tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55810812641522833322024-03-05T21:53:51.865-05:00>>>The (b)Right LibertarianAllen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.comBlogger666125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-34085430994761504542021-06-03T18:09:00.000-04:002021-06-03T18:09:20.872-04:00Deafening Silence…..<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiiylGMs5JlgWBdLLvxesVk4GkPmPpmlluUjnHMyVLww2qUt9v9wUMJe4-hlo7nFnhbrd19clHjatb6IllNEr_Pk315DDuqp3AgLJ4GdyEJsEEFTGg8Om3MN96b3tR49J-m475MTS6zLD/s1080/ivm2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiiylGMs5JlgWBdLLvxesVk4GkPmPpmlluUjnHMyVLww2qUt9v9wUMJe4-hlo7nFnhbrd19clHjatb6IllNEr_Pk315DDuqp3AgLJ4GdyEJsEEFTGg8Om3MN96b3tR49J-m475MTS6zLD/s320/ivm2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b style="font-family: Cambria;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;">“No matter how cynical you are, you are still naive.”</span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;">That quote is attributed to Bret Weinstein of the Dark Horse podcast. What does it have to do with anything? I’ll get to that.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;">We are still in the midst of the COVID19 Pandemic, it’s been 14 months and in Ontario the lockdown continues. It should be clear to everyone that governments at ALL levels have royally fucked up the management of the Pandemic. And worse still, it probably won’t affect the federal election coming, but may affect the next provincial election. One should never underestimate the stupidity of the voting public. We’ll see.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;">To date, any physical contact with my family (other than my wife) is still a no-no, and for me that may continue for some time. My struggles with Multiple Myeloma are ongoing. Currently I’m in the midst of treatment with a monoclonal antibody and two other drugs. That protocol is slated to become a monthly event soon (Biweekly now). As I tend to say, I have bad days and worse days, and I’m resigned to that. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;">Even though I have been vaccinated twice with the Pfizer mRNA-Vaccine, its <a href="https://bloodcancer.org.uk/support-for-you/coronavirus-covid-19/covid-vaccine-blood-cancer/covid-vaccine-efficacy-blood-cancer/">effectiveness</a> for me, and most people with blood cancers is in the range of maybe 40% unless one is on treatment, which I am, then less so, according to the most recent small sample-size data. <br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;"><br />My doctor’s contend that’s better than nothing, and I agree. So effectively I’m depending on everyone else to be vaccinated, and I will still need to be very careful once things open up. However, there is a therapeutic drug that has shown excellent and amazing prophylactic (preventative) and clinical results for COVID19 but has been ignored and suppressed by the “gods of medicine,” the government, and the media for a variety of reasons. Of course I would rather be able to control my own future than rely on everyone else.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;">The drug is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivermectin">IVERMECTIN</a>. I first heard about this drug many months ago from a good friend but I never bothered to really check it out. Recently (June 1/21) I watched a podcast - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/BretWeinsteinDarkHorse/videos">The Dark Horse (Bret Weinstein, Heather Heying)</a> - that I subscribe to.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;">I’ve been watching that podcast since I saw this <a href="https://youtu.be/ZMGWLLDSA3c">interview</a> on Bill Maher’s HBO show in January.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://youtu.be/ZMGWLLDSA3c" style="color: purple;"><span style="color: #dca10d; text-decoration: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;">That broadcast brought up the lab leak hypothesis for the origin of COVID19, which I’ve always believed and I’m even more convinced now. Of course that idea has also been suppressed by the “gods of medicine,” the government, and the media. However, today, that theory is gaining more and more credence even by <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-lab-leak-theory-fauci-says-to-keep-open-mind-2021-6">Dr. Fauci himself</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;">The Dark Horse <a href="https://youtu.be/Tn_b4NRTB6k">podcast of June 1, 2021</a> has Dr. Pierre Kory talking about IVERMECTIN. Yes, its long, but a very compelling story. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;">Kory presented his work to the US Senate on Dec. 8/20 and it became a YouTube video, but interestingly YouTube subsequently <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuHq12B_Tvk ">removed</a> it </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;">because it also goes against “gods of medicine,” the government, and the media. But the video is <a href="https://vimeo.com/490351508">here</a> </span><span style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;">and here is the </span><a href="https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Testimony-Kory-2020-12-08.pdf" style="font-size: 14pt;">PDF</a><span style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;"> of the testimony to the US Senate. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #353535; font-size: 14pt;"><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt;">Here is the <a href=" https://covid19criticalcare.com">link</a> to Dr. Kory’s group FLCCC (</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt;">Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14pt;">So here we are, an apparently effective prevention and treatment for COVID19, used around the world, see Dr. Kory’s groups' website above. In fact, IVERMECTIN has been used in the United States and in some cases even demanded by court order in <a href="https://www.thedesertreview.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/ivermectin-wins-in-court-again-for-human-rights/article_98d26958-a13a-11eb-a698-37c06f632875.html">lawsuits</a> by advocates for critically ill patients with stunning results.<br /><br /></span></p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: medium;">Its almost impossible to believe that this story has been ignored, but it has, and that has got to change. The cynicism one must accept that this drug is being ignored because it could affect the Emergency Use Authorization for the vaccines, or that it may affect revenues for the vaccine developers is beyond belief. How naive can we be? </span><br /><br /></span>Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-25883679533224114262021-02-11T16:33:00.001-05:002021-02-11T16:33:58.105-05:00Happy to be a guinea pig.... <p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHQcku7jDGdGfOUMZE4IhtdcL1jyD43P8RPNp5iGAe62Wo7ioDzktMdoM5as7F9Ii-LTomlvPaahbYSUXqGDLi-RAyM_xbxNpdcKlZ4vFiuCBBikhPgY7Qx9oetxZrcdiuSc1c9HoOtoc/s800/guinea-pigs-coloration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHQcku7jDGdGfOUMZE4IhtdcL1jyD43P8RPNp5iGAe62Wo7ioDzktMdoM5as7F9Ii-LTomlvPaahbYSUXqGDLi-RAyM_xbxNpdcKlZ4vFiuCBBikhPgY7Qx9oetxZrcdiuSc1c9HoOtoc/s320/guinea-pigs-coloration.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guinea pigs come in assorted colours<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt; text-align: left;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;">In the midst of the ongoing human tragedy that is the Pandemic, the pugnacious people at PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) proffered some useless <a href="https://www.tyla.com/life/real-life-peta-campaign-against-use-of-animal-names-slurs-and-insults-20210201">advice</a> recently. Calling someone a<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_pig"> guinea pig</a>, a test animal, is an insult if guinea pigs can get insulted; its speciesism, a new micro-aggression. Here is the tweet:<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldVFph6qXjNMIEhK6UAgd0aOzNzOxmxjM3zkXLHQxzO0HDSi4I8886rOPQXK2X_NgDXAsq-lAXg-444Rjsw6LL_Kp3EgWyz25BCR7MwY5ngLnfWpgUqSB2GgQk8FxEnAZhC4kPssKyy9r/s871/peta.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="551" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldVFph6qXjNMIEhK6UAgd0aOzNzOxmxjM3zkXLHQxzO0HDSi4I8886rOPQXK2X_NgDXAsq-lAXg-444Rjsw6LL_Kp3EgWyz25BCR7MwY5ngLnfWpgUqSB2GgQk8FxEnAZhC4kPssKyy9r/w405-h640/peta.png" width="405" /></a></div><p></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Why some pasty-faced vegan vermin decided to tweet this to out at this time is perplexing. Maybe it was meant as a bit of comic relief from the daily onslaught of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic">COVID</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_vaccine">Vaccine</a> news, but I think they were serious.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt;">All PETA people must be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veganism">vegan</a>, and of the most extreme kind. I wonder if they eschew fossil fuels, like oil, gas? Surely they must know they are animal by-products. How can they live with themselves knowing this?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt;">A good friend and I have an inside joke about guinea pigs. I feel like one during my ongoing treatment for relapsed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_myeloma">Myeloma</a>, and all of us who look forward to being vaccinated against the current scourge, will be part of a monstrous clinical trial, Phase 4 actually, for the cutting edge anti-COVID vaccine technology that has just been developed. Not only that, we are all guinea pigs now as a result of the Pandemic. How will the virus affect us? Will the variants nullify the effectiveness of the vaccines? What are the lockdowns doing to the economy, our mental health, and on and on?<br /><br />Many of my social media “friends” are upset that the vaccines are unproven over long time periods. They seem to ignore the fact that there is a perceived emergency and putting an end to it ASAP is the goal. They also forget that modern medicine is just statistics over time, and doctors are </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 18px;">really </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt;">just practicing.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt;">But I’m happy to be a guinea pig; grateful actually, in every sense. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt;">The drug protocol I’m being subjected to did not exist that long ago, so I’m going to be part of the ongoing data collection as will we all be in the current COVID Challenge.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Guinea pigs of course are docile mammals that share much human biochemistry, so we subject them to novel treatments and drugs trying to infer how these might affect people. Cruel, maybe, insulting, to our furry friends, well, that depends on the situation. In the life of a guinea pig, lab life might be considered very good, until your number comes up. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;">Shortly after I was diagnosed with Myeloma, and against my physician’s advise, I searched through Google to find all the relevant data on Myeloma. What were the chances of survival? How long do I have? How does it kill? You know, given the tools, anyone would do that. It was not encouraging. Average life span after diagnosis was 29 months. So from my diagnosis in September 2018, it would mean February 2021 was it for me. The end should be right about now, or soon. But I’ve never thought of myself as average, and I have a reasonably healthy lifestyle. I partake in few of the so-called common vices; I’ve always been a chicken that way. Oops, sorry PETA. So I gave myself something more than average duration. Since I ended the initial treatment regime called <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2711213/">CyBorD</a> back in July 2020, my disease progression, as they call it, has been more or less stable. No major blood anomalies but some increase seen of the cancer is visible in bone marrow on MRI. So my doctor said lets catch it in the bud. Let me hasten to add that over the last couple of years there has been lots and lots of pain, huge amounts of fatigue, many constraints, no picnic, but here I Am. In some ways the Pandemic has had a positive impact. My wife (my wonderful helpmate) and I have been isolated for almost a year, that means that my very compromised immune system has been spared even a sniffle. We're very thankful for all the electronic devices we rely on for family contact. Of course there are outdoor "visits" when the weather allows, but.... <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.5pt;">So in January 2021, I’ve begun a <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1817249">new</a> and promising treatment. It’s so new that an average survival time has not yet been determined, but so far on average it’s in excess of 32 months and counting. Doesn’t seem very long does it? One thing about cancer, it changes your point of view on everything.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p> </p>Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-35443544448152225032021-01-14T17:57:00.001-05:002021-01-15T09:44:22.874-05:00Unwarranted Premature Ejaculations!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaUteFpJWTVDKEgElPhP4BnZIvK1GjhOgmzs68LBRU7Zj1kjHyTz2QdtVr_1-QIzl-5C0SJEGjpGKPCQ9lRqBbI6Oxi5umfk2XfQ5pUcHKKgLevgnu333dZloplzke03DiGV62TqD_v6M/s650/CkeWQDKjjLXHERvfNPCcM3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaUteFpJWTVDKEgElPhP4BnZIvK1GjhOgmzs68LBRU7Zj1kjHyTz2QdtVr_1-QIzl-5C0SJEGjpGKPCQ9lRqBbI6Oxi5umfk2XfQ5pUcHKKgLevgnu333dZloplzke03DiGV62TqD_v6M/s320/CkeWQDKjjLXHERvfNPCcM3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In my last post four months ago, I predicted a second wave to the COVID19 Pandemic. I think most people will agree that the second wave has surpassed the first wave in intensity. Its reminiscent of the Spanish Flu 100 years ago, when the second wave was <a href="https://www.history.com/news/spanish-flu-second-wave-resurgence">worse</a> than the first.<p></p><p>We are ten months in to the COVID19 Pandemic now. Schools in Ontario are closed again. A provincial "stay-at-home" lockdown order was issued today for at least the next month. </p><p>And yet as summer became fall and case numbers rose, many people prematurely called it a "<a href="https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/no-covid-19-casedemic/">CASEDEMIC</a>," and for good reason. <a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/coronavirus-disease-2019-testing-basics">Testing ability</a> all around the world had ramped up. In Ontario the graph below shows how testing has increased since April 2020. More tests equals more cases discovered. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrR-XsFApTSWsJlDDoU83UNXhY-zdjZuMR4JbeuaxXRXqJNNKLHmdJVNE6Cx2e0JC4e9edV2J2BdEjX343JCYumvRXOh_uJIXhRlRzOzwgeNjcHIVFooefhcZB0HZCNc4ja3ueNB7zJrlV/s832/testsDaily.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="832" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrR-XsFApTSWsJlDDoU83UNXhY-zdjZuMR4JbeuaxXRXqJNNKLHmdJVNE6Cx2e0JC4e9edV2J2BdEjX343JCYumvRXOh_uJIXhRlRzOzwgeNjcHIVFooefhcZB0HZCNc4ja3ueNB7zJrlV/w400-h193/testsDaily.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>That did not translate to more hospitalizations and/or deaths at first. That gave rise to a host of video posts, blogs and social media rants, claiming the Pandemic was over, here and in Europe and Asia. Hardly; the virus was just getting comfortable. It became particularly serious for our neighbours to the South. Cases spread through States that were relatively unscathed in the first wave, hospitalizations spiked and so did deaths. That also happened in <a href="https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/data-and-analysis/infectious-disease/covid-19-data-surveillance/covid-19-data-tool">Ontario</a> and all of Canada. At the time of this post, the Americans had almost twenty-four million cases and almost 400,000 deaths <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/">attributed/related</a> to COVID19. Things were not nearly as bad in Canada, but bad enough to stress our always stressed medical system as the lockdown in Ontario <a href="https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/data-and-analysis/infectious-disease/covid-19-data-surveillance/covid-19-data-tool">demonstrates</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UNgnClWpdIlUKs-1kFSKyZkrQQZLjiTD0-RUT98dGJChmN44UgqHMKT3ffT4g6H2iAiRuzRgotu65IqSiP4r7_ITJvBCSa1WAWRCnx-Hyqz5o9chRFS2HK2RcjaBL3NPwAYprkg8cJgQ/s1285/Count+of+COVID-19+deaths+in+Ontario.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="1285" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UNgnClWpdIlUKs-1kFSKyZkrQQZLjiTD0-RUT98dGJChmN44UgqHMKT3ffT4g6H2iAiRuzRgotu65IqSiP4r7_ITJvBCSa1WAWRCnx-Hyqz5o9chRFS2HK2RcjaBL3NPwAYprkg8cJgQ/w640-h262/Count+of+COVID-19+deaths+in+Ontario.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Of course there is still considerable debate about the effectiveness of lockdowns. It may be too early to tell, but their effect so far has NOT been exemplary. For example, the Government of Ontario promised an "iron ring" around long term care (LTC) homes after the first wave. The result has been a dismal failure, nothing new for government, but a tragedy for thousands of families. Around 80% of the deaths from COVID19 have been in LTC homes. <a href="https://covid-19.ontario.ca/data/long-term-care-homes">Here</a> is the data for Ontario. That is about the <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/canada-long-term-care-covid19_ca_5ef4ad68c5b66c31268313d5">worst</a> in the world, and most of it can be blamed on <a href="https://nationalpost.com/opinion/rupa-subramanya-canadas-long-term-care-system-has-failed-to-protect-residents-from-covid-19-death-but-socialization-is-not-the-answer?fbclid=IwAR2gdRO_t4l0oFJg77jyV3X63x3ZhWE45MXZ2xNGlo71VMpCu-uY6y6eYTI">government</a>. Of course the socialists in our Parliaments and Legislatures blame the profit motive, but of course it is not that simple.</p><p>We all know the news was not all bad. Unlike what happened with the Spanish Flu, a third wave in the developed world is unlikely. As 2020 finally came to an end, <a href="https://www.raps.org/news-and-articles/news-articles/2020/3/covid-19-vaccine-tracker">several</a> effective vaccines had been approved and were being <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations">administered</a> by many nations around the world. Once <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Revolution">again</a> the private sector has rescued humanity. Yes, governments helped, but mostly by <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03626-1">getting out of the way</a>, and allowing quick approvals without jeopardizing on safety. That model could have lasting benefits for the future of medicine. We can hope.</p><p>The vaccines themselves are unique because two of them - the ones that use <a href="https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/messenger-rna">mRNA</a>, demonstrate new medical tools that may <a href="https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/the-promise-of-mrna-vaccines-68202">revolutionize</a> the way vaccines are made in the future. This is an unforeseen benefit of the COVID Pandemic. The use of RNA as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA_therapeutics">therapy</a> will also have a positive effect on other areas of medicine.</p><p>Once we get vaccinations going, hopefully with lots of private involvement (pharmacies), we could be seeing the end of the Pandemic by late summer.</p><br /><p><br /></p>Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-11097915337652469282020-09-15T13:20:00.009-04:002020-09-16T12:14:21.213-04:00Opinions are like assholes – Targeting COVID19 So far.....<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbd8bq_SXtVivFQAHb_RgGsXuyDelLWssOuKvPXoxqCyBrRZ3yD3d_Noceds4Jk0RFM7TGwNYhIoh3dXqB8tBfji72rvG5OqfVkg5vj6IF9filGM4o4-RVk8dyqAJx_XpiyUpLYaf-mxg/s367/dh4.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RMjbfsGVODBZ2b6JM44KrwZoQCubqR-ACIF-P4URwV6a6YQ9QDdFxOMGBhC8JfVAkcryvZ3VzEoGHtaiET7s813w7IC_W3VuQuH5UfrqukOKaMAMdK3-H1obn5qpcE8RwZ1U3Ikm7fBu/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="320" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RMjbfsGVODBZ2b6JM44KrwZoQCubqR-ACIF-P4URwV6a6YQ9QDdFxOMGBhC8JfVAkcryvZ3VzEoGHtaiET7s813w7IC_W3VuQuH5UfrqukOKaMAMdK3-H1obn5qpcE8RwZ1U3Ikm7fBu/w320-h156/image.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Suddenly everyone became an epidemiologist</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the immortal words of </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry Callahan) <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dead_Pool">The Dead Pool (1988)</a><b>:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Opinions are like</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> assholes. Everybody has one.” I will add ...and most of them stink.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The vast majority of people that I interact with on social media and in my life in general can't tell the difference between a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golgi_apparatus">Golgi body</a> and a goal post. But I can. I've spent 40 years of my life immersed in academia, studying, then teaching science and biology, a field that requires some knowledge of all three of the major groupings of Science, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even though I’ve retired from teaching and formal academics over 13 years ago, my interest in science and biology has not waned. So if this sounds like I have superior knowledge of things biological compared to the average layman, maybe I do. Read the rest with that in mind, and yes I have opinions too.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Opinions on COVID19 depend on ones point of view. As a septuagenarian with advanced Multiple Myeloma and other co-morbidities, an infection with SARS-CoV-2, for me, is possibly a death sentence. Myeloma already is, thats just a matter of time. To be sure, facing ones own mortality has a way of altering one’s views short term, because the longer term is more uncertain. So you’ll pardon me if I disavow complete objectivity, but I’ll try to be as objective as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">We are six months into our COVID19 Pandemic here in North America and some predictions have come and are coming true. First off, many people predicted a major Pandemic...eventually, as you can see <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/people-who-seemingly-predicted-the-coronavirus-pandemic-2020-3#bill-gates-has-been-warning-of-a-pandemic-for-years-1">here</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some predictions about the future were totally off. Like this one in 2015:<i> <a href="https://www.who.int/globalchange/global-campaign/cop21/en/">"<o:p></o:p></a></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><a href="https://www.who.int/globalchange/global-campaign/cop21/en/">Climate change is the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century."</a></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here is what British science writer, Matt Ridley said in a <a href="https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/09/14/how-environmentalism-holds-back-innovation/?fbclid=IwAR2Eiy3QLjNQkdkTv2jtzxl2nPzDv3zEOiu4r_lOBMloMOGQA6oM3rAVhqE">recent interview </a>about that prediction.....<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>“......We went into this pandemic hysterically terrified of climate change. What climate change actually means is that by the 2060s and 2070s, the average temperature of the world will be a couple of degrees warmer. That is essentially all we are saying. How did we manage to get to the point where we put that way above all other scares in importance, and neglected the pandemic threat? The World Health Organization (WHO) said in 2015 that the greatest threat to human health in the 21st century is climate change. The WHO is meant to keep us safe from pandemics. This suggests to me that in 2015, the WHO was not doing its day job. We are now seeing the consequences.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is what Canadian Public Health <a href="https://www.cpha.ca/climate-change-and-human-health">thought about the WHO pronouncement</a> in October 2019, just a few months before the Pandemic.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">If that doesn't make you wonder about WHO and Canadian Public Health, you are NOT paying attention.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">The prediction that a Pandemic was coming is not particularly prescient. </span><span>Pandemics occur <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525302/">regularly</a>, but this one was treated differently. The virus spread from China to Italy and the rest of Europe at jet-like speed before it arrived in North America. Then came the government enforced lockdowns. Those were not widely predicted. The early affected countries seemed to set the tone for the lockdowns. The first <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_lockdown_in_Hubei">lockdown</a> </span><span>occurred in China, this was followed by parts of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_lockdown_in_Italy">Italy</a>.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our governments in Canada and the US were unbelievably unprepared, almost surprised by the speed of events. One would have thought that the first SARS outbreak in 2003 would be a teaching tool for this one. Canada's largest city, my home town was ground zero for SARS CoV-1 back then. Lessons (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92467/">like this one</a>) were written by the main actors during that event. Did our governments pay attention to these? Nope. Look at these snippets from that event in Toronto 17 years before the COVID Pandemic:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i style="font-family: cambria;">“Evidence suggests that SCoV is transmitted via contact and/or droplets ….. and that the use of any mask (surgical or N95) significantly decreases the risk of infection…”<br /><br />“…epidemiological evidence suggests that transmission does not occur prior to the onset of symptoms or after symptom resolution…” “….underscoring the importance of a rapid, accurate diagnostic test.”<br /><br />“Atypical presentations of the disease have been described also complicating the diagnosis…”<br /><br />“….Interestingly, the disease has been rare in children and if present appears to be milder…”<br /><br />“…More frequent is a mild variant of the disease that includes mild respiratory symptoms with fever….”<br /><br />“…Advanced age is the most important risk factor for death with patients older than 60 years having a case fatality rate of 45 percent…”</i><br /><i><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">“The </span></i></span><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/n/nap10915/app5/def-item/glossary.gl1-d74/"><span style="color: #642a8f;">infectious agent</span></a></span><span style="background-color: white;"> was spread by respiratory droplets in the great majority of cases, and some patients were more infectious than others….” </span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I would say that all of the above and more was useful information for this novel Coronavirus, but similar to one that was already studied. Did they use the information? Did they take precautions? Was there any thinking going on by public health officials? None that could be discerned.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span>In fact our illustrious Prime Minister was mostly concerned with <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/coronavirus-canada-trudeau-february-1-1.5448834">anti-Chinese racism</a> in early February as case counts began in Ontario and B.C. </span></span>Young JustinT had barely finished chastising Canadians for the racial stereotyping of the Chinese, when the Chinese virus arrived in his own house carried by his <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/sophie-gregoire-trudeau-tests-positive-for-covid-19-pm-begins-14-day-isolation-1.4850159">wife</a>. The Chinese Communist Party, which young JustinT “admired,” deserves much of the blame for the entire debacle that followed.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite intelligence and plenty of evidence to the contrary, our governments did a <a href="https://nationalpost.com/opinion/chris-selley-six-months-in-canadas-pandemic-performance-remains-worse-than-we-think">piss-poor job</a> of preparing for a Pandemic and compounded that by failing to inform the population at the start.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The stable genius in the United States at first denied the seriousness of COVID19, even though he was advised of the opposite. Apparently, he didn't want to start a panic, but was OK with a disaster.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The general population knew better. News media were reporting shortages of toilet paper and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers. People were preparing. The WHO finally declared the Pandemic on March 11, 2020, the next day my wife and I forayed out on one last shopping binge looking for masks, gloves, and wipes, but only found gloves. We bought more toilet paper, and canned foods all the while thinking that we may have to hunker down for a few weeks. Schools were just closing for the March break and we thought they may have to shut for several weeks following. We did not imagine 6 months.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The next day sports leagues began cancelling games. Everything seemed very spontaneous and without direction, very ad-hoc and ultimately surreal.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;">Back in late February and early March, Washington State had <a href="https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/coronavirus-washington-state-timeline-outbreak/IM65JK66N5BYTIAPZ3FUZSKMUE/">outbreaks</a> in a retirement homes - that should have been a big red flag for public health everywhere. But of course it was mostly ignored. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;">Here is what happened in another Washington event:</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> “....an outbreak occurred following attendance of a symptomatic index case at a regular weekly rehearsal on 10 March of the Skagit Valley Chorale (SVC). After that rehearsal, 53 members of the SVC among 61 in attendance were confirmed or strongly suspected to have contracted COVID-19 and two died. Transmission by the airborne route is likely.” S</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">ee this <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.15.20132027v2">link</a>. </span><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: small;">This above was a demonstration of just how contagious the virus was from a </span><span style="font-size: small;">sick contagious individual, and how it was spread, possibly as an aerosol (<a href="https://time.com/5883081/covid-19-transmitted-aerosols/">that is disputed</a>) but likely by droplets when he coughed and sneezed in a closed space (that is not disputed). Again, that was mostly ignored.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMEAs7b2_8H0diN-i6WcEGz9qNvZHcSt7Q2ZbNBW6nB8vl5n89vIBLH7kFAgmuvPjuIm9OiyJSfe3GWUvYuQ5fU_YWQzlDLBT3abdpY27815PO9RLxcQmWI6gQ0wIeumTVyLj9jFLqboi/s996/choir.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="996" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTMEAs7b2_8H0diN-i6WcEGz9qNvZHcSt7Q2ZbNBW6nB8vl5n89vIBLH7kFAgmuvPjuIm9OiyJSfe3GWUvYuQ5fU_YWQzlDLBT3abdpY27815PO9RLxcQmWI6gQ0wIeumTVyLj9jFLqboi/s320/choir.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Skagit Valley Chorale outbreak</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The news from Europe, especially Italy was very <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52594570">disturbing</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I could only imagine hastily called meetings going on here at home in workplaces, businesses, in local and regional government offices about next steps. It began to dawn on many of us that this might take a while and to be safe, some changes must be made.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our government leaders were caught with their pants and skirts down, and suddenly realized that our medical facilities were finite and largely unprepared. In fact they were unprepared in normal times with long wait times, and for many who needed urgent care, this was about to become a disaster.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We were soon inundated with TV and radio ads from government urging everyone to wash their hands often and stay home so as not to overwhelm the already inadequate healthcare system. We were all urged to “<a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/11/flattening-curve-coronavirus/">flatten the curve</a>” for the sake of the health care system. Hospitals postponed “elective” surgeries and physicians discovered that video and telephone “consults” worked. Worsening outcomes for cancer, cardiac patients and everybody on a waitlist were about to become <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-hospitals-strive-to-clear-surgery-backlog-as-patients-remain-in-limbo-due-to-covid-19-1.5659334">collateral damage</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Turns out that the hand washing advisories were probably over done. The evidence now shows that touching contaminated surfaces (fomites) was a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7333993/">MINOR</a> method of transmission. The virus is transmitted by droplets primarily, as you would expect with a respiratory virus, and of course the government and public health officials poo-pooed wearing masks (even though it was recommended with SARS-1) but made a very big deal of washing hands.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmdmVpY2rSrXAoaHbj5clJp_jrh61x-p7n3OjzVQ8CFk9qmMkZLZH_mcJDzbemYb8iTjt9BD16TtwY3vLv-wPlgi4dkHTfPOQCP10Ae8YCyUYikJ2f8TCG5djksWbUX9VgqPxGAkiG6S3/s1200/ETeXN4-XQAEjkCz.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmdmVpY2rSrXAoaHbj5clJp_jrh61x-p7n3OjzVQ8CFk9qmMkZLZH_mcJDzbemYb8iTjt9BD16TtwY3vLv-wPlgi4dkHTfPOQCP10Ae8YCyUYikJ2f8TCG5djksWbUX9VgqPxGAkiG6S3/s320/ETeXN4-XQAEjkCz.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;">In fact our chief public health people actually discouraged masks at first, then <a href="https://ipolitics.ca/2020/07/14/mps-force-release-of-docs-about-dr-tams-u-turn-on-mask-advice/">reversed</a> that advice. The entire mask issue became a debacle as I've already discussed <a href="http://thebrightlibertarian.blogspot.com/2020/08/anti-mask-maniayes-it-is.html">here</a>.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;">Businesses of all sorts produced radio and TV commercials that were incredibly alike and eerily resembled this cartoon.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOQAcgb5qJ2Bom3Rw4X0yum6-4d7TEhMX7LYxJos8csNMgWwhBahce0mr2hIaV-jhYfpKTqLW3d9FBSYCSJ7L2FQa7_ny8QCFJt2btr8G1A73v6KPJdC5dyt0pU12T_2sEzNNH7bXC3i-/s1096/cartoon.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="1096" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOQAcgb5qJ2Bom3Rw4X0yum6-4d7TEhMX7LYxJos8csNMgWwhBahce0mr2hIaV-jhYfpKTqLW3d9FBSYCSJ7L2FQa7_ny8QCFJt2btr8G1A73v6KPJdC5dyt0pU12T_2sEzNNH7bXC3i-/s320/cartoon.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">News stories from the New York City region served to terrify because public health there could not keep up with the <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2239247-new-york-citys-coronavirus-outbreak-is-already-overwhelming-hospitals/">surge</a> in cases and deaths.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">By this time everyone that could, went online, and suddenly everyone became an epidemiologist.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many of us stuck at home with literally no where to go, discovered “<a href="https://zoom.us">Zoom</a>.” That did not help and in many ways things became worse. There was also a sudden uptick in the sharing of idiotic memes and jokes by email. That lasted for weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Traffic jams had disappeared overnight. Businesses and entertainment had shut down. There was no where to go, and it became eerily quiet especially in urban areas without traffic noise and air travel. Delivery vans (delivering food etc.) soon became the major traffic in many neighbourhoods.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Soon the conspiracists came out online. The most idiotic ones called what was happening a “PLANdemic” that was planned and started by the likes of Bill Gates or George Soros, or some scheming media and government leaders to subjugate humanity. Or, the whole thing is a hoax - never mind all the deaths in China, Italy, New York etc. Or, the virus was engineered in a Chinese lab in Wuhan. Or, COVID19 is no worse than the flu (it <a href="https://journalstar.com/opinion/columnists/megan-mcardle-a-new-covid-concern/article_9df65597-d8dc-5ef5-bfe4-cf30da5be3a3.html">isn't</a>) Many unsubstantiated <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nine-covid-19-myths-that-just-wont-go-away/">claims</a> were circulated. Most were hilarious to me anyway</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">, but the conspiracists were serious.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some folks even doubted the nature of the disease. Was it really a virus or was COVID caused by “5G networks?” Such a ridiculous idea it is just unworthy of further comment.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">All the talk about protecting the health care system seemed to work because it was never overwhelmed here, unlike Italy or New York City or other places in the States later on.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">What quickly became obvious was that the health care system failed to protect the elderly in long term care across the country. Local outbreaks raged through those operations and its there that the <a href="https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2020/05/07/82-of-canadas-covid-19-deaths-have-been-in-long-term-care.html">majority</a> of COVID deaths occurred in the early days of the Canadian outbreak. Things were so bad in some elder-care homes, that the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/long-term-care-pandemic-covid-coronavirus-trudeau-1.5584960">military</a> was called in to rescue survivors. It was the proverbial “shit-show” in these long term care facilities, a black mark against government controlled healthcare and a disaster for many families across Canada.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then came the drug therapy advocates with their own conspiracy theories. Based on the unfounded claims of the idiot in the White House and some random medical mavens who claimed this drug or that miraculously cured COVID. None were shown to be really effective let alone a cure, and only a few showed any real clinical effects that could be proven in a double blind study. So far the only drugs that have been proven to have any effect are steroids like dexamethasone and an antiviral remdesovir.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then came the contrarians, claiming the lockdowns were unnecessary (probably), or we should have followed the <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3031">Swedes</a> (maybe), or that masks are totally useless or even dangerous (unlikely), or the Pandemic is over (also unlikely), lets all go back to the way things were (not going to happen).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">People with higher paying jobs could work from home during a lockdown. People with lower paying jobs generally cannot if they have jobs at all. Many had lost their jobs and income because of the government’s lockdown over reaction. Almost as penance government began <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/7302647/canada-credit-coronavirus-spending-rating/">shovelling</a> money almost indiscriminately out to the people negatively affected. This added enormous debt to governments everywhere, an effect that will certainly outlast the effects of the virus.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Early on some folks <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-04-11/coronavirus-this-pandemic-will-lead-to-social-revolutions">predicted</a> social unrest as a result of the forced lockdown. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Of course no one predicted what form the social unrest would take though it was easy to predict who would be affected.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The pandemic became the perfect storm for the resurgence of the civil rights movement as a result of a few very unfortunate police actions. The continued presence of apparently racist police officers combined with smouldering frustration in Black and Indigenous communities after years of endless discrimination, sparked worldwide demonstrations, riots, and vandalism. The latter two have probably caused considerable resentment in the broader community, as I’ll point out later. Unfortunately this gave undeserved prominence to groups like ANTIFA and “Black Lives Matter” that advocated completely irrational demands such as <a href="https://blacklivesmatter.ca/defund-the-police/">defunding</a> the police. Libertarians would be happier if police were de-tasked of certain functions, but that's a longer story.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Throughout most of the very warm summer (in these parts) businesses were allowed to reopen in stages. Case counts dropped, deaths dropped, many people, especially the younger population became complacent. Strangely, even as the Pandemic seemed to wane several governments instituted mask mandates, finally acknowledging how the virus was primarily spread. Perhaps public health officials were anticipating and attempting to ward off a second wave, we’ll see.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">In August, most sports leagues restarted competition, but without audiences, just on TV - very weird (especially the <a href="https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/baseball-has-returned-with-cardboard-cutouts-of-fans-in-the-stands-072120">cardboard cutouts</a> in the stands), but at least it offered many an escape and live entertainment. Each of the Leagues pandered to the current civil rights unrest, by highlighting the dubious importance of the political group “Black Lives Matter” and so-called racial justice. Did the fans really care? We got a hint when the first NFL game (in Missouri) was held in front of a small physically distanced crowd that <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/09/josh-hawley-celebrates-the-nfl-fans-who-booed-a-moment-of-silence-for-racial-unity.html">booed</a> when the players at pregame linked arms in a salute to “racial unity.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I suspect there will be much resentment at the political shenanigans of the sports leagues. How that will manifest itself later on is anyone’s guess. But pandering to i</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">ntersectionality and</span></span><b style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">racial unity does not mix with sports entertainment IMHO.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The mask mandates just triggered more civil unrest, and more so-called “expert” opinions (see top) and discussions on their effectiveness especially online. As case numbers ticked up in early September schools reopened with much parental consternation and considerable variation across the country.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">We’re 6 months in, and winter is coming. Will there be a second wave? No doubt, its just a matter of how big. Its well known that schools drive pandemics, will it happen this time?</span></p></div>Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-17980539557713686082020-08-30T17:48:00.000-04:002020-08-30T17:48:20.895-04:00Media Bias - from objective to plain objectionable.<p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrZGf2jRFSbJRDxiCGFcox6qV_OdOM2u2BFGhoNQEzxxLcLgZNpES6KCzpVQhyphenhyphenCWoEikDSmLR-KJIweUOTerAqGj9JDhEXj7sFqu_DXvzdl6p2H2q3EPBqo5L7Pzo__9y_Ejel96FzSkW/s2048/DoX2yL-VAAAM5Ep.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1475" data-original-width="2048" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrZGf2jRFSbJRDxiCGFcox6qV_OdOM2u2BFGhoNQEzxxLcLgZNpES6KCzpVQhyphenhyphenCWoEikDSmLR-KJIweUOTerAqGj9JDhEXj7sFqu_DXvzdl6p2H2q3EPBqo5L7Pzo__9y_Ejel96FzSkW/w410-h295/DoX2yL-VAAAM5Ep.png" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My personal view of Canadian Media bias.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <span style="font-family: Calibri;">In August 2020, CBC Newsworld covered the Pandemic versions of the Democratic then Republican National Conventions (DNC & RNC) each evening during their run.</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I watched bits of both occasionally. One evening (August 26th) I watched part of the RNC coverage. After one of the speeches the host and the CBC Washington correspondent introduced two American commentators. One was a Democratic strategist, the other a Republican strategist. I thought, good we were going to be offered two different viewpoints on the speech just presented. Boy was I wrong. Turned out, both commentators were very much anti-Trump as were the host and the Washington correspondent. There was not even the pretence of objective analysis. Not surprised, I thought how typical of CBC.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a youngster I had an obsession with the NEWS, learned from my father probably because of his peacetime and wartime experiences in Poland. He was an avid NEWS watcher and listener.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Growing up in Toronto, with just a few TV and radio stations, it never crossed my mind that the NEWS would be biased based on the station reporting it. That was probably true of most of my generation in the 1950’s and most of the ‘60’s. For me the NEWS was the truth, why would I doubt it? I was also fortunate, like all my neighbours, to get NEWS from American and Canadian sources because of our proximity to the USA. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In reality, I was growing up during a rare blip in journalism and media. Commercial sponsors that wanted the broadest media appeal possible to market their products funded print journalism as well as TV and radio broadcasting. Journalists and their editors were encouraged to aim at the mushy political middle in their reporting to attract the largest possible audience. But throughout the history of media, that was not always the case.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before radio and TV, political parties often funded <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Canadian_newspapers">Canadian</a> and <a href="https://www.hoover.org/research/brief-history-media-bias">American</a> print media. So what appeared in their stories and reports were typically very <a href="https://ethics.journalism.wisc.edu/2011/04/20/the-fall-and-rise-of-partisan-journalism/">partisan</a>, and not that different from today. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eventually the expense of publishing newspapers became difficult for political parties to finance, and sponsorships moved to business and industry. Those folks wanted broad appeal and NEWS reporting became more objective and less partisan by necessity. We were in a Cold War with the Soviets and political parties themselves were also ideologically similar back then, as were the readers and later listeners and watchers. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course the media do not officially support political parties these days, print media will endorse parties and candidates prior to elections. However, in practice day-to-day most mainstream media outlets have adopted the prevailing cultural norms and today have a definite leftish tone (see above graphic). Certainly that’s true across Canada. Many Canadians lament the bias of mainstream media, but history shows bias was the normal condition.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As the culture continues to shift left, so has much of the mainstream media.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In Canada, smaller NEWS outlets (mostly online) are funded by donations. Many of these are on the right end of the political spectrum. Since the culture is largely left-wing, the larger privately funded media sources (the print media, CTV, etc.) have attempted the pretence of objectivity just to keep a broad based audience but actually most lean left because it is politically acceptable. Publicly funded (government) media sources like the CBC and TVO, have moved hard core left, because they do not depend as much on broad private sponsorship. They get government funding regardless of the crap they produce.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The graphic at the top (adapted from <a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DoX2yL-VAAAM5Ep?format=jpg&name=4096x4096">here</a>) is my non-scientific impression of some selected Canadian media outlets. Most of the mainstream media are on the left. The right side is populated by small \, relatively new organizations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here is an American version of my graphic thats available online:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKa0VNvBX0ZPqW0RR_5iMsfF2ol9rPtdWdoWSFEKE3-rUtf0moJR7MKtZsB6xmzjM5J-jaFk7bH3x1qZCO58QbyltRaUL9chfyu2DguR99zGZtYREqxiCid9O-dPMhzKzEGp53UZqLSBr/s1200/Media-Bias-Chart-6.0.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="1200" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKa0VNvBX0ZPqW0RR_5iMsfF2ol9rPtdWdoWSFEKE3-rUtf0moJR7MKtZsB6xmzjM5J-jaFk7bH3x1qZCO58QbyltRaUL9chfyu2DguR99zGZtYREqxiCid9O-dPMhzKzEGp53UZqLSBr/w410-h316/Media-Bias-Chart-6.0.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American media bias.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course, just like in Canada, American media is owned by just a </span><a href="https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/democracyondeadline/mediaownership.html" style="font-family: Calibri;">few companies</a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, all of which come with their own biases.</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The only way to avoid media bias these days is to read, listen to, and watch a variety of legitimate media outlets. The key is how to discern what is legitimate. My graphic (above) makes an attempt at demonstrating this. Thats according to my opinion at least. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We may disagree.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">While dispassionate objectivity is still taught in journalism schools, most practicing journalists shed that constraint, very quickly as they settle in with a like-minded employer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today the cultural shift left has gone so far as to invite gross censorship and censure-ship of journalists who stray from supposed cultural norms. Publishers and other media owners do not want to risk offending anyone because they fear losing sponsorships. Maybe they don't realize it but that fear is itself very offensive. Diverse opinions are scorned by editors and publishers to the point where today, many journalists are in revolt. (See <a href="http://thebrightlibertarian.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-new-mccarthyism.html">The new Mcarthyism</a> - Cancel Culture) That's a good sign, in my opinion, push back even from the lefty journalists who realize that diverse opinions are what makes our Western civilization work.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p>Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-44762547477873814232020-08-17T16:47:00.000-04:002020-08-17T16:47:02.202-04:00 Anti-mask mania...yes it is!<p><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLYwMst08R7Gw8pkNemEs_bypjtA7NTibraNlJK5KfzdVqFDDFM-joVObYsAJJryOfi9s3fliO_KS_HLAypvJQ7WAupZ0JPAKPj__Qhg8F0JdbxHW9Sl29QAQM2sT52gzXZrAfLpf_671/s950/photo-1588778246422-031bbc452da6.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="950" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLYwMst08R7Gw8pkNemEs_bypjtA7NTibraNlJK5KfzdVqFDDFM-joVObYsAJJryOfi9s3fliO_KS_HLAypvJQ7WAupZ0JPAKPj__Qhg8F0JdbxHW9Sl29QAQM2sT52gzXZrAfLpf_671/w320-h240/photo-1588778246422-031bbc452da6.jpg" title="Really, its a question?" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really, its a question? Mask UP!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>During the first few months of the COVID Pandemic lockdown, politicians, health officials, and hospitals agonized over the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for front line health care workers. It was headline <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/03-03-2020-shortage-of-personal-protective-equipment-endangering-health-workers-worldwide">news</a>.</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"> PPE consists of masks, face shields, gowns and gloves - all disposable, and all <b>essential</b> in <b>protecting</b> doctors, nurses, orderlies, etc. from infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID19. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;">Think about that, the PPE <b>protects</b> the healthcare worker and is <b>essential</b> for them to do their job. That was clearly understood by virtually everyone at the start. At the same time, the general population was told by experts and idiot politicians that masks are ineffective and should not be used and anyway masks do not protect you, they protect others from you. Of course, that contradicts the “personal” part of PPE. Worse still, the idiot politicians supported that or in the American case denied what seemed obvious, and the issue of masks became a political football. <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-masks-went-from-dont-wear-to-must-have/">Eventually</a> the idiot politicians and public health officials changed their collective little minds and suggested that masks be worn to protect “others.” That ‘suggestion’ became a legal requirement in many jurisdictions locally and regionally, ordered by governments and backed by public health officials around the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;">So apparently front line healthcare workers and public health officials almost everywhere are convinced that masks provide some degree of protection if used properly. Sure, there are a few exceptions, and I choose to ignore them, because the front line workers are the real experts. They wear masks and there is nothing theoretical about it. Is there any evidence that wearing masks can reduce virus transmission in the general population? Fortunately there is. Hong Kong has experienced several epidemic outbreaks over the years because of its location. There, its a cultural norm to wear masks in public. During an outbreak its almost universal as this quote suggests:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"><i>“Not wearing masks in Hong Kong is like not wearing pants nowadays,” Alex Lam, a Hong Kong lawyer, told the Wall Street Journal in April.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;">This <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/5/18/21262273/coronavirus-hong-kong-masks-deaths-new-york">article</a> makes the point of comparing Hong Kong to New York City: <i>“New York City, with a population of about 8.4 million, has had over 28,000 coronavirus deaths as of May 18. Meanwhile, Hong Kong has officially recorded only four Covid-19 deaths, despite having 7.5 million residents.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;">Masks are just part of Hong Kong’s story, but there is little doubt they play a role. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;">I am, of course opposed to the official mandates that require masks to be worn. Certainly property owners and businesses have the right to demand masks be worn inside their building. Why would anyone refuse? (Only CovIDIOTS would) My view is simple, if wearing a mask can protect against virus transmission, even partially, then everyone should, as a matter of courtesy and self defence.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"> But of course courtesy is not a universally accepted trait and I’m constantly reminded of the number of stupid people that somehow exist. An anti-mask backlash ensued in social media, on the street, and in the news. Much of it was against mandates, I get that. But a good chunk of the online protests were just against the very idea of wearing masks. People trotted out “experts,” “peer-reviewed studies,” wacky YouTube videos, all sorts protestations exhorting people <b>not</b> to wear masks. I was frankly dismayed and annoyed. What motive could these people have? Why are they so determined to deny what reality seems to confirm every time a health care worker steps into a room with a COVID patient?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;">Its common for libertarian thinkers to be contrarian, so I’m not totally surprised at the social media reaction to masks. I just have trouble with their motive.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;">Maybe the official science <a href="https://mises.org/wire/when-it-comes-masks-there-no-settled-science">does not totally</a> support masks, but neither does it totally deny their effectiveness. The practice of wearing masks seems to have an effect. If nothing else it reminds people to take care. Enough people have died to prove this is a nasty, nasty and unpredictable bug. For me ALL LIVES MATTER! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;">We’re going to have a second wave of COVID soon, I expect it to be worse, maybe far worse than the first. Most professional healthcare workers and virologists believe droplet and aerosol <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7293495/">transmission</a> is the main method the virus is transmitted. If wearing masks in any way lessens the impact of a second wave, then why not mask up? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p>Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-10628535168129350672020-08-07T16:07:00.003-04:002020-08-11T18:21:05.571-04:00 The new McCarthyism<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 18pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzgfzJD21B6GLnk6c6CCdNLvbYCV_-jQ48ZHmMvAqNKoM-Kksgeo4K2i3uXjkiRpvmxOpzXNm_smFrkAJdoU1RICx5lp634cIFpQOADbGchSwHSh-a6WuKiML1AWQ6Z_IQDzG9vNXgW4nT/s1730/social_media.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1155" data-original-width="1730" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzgfzJD21B6GLnk6c6CCdNLvbYCV_-jQ48ZHmMvAqNKoM-Kksgeo4K2i3uXjkiRpvmxOpzXNm_smFrkAJdoU1RICx5lp634cIFpQOADbGchSwHSh-a6WuKiML1AWQ6Z_IQDzG9vNXgW4nT/w329-h220/social_media.jpg" width="329" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">In early July of 2020, in the midst of the COVID19 Pandemic, a <a href="https://harpers.org/a-letter-on-justice-and-open-debate/">letter appeared in Harper’s Magazine</a> dealing with what was called “Justice and Open Debate.” Over 150 people signed the letter, most with ties to the literary world, writers, editors, commentators etc. Without mentioning the term, it complained about the creeping “cancel culture” in the press and media. Something I have written about <a href="http://thebrightlibertarian.blogspot.com/2019/11/a-modern-day-quiet-cultural-revolution.html">before</a>. I’m happy to see others consider it a danger too.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Later on in July, Bari Weiss, a writer, editor and former columnist for the New York Times, resigned with <a href="https://www.bariweiss.com/resignation-letter">this letter</a> to her employer. Both letters dealt with the “chill” that writers face when they write something that strays from the common consensus. This quote from the </span><span style="font-family: calibri;">Weiss</span><span style="font-family: calibri;"> letter:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i></i></span></p><blockquote><i>“..... standing up for principle at the paper does not win plaudits. It puts a target on your back. Too wise to post on Slack, they write to me privately about the “new McCarthyism” that has taken root at the paper of record.” BW<span> </span></i></blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What is this new McCarthyism, this cancel culture?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">According to <a href="http://dictionary.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Dictionary.com</span></a>, <i>“<b>Cancel culture</b> refers to the popular practice of withdrawing support for (cancelling) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive. [It's] generally discussed as being performed on social media in the form of group shaming.”</i> Similar terms are “doxxing” and “deplatforming” Deplatforming conservative and right wing speakers at universities have been a common occurrence for a number of years now. One just has to listen and look at the drivel that comes out of most universities to understand why.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course it goes beyond just shaming for those shamed and one does not need to be famous to be affected. It damages careers, jobs, and ultimately its character assassination often unjustly and inappropriately delivered.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There is nothing wrong with publicly castigating the comments and the commentator for something said or written. But harmful comments need to be evaluated on their harm and degree of offence. </span><span style="font-family: calibri;">Some comments do not rise to the level of public shaming, some do. Some are not offensive at all, but simply innocuous opinions that don’t really require a response. Of course there are evil people with evil and dangerous intent that need to be outed and ultimately marginalized. That makes it important to discover intent. Trying to be objective when evaluating speech and written work is all-important. But in many cases intent is ignored and the response of the evaluators is excessively harsh. Why?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In late July, while being grilled at a ridiculous anti-trust hearing, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, (Bezos <a href="https://blog.aboutamazon.com/policy/statement-by-jeff-bezos-to-the-u-s-house-committee-on-the-judiciary">testimony</a> - this is great) commented that social media is a 'nuance-destruction machine' when asked about his views on 'cancel culture.' </span><span style="font-family: calibri;">In other words, comments on Facebook, Twitter and the like, can be easily misinterpreted. Nuance disappears in the new world of triggering and micro-aggression. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That’s part of the problem and the rest almost entirely involves identity politics. With that, civil discourse is stifled on all sides of the spectrum and that further polarizes individuals and groups.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here is a troubling example. A former colleague and friend, who worked as a teacher for the largest school board in Canada, made what I consider an innocent post on Facebook. He commented that there was a <b>“distinction between peaceful protestors in a just cause and violent rioters who undermine that cause.”</b> This was related to the violent anti-racism protests occurring in the States at the time. After reading this, some irate and unknown to him, social justice warriors lodged a formal complaint against my friend to his employer. The employer instantly suspended him for possible “human rights violations,” banned him from school property, accused him of “discrediting the teaching profession,” put a formal reprimand on his record, and even threatened further investigation including possible termination of his contract. Naturally he was pissed to say the least, and fortunate to be close to retirement. And that’s exactly what he did, thankful to distance himself from those idiots.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have studied and taught biology for over 40 years and have never encountered such low level life forms as those bits of slime that forced a career to end so undeservedly. Of course the idiot Board admins were no shining example of fairness and good judgment. These are the folks responsible for the education of our children and grandchildren, and that is what is most distressing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This video puts forth a libertarian view of cancel culture:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HDz7ZjSbcUM" width="320" youtube-src-id="HDz7ZjSbcUM"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="" style="font-family: Calibri;"> This is also a good link: </span><a href="https://www.persuasion.community/p/the-cancel-culture-checklist-c63">https://www.persuasion.community/p/the-cancel-culture-checklist-c63</a></p>Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-47085792815882251562020-07-29T17:50:00.007-04:002020-08-04T11:14:00.867-04:00Political Party Package Deals & Principles<p style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeSw05rNxG6fe_gGbjs9aiMEeXP_XBsXe-G7v9Rm9Olpvj3OymKiEEd7vKI9UhpzoEhNaWvFy2XjztkGd7OC8d8oHUxvLlvQ6xh6y3vSNlpNDzbm8Um8wOxqKSAlM4RjdTdLvGzJCGng4/s300/build-your-pkg-deal-thumb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeSw05rNxG6fe_gGbjs9aiMEeXP_XBsXe-G7v9Rm9Olpvj3OymKiEEd7vKI9UhpzoEhNaWvFy2XjztkGd7OC8d8oHUxvLlvQ6xh6y3vSNlpNDzbm8Um8wOxqKSAlM4RjdTdLvGzJCGng4/s0/build-your-pkg-deal-thumb.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Casting a ballot during an election is often a problem for libertarians and classical liberals. They would be the first to say its rare to find acceptable candidates advocating for the right mix of socially tolerant ideas as well as fiscal responsibility in government. Unless there is the rare appearance of a true Libertarian or libertarian-like candidate, the aforementioned voters would have to mark their ballots while holding their collective noses or abstain from voting entirely. It's a dilemma.</span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">This problem is almost always because political parties offer package deals. What are “package deals?” They’re party platforms that are often a hodgepodge of inconsistent positions. Rarely do political parties hold principles consistent with strict social tolerance and fiscal responsibility, both important to libertarians. Parties cater to groups of people that have been influenced by prevailing social and cultural norms and popular economic beliefs. They also get labelled as being right-wing conservative or left-wing liberal in modern parlance.</span><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: inherit;">As an aside I would challenge the common meaning of these terms “right-wing and left-wing.” For example, its common in the mainstream media to call communists and socialists left-wing, and fascists right-wing. But fascism is as authoritarian as communism in practice. Recall that the NAZI Party, the prototypical fascist party, were national socialists! How is that different from regular socialists? Really, its not.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: inherit;">So my preference, for the North American situation, is to define left-wing as authoritarian with huge government interference in all matters, and right-wing as the opposite, classically liberal and with little government interference in all matters.</span></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><font style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"></font></span></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: inherit;">But that’s not how it works in real politics. For example, many so-called right-wing conservative parties claim to be fiscally responsible (and rarely are), and advocate rights, but also would deny women access to abortion, and deny everyone access to recreational drugs. At the same time so-called left-wing liberal parties would tax and spend to support dubious social programs yet allow women the freedom to choose and also not penalize the recreational use of drugs. Of course libertarians and classical liberals share traits that tend to straddle both these supposed left and right positions as well as other issues. How does a libertarian choose?</span></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><font style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"></font></span></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: inherit;">Thats why it’s important to support libertarian parties, candidates and ideas. It's the ideas that eventually change the culture, and voicing the ideas in an election campaign and giving people the option to vote for them is often the only way people are exposed to them. Like this from the <a href="https://www.lp.org">USLP</a>:</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="826" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcQdsW1RJ-E9xFME2G0mx1BhLgEsn7Kj-A-TQKXq6kE4m7hC3A47chls2UedT9y4Lc5i6JikC8BNBlTqUrBo9NiFijFKsi4aRUakOHr1T0TrQMgAK8QFez7jCOIDauaKqZ3ay7qyv4G6p/w278-h320/115963630_10159975697039325_3220787289286479984_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="278" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">USLP Presidential Candidate 2020<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcQdsW1RJ-E9xFME2G0mx1BhLgEsn7Kj-A-TQKXq6kE4m7hC3A47chls2UedT9y4Lc5i6JikC8BNBlTqUrBo9NiFijFKsi4aRUakOHr1T0TrQMgAK8QFez7jCOIDauaKqZ3ay7qyv4G6p/s960/115963630_10159975697039325_3220787289286479984_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></a></div><p></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: inherit;">In Canada many ideas that had origins in Libertarian Party platforms and thought have already been adopted, even though Libertarians rarely make a dent in election results. Ideas like allowing Sunday shopping, equal rights for gay relationships, allowing beer to be sold in supermarkets, and legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, have all been part of past Libertarian platforms, and now in Ontario, and much of Canada they are par-for-the-course.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: inherit;">Yes, its true that in practice these ideas are not precisely in line with libertarian preferences, but thats the way politics works. Good libertarian ideas start off as a whisper that gets louder as the culture changes. Eventually the ideas are ripe enough for implementation when the time is right and then some unprincipled mainstream party runs with them and wins. This gradual shift in political discussion is the concept of the <a href="https://www.mackinac.org/OvertonWindow">Overton Window</a>, which I have used to create policy for the Ontario Libertarian Party.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-family: inherit;">Having said all that, the only way to influence people </span>in our system<span style="font-family: inherit;">, especially voters, unfortunately, is to get involved in politics and help construct those package deals.</span></p></div>Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-26928302493944876892020-07-20T16:03:00.000-04:002020-07-20T16:05:46.932-04:00Why am I wearing a mask, and why you should?<span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrKEiPMEmQ0gsAzogemJ6Da9v5R5EthMVgnRHrAnCkOLbAsrtmusuugSmadGWdacBobsh1GpWngx58371E-ayp5L-ukUVQjt0Jy7Jyzl-N80_1Uz2uemhpNbf1_tlYIwYhf9mtWfoQ4oE/s2048/IMG_0352.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrKEiPMEmQ0gsAzogemJ6Da9v5R5EthMVgnRHrAnCkOLbAsrtmusuugSmadGWdacBobsh1GpWngx58371E-ayp5L-ukUVQjt0Jy7Jyzl-N80_1Uz2uemhpNbf1_tlYIwYhf9mtWfoQ4oE/s320/IMG_0352.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>When I posted that picture on my Facebook, most of the reaction was the simple Facebook ‘like.” One fellow sarcastically commented “Libertarian, lol.” Of course what he meant was that libertarians don’t wear masks. Wearing a mask implies submitting to government edict in his mind, and libertarians are contrarian by nature according to popular myth. That guy did not seem to remember that governments here and around the world eschewed mask wearing at first; in fact most government officials claimed masks were somehow dangerous. Maybe if that idiotic advice had stuck, wearing a mask would have been the contrarian and therefore the correct libertarian thing to do. But as it happens government officials changed their collective minds, mostly.</span><div><font face="timesnewromanpsmt"><br /></font><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;">In late February and early March 2020, when I realized SARS-CoV-2 was a respiratory virus likely spread by close contact, and inhaling virus, I began searching for masks online and in local stores. They were no longer in the stores or very hard to find, and online they had very high prices and far off delivery dates. My brother ordered some masks for me in early March (like the one I'm wearing) as a birthday present. They finally arrived May 26th.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;"> </span></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTghgLpKVBCiqXHW5dj7gVt0UnN49ux1SFKS4hd6OCKuoWjBa2JyQj7zyZvcF-wmiAxQDphnL02exFHYQ9inKak6DJ9ZC7VGfr_7wsF5KOO6lgJH6Qr8vpE1Zp3uUlYz0f6adSXuWmjTM7/s960/mask.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Masks plus distance - very effective." border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="753" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTghgLpKVBCiqXHW5dj7gVt0UnN49ux1SFKS4hd6OCKuoWjBa2JyQj7zyZvcF-wmiAxQDphnL02exFHYQ9inKak6DJ9ZC7VGfr_7wsF5KOO6lgJH6Qr8vpE1Zp3uUlYz0f6adSXuWmjTM7/w253-h320/mask.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Masks plus distance = very effective.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;"> I’ve always known that masks were not completely effective but were worn to protect others as well as yourself. Better than nothing in my opinion. Medical professionals have used face masks for over 120 years, so when SARS-CoV-2 came to Ontario, I knew a face mask would afford me some protection, and I would need it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;">Both the meme on the right and the video below from this <a href="https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/efficacy-facemasks-coronavirus.php?fbclid=IwAR1nZhXq2DZpLTgXwC0lRJXQwQwCwM94e6NGX6XY9RPQ6CeSeD1yKru3bkc">site</a>, illustrates that masks are at least partially effective. Together with adequate distancing (~2 m) they are very useful in preventing spread in enclosed spaces, and in my personal case, I really needed it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/evATiHUejxg" width="320" youtube-src-id="evATiHUejxg"></iframe></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;">My situation has made me extremely vulnerable to the worst effects of the virus. I have <a href="https://www.myelomacanada.ca/en/about-multiple-myeloma/what-is-myeloma">Multiple Myeloma</a>, a blood cancer of the frontline cells of my immune system, the ones that produce antibodies that would fight an infection. I can produce antibodies, and in large quantities, but they are useless and so I’m an easy target for any type of infection. For me and others like me COVID19 has a case fatality rate of between 39 and 54%. I’m in my 70’s, male with type "A" blood, three more knocks. So needless to say I’ve been avoiding people including family since mid-March 2020.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;">So if wearing a mask or having those around me wearing a mask is even slightly effective, then why not? Of course I believe that wearing a mask should be strictly a <b>voluntary choice</b>, I also believe that it's a good choice, and a considerate choice. Since "do no harm" is the number one rule of libertarianism, then wearing a mask is the obvious choice. Most sensible libertarians will agree, and you can see the evidence <a href="https://reason.com/2020/05/05/masks-can-be-a-symbol-of-privacy-and-personal-responsibility-not-tyranny/">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/05/the-libertarian-case-for-masks/">here</a>. But, more and more governments are mandating the use of masks. While I don't agree with that, I certainly understand it. <b>Private businesses and government have the right to require individuals to wear masks when entering their establishments. No mask, no admission, thats what I believe. Your freedom to be irresponsible ends when you step into someone's property.</b> That is simply a property rights issue, whether you believe masks are useful or not.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;">More and more people and organizations are understanding that <a href="https://nursesunions.ca/cfnu-research-summary-on-covid-19/">droplet transmission</a> (and possibly <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02058-1">aerosol</a> transmission) is the <a href="https://www.uptodate.com/contents/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-epidemiology-virology-and-prevention">primary method of spread</a> of </span><font face="timesnewromanpsmt">SARS-CoV-2. The early instructions in Ontario were to wash hands and stay home. Not a word about masks. Clearly we have learned that information was just plain inadequate. Listen to this physician speaking on <i><b>"This Week in Virology"</b></i> (<b>TWIV</b>) saying that <a href="https://nursesunions.ca/cfnu-research-summary-on-covid-19/">masks work</a> (@ 26 minutes, 28 seconds) and should be used in closed spaces. Listen to the entire podcast if you're wondering about that. In fact listen to <a href="http://www.microbe.tv/twiv/"><b>TWIV</b></a> if you're interested in viruses/pandemics/science etc. and want to understand from a reputable source whats really going on right now.</font></div><div><font face="timesnewromanpsmt"><br /></font></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmJLDFe05EnZw2-limwuunsCltfUUw7L135RzlTY4iB1eQN7J7hrckEcCWM8Zp9J4Kuk5ND_1WiUpYAvZiS4Idi9CY_8dTvVhYr2unpRdIcvBxqmJpJL5gVqS7csI1zwXoaG80WH_8QFL/s780/aptopix-trump.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="780" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmJLDFe05EnZw2-limwuunsCltfUUw7L135RzlTY4iB1eQN7J7hrckEcCWM8Zp9J4Kuk5ND_1WiUpYAvZiS4Idi9CY_8dTvVhYr2unpRdIcvBxqmJpJL5gVqS7csI1zwXoaG80WH_8QFL/s320/aptopix-trump.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even Trump wears a mask with the POTUS seal!</td></tr></tbody></table><font face="timesnewromanpsmt">Several of my 'friends' on social media (Facebook etc.) insist on downplaying the effectiveness of masks sighting scientific studies that prove(?) masks are ineffective. Some even post lengthy exhortations about how useless masks are, how innocuous the virus is, and how we should not be that concerned. </font><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;">Frankly I don't understand their motivation. It makes no sense to refuse to </span><font face="timesnewromanpsmt">abide by the simple precautionary principle which is just reasonable when unknowns abound. They will argue that they are against mandating masks and forcing people to stay home and on and on. </font><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;">Certainly governments have overreacted by shutting down the economy and possibly creating much more harm than the Pandemic. </span><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;">I understand and </span><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;">I agree.</span><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;"> But there is also the idea of personal responsibility, respect for your neighbours, common courtesy, and the chance that you might help protect susceptible people (like me). It boggles my mind but I guess these folks don't really care that all lives matter, else why argue? </span></div><div><font face="timesnewromanpsmt"><br /></font></div><div><font face="timesnewromanpsmt">Many of these folks point to the observation (and their own conclusion) that the pandemic seems to be over, the emergency has ended, so why are masks being mandated now? Thats a reasonable question, but the fact is that a second wave is very likely when the weather turns cooler. Masks could mitigate a second wave until an effective vaccine is found and distributed. Masks could allow semi-normal interactions which would help the economy and get people back to work. The second wave may be far worse than the Pandemic has been so far, especially in Canada because of our relatively low infection rate. Just look at infection rates in the US now in July 2020. There, politics has so contaminated good information from physicians and public health authorities, that Americans have not respected the serious implications of </font><span style="font-family: timesnewromanpsmt;">SARS-CoV-2 infection and the ease of its transmission. Americans may be inadvertently heading for herd immunity, what <a href="https://fortune.com/2020/07/16/sweden-covid-strategy-herd-immunity-elusive/">Sweden</a> has been doing on purpose. Both countries may (emphasis on <b>MAY</b>), have a milder second wave compared to places like Canada. Wearing masks in Canada will have to be the next normal for the foreseeable future. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div></div>Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-89221195566417655132020-07-07T12:49:00.001-04:002020-07-07T12:51:43.855-04:00This will make Greta mad.....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4_nO8cQMag0mz2c53YXwle4Vj_80thnR8r2CB9oEJNpI8z2ltI1pWkdGlmxziIYYquFLsunbO3tJWYHXXk-seuJJEWDBMIOl6gADH9CFI0hs8nxv7A7btgUkZERA-reOwk4AmvefyxNQ/s259/images.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4_nO8cQMag0mz2c53YXwle4Vj_80thnR8r2CB9oEJNpI8z2ltI1pWkdGlmxziIYYquFLsunbO3tJWYHXXk-seuJJEWDBMIOl6gADH9CFI0hs8nxv7A7btgUkZERA-reOwk4AmvefyxNQ/w405-h304/images.png" title="Angry Greta...." width="405" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angry Greta!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Good news! Big cracks are beginning to form in the climate alarmist environmental movement. Even the true believers are asking media to cool it. Why? It may be because 2019 was a truly outrageous year even for the climate catastrophists. At the start of the year politicians and others, amplified by media, made claims that we had only <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2019/01/22/ocasio-cortez-climate-change-alarm/2642481002/">12 years</a> before the world as we know it ends if we don’t buckle-down and address climate change now. The mainstream media gleefully reported that global climate catastrophe was imminent. Great fires, floods, storms, record heat, all those things were happening (they imagined) and were attributed to human caused climate change. The end was near unless there was some kind of massive intervention.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">By the close of the year <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_Thunberg#Mental_health">Greta Thunberg</a>, the autistic, troubled teenage wunderkind, was proclaimed <b><i>TIME</i></b> magazine's person of the year (see <a href="http://thebrightlibertarian.blogspot.com/2020/01/is-climate-change-existential-threat-to.html">this</a>). She was recognized despite not yet finishing high school, but still credited with enough scientific credibility to be a world renowned self-proclaimed spokesperson against catastrophic climate change. Just remarkable, wouldn’t you say? What a world we live in! Greta, of course, will not like this blog post.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">In the midst of the daily climate warnings by the media and almost on queue, the <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-visual-guide-to-the-sars-cov-2-coronavirus/">SARS-CoV-2</a> Pandemic swept away the ridiculous notion that catastrophic climate change was the worst thing that could happen to humanity. Of course that did not stop the bleating from the apocalyptic hordes just so we didn't forget them during the lockdown. In fact they pointed out that CO2 levels continued to rise despite <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2245330-co2-levels-hit-record-high-despite-emissions-dip-from-coronavirus/">reduced</a> human activity during the worldwide Pandemic lockdown. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Maybe as result of all the outragiously scary stuff that appeared in 2019 an <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00177-3">article</a> was posted in <i>Nature</i> magazine, which in my opinion began the catastrophists retreat. The article admonished catastrophists to tone down their rhetoric without retreating from their alarmist position: </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><i>“<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: harding, palatino, times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 17px;">We must all — from physical scientists and climate-impact modellers to communicators and policymakers — stop presenting the worst-case scenario as the most likely one. Overstating the likelihood of extreme climate impacts can make mitigation seem harder than it actually is. This could lead to defeatism, because the problem is perceived as being out of control and unsolvable.”</span></i></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">They pointed out that the worst case scenario envisioned by the IPCC was unlikely to happen and should not be used to terrify the general public, rather we were on track to a far lessor disaster (but still a disaster) unless we switch to so-called cleaner energy sources like “renewables” - wind, solar etc., and proceed with other mitigation strategies. Apparently when media reports on the future of climate change, they have a tendency to use the worst case scenario to make the case. Journalists have become climate activists, long ago tossing out objectivity. The <i>Nature</i> article suggested that the worst case was also the MOST UNLIKELY. Rather, the article suggested using more realistic scenarios to make policy and report to the public. Mostly the article was ignored, especially by media.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Every year the <i>National Post</i> features a week in June called <b>Junk Science Week</b>. Understandably climate change stories have been at the forefront of that week every year. This year the <a href="https://business.financialpost.com/opinion/ross-mckitrick-the-flaw-in-relying-on-a-worst-case-scenario-climate-model?fbclid=IwAR3As1GjE-hCgx8_6Z3el3uUHAMcWzRibxttE22UxPdojQ4nMHPa9HcYmCY">column</a> written by University of Guelph Prof. Ross McKitrick highlighted the article above from <i>Nature</i>. That was the only press I saw commenting on it.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The onset of the COVID19 Pandemic pulled the world's attention from the fake but widely believed existential crisis of climate change, to a very real existential crisis for humanity. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white;"><font face="inherit">It was during the height of the North American Pandemic lockdown in April that a more dramatic and widely publicized event occurred. Film maker Michael Moore released a film onto YouTube for free called </font><i style="font-family: inherit;">Planet of the Humans</i><font face="inherit">. It was the story of “green energy,” wind, solar and biomass, written and narrated by a climate catastrophist and friend of Moore's. Yet it was a critical condemnation of low carbon </font>emitting "<font face="inherit">renewables” or rather “unreliables” as I prefer to call them. The film exposed the false hope that these alternative energy sources provide, and the lies and corruption that has characterized Green energy advocacy. The fact that Nuclear Plants have no carbon </font>emissions<font face="inherit"> was totally ignored by the film. But, the film made waves. It was roundly criticized by the environmental left, and eventually </font><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6986544/michael-moore-movie-planet-of-the-humans-removed-youtube/" style="font-family: inherit;">removed</a><font face="inherit"> from YouTube due to protests and for very flimsy reasons. Nevertheless, reposted, the film can be seen here, and it is well worth a view.</font></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zk11vI-7czE" width="320" youtube-src-id="Zk11vI-7czE"></iframe></div></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">But the biggest story so far this year in my opinion was the book and apology by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Shellenberger">Michael Shellenberger</a>. I first became aware of it by reading a <a href="https://nationalpost.com/opinion/john-robson-forbes-falls-to-cancel-culture-as-it-erases-environmentalists-mea-culpa/wcm/370ca87c-37c3-4376-8e95-78231ae5fd46/?fbclid=IwAR1TyEe5lDChQ2LE65kjkY1eh-7biIlDX38HCR49P9NWwHjgEwmq0GYCKoM">column</a> by John Robson in the <i>National Post</i>, himself a climate change skeptic. Shellenberger is a frequent contributor to <i>Forbes Magazine</i>. His most recent contribution, an apology for the climate change scare, was posted then removed, <a href="https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/06/30/down-with-eco-censorship/">censored</a> by <i>Forbes</i>, and that was the reason for Robson's column. The apology will warm the cockles of your heart if you are a climate change skeptic. I have no doubt catastrophists will lose their lunch over it. Shellenberger reposted his apology <a href="https://environmentalprogress.org/big-news/2020/6/29/on-behalf-of-environmentalists-i-apologize-for-the-climate-scare?fbclid=IwAR2y1ReL94BT9eh5lMdYyjlWIiMVJW_ilvDJ_yQiXxeNedeu_7qMTAM5Kxo">here</a>, on his website. Its a great read! He did an interview with Alex Epstein about the apology here:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eq60W2pRk84" width="320" youtube-src-id="eq60W2pRk84"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Shellenberger has a history of criticizing the environmental movement. For example this TED Talk where he denounces so-called renewables and promotes nuclear power, which is a no-no among lefty environmentalists:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N-yALPEpV4w" width="320" youtube-src-id="N-yALPEpV4w"></iframe></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The book Shellenberger wrote is called <i><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Apocalypse-Never-Environmental-Alarmism-Hurts-ebook/dp/B07Y8FHFQ7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=A6VX5NT5DQQN&dchild=1&keywords=apocalypse+never&qid=1594068850&sprefix=apocalypse%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-1">Apocalypse Never:Why Environmental Alarmism hurts us all</a>,</i> is only available in electronic form, Kindle or Kobo so far (early July 2020) in Canada. It just got <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Apocalypse-Never-Environmental-Alarmism-Hurts/dp/0063001691/ref=sr_1_1?crid=21TV0EIPRMHGQ&dchild=1&keywords=apocalypse+never&qid=1594068888&sprefix=apocalypse%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-1">published</a> in the States (June 30, 2020). The book is reviewed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUyVl-ioszE&feature=youtu.be">here</a> by Alex Epstein. It's been well received and is popular and I'm hoping it will begin a retreat from the current anti-human man-made climate change hysteria to a more moderate humanistic form of environmentalism. If the book is widely read and taken seriously, it could change government policies. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Can governments get off the climate change bandwagon? Events during the Pandemic prove governments can be wrong and change their approach quickly. For example the official view on masks for the general public has gone from they are ineffective and possibly even harmful, to they are now mandatory. Quite a switch, and climate change policies can and should change equally as fast. I hope so.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white;"><font face="inherit"><br /></font></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white;"><font face="inherit"><br /></font></span></div>
Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-84242961370363778662020-07-01T16:45:00.002-04:002020-07-01T18:41:06.994-04:00Pandemic Musings at the end of the beginning.....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We are just half way through 2020. So far its been a blast! I’ve been absent from this blog and my obsession with Climate Change (see previous posts) for many months. Instead I’ve been posting my thoughts and reactions onto Facebook and Twitter. I thought Climate Change would be the big story of the year. Boy was I wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I would not have predicted the Pandemic in January, although by the end of that month and certainly by early February it was becoming increasingly obvious, certainly to me. The W.H.O. finally got around to declaring a Pandemic on March 11, 2020, and thats when my family went into lockdown. The next day the shit literally hit the fan. Since then I’ve learned a lot. Here I’ll share ten things I have learned so far in the Pandemic.....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Where we are in this Pandemic? Winston S. Churchill said it best in Nov. 1942 but then in reference to the war with the NAZI's:</span></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">“This is not the end, this is not even the beginning of the end, this is just perhaps the end of the beginning.”</span></b></i></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">COVID19 is here to stay, vaccines, treatments, or not.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Don’t just trust the authorities, whether they are public health experts or politicians. They all have ulterior motives that don’t necessarily coincide with your best interests. An example of that of course were the early recommendations from everyone NOT to use masks for a respiratory virus! Unbelievable, and ultimately wrong. The authorities wanted to protect PPE for the front-line workers. Fine, but don’t mislead people, don’t lie. They’re still lying because they’re telling people to use non-medical grade masks. Do your own research, educate yourself and operate on the best facts. Get the best masks you can afford, they will protect you and everyone else.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. A corollary to number 2 above, the authorities over reacted by forcing lockdowns, destroying the economy and ultimately wreaking havoc on the lives of citizens. The Pandemic in Europe clearly showed us that the elderly and immune compromised were most affected by the virus. The fact that almost 80% of Canadian deaths were among the elderly demonstrates that truth. Predictions that the lockdowns would have negative consequences did come true and have been ignored so far. Huge government and individual debt, business bankruptcies, psychological stress, cancelled medical care, deaths and deterioration due to other medical conditions, and general population unrest, all have come true. The latter - unrest - has exploded into the global reaction to so-called systemic racism.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. Along with a healthy skepticism of the authorities, be even more skeptical of all the shit thats posted on social media by your friends and self-proclaimed experts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">5. Don’t trust the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for anything, ever. They have lied about the virus, about the extent of the epidemic in China and are still lying. Their “data,” such as it is, should have a giant asterisk beside it. Furthermore labelling Taiwan as a rogue province by the CCP, should be dismissed and Taiwan should be embraced by the free world, just to piss off the CCP if nothing else.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">6. Viruses don’t get “created” or accidentally released in labs like the Wuhan Virus Lab. People who make that claim have never worked in a lab or know the difficulties involved. By far the majority of laboratory work, fails. COVID19 was created by nature, it evolved and jumped from an animal (most likely a bat) to a human.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">7. Governments should immediately stop flights and travel from countries that have epidemics, especially if they originate in countries that lack press freedoms, like Communist China.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">8. To follow up to number 7 above, countries need borders and the ability to control them. I’ve always thought that the idea of “open borders” was a flaw in libertarian thinking. Countries are property, collective property yes, but still property that needs protection. Our border has helped protect Canadians and vigilance needs to be increased. Thats an important function of government.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">9. Models are just models, they try but they do not represent reality. The alarming models that were trotted out to predict the course of the Pandemic, were not realized, not even close. I’m reminded of a comment by Science writer Matt Ridley faulting those who referred to “data” taken from climate models. He rightly pointed out that data comes from observations made in reality, not from predictive models, and poor ones at that. Of course this underscores my obsession with climate change whose catastrophic “consequences” are almost entirely based on predictive models and not actual data.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">10. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and physical distancing has worked to reduce the “R-naught” (reproductive rate of the virus) in this Pandemic. Masks and scrupulous hygiene techniques do protect and prevent transmission of COVID19. Many will argue about masks. But why? Certainly anyone running a business has the right to require customers wear a mask. I would, just the same as I would require customers to wear clothes and treat other customers with respect in my business. The municipal bylaws requiring masking is probably unnecessary - but no more onerous then requiring </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">seatbelts, hardhats or any other safety equipment in the workplace and other places.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Are masks effective? Of course they are, at least to some degree. I doubt anyone reading this would want surgeons working on them or their loved ones without masks. Masks have been routinely used since the late 1800’s. <br />Think of it this way: imagine being in a crowded elevator with a naked man who starts urinating all over the place. Most in the elevator will get a little wet, but if the man was wearing pants, it would be primarily his problem. Thats what masks do, keep the problem mostly to the wearer. </span></div>
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Take care of yourself, stay safe, we have a long way to go.</div>
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Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-79753527978124321042020-02-15T16:48:00.000-05:002020-02-15T16:48:23.162-05:00Is there a "climate emergency?"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">If you have read my previous two blog posts, you will know my answer to the question in the title is definitively NO! To the contrary, I believe the climate is changing as it always has, and there is little or nothing we are going to do to alter that fact.</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Living in Canada we all know that the weather changes daily, often hourly. But I've lived here long enough to agree that the climate has also changed - in my memory a few times in fact. In my early years I think it was warmer. By the 1970's it was distinctly colder and snowier, so much so that stories appeared in the media of a new ice age that was imminent. Lately it has become milder, though I could stand for a few more degrees of warmth now that I'm a senior citizen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">That slight uptick in temperature has alarmed many people who claim they know why it is warming and they can stop it if you give them money and completely alter your way of life. Those are big asks, and it seems to me that we need to discuss this before we take drastic action, which seems to be the desire of many organized groups. There are also organized groups that think there is no climate emergency and they would like to </span>discuss this in public. Here is such an event, April 6, 2020, to be held in Calgary AB:</div>
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<br /><br />This group, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSjTdgNgUW7VNfemabYV3Kg">Friends of Science</a>, is having it's advertising on Facebook thwarted, apparently due to censorship by Facebook. So how to get around that? Well, you can make a plea to the CEO of Facebook as they have done below, or you can just read my blog.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div>
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Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-27623517923090901492020-01-30T18:45:00.000-05:002020-02-02T12:20:59.525-05:00Why you need to be a climate change skeptic.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is it really?? Or is it something like a SARS or a Wuhan Virus?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";"><b><i>“In climate research and modelling, we should recognize that we are dealing with a coupled non-linear chaotic system, and therefore that long-term prediction of future climate states is not possible.”</i></b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt"; font-size: x-small;">The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Third Assessment Report (2001), Section 14.2.2.2, page 774.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">Yes, that is a real quote from an IPCC report in 2001, and it tells me that long term predictions made by modelling is impossible. If that doesn’t make you instantly skeptical about all the predictions you have heard about climate change, I don’t know what will. So, at the risk of being guilty of piling on, I’m going to try and add to your skepticism using real data, not predictions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 15.972221374511719px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">First it’s important to understand that skepticism or uncertainty should be the normal or default position in any science related endeavour. At the very least everyone should reserve some doubt about every issue with regard to science. However, for climate change it is as if we have been given just a binary choice, either one believes that humans are the primary cause of climate change (Anthropogenic Global Warming), or one is a science denier. It’s a false choice and one that no one should be forced to make because there are many degrees of choice. But that is irrelevant today.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 15.972221374511719px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">In today’s world anyone voicing doubts around the causes of climate change, will invariably be called names, denigrated and worse. The pervasiveness of climate alarmism in our society has made expressions of doubt politically incorrect. Its even worse within the science community. Any doubts raised by those with academic credentials threatens their grant money and worse their livelihood. Intimidation is the watchword in so-called climate science.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 15.972221374511719px;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">Any suggestions that climate change may have a positive or neutral side, are met with derision. It’s all negative. Climate change alarmists are determined to keep global temperature from rising even one half of a degree at any cost, ignoring the fact that the last 1 degree of increase has coincided with the largest rise in human welfare in history. Is that a coincidence? I think not. What about the so-called “<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/carbon-dioxide-fertilization-greening-earth">greening</a>” effect on the planet? </span></span><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">The point is that changes to climate invariably manifest themselves locally and may be beneficial in many instances and detrimental in others. There is no such thing as an optimal climate for Earth as a whole. Earth has been warmer and colder, wetter and drier over its history, and most of the reasons are beyond human control. More on that later.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">The purpose of calling skeptics stupid and deniers is to discourage questions and debate, especially among the young regarding the costs versus benefits of mitigation. Not asking questions breeds stupidity. Journalists have been the major contributors to this breeding of stupidity because they not only won't ask questions, they go out of their way to stifle the speech of those that do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">What’s wrong with the alarmist view is not that the climate is changing or even that humans may have some influence, but the idea that the situation is so dire, that major government policy changes must occur world-wide to mitigate those changes before its too late. At best thats an exaggeration, at worst its just a lie. The bad news is that in the results of the recent Federal election, Canadians demonstrated that they accept the lie, and are willing to accept policy changes that will raise the price of energy even though there is little evidence it will have any impact on climate change.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5bZB7kAK-2YX1J1xMkEIM_rrbzlA7gQ7DxkL_vJmwz0YHjU2X2UObIisBYqNNO7pK8N7eohWm2YGQwyFHE9Ch3GLy43-UyNci8q_9UY_czXaXeUzF1UefGF11RNhSC3lmtUiSOvSOuuR/s1600/IMG_0300.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5bZB7kAK-2YX1J1xMkEIM_rrbzlA7gQ7DxkL_vJmwz0YHjU2X2UObIisBYqNNO7pK8N7eohWm2YGQwyFHE9Ch3GLy43-UyNci8q_9UY_czXaXeUzF1UefGF11RNhSC3lmtUiSOvSOuuR/s400/IMG_0300.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Predicted change in temperature if USA disappeared in 2012</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">Even the Paris Climate Accord signed in 2016, and which the Americans have dropped out of, allows several of the signatories to continue to increase their CO2 emissions for another decade. Canada’s efforts to reduce emissions during this time will have virtually no effect on global emissions. Take a look at this graph.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";"> It was created by an American climate scientist (John Christy) to show what would happen to IPCC models if the USA (which now produces 13.77% of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions">global CO2</a>) disappeared in 2012. Now imagine if it were Canada with our paltry 1.66% contribution of CO2.</span><br />
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This is why its important to consider the veracity of the climate information you are being fed. Much of that information is in the form of misleading graphs. Look at this graph that shows the logarithmic increase in atmospheric CO2 over time. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6yhlKeKNhScV8DobzXkaXEkCPee-BjfSAnKVxtFwFcRYWwya0uYzPTJe9pJWottaFslVqFECIZvfduK_SzVzk3F7nJT0gKKsVWC4O0ehlONcEHTUdzGOulQjmTQJ6UOsfTHBhCNDIaBu/s1600/IMG_0307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="1160" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6yhlKeKNhScV8DobzXkaXEkCPee-BjfSAnKVxtFwFcRYWwya0uYzPTJe9pJWottaFslVqFECIZvfduK_SzVzk3F7nJT0gKKsVWC4O0ehlONcEHTUdzGOulQjmTQJ6UOsfTHBhCNDIaBu/s400/IMG_0307.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Logarithmic increase in CO2 over time</td></tr>
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Its much less dramatic when shown like this. </div>
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It's the same graph, but the vertical or Y axis has been extended. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGNh66SrrRaqYwKrOmd0izgEN7Mmtxu4Gk3UEUJcuNd_BDPscfauc9HomDvsNbolVilr3L4N7tsHb81is4busllLs-2Fbr1hQFi7t0DmoqqKYcdBP_Nb3k9Rx3ydUuKS2vhjJphUMowf5/s1600/IMG_0308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="1160" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGNh66SrrRaqYwKrOmd0izgEN7Mmtxu4Gk3UEUJcuNd_BDPscfauc9HomDvsNbolVilr3L4N7tsHb81is4busllLs-2Fbr1hQFi7t0DmoqqKYcdBP_Nb3k9Rx3ydUuKS2vhjJphUMowf5/s400/IMG_0308.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Increase in CO2 over shorter time</td></tr>
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Similarly this graph of temperature is commonly shown by the climate alarmists to prove the rapid increase in temperature and indicate how dire the situation is.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPeVo43BuYtM2DyGzPi_uZAfu7dlFzG8BSIg8VCCnfBrn7wzLnv0QPA3zxiSbsMPg4LI2KfIlTg5hFGc6e-gKkJ6axyapS81gyIBo1K7e1h-X1EKtAuUHxXPbnaakVdAb2nhNQhqQzIv_/s1600/IMG_0305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1160" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPeVo43BuYtM2DyGzPi_uZAfu7dlFzG8BSIg8VCCnfBrn7wzLnv0QPA3zxiSbsMPg4LI2KfIlTg5hFGc6e-gKkJ6axyapS81gyIBo1K7e1h-X1EKtAuUHxXPbnaakVdAb2nhNQhqQzIv_/s400/IMG_0305.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rapid increase in temperature narrow Y Axis</td></tr>
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However, change the vertical axis and voila, the rise in temperature is not scary at all. Imagine if this last graph was shown on newspaper front pages tomorrow. I suspect climate alarmism would collapse.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78lDDBlkC6wLiS5ZTAb6kXCPAdaM1iPA7ClEyFhTjJl9eaWi6VwpzhyUf7P4tsqlRgZxl2w8xhm9N-SWLP6Is2oXBwEV8uAYah4rYJsBm1aveFmmshJPr5QSlwA63y0ehJarLIiae-RWP/s1600/IMG_0306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="1160" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78lDDBlkC6wLiS5ZTAb6kXCPAdaM1iPA7ClEyFhTjJl9eaWi6VwpzhyUf7P4tsqlRgZxl2w8xhm9N-SWLP6Is2oXBwEV8uAYah4rYJsBm1aveFmmshJPr5QSlwA63y0ehJarLIiae-RWP/s400/IMG_0306.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temperature over time extended Y Axis</td></tr>
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A question that is never asked is how will we know if our efforts to mitigate climate change are working? The short answer is, we probably won’t. Efforts to reduce CO2 emissions have been underway for years in Europe and North America. Have they had an impact? You would be hard pressed to find where that has happened. If CO2 is the cause of global warming and the supposed weather anomalies that are occurring, will we ever see if our efforts are impacting the problem?</div>
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One of the most important components of the scientific method is the idea that any hypothesis can be proven wrong either by observation or experimentation. If a hypothesis can’t be proven wrong, then its not science. This is called <b>FALSIFIABILITY</b>. The problem with climate change is that its effects are always so far in the future that most people won’t be around to verify the hypothesis and justify any extraordinary efforts made today. Much of the anxiety around climate change is based on computer models that we must accept on faith that predict dire consequences. One way to test the falsifiability of the hypothesis that CO2 causes climate change is to compare the predictions made thus far by the models to real observations. Over the past 40 years the graph shows that the models predict hotter temperatures than the actual observed data. This is more reason to be skeptical about the hypothesis.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinOchYTvT2dxFJ_Qc4ihLruaPePlgmq58j7c2xuNiU4f9yTyVkWEqkVZze7rJRJYkGPzqPYWNBw_ccz9TR4vFU7QLzLO_ks81zl9b7f0Cv8WiwufKhq4At0eC0Nj5YgrI3e7Ci8GMnx8C/s1600/IMG_0287.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinOchYTvT2dxFJ_Qc4ihLruaPePlgmq58j7c2xuNiU4f9yTyVkWEqkVZze7rJRJYkGPzqPYWNBw_ccz9TR4vFU7QLzLO_ks81zl9b7f0Cv8WiwufKhq4At0eC0Nj5YgrI3e7Ci8GMnx8C/s400/IMG_0287.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actual change in temperature versus predicted change</td></tr>
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However, these days every extreme weather event is seemingly related to climate change. Whether its too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry, too stormy or too calm, all of these random events once attributed to ordinary weather variability, are now linked to climate change. Is it true? The Americans have easy access to this sort of data. This graph shows floods (blue) droughts (red) in the US since 1895. Do you see significant pattern or trend? I don't.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVTeC-P4OfPKysdPtePs2JHKikwWoiPkijqsCkDcahKPH2-ES93AKyk7pgByS9a945oWsaQV_26I5ZrhRzWhIAJqhPTGpw0WWay8D6dK1sPudqdMJfWvxXT2GCii6-Inlui65q0yAIlmj/s1600/IMG_0295.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVTeC-P4OfPKysdPtePs2JHKikwWoiPkijqsCkDcahKPH2-ES93AKyk7pgByS9a945oWsaQV_26I5ZrhRzWhIAJqhPTGpw0WWay8D6dK1sPudqdMJfWvxXT2GCii6-Inlui65q0yAIlmj/s400/IMG_0295.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floods (blue) Droughts (red) US since 1895</td></tr>
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This graph shows global droughts over a 30 year period. Again no pattern or trend, maybe even a decrease.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6ZeXT22ONGV6T3zXDqSpBJ1vWj89aGpcHoJGuCMlBsuOZcGXU2bswjBPjFYrbu_-rqkAggaTwhHsD8wqALZS8eW0tBIFa4QWSNoG02MtbjM1kLkJRG2Dn8iO9DatoTQb7VRS7WeSeJHD/s1600/IMG_0296.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6ZeXT22ONGV6T3zXDqSpBJ1vWj89aGpcHoJGuCMlBsuOZcGXU2bswjBPjFYrbu_-rqkAggaTwhHsD8wqALZS8eW0tBIFa4QWSNoG02MtbjM1kLkJRG2Dn8iO9DatoTQb7VRS7WeSeJHD/s400/IMG_0296.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This graph shows the number 100 degree Fahrenheit plus days, no pattern. In fact it was much hotter in the 1930's and 40's.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZbF5pg8a7UXRBlUZOLfLMNSTNbTSlcClyfWTrmiWAbyGAxC7mX7pMV6jQS_QUghXxUoc2kMc_S6xa7yv-3Bq7_l7kqVLqrF6Gb_3vyXjXLf5B4PI3DP4gEX0mKt8Hs0xWviLBTZ7DIAP/s1600/IMG_0297.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZbF5pg8a7UXRBlUZOLfLMNSTNbTSlcClyfWTrmiWAbyGAxC7mX7pMV6jQS_QUghXxUoc2kMc_S6xa7yv-3Bq7_l7kqVLqrF6Gb_3vyXjXLf5B4PI3DP4gEX0mKt8Hs0xWviLBTZ7DIAP/s400/IMG_0297.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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What about storms? Is it getting more stormy? </div>
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Here is a graph of tornadoes in the US. Its pretty clear that the most recent data shows fewer tornadoes, and certainly no pattern. </div>
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How about hurricanes globally? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kPj72kXHw-4hlIMmztbz-q2rxu1xC396yybbJUVcVUuyN7Q2VZfucBq6FfL1LREg3vWLH6LYWMIE5MY4yJODVPLAUrVlPCY1Jt16uo_UZcso7BQIc5j1lZLn1eqYt2RQqirhg9CuwJlU/s1600/IMG_0293.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kPj72kXHw-4hlIMmztbz-q2rxu1xC396yybbJUVcVUuyN7Q2VZfucBq6FfL1LREg3vWLH6LYWMIE5MY4yJODVPLAUrVlPCY1Jt16uo_UZcso7BQIc5j1lZLn1eqYt2RQqirhg9CuwJlU/s400/IMG_0293.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Again no pattern and maybe even a slight decrease.</div>
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Of interest to Canadians is the extent of snow and ice in the Northern Hemisphere.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwX7hjKBhvAEkQeqXlbC_izNhz1Yt7WnkQZd-QjWhjSSr8WoYFPf4SJo8pgRAD8bP78vg0sFTiMG-NwqUUR3A838Vqk3KFTITd9cCNgQyV3oq_6F-DmQpKoprYBe1YWdnn4NmC-qIARnU/s1600/IMG_0290.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwX7hjKBhvAEkQeqXlbC_izNhz1Yt7WnkQZd-QjWhjSSr8WoYFPf4SJo8pgRAD8bP78vg0sFTiMG-NwqUUR3A838Vqk3KFTITd9cCNgQyV3oq_6F-DmQpKoprYBe1YWdnn4NmC-qIARnU/s400/IMG_0290.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Again no pattern for snow cover in recent years, and we certainly aren’t getting less cover. </div>
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But this graph of ice at the poles shows a definite pattern.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4ZYbBojeR9BfXlaQ1wD8wJ9aTjmsGulLaXaAxqLKQscNsfMMM8WYsUr4Iy9hkqqbLXKhp_Bu_apuKM_yQL0hAX_JLhN3DMqQG9dlB5MD14T4N7tdsyA3TDCv9sLDS6SMkZlqnUFojqqk/s1600/IMG_0291.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4ZYbBojeR9BfXlaQ1wD8wJ9aTjmsGulLaXaAxqLKQscNsfMMM8WYsUr4Iy9hkqqbLXKhp_Bu_apuKM_yQL0hAX_JLhN3DMqQG9dlB5MD14T4N7tdsyA3TDCv9sLDS6SMkZlqnUFojqqk/s400/IMG_0291.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Less Arctic ice, more Antarctic ice. Why is that? Who knows? Does it indicate that there is a problem? That depends, but it does show that there has been warming - but of course thats been going on since the ice sheets retreated over the northern hemisphere at the end of the last ice age. Maybe this is just a continuation? It does not explain why the Antarctic ice sheet is growing. On the whole the amount of global ice pack is fairly stable as you can see in this final graph.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpHF1pKsm-1fcOfPlj7P5msB7Bmkt7g6JDQIGBGWnmkakAKAPHbk3LlooZl__FO8o-m3NQSOOnk4Y5Fvs42Y82AVdF5q2epa_fbDCreSjELOcGq7JDaKNL4NQwS4dhBeRSflLk6ffwbhQ/s1600/IMG_0292.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpHF1pKsm-1fcOfPlj7P5msB7Bmkt7g6JDQIGBGWnmkakAKAPHbk3LlooZl__FO8o-m3NQSOOnk4Y5Fvs42Y82AVdF5q2epa_fbDCreSjELOcGq7JDaKNL4NQwS4dhBeRSflLk6ffwbhQ/s320/IMG_0292.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 15.972221374511719px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 15.972221374511719px;">I hope you can see what I've been driving at during this lengthy tirade. I'm NOT denying climate change, I know something is happening as I knew when I was growing up (see map inset) in the 1950's and 60's on the shoreline of the <a href="https://www.blogto.com/city/2012/07/a_brief_history_of_the_lake_iroquois_shoreline_in_toronto/">Glacial Lake Iroquois</a>. Go there and you will find a steep hill towards the South that made bike rides to downtown Toronto very quick as it was all downhill for me. I lived just off a streetcar line and I enjoyed watching the streetcars going north trying to ascend that hill during icy conditions. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXi-BZ3_EFVfn_Zk83zSfi5AJkX9Uzd5EglyVP4vukZWS1ITqsb8HZ8eYdHh1Yy-G3oCYWi4qIxWsvCOGVxWVOV1iOHUqbAwOcRk7GwKILhVKjFDeHwBjIiQOpPYMIauAQN0GQmadpiCK/s1600/My+house.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="537" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXi-BZ3_EFVfn_Zk83zSfi5AJkX9Uzd5EglyVP4vukZWS1ITqsb8HZ8eYdHh1Yy-G3oCYWi4qIxWsvCOGVxWVOV1iOHUqbAwOcRk7GwKILhVKjFDeHwBjIiQOpPYMIauAQN0GQmadpiCK/s200/My+house.png" width="180" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 15.972221374511719px;">Ah memories, anyway, my point is that there is a great deal of uncertainty which leads me, and maybe you too, to skeptisism around this whole issue of climate change. <b>To extract taxes and base large expenditures of tax money on government policies that are just speculations with no hope of ever seeing benefit is criminal. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 15.972221374511719px;">Aside from greenhouse gases like CO2, there are many other well known reasons for climate change. All of those various ice ages had a cause and the cause was related to various astronomical situations like the Earth's orbit, its axial tilt, and its wobble. These are explained very well in this video. </span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iA788usYNWA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iA788usYNWA?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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The creator of the video goes on to explain his position on climate change in a subsequent video. Lets just say he is not an AGW skeptic, but the video above is very well done.</div>
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I'm going to give the last word to a local climate scientist. I don't think he is a skeptic, but his answers are honest and get to the heart of my tirade. Is this issue of climate change something we need to worry about or should we confine our worries to global pandemics like the Wuhan Virus or SARS or real issues like pollution and habitat destruction and poverty, disease, war, and so on? You decide.</div>
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P.S. For the skeptics, you might enjoy this little piece of fluff....</div>
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P.P.S I worry about what our children and grandchildren are being taught. Greta here, for example....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh997Gpq5UM1DMPSDySavT7QDoRhHKdWdj7rNaG7-3me9MKs4dbax6lnr03TEh9YG8cMoaikJHCcugXIuicLWRNgpaf-nbLQbZso44-tVBp2K-B0yKAkTJ3iIbpXTz88oP0p1rDrgXDQgK-/s1600/IMG_0309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh997Gpq5UM1DMPSDySavT7QDoRhHKdWdj7rNaG7-3me9MKs4dbax6lnr03TEh9YG8cMoaikJHCcugXIuicLWRNgpaf-nbLQbZso44-tVBp2K-B0yKAkTJ3iIbpXTz88oP0p1rDrgXDQgK-/s320/IMG_0309.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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More reading and watching:</div>
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William Happer: <a href="https://youtu.be/j8KxVQFoyT0">https://youtu.be/j8KxVQFoyT0</a></div>
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and</div>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/pHCCE-sw_Sc">https://youtu.be/pHCCE-sw_Sc</a> </div>
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Wrong Predictions on the environment....</div>
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<a href="https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/18-spectacularly-wrong-apocalyptic-predictions-made-around-the-time-of-the-first-earth-day-in-1970-expect-more-this-year-3/">https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/18-spectacularly-wrong-apocalyptic-predictions-made-around-the-time-of-the-first-earth-day-in-1970-expect-more-this-year-3/</a></div>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/FxNCRgXdINY">https://youtu.be/FxNCRgXdINY</a> From Australia</div>
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Read more: Follow us: <u>@AmericanThinker on Twitter</u> | <u>AmericanThinker on Facebook</u></div>
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<u><a href="https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/12/global_warming_global_cooling_climate_change_climate_emergency_climate_catastrophe_climate_collapse_or_existential_threat.html#ixzz67A0lYqhl">https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/12/global_warming_global_cooling_climate_change_climate_emergency_climate_catastrophe_climate_collapse_or_existential_threat.html#ixzz67A0lYqhl</a></u></div>
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Windmills = useless and dangerous.</div>
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<a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/10146135/Birdwatchers-see-rare-swift-killed-by-wind-turbine.html">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/10146135/Birdwatchers-see-rare-swift-killed-by-wind-turbine.html</a> </div>
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Mark Steyn and company...</div>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/FHUHsBnpCj8">https://youtu.be/FHUHsBnpCj8</a></div>
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Paris accord: <a href="https://youtu.be/c">https://youtu.be/c</a>VkAsPizAbU</div>
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What a reasonable climate change discussion sounds like - Steve Pakin TVO</div>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/gJwayalLpYY">https://youtu.be/gJwayalLpYY</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 15.972221374511719px;">Matt Ridley: a luke warmist:</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 15.972221374511719px;">http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/what-the-climate-wars-did-to-science.aspx#.ViVO5lN-d8k.facebook</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times";"><span style="font-size: 15.972221374511719px;">Rex Murphy - Religion and AGW</span></span><br />
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http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/rex-murphy-the-high-church-of-global-warming<br />
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<a href="https://www.climatedepot.com/2019/11/11/prominent-geologist-dr-robert-giegengack-dissents-laments-the-hubris-that-leads-us-to-believe-that-we-can-control-climate-denounces-semi-religious-campaign/?fbclid=IwAR2bUqbdRwUvVGDAO74BRUctMBOjzIez1G4FSmt-ewfsiy5V7bvwcnFe76I">https://www.climatedepot.com/2019/11/11/prominent-geologist-dr-robert-giegengack-dissents-laments-the-hubris-that-leads-us-to-believe-that-we-can-control-climate-denounces-semi-religious-campaign/?fbclid=IwAR2bUqbdRwUvVGDAO74BRUctMBOjzIez1G4FSmt-ewfsiy5V7bvwcnFe76I</a><br />
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Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-87210912910546032152020-01-18T17:58:00.003-05:002020-01-19T11:21:38.901-05:00Why I’m a climate change skeptic.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Apollo 8 December 20, 1968.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">It seems almost every major natural disaster, or weather event these days is somehow related to Climate Change. Fires, floods, storms - everything short of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions can be blamed on Climate Change.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">The major climate change story of the year so far are the bush fires in Australia. But is it really a <a href="https://www.drroyspencer.com/2020/01/are-australia-bushfires-worsening-from-human-caused-climate-change/?fbclid=IwAR0VQgtWvhSjq_wlEKvA886FBU6nt1ZVyDm0P9TZ-ocjz9dqIP2fjW9Wq80">climate change</a> story? My last blog post indicates that there are other man-made reasons for the fires. Its important to remain objective particularly when it's so easy to assign blame. Most broadcast media have already decided this is a climate change story, but a little digging provides other, simpler answers. Here are the conclusions from a recent online <a href="https://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/01/04/hijacking-australian-2019-bushfire-tragedies-to-fearmonger-climate-change/">article</a>:</span><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">"</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1b1b1b;">Blaming rising CO2 concentrations and global warming is only misdirecting real efforts to minimize wildfire destruction. What Australia and the world needs to address is 1) </span><a data-reader-unique-id="36" href="http://landscapesandcycles.net/why-worse-wildfires-part-2.html" style="color: #416ed2; font-family: -apple-system-font; max-width: 100%; text-decoration: none;">human ignitions</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #1b1b1b;">, 2) </span><a data-reader-unique-id="37" href="http://landscapesandcycles.net/why-worse-wildfires-part-1.html" style="color: #416ed2; font-family: -apple-system-font; max-width: 100%; text-decoration: none;">invasive grasses</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #1b1b1b;"> and 3) fire suppression that allows surface fuels to accumulate and enable large intense and destructive fires to wreak havoc like never before!"</span></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">I am a climate change skeptic. I’m skeptical about the alarmism and our attempts to mitigate an objectively non-existent problem, and as I said in my last post, I consider the matter so unimportant (even though I’m still writing about it) that it does not warrant as much attention as it receives except maybe on a very local level to mitigate specifically local problems. I wasn’t always a skeptic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">Years ago, when I was a beginning science teacher and the idea of global warming became a cause célèbre among scientists, politicians and the general public, I was onboard. I brought up the issue to both my junior and senior biology students. Those were really the beginning days of ecological awareness. Acid rain was a big issue, so was over population, the “hole” in the Ozone layer and the idea of limits to growth. Even earlier, when I was a university student, Americans were racing to the moon. Astronauts onboard Apollo 8 around Christmas of 1968 snapped that famous image of “Earth-rise” as they swung around the moon. That powerful image contrasted our beautiful blue planet with the stark cratered greyness of the moon’s surface. We were just one lonely planet in the vastness of outer space, and we had better care for it. That was really not a bad sentiment and I was happy to teach young people these important concepts.</span><br />
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I didn’t even mind it when new government regulations came into force regarding sulfur-content in coal, or when bans on chlorofluorocarbons were instituted, despite my aversion to big government. </div>
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It was only when noises got louder demonizing carbon dioxide and fossil fuels, that I became suspicious and skeptical.</div>
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Carbon dioxide is important, absolutely vital. It’s <b>NOT</b> a pollutant as many in our government think. I’ve taught lessons about the Carbon Cycle, and the fact that carbon dioxide is central to two of the most important processes in biology, photosynthesis in plants, and mechanical respiration in animals. Yet people were talking about carbon pollution and using computer models to show what would happen if CO2 levels increased in the atmosphere. Global Warming became Climate Change, which meant that any unusual weather event could now be related to the increased levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. Worse yet, if anyone raised doubts about these affects or suggested they were due to natural variability, they were dismissed. Once politicians got into the debate, advocating against fossil fuels and using phrases like “settled science,” indicating an unassailable level of certainty around CO2 caused Climate Change, I knew there was a problem, and my skepticism was complete. Don’t get me wrong. That does not mean I think climate change isn’t happening or even that CO2 is a possible cause. My problem was with the idea of certainty. Once certainty is absolute, then science cannot exist. Dogma is the antithesis of science.</div>
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All of science is theoretical. Even those explanations we think of as scientific facts today, are just really good theories that have withstood the test of time. But doubt and uncertainty must always remain, however small. When uncertainty is totally dismissed or denied, then you are leaving science and entering the territory of dogma, a quality more associated with religion than science. When I was a naive young student, then teacher, I used to think that science was self-correcting. Hypotheses were tested by experiments. Those experiments were replicated by others, and good ideas were affirmed while bad ideas were eventually dismissed. There was always a search for the truth. When Climate Change became political, the search for truth was subverted. That state of affairs is not unprecedented. Check out <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysenkoism">Lysenkoism</a> in the former Soviet Union. More recently the idea that dietary fat causes obesity and <a href="https://youtu.be/1CHGiid6N9Q">heart disease</a> or that <a href="https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/the-doctor-who-drank-infectious-broth-gave-himself-an-ulcer-and-solved-a-medical-mystery">stomach ulcers</a> are caused by environmental stress, are both widely accepted ideas but shown to be wrong. People still believe these erroneous ideas, which just shows how difficult it is to change a popular paradigm.</div>
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I’ll have more to say about skepticism in my next post.</div>
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Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-5153820390751821812020-01-10T15:31:00.001-05:002020-01-11T12:26:17.415-05:00Is climate change an existential threat to humanity?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canonized! Saint Greta.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">It’s ironic, even funny, that the year that climate change became a climate crisis, then a climate emergency, has ended in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/un-climate-talks-end-with-hard-feelings-few-results-and-new-doubts-about-global-unity/2019/12/15/38918278-1ec7-11ea-b4c1-fd0d91b60d9e_story.html">disappointment </a>for the true believers at the COP25 (or as I prefer CON25) in Madrid.</span><br />
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2019 was also the year that media hype has reached fever pitch with stories of imminent disaster if we don’t act now, of tipping points, unlikely young heroines, climate strikes, marches, and of radical <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction_Rebellion">new movements</a>, all in a concerted effort, allegedly, to save the planet.<br />
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By the way, the meeting in Spain was supposed to be held in Chile. Ironically Chile had to withdraw because of massive political protests regarding exorbitant price increases for fuel etc., which is precisely what the Madrid meeting would have encouraged the rest of the world to do to forestall climate change. But alas, they could not agree.</div>
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The latest climate change catastrophe everyone is pointing to, are the <a href="https://time.com/5759964/australian-bushfires-climate-change/">Australian Bush Fires</a>. Yes, it has been hot and dry down under, and bush fires are common in the Aussie summer, but these fires are very severe. <a href="https://climatechangedispatch.com/aussie-firestorms-bad-forestry-greens/?fbclid=IwAR3B51YGWPnf8YJZc94wQMhyoIuM4OzgvbpS29btEAgLPSG3m1CgWieg9xU">Why?</a> The answer is likely related to available fuel, rather than climate change. Historically the aboriginals knew this and practiced “cool burning” when conditions allowed. This involved intentional local burn offs of accumulated fuel (brush) to reduce the chances of huge conflagrations of the type we are now witnessing. The aboriginal practices were discontinued when pressures from Green activists forced new and possibly unwise government policies.</div>
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But let me answer my question in the title. Emphatically <b>NO</b>! </div>
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Climate change is no more a threat to humanity than overpopulation was in 1968 when Paul Ehrlich published his book <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Population_Bomb">The Population Bomb</a></i>. There was no bomb, there were no worldwide famines, Ehrlich and his book were simply wrong. Some simple advances in agricultural technology solved the Malthusian crisis that Ehrlich had predicted. Coercive government action on a world-wide scale was <b>NOT</b> required. No taxes, no limits to the number of children in families (except for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-child_policy">Chinese</a>, and they will rue that day). It did not require a concerted effort by a world government to solve the alleged crisis. It was solved because people became smarter, wealthier, and healthier through free markets. In fact, today we live in what is arguably <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/2019/12/weve-just-had-the-best-decade-in-human-history-seriously/?fbclid=IwAR3YLpZFfcpTiAkPqi3-VO2_P_gGncKEV-XeMHXLKZ2CXkZzmSsYPj_piUE">the best of times ever for humanity</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best of times.</td></tr>
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How can I be confident that climate change won’t threaten humanity this time? History tells me. At least five major ice ages have occurred throughout Earth's history: the earliest was<b> </b>over 2 billion years ago, and the most recent one began approximately 3 million years ago and continues today (we are living in an <b>ice</b> age!). Currently, we are in a warmer interglacial that began about 11,000 years ago. At its peak, ice thicknesses would have dwarfed building (see graphic below) in areas where cities now exist. I'm writing this blog post at a location just north of Toronto. In fact, very close to my home is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moraine">moraine</a> left over from that last continental glacier.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Lakes are remnants of the last glaciation.</td></tr>
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That last ice age coincides with all of recorded human history. The entire history of our human civilization has taken place in this interglacial period after the continental glaciers retreated. Not only did humanity survive that ice age, but today humans are being accused of possibly preventing the next one. I’m assuming there will be another ice age, but maybe not. We don’t entirely understand why the previous glacial periods occurred, and we certainly have a very poor track record making predictions into the future, even the near future (see graph below).<br />
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The idea that humans are the primary cause of the climate change is now so entrenched in our media, in our culture, that anyone doubting it, even suggesting there was a debate, is dismissed and equated with being a Holocaust denier. I'll have more to say about that in a future post.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The models don't jive with reality.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";">The reality is that the media, most politicians and many scientists would say there is no debate. Climate change is happening and humans are the primary cause. We, the people of Earth, must do something now because its reached the point of an existential threat to humanity, despite my comments above. It's an emergency, a climate crisis no less.</span><br />
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That, I believe, is an accurate description of the present state of affairs for the affirmative side, if there were a debate.</div>
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However I believe there is still a debate and I take the contrary position, not that climate change isn’t happening, it is and has been throughout history, but that the matter is so unimportant, that its not even worthy of further discussion. The difference between these two opposing positions is staggering and needs to be unpacked. How serious should observers consider the debate given some interesting facts? </div>
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Consider that the chief spokesperson for the climate crisis side is a sixteen year old autistic school girl from Sweden, who has lately been absent from school for great stretches of time. She is little more than a self-appointed (maybe not self) media wunderkind with no particular expertise except her age and innocence. How she, aged 16, organizes rallies and marches around the world, no one seems to ask. It’s astounding to me, almost laughable given all the scientists that might be available, that the media has chosen her as the chief spokesperson for such a complex and apparently important scientific and politically significant idea. It’s beyond ludicrous that she was recently named most influential person of 2019 by none other than TIME magazine (see photo). It’s practically a self-parody. If, as many people would agree, belief in climate change has become a secular religion, Greta was just canonized by TIME. </div>
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Consider also that most nations of the world have signed onto an “accord” that has set goals and targets for fixing the problem. However, the leader of one nation, the one with the largest economy in the world (USA) has decided to opt out of the accord and the nation with second largest economy (and growing fast - China) plus other smaller but important contributors (India) to the problem have been exempted from the accord. In fact they are not going to help solve the "emergency" for at least another ten years, and they will continue to exacerbate the problem in the meantime. Am I exaggerating?</div>
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I've got much more to say on this issue, but that will wait for another post.</div>
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Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-72463333156015081902019-12-01T16:24:00.001-05:002019-12-01T16:25:26.354-05:00The power of a single voice - war on superbugs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><strong style="color: navy; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Lytic cycle of T4, a virulent phage. </strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
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The media loves stories of looming crises and dire predictions. The story of antibiotic resistant superbugs has been around for over a decade and it periodically gets retold because there is a lot of truth to it. It’s a story of evolution by inadvertent artificial selection that is happening on a global scale. We are losing the ability to fight common bacterial infections because we have abused and overused common antibiotics. This has created bacteria that are immune to all but a few of our most potent antibiotics, and those too are disappearing fast. Soon people will be dying of infections that were once easily treated by modern medicine. We will soon revert back to a time before antibiotics, at least that is the "<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327093.php">superbug</a>" threat and the crisis being circulated by mainstream media. </div>
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On of my oldest friends, a high school buddy, a friend for more than 50 years, recently saw a media report on superbugs and the losing battle. He thought that that media report had omitted an important tool in the medical arsenal to fight common infections. So he wrote to the media outlet and pointed to a long known but overlooked and under used tool to fight infection: <a href="https://www.phagetherapycenter.com/pii/PatientServlet?command=static_phagetherapy&secnavpos=1&language=0">Phage Therapy</a>. Subsequent stories from other media outlets prompted similar letters/emails, and he started getting thank you acknowledgments for his troubles. Here is what CTV News, a recipient of one of those emails has done with the story <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/a-long-forgotten-canadian-discovery-used-to-treat-superbugs-1.4706823">recently</a>. It gives hope to those affected by these superbugs, even restoring people who were near death to good health.</div>
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The story of bacteriophages and their life cycle, is often told by biology teachers (like I was) to senior biology students as a model for how viruses work in general (see diagram above). It shows how viruses cause disease by destroying cells and also shows that viruses are not cells at all, so are not affected by antibiotics like bacteria. It’s only been in the last twenty years that there are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valaciclovir">anti-viral drugs</a> that are commonly used today, mostly for immunocompromised patients (as I am now). Antibiotics have been around for almost <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109405/">100 years</a>, but commonly used for the last 80 years. </div>
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I’d like to think that my old friend’s emails have influenced and corrected the dire warnings posted in the press, radio and TV. It's a lesson for us all: speak up when you can help. Certainly phage therapy appears to be a viable treatment for patients as a last resort as the CTV story (linked above) explains.</div>
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Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-21353116009669754372019-11-25T16:02:00.000-05:002019-11-25T16:02:51.399-05:00A man that says what others are afraid to.....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As Christmas approaches writers are out in full force promoting their latest publications for our gift consideration. Thanks to my wife, a voracious reader, for pointing out a column about such a book in the <b>National Post</b>. On top of all she does to support me in my condition, she also knows what I might write about.</div>
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In the <b>Post</b>, Barbara Kay <a href="https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-the-writer-who-says-what-the-rest-of-us-would-like-to">writes</a> about her recent interview with Douglas Murray and his latest: <i>The Madness of Crowds: Gender , Race and Identity</i>. This book and his previous book: <i>The Strange Death of Europe</i>, fit very well with my previous two posts on the cultural shift that has taken place. The Europe book opens with the following statements:</div>
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I could not agree more with those statements, something I would have written about if I had been writing over the past four years, lots to catchup on. I also agree with much of what Murray says in general, as Kay points out he says what others are afraid to, a man after my own heart. See for yourself in this hour long interview with Murray done for the Hoover Institution in the YouTube series called <b>Uncommon Knowledge</b> with Peter Robinson. It’s an excellent series that I have been watching for many years and Robinson is an excellent interviewer. You should subscribe and watch, its well worth your time.</div>
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Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-50769497079971928252019-11-19T17:09:00.000-05:002019-11-19T17:09:02.455-05:00A modern day quiet cultural revolution - Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Cancel culture was a top news story over the past week. Former hockey coach and commentator <a href="https://globalnews.ca/video/6155399/don-cherry-out-at-hockey-night-in-canada-following-controversial-poppy-comments">Don Cherry was fired</a> by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportsnet">Rogers/SportsNet</a>. Cherry misspoke and refused to apologize for his comments during Coach’s Corner, comments that were not really out of character for him. Complaints against Cherry were so numerous that they overwhelmed the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Broadcast_Standards_Council">Canadian Broadcast Standards Council</a> website and phone lines. Rogers/SportsNet, a private company trying to make a profit, acted to protect its brand, and Cherry did the same. I doubt this incident would have raised the same kind of furor had it happened in previous years. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Cherry">Don Cherry</a> has done a great deal for veterans, soldiers, and Canadians in general, and does not deserve the treatment he has received. For me the whole thing is unfortunate, but evidence that a cultural shift has happened. </div>
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The photo (top left) is more evidence of the “feardom” that has replaced freedom of speech even amongst journalists.<a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dave_chappelle_sticks_and_stones"> Rotten Tomatoes rating</a> of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Chappelle:_Sticks_%26_Stones">Dave Chappelle’s latest NETFLIX Special</a> speaks volumes about what is politically correct these days. Why the wide discrepancy between the critics score and the audience? Well, if you watch the special, Chappelle has a segment early on that pokes fun of the letters “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT">L G B T</a>” and especially the “T’s.” Apparently the critics didn’t see the humour, the audience however, disagrees. Trust me, the comedy is riotously funny, but Chappelle seems to have crossed some invisible line in the eyes of the critics. None of the scores for his other specials have such widespread disagreement between the critics and the audience. Chappelle hasn’t changed over the years, he has always been controversial, but the environment has shifted under him. </div>
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So what are we to make of this cultural shift? Important things have changed. People are afraid to speak to certain issues compared to the recent past. Our thoughts and words are now policed for fear of offending someone or some group. Offensive speech or ideas are now said to “trigger” those who are offended. An ironic choice of terms taken from gun culture. There is a suppression of disagreement, a lack of serious debate on many issues. There is even legislation in Canada (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Act_to_amend_the_Canadian_Human_Rights_Act_and_the_Criminal_Code">Bill C16</a>) that prescribes which words can be used in general discourse. At the same time there is a genuine hunger for dissent. Witness the sudden rise in popularity of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Peterson">Jordan Peterson</a> because he represented someone that could articulate arguments that are counter cultural. He rose to prominence because he disagreed with the C16 legislation around pronoun usage for people claiming to be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender">transgendered</a>. </div>
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Serious discussion or disagreement for many issues has now been effectively outlawed, a very bad precedent has been set. </div>
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In addition the cultural shift is anti-national, that is, it diminishes the principles and values that makes Canada and Western societies desirable places compared to many other places. It implies we are no better than they are. It stems from the idea that Western values like rule of law, individual rights, free markets etc. are in no way superior to non-Western or third world nations. Clearly that's not true. Canada and Western societies in general still attract droves of immigrants from non-Western nations, simply because <b>our way of life is superior</b> in many ways and the immigrants know it.<br />
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Worse still, the cultural shift embraces "identity politics" as mentioned in my previous post. So your skin colour, gender, ethnic origin, religion etc., automatically puts you into a group with similar "identities," and therefore you are assumed to act with your group and its characteristics. I know that's crazy, but that's what is happening. For example, the idea of "white privilege" is a quality in one's identity if you are white, and is bestowed on anyone that is white and well-off in Western society. I've been told I have white privilege by someone who had no idea who I was, nor what has happened in my life and has not defined adequately just what that means in my case. Its assumed, and its nuts. </div>
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Its high time that we push back against this cultural shift. We need to speak out when we recognize how the negative aspects of the new culture are impacting each of us. My blog and my other social media outlets is how I will push back. How will you help? </div>
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Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-28880216130940772162019-11-09T16:35:00.000-05:002019-11-09T16:35:43.177-05:00A modern day quiet cultural revolution - Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Every Canadian who knows a bit of history has heard of “The Quiet Revolution.” I was a teenager during much of that time (the ‘60s) and like most people I was oblivious and unaware that it was happening.<br /><br />FYI according to Wikipedia: “The Quiet Revolution was a period of intense socio-political and socio-cultural change in the Canadian province of Québec, characterized by the effective secularization of government, the creation of a state-run welfare state, and realignment of politics into federalist and sovereigntist (or separatist) factions and the eventual election of a pro-sovereignty provincial government in the 1976 election.” It was a cultural revolution in Quebec. We continue to be impacted by it. The recent Federal Election displayed for all to see just how different Quebec is from the rest of Canada. Quebec’s Bill 21 about wearing religious symbols while holding a government job, speaks to how secular and maybe intolerant the Province of Quebec has become. The Bloc Québécois, a Federal separatist party, won almost half the electoral districts in Quebec in the 2019 election. The Quiet Revolution has dramatically altered Quebec and its relationship within Canada.<br /><br />But today, we are in the midst of a much larger global, leftist, cultural, quiet revolution that is dramatically changing countries across the planet from within, and the way individuals interact with each other and their governments. It’s ongoing, so the results are not yet determined, but many changes are already apparent.<div>
<br />I am certain that I’m not the first to suggest this world-wide, politically left leaning, cultural revolution in the works. I am just as certain that my views of the state of battle, and the winners and losers in this revolution, will differ from the main stream narrative. Let’s see.<br /><br />Just this past week I came across a new phrase (new to me, anyway) that I think is characteristic of this revolution: “Cancel Culture.” Google it and you will get: “the practice of no longer supporting people, especially celebrities, or products that are regarded as unacceptable or problematic.” I’m sure most people were aware of cancel culture, without ever giving it a specific label. We all saw what happened when the #MeToo/#TimesUp movement began. All sorts of celebrities, mostly men, became socially persona non grata. In many instances this social shunning was well deserved, but it has become more than that, it now involves the policing of thought, the squelching of free speech in support of a new political correctness. <br /><br />Take the recent case in Toronto Public Library system where a feminist author rented a room in a library to talk about gender identity and its legal implications. <a href="https://quillette.com/2019/10/31/torontos-meghan-murphy-meltdown-a-case-study-in-media-driven-social-panic/">This author was called a NAZI by a well known CBC Radio journalist</a>. </div>
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Just as an aside, for me “gender identity” is not a subjective choice, on this the science is settled for me. It can be objectively determined, based on chromosome examination, never mind the genitalia, what is the gender of a particular human individual. Its almost funny that the same people that are certain the planet is overheating because they say the science says so, deny the science that says there are two and only two genders. But I digress.<br /><br />The new cultural revolution has made any discussion or debate about gender, verboten, and politically incorrect. To the credit of the chief librarian of the Toronto Public Library, the gender talk was allowed despite the <a href="https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/protest-outside-toronto-library-condemns-controversial-speaker-1.4661128">protestations</a> of the transgender gestapo before and during the talk by the feminist author. Even the Mayor of Toronto, always on the hunt for more votes, came out favouring the cancellation of the talk. Before the revolution this would not have been a story, let alone a media headline. But here we are, the power of identity politics, in this case the LGBT etc.. community, such is the misplaced influence they have. Imagine if our feminist author tried to speak at a university today. I guarantee it would not happen. The thought police would have cancelled it, and very few people would say boo. It’s now accepted that universities are no longer places where diverse opinions and ideas can be expressed. Free speech is no more, we now expect filtered speech, speech that complies with revolutionary politically correct thought. The academy has been deadened. When I was a student, universities were the places where free thought was nurtured, and expected. Today, if its not politically correct, its cancelled. Such is the new culture. More next time.<br /></div>
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Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-17557121483227338912019-11-08T15:40:00.000-05:002019-11-08T15:44:54.740-05:00Are there 11,000 scientists warning of 'untold suffering' caused by climate change or is it a scam? It's a scam!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";"><span style="font-size: large;">I am shocked but honestly not surprised that one of the top news stories of the past week was just fake news.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt";"><span style="font-size: large;">You would think that the worldwide Climate Change Alarmist community </span></span><span style="font-family: "timesnewromanpsmt"; font-size: large;">would do a better job of vetting and delivering their message. Not in this case. The mainstream media of course have totally accepted the alarmist bullshit. The identical story was broadcast and published around the world, apparently no one or vetted or checked the list of scientists. It was just accepted as the gospel truth in a <a href="https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biz088/5610806">paper</a> that was not peer-reviewd: <b>11,000 scientists are warning of dire consequences unless major changes are made in people's lifestyle, diet, energy use etc.</b> As the image says, scientists have a moral obligation to warn people. How could so many scientists be wrong? That's why the "11,000" was emphasized. It sounded plausible, until some people dared look at the signatories to the <a href="https://scientistswarning.forestry.oregonstate.edu/">document</a>. Unfortunately access to the list has now been blocked because they are vetting them. Bit late because, among the "scientists" when access was allowed was a Professor Mickey Mouse, and Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts and well... others of that calibre of scientist. Here is a news report from Australia on this topic:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">....and another video from Canada. By the way, in this one someone I know is mentioned. He is not a scientist, he was a candidate for the Ontario Libertarian Party in Hamilton ON. He was a cab driver and he publishes emails (which I get) regularly with his opinion. If you don't watch the whole video below just check out the part after the 19 minute mark and you will meet my friend Hans.</span></div>
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Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-1765726710862052252019-11-04T12:34:00.003-05:002019-11-04T13:12:12.702-05:00Why I've been absent from this blog.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">It’s very hard for me to believe, but March 22, 2019, marked the 10th Anniversary of this blog. Just as difficult is the realization that the last time I posted to this blog was Dec. 30, 2015, almost 4 years ago. Lots of things have happened in the past 10 years, and big changes have occurred in the last four.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: .SFUI-Semibold;">In November 2011, I became Leader of the Ontario Libertarian Party. After that it became difficult to cater to the blog because I was heavily involved with social media, policy work and candidate recruitment, etc. for the Party. But after two “successful” provincial elections in 2014 and 2018, it was time for a change. I resigned the Leadership in July 2018, mostly for health reasons.</span><span style="font-family: .SFUI-Semibold;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: .SFUI-Semibold;">The Party successes involved candidate recruitment and voter turnout. In 2018 we had technically </span><span style="font-family: .SFUI-Semibold;">r</span><span style="font-family: .SFUI-Semibold;">ecruited 117 out of 124 possible candidates. I say technically, because we had to remove one candidate </span><span style="font-family: .SFUI-Semibold;">j</span><span style="font-family: .SFUI-Semibold;">ust before polling day, so 116 was the final tally, almost our goal of a full slate. That was the best we had ever done. Of course the more candidates, the more votes, and our vote total was almost 43,000, also our best ever. I suspect these numbers are going to be difficult to match in the 2022 election.</span><span style="font-family: .SFUI-Semibold;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: .SFUI-Semibold;">My health began to deteriorate in the spring of 2018. After going through a winter for summer tire swap, I experienced shoulder pain, then back/rib cage pain that did not get better with time. Early in July of 2018, I woke up one morning with unexplained permanent central vision loss in my left eye. By August I was experiencing problems in my right eye. Doctors called it bilateral <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_retinal_vein_occlusion">CRVO</a> of unknown cause. I had no idea that the rib cage pain was related to my vision loss and the CRVO. But it was. By September of 2018, the back pain was unbearable and became chest pain, so my family doctor suggested I admit myself to </span><span style="font-family: .SFUI-Semibold;">a</span><span style="font-family: .SFUI-Semibold;"> hospital emergency. Initial tests suggested a heart attack, but further examination showed no apparent coronary blockages, but my heart was not right and so I was kept in cardiac ICU. Eventually I was diagnosed with </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takotsubo_cardiomyopathy">Takutsubo cardiomyopathy</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_myeloma">Multiple Myeloma</a> in my spine and chest. The good news was my heart righted itself by early December 2018, and now its normal, though I’m still taking heart medications because they are “good for me.” </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9AkI9gNZM_CRP6rCxV2NWh6Tv_0a713aV92DnQDf9z6OXk3c4_CDklx6kbF-jrsDY7jFuuOO2aLFg9x75zcbDr6PeISJNkm7YOBWNlLlVghPrSPY_rTHUSFtbu7oSAXQb5tqjQODtBnC/s1600/IMG_20180919_130305071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9AkI9gNZM_CRP6rCxV2NWh6Tv_0a713aV92DnQDf9z6OXk3c4_CDklx6kbF-jrsDY7jFuuOO2aLFg9x75zcbDr6PeISJNkm7YOBWNlLlVghPrSPY_rTHUSFtbu7oSAXQb5tqjQODtBnC/s320/IMG_20180919_130305071.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In hospital September 2018</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The bad news was Myeloma is an incurable cancer of bone marrow cells, and it also increases the viscosity of blood which is what caused the vision loss and CRVO. I did a course of radiation in my spine and chest, before I left hospital in late September 2018, followed by 10 brutal months of chemotherapy which ended in July 2019, the side effects of which I’m still recovering from. The Myeloma is in remission for now, but I’m assured it will return in months or years and then another course of chemo will be tried, and so on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On a much more positive note over the past 10 years, I became a Grandfather twice, way more fun than anything I’ve ever done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So here I am, back at you, with commentary and opinions on issues local, regional and planetary.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I’d also like to remove the “Bright” designation in the header, changing it to “Right.” The Bright’s are secular humanists, advocating social justice and climate justice (whatever that means). Atheism is all I have in common with the Brights now, so I’ve decided that I am not really one of them as they are currently defined. I also prefer the insinuation of being “right,” who wouldn’t? And I like the political direction implied. Problem is, if I change the URL to “right,” then I’ve erased hundreds of posts over the years. So I will keep the URL, but modify the page header. I’ll try and post once a week for as long as I can. Thanks for coming onboard you won’t regret it.</span></div>
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Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-14480052404713918212015-12-30T20:59:00.000-05:002015-12-30T21:03:21.679-05:00Referendum or bust......<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6dk85raLS2UwXpWWyc3ifG_dT-xVZh3Ld2Tv3_ybpBtSgMyTVziLSYaYf6dcLW0G59PrxtgI-x9F0PQjO6aXJb-AJWALVBO5tkTylGpfHRaaI3PhmLPcAJ-4OB8xypUoJvNbUGUqHTug/s1600/elections_and_voting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6dk85raLS2UwXpWWyc3ifG_dT-xVZh3Ld2Tv3_ybpBtSgMyTVziLSYaYf6dcLW0G59PrxtgI-x9F0PQjO6aXJb-AJWALVBO5tkTylGpfHRaaI3PhmLPcAJ-4OB8xypUoJvNbUGUqHTug/s320/elections_and_voting.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In 2011, the Harper Conservatives won a convincing majority in the Canadian Federal election. They did it with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_of_the_Canadian_federal_election,_2011">just over 39%</a> of the popular vote.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Imagine if Stephen Harper had campaigned for election reform back then, saying words to the effect that the 2011 election would be the last one using the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-past-the-post_voting">First Past the Post (FPTP)</a> voting system for selecting a Parliament. But at no time during this imaginary campaign, was it revealed what alternate voting system was preferred, just that it had to be changed. Choosing an alternate would be left to an all party parliamentary committee, and the choice would be put to a vote in Parliament where the majority party, the Conservatives, would likely prevail even though it had earned just 39% of the popular vote. Would people be incensed?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Since this is all hypothetical, and moreover would be antithetical to the very idea of 'conservatism,' I leave to your imagination what kind of outcry might ensue. Suffice to say that the main stream media would lead the charge with wall-to-wall coverage of the 'Harper Haters,' placards in hand, marching on Parliament Hill and in every similar hill in every village, town and city across the nation. The outcry would be deafening - maybe. I know there is wide spread support among the politically connected, especially Liberals, NDPers and other parties that see this as a chance to grab a seat in the House of Commons. Even some Libertarians erroneously view electoral reform as a good idea. But most people don't give it a second thought, and probably have no clue how the Parliament works currently. Their view might be characterized as: "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The imaginary scenario I've described is what is actually happening right now, but its Justin's Liberals that are leading the charge. They too were elected with a convincing majority on the backs of just 39% of the popular vote. At no time in the campaign did Justin proclaim which system he favours. But he did pledge that this 2015 election would be <span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><i>“the last federal election held under the first-past-the-post voting system.”</i></span> However, there is no outcry from media, no marching to the Hill, in fact very little reaction from most main stream media and very few 'letters-to-the-editor' on the issue. Some, politically connected media types have weighed in on the matter, but their main issue is: shouldn't this be put to a referendum?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Absolutely I say, as do several with no particular affection for young Justin and his gang. There is plenty of precedent for a referendum both inside and outside Canada.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was a Poll Official in the 2007 Ontario Provincial Election which included a referendum on an alternative voting system. It was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_electoral_reform_referendum,_2007">soundly defeated</a>. Many that voted that day at my Polling Station had no clue about alternative voting methods, and as a "neutral" poll official I could not explain it to them without committing an election violation. I just pointed to the printed explanation Elections Ontario had given me to tape to the wall. Very few went to read it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">National Post columnists, none that love Justin, have written columns supporting the idea of a referendum. <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/rex-murphy-the-liberal-government-does-not-have-the-right-to-unilaterally-change-our-voting-system">Rex Murphy</a> did, then <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/colby-cosh-the-liberals-electoral-reform-quagmire">Colby Cosh</a>, both gave good arguments for a referendum. But last week,<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">Liberal House Leader Dominic LeBlanc ruled out an explicit referendum on replacing first-past-the-post in federal elections. Dumb move I think, but I expect many, many more from this gang.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">Aaron Wudrick, Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayer's Federation, also <a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/aaron-wudrick-principled-supporters-of-election-reform-should-concede-the-obvious-and-call-for-a-referendum">wrote in the National Post</a> and explained the debate this way:</span></span><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white;">"......</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">this debate has largely polarized into two camps: those who prefer the status quo and want a referendum on the presumption that any change can be defeated; and those who prefer some alternative system and fear a referendum would scuttle any chance for change. Both sides are more interested in getting the outcome they want and are merely using the question of a referendum as camouflage for predictable self-interest."</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">That's fair, but we still need the referendum, regardless of what LeBlanc said. </span></span><br />
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Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-48347905049280836872015-11-24T17:30:00.002-05:002015-11-24T17:30:59.422-05:00Ignition.....or is it re-ignition?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6M7W1tE1m5_lASIY63o3LLQ2ko2kSQWTDWtGJFpjJzPeYoSL-AzFOhR7qSYJgHczgf7fQ_4qps-OrA05hR9_0LH396qv1kePHjrhBaILKXGMxNEyOA1y7IxKWThS9D21uWThWDAqcdpIw/s1600/hanks+fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6M7W1tE1m5_lASIY63o3LLQ2ko2kSQWTDWtGJFpjJzPeYoSL-AzFOhR7qSYJgHczgf7fQ_4qps-OrA05hR9_0LH396qv1kePHjrhBaILKXGMxNEyOA1y7IxKWThS9D21uWThWDAqcdpIw/s320/hanks+fire.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Time to fire up my dormant blog again. It's not as though I have been absent from online commentary over the past year, far from it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Facebook is where I spend much of my online time, posting comments, news stories, memes, even doing rudimentary graphics on behalf of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Ontario.Libertarian.Party/">Ontario Libertarian Party</a>. I also post on my own behalf but often it feels like a waste of time. For me ultimately, the purpose of posting comments in a publicly accessible venue, is to have those comments available for anyone who is interested (even me), at anytime. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But my Facebook posts quickly fall into cavernous Facebook servers, still available yes, but not easily, and for all intents and purposes, lost unless Facebook decides to repost the comments or event as a "memory" in the future. Its in their control, not mine. Blog posts are different. Anyone can easily, and quickly, scroll down to my original posts almost seven years ago.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'll be posting these blog posts onto my own Facebook, and a page with the same name as the blog. By the way, I've decided to turn OFF comments. Have something to say? Do it on Facebook, it will disappear in time. </span></div>
Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-26082486724017852092014-08-31T17:11:00.002-04:002014-08-31T17:11:46.865-04:00Should ER doctors turn in suspected drunk drivers?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPYZpOvhq8yqbSDwVbkD0i1LbSzIbY-3SdtUwVk4i0Xg1QjAnSN5EOudI5U9-JkiQEqAXdDV_0TJz3ccOIljiUj6YjC1I4dRro3jh9hH6XOSSMqmZ-cxkg0FBECm3mD7ZWLVDXV1kS5nu/s1600/SUN+Fpage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPYZpOvhq8yqbSDwVbkD0i1LbSzIbY-3SdtUwVk4i0Xg1QjAnSN5EOudI5U9-JkiQEqAXdDV_0TJz3ccOIljiUj6YjC1I4dRro3jh9hH6XOSSMqmZ-cxkg0FBECm3mD7ZWLVDXV1kS5nu/s1600/SUN+Fpage.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last weekend the Toronto Sun ran a <a href="http://www.torontosun.com/2014/08/23/er-doctor-why-does-impaired-drivers-privacy-trump-public-safety">front page story</a> and two full pages inside, on an ER doctor's experience and opinion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The story was about a woman that had been taken to the ER and examined by that doctor.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The patient, a woman in her 40s, had driven her car into the back of another automobile, causing significant damage to her vehicle and injuring the two occupants of the car she struck.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I examined this woman, it became apparent to me she was likely under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. Her breath smelled strongly of liquor, her words were slurred, and her balance was unsteady. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking to the attending paramedics, I was informed police had not interviewed the woman at the scene and she had not yet been subjected to an alcohol breath test. Assessing the patient for injuries, I proceeded to order x-rays and CT scans, as well as lab tests to screen for alcohol and drugs of abuse."</span></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The doctor's suggestion is that physicians be allowed to report suspected drunk drivers to the police in the interests of public safety, contrary to <a href="http://www.royalcollege.ca/portal/page/portal/rc/common/documents/bioethics/section3/case_3_3_e.html">doctor - patient confidentiality</a>.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this case the woman</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> had the presence of mind NOT to permit blood tests, and even if they were done they could not be admitted as evidence because the law imposes a duty of confidentiality on physicians. In the <a href="http://www.torontosun.com/2014/08/23/er-doctor-why-does-impaired-drivers-privacy-trump-public-safety">article</a> the doctor points out how this duty of confidentiality already has exceptions. His suggestion would simply add to the slippery slope that currently erodes doctor-patient confidentiality. Is it warranted? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would say no. In the case above, the actions of that woman, likely required police investigation because harm was done, people were hurt, property was damaged. So where were the police? That is their job. The issue should have been dealt with right there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe there were witnesses (including the two that were</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> injured</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) that could have testified that the woman was driving carelessly or even dangerously. Their encounter with the woman assuming they were able, would allow them to pursue a civil action against the woman, even if the woman wasn't charged. Careless and dangerous driving can be objectively observed. Both may cause harm, and appropriate penalties do exist. However, alcohol in the blood does not necessarily indicate impairment or result in careless or even dangerous driving. By allowing the doctor to hold or report the woman until police arrive just puts off what should have happened initially. When a traffic collision occurs and an ambulance is called, police should be there too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not in favour of drinking and driving, I doubt anyone is. Charging someone with a crime simply based chemicals present in their bloodstream is not reasonable in my opinion. That is what the doctor proposes and of course that already happens when police stop drivers and ask them to use a breathalyzer. But the police may have had cause for stopping that particular driver. The actions of that person, the way they are driving, that is what should be judged.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Ontario police already have extraordinary powers with regard to alcohol consumption. All Ontario drivers are likely aware of <a href="http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/impaired/programs.shtml">The Ride Program</a>, - the annual holiday police road block that assumes guilt by virtue of the time of year, and time of day. The statistics show that fatal collisions that have </span><a href="http://www.arrivealive.org/statistics-and-legislation/driving-fatalities-involving-alcohol/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">impaired drivers involved have been steadily decreasing</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> over the years. Is that because of the Ride Program or is that because of all the advertising education that has occurred over the 26 years since Ride was initiated province wide? Its hard to know.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are many reasons that could impair a person's ability to drive. Eating, drinking (alcohol), talking, texting, shaving, children in the back, putting on makeup, it's a long list. None of those are crimes in the right context. But if any of them causes a person to drive erratically or even dangerously resulting in a collision, that is potentially a crime, and that is what should be judged. </span></div>
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Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581081264152283332.post-39505554999065306162014-08-22T18:57:00.000-04:002014-08-22T18:57:04.601-04:00Marijuana black market thrives<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxq4UtWVq_TwNTQ_ZA9zNn0FGV5C0wOIDERAzzv-oKD7SAa9UXr8AVRk-me1PKblyoz4KwD546P0QyglGUdSV-HxJiZxHLyfCrg8zYEIgFFtfl6TtCp7ivGlsL_itjUVAVvch7Y1mCJ6r/s1600/marijuana_leaf_pic+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxq4UtWVq_TwNTQ_ZA9zNn0FGV5C0wOIDERAzzv-oKD7SAa9UXr8AVRk-me1PKblyoz4KwD546P0QyglGUdSV-HxJiZxHLyfCrg8zYEIgFFtfl6TtCp7ivGlsL_itjUVAVvch7Y1mCJ6r/s1600/marijuana_leaf_pic+copy.jpg" height="200" width="198" /></a></div>
Colorado's marijuana loosening law is almost 8 months old. I say 'loosening,' because the law has many <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_Colorado">constraints</a> associated with it.<br />
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Its always amazing to me that legislators, by and large, are economic ignoramuses. Maybe that's not fair, laws are hammered together compromises. The archetype statist Otto von Bismarck, probably said it best <i>"Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made."</i><div>
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The new freedoms in Colorado did nothing to reduce the size of the black market in marijuana, on the contrary it may have emboldened users, making the market bigger than ever. Why? <a href="http://www.thedailybell.com/news-analysis/35579/Marijuana-Will-Legalization-Alleviate-the-Black-Market/">Here</a> is a more in depth story.</div>
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Allen Smallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13663655836753638994noreply@blogger.com0