaven forbid that our two little carpet queens would have no choices for breakfast. They’ve already got some well moistened canned stuff, with some crushed Dr. Marty’s raw dried kibbs mixed in. But no, they want the hard crunchy bits. So they’re wrapping themselves around my legs, giving me the pathetic kitteh stink eye. So I have to hit the store.
After that I can get around to doing my own project. We live in a 3 level condo on the ground floor, built on concrete slab foundation. The place was built in the late ‘70s, so it doesn’t have a ton of power outlets, phone outlets, and cable outlets. The Wifi modem thing from Xfinity needs all three, because we have the “triple play” package that provides internet, cable TV, and landline telephone. The only place in the house that has those three outlets close together is the small bedroom upstairs. The only place we can fit the PC desk is downstairs. So the Wifi signal has to pass through 2 concrete slabs and through 4 walls to get to my PC. So it’s no wonder I only get a 1 bar signal strength. Worse, this cheapo new PC I bought has a built=in Wifi that only works on the 2.4Ghz bandwidth, which is the slow narrow one that is totally overburdened in my building. The newer 5Ghz band is much faster, much wider, and is used less here. At least that’s what the Wifi Analyzer app shows me.
So I figured a two prong solution would work best. First, move the modem as close as possible, and get some kind of high end Wifi card for the PC that can use the 5Ghz band. So I got a big long phone wire, an equally long RG6 coax cable with 4 layer shielding, a bunch of cable connectors both straight and 90 degrees. Then I found a top rated high speed adapter that has a remote four phase antenna. This will let me raise the antenna off the floor down here to about the same level as the modem upstairs, giving me a straight signal path that doesn’t have to go through concrete. Plus super strong antennas. Naturally, the wires on the adapter aren’t quite long enough, and they use the rare mini coax cable that’s not commonly available, so I’m SOL for making my own 4 channel extension cord from standard coax cable. Instead, I have to rearrange things so I can get the PC several feet off the floor, so I can put the antenna up on the bookcase here. I only need to get it up to shoulder height, which I think I can do by putting the printer table on the other side of the PC desk, putting my old PC case on that, and then the new PC on top of that. Because I can’t raise it up too far, because the keyboard, monitor, and mouse wires have to reach the desk. So a simple job of laying a couple of wires will turn into a couple hours of moving furniture and everything else around, plus the time spent installing the card and messing about with the setup. Nothing is ever easy, and everything is always an unexpected cascade of other crap you have to do first before you can do what you want.
And if all that doesn’t do it, I also picked up a 50 foot long Cat 8 network cable, so I can temporarily hardwire the PC to the damn modem. That will absolutely give me maximum connectivity speed, but I’ll have a wire running across the floors of the entire condo. Not an elegant solution, or even a particularly safe one with that kind of tripping hazard. Use it when I’m here all alone, and hope the kittehs don’t think it’s some kind of snake toy to play with and chew on.
Or I could just go buy a house with big bedrooms and loads of outlets so I could put the modem right next to my PC. That’ll do it. And I thought this approach was an expensive one!
Right. Must get kibble. Now. Or else.
Posted by Drew458
on 06/30/2020 at 08:18 AM
Filed Under: • Computers and Cyberspace • Daily Life •
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Permalink • Feeling Positive That I Tested Negative, Woo Hoo!!
Yee ha, my PCR test results are in, finally. And I’ve got nothing. Which is what I expected, but if I could take an antibody test I’d do that too. Just to see. But those are hard to find in NJ, and they aren’t free AFAIK.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Result — Not Detected
Your test was negative for COVID-19, meaning that the virus was not present in the sample you provided. However, you may be infected but there’s not enough virus in your body to be detected yet. So if you’ve been exposed to COVID-19 or have other reasons to believe you are still at risk, avoid contact with anyone in your home or in public and consider retesting. You can talk with your healthcare provider about your test results. Laboratory test results should always be considered in the context of clinical observations. We suggest you continue to follow your federal, state, and local government guidance.
I’ve read in a couple places that this test is hyper-sensitive, so if it found nothing, then I’m pretty certain I’ve got nothing.
Posted by Drew458
on 06/30/2020 at 08:13 AM
Filed Under: • pandemic and epidemic diseases •
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Permalink • Monday - June 29, 2020
King Murphy The Ultimate Karen
UPDATE: The New York Times Daily Briefing says he did this because new cases are on the upswing in the South and Southwest. Yeah, right, that makes sense. Because everyone from Mesa Arizona gets on a jet (which aren’t even hardly flying yet) and comes to NJ to have lunch at Bennigan’s. What a load.
Gov. Phil Murphy, speaking during a Monday news conference, said he has to “hit pause” on the reopening of indoor dining in New Jersey. He made the announcement as he said New Jersey has 156 new cases of the coronavirus and 18 more deaths (you can watch it here, below).
Murphy said indoor dining will reopen “at a later date,” but he didn’t specify. It was supposed to resume on Thursday.
Murphy said the spikes in other states were largely driven by the reopening of indoor dining and bars. He also cited the scenes at the Jersey Shore and elsewhere, where people have been congregating in close proximity, as a reason to step back.
“We do not believe it is prudent with what, is in effect, a sedentary activity,” Murphy said.
Murphy appeared to be referring to videos of bars and restaurants in Sea Bright and Belmar that have shown people partying and drinking while not practicing social distancing.
There were only 149 reported new cases today. The daily number has be at or under 250 for 23 days now, and averaging well under 500 since May 23.
For more than 5 weeks, NJ has had fewer new cases per day than we did two weeks BEFORE the early lockdown here. BS from the governor much?
When the restaurants got the green light for indoor dining, they all went out and bought fresh supplies, spent wads of money cleaning and sanitizing, rehired staff, and so forth. But now the King of NJ has waved his Imperial Hand, and they can go pound sand ... but it’s OK for thousands to protest something that doesn’t even exist, while not wearing masks or doing social distancing or using hand sanitizer.
He sux.
PS - don’t tell anybody, but a certain seafood chain restaurant in South Plainfield NJ has been doing sit down dining for a couple weeks now. Their customers are almost exclusively black. Maybe they were having indoor protests or something. Yeah, that’s it.
Posted by Drew458
on 06/29/2020 at 04:52 PM
Filed Under: • Pandemic Pandemonium •
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Permalink • Must have run out of cholorquine
COVID: India reports nearly 20,000 cases a day
I don’t think lockdown or social distancing will work very well here
Don’t forget that India has 1.5 billion people living in India. Not to mention the half billion living everywhere else around the world.
• Over the past week alone, the South Asian nation has seen a jump of nearly 100,000 cases according to the health ministry
• With 548,318 confirmed infections, it is now the world’s fourth-worst affected country after the US, Brazil and RussiaIndia reported its largest daily jump in coronavirus infections of nearly 20,000 on Monday as several states reimposed partial or full lockdowns to stem the spread of the virus.
Over the past week alone, India has seen a jump of nearly 100,000 cases according to the health ministry. In all, the country has confirmed 548,318 cases, making it the world’s fourth-worst affected country after the United States, Brazil and Russia. India’s death toll has reached 16,475.The capital district of the northeastern state of Assam on the Bangladesh border has reimposed a full lockdown until July 12 following a spike in cases. Another border state, West Bengal, has extended its lockdown until July 31.
However, in India’s worst-affected states – Maharashtra, which includes the financial capital, Mumbai, and Delhi, home to the capital, New Delhi – most lockdown restrictions have been eased, with restaurants, shopping malls and parks reopened, and public buses and shared-ride services back on the roads.
A total of 231,095 people were tested for Covid-19 on Saturday, the Indian Council of Medical Research said – more than double the tests carried out daily a month ago.
Delhi, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh governments announced they would further scale up testing over the coming weeks.
Indian cities have emerged as major coronavirus hotspots, with Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai topping the list.
Maharashtra’s chief minister Uddhav Thackeray announced on Sunday that a partial lockdown would continue but be gradually eased to enable more economic activity.
Barber shops and salons in the state started opening Sunday with various safety measures in place.
Residents have been requested to keep within a 1.2-mile radius of their homes, a Mumbai police spokesman said. Movement outside this radius is allowed only for commuters and in the case of medical emergencies.
Cases have also spiked in Bangalore over the past few days. No activities except essential services and supplies would be allowed on Sundays from July 5, the government announced in new directives.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said his country must focus on bolstering the economy as it exits lockdowns, even as the number of coronavirus cases still keep on climbing.
The pandemic has exposed wide inequalities in India, with public hospitals being overwhelmed by virus cases while the rich get expert treatment in private hospitals.
Posted by Drew458
on 06/29/2020 at 12:31 PM
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Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:
It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.
- Keep a firm grasp of Right and Wrong
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Oh, and here's some kind of visitor flag counter thingy. Hey, all the cool blogs have one, so I should too. The Visitors Online thingy up at the top doesn't count anything, but it looks neat. It had better, since I paid actual money for it.
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