This article appeared in the American Thinker on April 1, 2024

                                                                    

Is there any rational person who still believes that the National Broadcasting System is in any way a reliable source of news?

The network of Chet Huntley, David Brinkley, Harry Reasoner, Roger Mudd, and Tom Brokaw has now abandoned all pretense of impartiality. This is thanks to their atrocious treatment of former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel.

It has been quite obvious that all of the original networks tilt to the left and have done so quietly for many years if not decades. But NBC is unique in that it also produces MSNBC, an unabashedly liberal news/commentary product. Its commentators often move back and forth between the main network and the upstart. The hiring of Ms. McDaniel by NBC proper was probably considered a good move to maintain a thin veneer of bipartisanship.

On the surface, she looked like a good fit. Though not openly disloyal to ex-president Trump, as the niece of never-Trumper” Mitt Romney her loyalty among some Republicans was suspect. Her failures in the 2020 and 2022 elections ultimately forced a change in party leadership more clearly aligned with the Republican nominee. As an NBC contributor, I think she would have probably felt comfortable offering both support and criticism to her party. This should be what the network would want.

But then the wildly left-leaning on-air talent at MSNBC had a “hissy fit” and demanded her firing. This was said to be due to her (tepid) support of President Trump’s voter fraud claims for the 2020 election. The protesters included Chuck Todd, who is NBC’s “Chief Political Analyst” and the former host of that sacred bastion of impartiality “Meet the Press”. Good luck with getting any reasoned political analysis from NBC.

I was one of a significant plurality of Trump voters (as well as some Democrats) who have had doubts over the integrity of the 2020 election. I remember thinking that the Republican Party and many of its members seemed sanguine about the result, and were not unhappy with the change of administration. Ms. McDaniel had to walk a thin tightrope in the aftermath.

In a rational media environment, her concerns for the election would appear to be a decidedly venial sin for a former Republican chairperson. But this is no rationality on the left. The MSNBC team threatened to boycott her as a guest on any of their shows, clearly limiting her utility. After this revolt from the MSNBC talent, NBC relented and released her after three days of employment. I look forward to the legal “bloodbath”.

Of course, those on the left will excuse this by pointing to Fox News as the corresponding conservative version of their hyper-partisan media organization. Certainly, Fox obviously tilts conservative, particularly during prime time, but many of its anchors will deviate from the MAGA dogma quite often (”Fox and Friends” hosts Brian Kilmeade and Steve Doocy, are good examples).

 It is also a given that Fox employs liberal Democrats as on-air talent.

I think of commentators such as Alan Colmes, Juan Williams, Harold Ford, and Jessica Tarlov. They All have represented the liberal viewpoint on Fox shows by assignment. Though the resulting arguments can be heated, these Democrats generally seem to be treated courteously by their fellow talent and are well-supported for book promotion and other outside projects.

There is one other person that Fox hired and employed for some time. That would be Donna Brazile, the former DNC chairman. She is bright and well-spoken and an unabashed liberal. I would argue she carried a mortal sin on her resume, the fact that she leaked questions to Hilary Clinton for a 2016 CNN presidential debate that Brazile moderated. This was well established (she ultimately apologized for it). Despite this, there was no outcry from the conservatives at Fox who generally seemed interested in engaging with her. She worked there for 2 years and was a guest on many of their shows.

I bring this up not so much to promote Fox News, which has its problems, but to demonstrate how bizarre is the behavior over at NBC.

15 to 20 years ago there was no mistaking the major networks for conservative outlets, nor Fox as liberal, but there was a semblance of fairness. Hyperpolarization of news outlets towards either side of the argument will inevitably be the source of untruths, either by direct misrepresentation or by strategic omission.

This leads to an even more polarized electorate that tolerates the lies and then wants more. As a result, the country is fragmented and thus weakened.

If you’re searching for truth, it won’t be found at the Peacock network.

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For a variety of reasons, I have not been doing much writing, or for that matter photography, for about a year now. I’m not sure what happened, but I think, the absolute deluge of troubling events over the past year or three, has sort of overloaded my psyche, and suppressed my creative muse.

To break this drought, I wrote this hopefully non-controversial piece that was published in The American Thinker on March 24th. I’m not sure that I will remain so diplomatic as we go forward

One of the happy cycles in my life occurs every 3 to 4 years when I drive home in a new vehicle.
However, for me, the current car market is a challenge.

I currently own a great vehicle. It is a 2018 Audi allroad, a small but luxurious station wagon, with a sophisticated all-wheel drive system, and a powerful 2 Liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
I have kept it for longer than usual, but I am beginning to be concerned about maintaining this complex automobile once it is out of warranty.
So, why don’t I just buy the new 2024 model?
The problem is, that Audi, like most manufacturers these days, has “gone astray”.

In 2018 when my car was built, Audi was building cars with features controlled with a simple and intuitive driver interface. One could navigate through systems with tactile controls requiring minimal distraction from the road.

For the 2020 model year, the engineers at Ingolstadt decided that touch screens would become the new control method in Audi interiors. Many of the physical buttons were removed. Controls are now in the center screen, activated by pushing on a flat panel without any haptic feedback. In many cases, previously simple tasks are now buried behind several menus.

Recently, my car required service. I requested a similar updated model as a loaner, so I could experience the new interface. Many of the conveniences of my car had been eliminated, and I could find no safe way to quickly activate functions without focusing on the screen and not the road. There was some voice control, but it was an inadequate substitute for buttons. In short, it drove me nuts. So, for me, no new allroad.

Audi is not alone. The sister divisions of Volkswagen and Porsche which had been models of simplicity and logic, have been infected with the same nonsense. In fact, it has spread throughout the industry.

I believe that automobile companies have several motivations. First, touchscreen technology is fashionable, and no one wants to be seen to be falling behind. And I will admit that the aesthetics of these dashboards, and the access to the information, can at times be compelling… If you weren’t trying to drive.

There are also cost benefits, as one might expect. A traditional dashboard requires separate wiring for each manual control circuit. Digital dashboards and controls are configured by programming and can be much less complex to set up. New features can also be added quickly. Touchscreens will also help to facilitate the industry’s new bad idea: automotive options such as heated seats, available only by subscription with monthly payments required.

So, for the first time in my life, I find myself drawn to models that have been in circulation long enough to have traditional control layouts. This typically means cars that are reaching the end of their model run.
One other issue with touchscreen controls is the expense involved in their replacement. These screens control the core functioning of modern automobiles. If they break, the car is essentially “bricked.” I priced, for instance, the 2 screens on my allroad. The instrument cluster screen is very expensive at about $1200). The center screen, where the navigation, audio, and auto systems are controlled is an eye-watering $5500. It could be very expensive to own one of these cars if they are not under warranty. It also begs the question: Who will be able to afford to repair these vehicles in 5-10 years should this technology begin to fail?

As I age, it bothers me to sound like a Luddite, especially with computer technology, with which I am otherwise quite comfortable. I do think however that this technology has demonstrable downsides. Perhaps someday, it will go the way of the “talking cars” of the 80s which disappeared rather quickly. Perhaps voice controls will become a workaround for the crappy interfaces.

To me, touchscreen interfaces, much like the relentless promotion of electric vehicles, are part of a larger pattern in the automotive industry which seems determined to sell to us, things that we do not want. Part of this behavior is due to upcoming government regulations. Despite this, it feels as though the industry no longer has any concern for the wishes of the average consumer. Sadly, but predictably, this philosophy, combined with their rapacious pricing during the pandemic, has sent the industry into a tailspin with plummeting sales and falling prices.
Maybe it is a good time to buy after all.

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It is been a year and 7 months since a viral pandemic exposed the craven liars who are in charge of our public health organizations, their absolute fealty to “Big Pharma” and disregard for the welfare of the common man. 

The indoctrination of the citizenry into fear of a viral respiratory infection has been accomplished through a supplicant news media.  The more weak-minded individuals who are their acolytes, are now in conflict with more skeptical folks, who notice the discrepancies in what they’re being told, and refuse to submit.  I guess at this point, I stand with the latter group.

I am absolutely infuriated over the draconian vaccine mandates imposed by the current administration.  Both Anthony Fauci, and CDC head Dr. Rachel Walinsky have publicly stated that the vaccine does not prevent spread.  In multiple reports, viral titers in vaccinated patients with recurrence, are as high as, or higher than those of unvaccinated patients.  As I have stated multiple times, the value of the vaccine is to reduce the severity of your illness, which may get you safely through a Covid infection, towards much more potent natural immunity.

Over the last several weeks, I have been touched by this in my personal life.  The small community where I live has a social organization and a fairly lively schedule of events.  One of my favorites is a dinner that occurs in early October, which serves as a fundraiser.  Typically, my wife and I will invite 3 other couples to join us, filling a table.  The event could not occur last year, and we were excited to see it return.

Unfortunately, when the invitation came out, it was accompanied by a new rule: Vaccinated only.

Now people involved with this dinner, read my articles.  They are aware that I have been infected and thus have not been vaccinated (my wife who was never infected, has had her two inoculations).

So, my group and I were not invited.  I know some others in the community who, based on this rule, were also excluded.  A couple of days ago, the dinner, apparently not a draw this year, was canceled.  What is sad is that, given the failure of the vaccine to prevent spread, making it mandatory for the event was useless and counterproductive.

The problem is you can’t reason with people.  When I am in the Adirondacks, I enjoy stopping into a small private club in town.  I was there a couple of weeks ago and stopped off only to find a sign on the front door, with a “vaccination only” message”.  I was told that the Board of Directors had decided on this policy.  Later in the week, I encountered one of the board members (a pretty nice guy by the way).  I made the argument above, which I think frustrated him.  He finally ended the discussion by saying: “We had to do something about Covid!”. 

There you go.  I moved on to another topic.

Dr. Fauci is really in need of retirement (and indictment?) at this point.  His arrogance and his blatant dishonesty are constantly on display in the media.  He was recently asked by Margaret Brennan, moderator of “Face the Nation”, whether we can “gather for Christmas, or it is just too soon to tell?’  Now this is a stupid question on a lot of levels.  His reflexive answer was “it’s just too soon to tell”.   This to me speaks volumes about the control these people believe they should have on our behavior.  Now in fairness, he has backpeddled rather aggressively after a nasty response on social media, but for a minute we caught a glimpse of his mindset.

A much more infuriating comment was made in an interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta at CNN. Fauci was asked a question, referencing recent data out of Israel suggesting that natural immunity is much more potent than that induced by the vaccination.  He responded: “I don’t have a really firm answer for you on that” he went on to question the durability of natural immunity versus that from “the jab”.

This is literally unbelievable.  This is a man who is in charge of all responses to Covid.  He would, or at least should have knowledge of the published material on this topic.  No really firm answer?  If that is not a deliberate lie, then he is incompetent.

  The CDC estimates there are likely as many as 120 million people that have recovered from Covid.  These people deserve a well-reasoned answer to the question of whether to be vaccinated.  Given the amazing amount of data, from well-designed well-controlled studies that consistently show more complete and durable immunity can be achieved naturally, one is definitely available.  He is undoubtedly the reason why, the NIH and CDC recommend post-infection vaccination even though there is a large increase in adverse effects, many serious, in this group.

I do think the vultures are circling for the good doctor. First, Francis Collins, Fauci’s boss and the longtime head of the NIH resigned. Then the NIH releases a letter to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, essentially admitting to the fact that indeed they funded indirectly, gain-of-function research on bat viruses in the Wuhan lab. This directly contradicts testimony given under oath by both Fauci and Collins.  Here’s the story, from that notorious right-wing publication Vanity Fair.

Finally, there is the topic of molnupiravir, Merck’s new antiviral currently in trials for the treatment of Covid 19.  In a preliminary study of 385 early Covid patients (vs 377 placebo), it dropped hospitalization rates from roughly 14 to roughly 7% credited as a 50% improvement.  The tablet, which is said to cost $70 a tablet, and was given as 4 tablets, twice a day for 5 days.

Enter Dr. Fauci again.  After the results of a single Merck-sponsored study, he proclaimed: “the results of the trial that were just announced yesterday and the day before are really quite impressive”.  Think back now to spring 2020, and his skepticism of promising early results on cheap and readily available hydroxychloroquine.  Not much difference in the quality of data but a big difference in his enthusiasm.

Of course, there is Merck’s old off-patent drug Ivermectin, or in CNN usage book: “horse dewormer”.

A recent meta-analysis in the American Journal of Therapeutics rigorously evaluated the 60 or so available Ivermectin papers and ended up screening down to 24 randomized control trials, looking at mortality as an outcome.  On average the studies showed a 62% decrease in mortality for ivermectin versus placebo.  There were also improved severity outcomes also though they were not a primary endpoint.  What was the reaction from Dr. Fauci… crickets?

 The cost of Ivermectin?  The drug is somewhat in demand now and has gotten more expensive.  I looked on GoodRx and found that the standard course for treatment of Covid costs between $29 and $60 depending on the pharmacy, and whether you had coupons. In developing countries, the cost of a course is under 2 dollars

Here’s the best part. The government has committed to purchasing $1.7 billion of molnupiravir, should it get past the FDA. This is after spending billions more on its development. This was done despite the fact that we have a cheap, safe, repurposed drug that appears to be just as if not more efficacious.

It should be clear now, that this tapestry of lies woven by public health officials, Pharma, our elected officials, and the press, is rather obviously unraveling:

The vaccines are not really vaccines, and they don’t prevent spread. At best, they function as marginally effective therapeutics.

 Our monovalent (one protein) vaccines are likely facilitating the emergence of new variants.                                                                                                                                                                             SARS-CoV-2 was a product of gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Lab and was funded illegally, by the NIH/NIAID.

Federal and state governments continue to impose draconian vaccine mandates, despite the fact that they are useless, likely unconstitutional, and immoral.

And perhaps worst of all Big Pharma used its extraordinary influence to suppress cheap, effective therapy for this pandemic, costing likely hundreds of thousands of lives for the sake of profit.

What scares me the most is that as a society, I don’t know whether we will ever have enough insight, and integrity, to sort through all of this, and to punish those who are responsible.

If not, God help us.

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Header image : Fisherman on Black Pond (Fujifilm XE3, XF 18-55mm f2.8-4)

It has been a year and 10 weeks since our lives were fundamentally altered by a pathogen we are coming to realize was a veritable bioweapon cooked up and sloppily released by the CCP, with monies from the NIH. I am happy to say that we do appear to be emerging into a post-Covid world with decreasing cases and increasing vaccinations.

You may remember that my last post back on May 7 was titled “They’re all lying to us”. Given subsequent developments, it appears this is more true than even I believed. From my point of view, it looks like certain people should be indicted for perjury. It also appears that whatever sliver of credibility was retained by the so-called “mainstream media” should be doused in gasoline and burned to cinders.

Here in Pennsylvania, it’s definitely beginning to feel as though the pandemic is ending. There were 2 public questions on the ballot in the recent primary that were designed to limit the governor’s emergency declaration powers. Both passed easily. Gov. Wolfe has announced the end of pandemic restrictions as of late May, but given the new rules, they may actually have expired already.

I point this out because there is no longer any incentive to spin the pandemic so as to minimize Government restrictions. That’s over.

In a matter of 2 weeks, we have seen a huge shift in mainstream opinion on the origins of the virus. Since my last article, the dogma that the SARs Cov-2 virus spread through a “wet market” has all but collapsed. It is increasingly acknowledged that the likely source of this virus was a P4 lab run by the Chinese Communist Party.

At the onset of the illness in Wuhan, after initial intra-virology community disclosures, the Chinese prohibited all information from being released by the Wuhan lab. Shortly afterward, Chinese health authorities descended on a “fish market” in the town. This was done to create the myth that bats sold as “bushmeat” were the source of the infection.

They were ably assisted in this deception by the World Health Organization, the CDC, and by the NIH and NIAID (Dr. Fauci’s organization).

The selling of the “natural source theory” of the bat virus origins was going swimmingly, until last spring, when both Republican Senator Tom Cotton and then-President Trump, claimed to be privy to intelligence suggesting that the virus originated in the Wuhan Lab.

I’m sure you’ll remember what happened next.

Here is a wonderful compilation of the press reaction to those statements:

Let us just say that terms like debunked, discredited, dismissed, hoax and crackpot, all came into common press usage in the weeks afterward. This treatment was also the response to the extremely well-documented report published at that time by Joshua Phillips of the Epoch Times.

So, now it’s May 2021. Within a few weeks, multiple well-established journalists publish reports, supporting, very credibly, the lab origin theory. Suddenly, with Donald Trump banished, the press has changed its tune.

With the press embargo apparently lifted, information starts to flow, Suddenly we find out that in November 2019, 3 workers in the Wuhan lab became ill with symptoms consistent with the virus, so much so that they were transported to a hospital.

We know from the Phillips report, that even the Chinese government investigation found that the first four victims of coronavirus were known to have had nothing to do with the “wet market”.

We have also learned, that in early 2020 both the Australian and Thailand intelligence services, reported to the US on a possible release at the Wuhan site.

Suddenly the Trump and Cotton statements start to make sense. This also explains why the Trump CDC head, Robert Redfield, also supports a lab origin for the virus.

Apparently now, quite suddenly, so does Dr. Fauci. He spent over a year decrying the possibility rather vehemently and mocking those who espouse it. Suddenly this week, he has quietly alluded to the possibility and now suggests an investigation into the matter. I have no words that would express adequately my disgust.

As Tucker Carlson pointed out in a recent opening segment, if the virus was engineered or just accidentally released from the lab, then this is the single worst (by far) man-made disaster in human history. That would make the people that diverted, dissembled, and outright lied to withhold the truth major world-class villains.

One more thought: Donald Trump’s endorsement of the lab origin theory was enough to set the national press on an organized effort to discredit the concept. Now with their dream of his defeat realized, they are suddenly completely reversing their opinion.

What else did Trump endorse? He endorsed hydroxychloroquine, which prompted the same exact response from the press, as well as Dr. Fauci, despite all manner of data, from anecdotal, to peer-reviewed that supported its use, early on, in the disease course.

If this effort to discredit the medication was to “get Trump”, then those who were involved in the effort may be responsible for thousands of patients who may have experienced severe illness or even death, because early treatment was withheld.

I want to remind you that these lies hurt people of all political stripes, not just conservatives. The elite media’s manipulation of the facts potentially harmed even their own loyal consumers. No one should ever trust them again.

In a just world, those public officials and associates who for political reasons, distorted and withheld information needed to address this pandemic would be investigated, and if necessary, indicted and tried. The journalists and pundits who supported the effort would be mocked, shamed, and hopefully fired. Their employers would be sued into bankruptcy by the victims and their families.

The lesson we should learn from this is simple. There is essentially no ethics left in either government, “big tech” or the media. Do your own research(on DuckDuckGo not on Google). If Facebook suppresses a viewpoint, find out more about it.

Stop parroting the orthodoxy on social media. Those posts may not age well.

Form your own opinion. Don’t be afraid if it conflicts with the viewpoint of your particular political or identity group.

In these increasingly weird times… it could save your life.

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Header image: Blueberry blossoms (Fujifilm X100V)

It is the 38^th week of our battle with the Wuhan modified “gain of function” Bat virus known as SARSCoV-2 and the cult of obedience it has spawned. Overall, in the United States, we are just coming out of our second peak of “cases” and hospitalizations. Deaths have also begun to fall. There are significant regional differences, however.

In Pennsylvania for instance, we are clearly past peak with daily “cases” roughly 2/3 of those seen in the third week of December. Hospitalizations have seen a similar decline. Deaths too are on the downslope but as always, are lagging the other indicators. This rise and fall of cases seems to be occurring independently of other factors. My sense is that there was little impact, for instance, from the tightening of restrictions over the holidays.  

Also notice that this outbreak is declining in the dead of winter. Last spring, when we assumed that the warming conditions were responsible for the reduction in cases but there’s no warming now. This further suggests that the virus is on its own schedule, not ours.

Still the current number of new “cases” is formidable, in most cases far higher than the spring. Thankfully there is generally far less hospital utilization.

I am disturbed by several developments. First is the sudden change of heart among governors and mayors who have had a miraculous epiphany and now realize that remaining in lockdown will destroy what’s left of their economies. Funny thing that with a new president inaugurated, that suddenly their positions have changed.

I am disturbed by this on multiple levels. With the possible exception of Illinois, where cases clearly have bottomed out, all of the involved states still have significant disease burdens. New York in particular has just probably rounded the curve. So, with numbers the same or worse than in late November and December but with the electors counted and accepted, now we can reopen our restaurants and businesses. Don’t get me wrong, I think this is the right decision. But it should absolutely destroy any remaining trust between our elected officials, and the citizens who have suffered under their capricious dictates.

Now let’s turn to the newest utterance from the venerable Anthony Fauci, who has essentially supported the wearing of two, yes count them, two masks. Asked by Savannah Guthrie on The Today Show as to the advisability of “doubling up” Dr. Fauci responded: “It likely does because this is a physical covering to prevent droplets and virus to get in. If you have a physical covering with one layer and you put another layer on it, it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective”.

 Not so fast.

First off, “America’s doctor” is up to now been a devout adherent to empiric data, first noted when he rejected case reports suggesting hydroxychloroquine might be useful for the virus (it is). Now we’re going with common sense? I could find no empirical data to support that two masks are better than one.

Secondly, I think, the good Doctor is unfamiliar with the dynamics of respiratory devices. The more you increase the resistance of air penetration through the masking material, the more likely the air will seek an alternate route. Most of the masks currently in use fit poorly to the face and thus tend to leak. With 2 masks, during inhalation one is more likely to “entrain” air from around the mask and then reverse the process when exhaling. Thus, you will be inhaling and exhaling more unfiltered air. How is this helpful?

By coincidence I had a gentleman enter my clinic office today with 2 masks on, one paper, and one cloth. I could watch the sides of the masks flare as he breathed. It looked like a fish’s gills.

There is also the issue that we refer to in pulmonary medicine as “work of breathing”. For people who have reduced pulmonary reserve, increasing the airflow resistance with a second mask would likely result in significant increases in shortness of breath. I know this because I do have respiratory problems, and wearing a single mask makes it difficult for me during any exertion. Two masks for some could be extremely uncomfortable.

It’s also worth remembering that this is the same Dr. Fauci who suppressed the use of masks in the initial phases of the pandemic, so to preserve the limited supply of the PPE’s. I hope we have lots of supply now because his words could double facemask consumption.

My final point will be an “I told you so”. Very quietly on January 20, the World Health Organization released new guidelines for Covid testing. They finally addressed what we have known all along: that the PCR test has been incorrectly used, which has inflated the number of cases. They now recommend, a decrease in the amplification cycles (sound familiar?) and the use of other confirmatory evidence such as actual symptoms and a second, different diagnostic study, such as an antigen test,

Just how many “cases” have been diagnosed incorrectly is anyone’s guess; but let me try. I’m thinking…a lot (between 60 and 90% according to the August 29th New York Times article).

I received an email today from the Feds on the topic of COVID-19 immunization. the email explains that the vaccine does not confer immunity, but the antibodies and immunity derived, merely help those who are vaccinated to fight off the virus (We knew this, though). It states that “guidelines for masking, social distancing all remain in place and should be adhered to regardless of vaccination or antibody status”.

In other words, there is no end in sight for this truncated, stilted lifestyle that we have all been forced to adopt. Even if 100% of people are vaccinated, there will likely always be vulnerable people that need to be protected. You know, the same way it has been with influenza over the years.

The pandemic was real. But it was shamefully manipulated by people in power for their own benefit. Yes, people have died from this virus much as people have been dying from respiratory virus infections for centuries. But the illogical, emotion-based restrictions placed upon us, are also causing financial, educational, and emotional devastation which may have very long-term effects.

It’s time to leave the cult, and return to life.

As always, I would be honored if you would share this post.

Header image: St William’s at Raquette Lake (Fujifilm XE2, XF 18-55mm f2.8-4)

I was going to post a “Viral Post” today. Given yesterday’s fiasco at the nation’s capital, I felt that such a post would seem obtuse. Given the postings in my Facebook stream, I have been provoked to weigh in.

As a conservative and at least for now, a Republican, I unequivocally condemn the invasion of the capital. It is a stain on the MAGA movement for whom peaceful protests were part of the brand. Just who incited the invasion remains obscure (Q Anon vs. Antifa). It was an act of insurrection, one that was tactically stupid.

This summer, during the BLM/Antifa multi-city riots, we were told by Democrats and the press, that these were essential political activities by citizens that feel frustrated, and have no other recourse. We watched attacks on federal courthouses, businesses burned to the ground and people assaulted and even murdered. This occurred with the tacit approval of Democratic mayors and district attorneys. these disturbances occurred over many months, not just one over one afternoon. Our upcoming vice president actually supported a program to bail these criminals out of jail, returning them to the street.

I also remember the invasion of the Senate Office building during the Kavanaugh hearings. The leftists involved were lauded by the press and allowed to come into contact with Republican senators who were harrassed. Democrat response…crickets.

Now after a 4-hour MAGA tantrum in the Capital, the left suddenly finds their outrage. To be blunt, when I see their indignation on Facebook, it makes me want to vomit. They have no shame.

Make no mistake, the people of the right have been exposed to real evidence of voter and election fraud, largely through the alternative media. They believe that the “no evidence ” mantra of the left is a lie. When they watch the leaders of both political parties cut off their options, they believe that they are without recourse.

75 million people voted for Donald Trump. The vast majority feel that they were disenfranchised by Democrat-run election fraud. More powerfully, they can see no way forward where this doesn’t happen again. Whether you agree with them or not, this is an untenable situation.

It is in everybody’s best interest, in the long run, to reassure all voters that are elections are valid. This could be accomplished by creating a truly non-partisan Election Commission( if it is still possible). It would have to proceed with the understanding that the 2020 election is over

We need to fix this quickly, or we will lose this country.

As always, I would be honored if you would share this post.

Header image: At the Capital (Panasonic G1, Zuiko 12-40mm f2.8)

Time marches on. Given my temperament, I am generally content with the (functional) status quo. This certainly applied to my website, which to me seemed adequately engaging, and has been gaining in readership over the last year or two, based both on photography articles and now, of course, my ramblings on the coronavirus pandemic.

My younger brother Matt, however, is my webmaster, and a very talented one at that. He runs Mainline WebWorks out of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. To him, my cozy and comfortable little website was dated and as his name is on it, he offered to bring it up to speed. Our priorities in this became improving the usability, upgrading the backend of the site which improves my options for formatting, such as allowing the images to occupy a bigger part of the screen.

I think you’ll see that he’s accomplished this. I have to now more careful with my image conversions as the larger sizes can definitely show things like clumsy camera handling and low light sensor noise. Still and all I’m extremely pleased. We’ve also improved viewers’ ability to subscribe to the site directly, or through Facebook. We are still tweaking some details such as fonts, and line spacing.

There is by the way, another Covid article in the works.

We hope you like the new design. We would welcome your comments.

Header image: December Evening Walk( Fujifilm XE3, XF 18-55mm f2.8-4).

As always, I would be honored if you would share this post.

We are now in week 25 of the two-week effort to flatten what has become the flattest curve that can still be a curve. Pennsylvania seems to be over a slight bump in cases we had in July and August. The number of new deaths remains flat.

Nationwide statistics are interesting. I’m looking at the curves on the Atlantic’s COVID Project. Overall, in the US were clearly two peaks of new cases: 1 in early April and a second peak this summer. The latter produced roughly double the number of new cases per day as the peak in April. Of course, the number of tests performed during the summer surge was significantly higher than those performed in April.

 Interestingly the number of hospitalizations for both of the peaks was roughly the same, but the number of deaths was significantly lower in the summer (April peak daily deaths were around 1800, in early August around 1200. This tends to confirm the impression on multiple fronts that the virus has become less virulent, or we have figured out better therapies. Or… maybe our testing is a problem. More on this below.

Despite the favorable Pennsylvania numbers, our governor has thoughtfully extended his emergency powers for another 90 days, thus, of course, past election day. He can get away with this and continue this virtual dictatorship because his fellow Democrats control the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. I’m not sure I can see an end to this. Though he touts the various benefits the state receives from this emergency declaration, the fact remains that we probably wouldn’t need the benefits if he didn’t insist on the restrictions on businesses and churches.

There has been some news from the CDC on the characteristics of patients who have died carrying COVID as a diagnosis. Turns out that only 6% of the patient’s died of the virus without the contribution of comorbid conditions. Yes, this coronavirus is dangerous and potentially lethal. However with the overall death rate of COVID per Dr. Fauci currently at 0.6%, the death rate for healthy people who contract the virus is thus 0.0036%.

Now I have written before about death certificates. If the patient denies of respiratory failure secondary to congestive heart failure but has COVID as a contributing factor on the death certificate, is that counted as a COVID death? Remember a diagnosis of CoV-2 infection was financially advantageous for hospitals that were struggling because of the cancellation of all of their elective procedures. In light of this, here is another interesting guideline from the CDC website regarding the coding of COVID deaths:

COVID-19 deaths are identified using a new ICD–10 code. When COVID-19 is reported as a cause of death – or when it is listed as a “probable” or “presumed” cause — the death is coded as U07.1. This can include cases with or without laboratory confirmation (italics mine).

So in other words, if the patient presented let’s say in early spring with a respiratory syndrome, perhaps with a fever and URI symptoms, and ultimately died, the patient can be coded as a COVID death even in the absence of a positive test. And the coding in that way would benefit the hospital with an increase in reimbursement.

When you look at the CDC’s COVID mortality numbers, they are in a category known as “deaths involving COVID”. Not deaths “from COVID” or “caused by COVID”. This is the roughly 160,000+ US deaths being reported secondary to the virus. This apparently includes deaths from other causes when COVID 19 is listed on the death certificate. Even George Floyd may have qualified in this way.

As we have discussed before, death certificates typically have two or three lines where the causes of death would be entered. An in-hospital death would likely be filled out by an intensivist, or a hospitalist often employed by the facility. The first line is for the “disease state that caused the death”. The second and third lines are for “significant conditions contributing to death that did not contribute to the underlying cause of death”( per Pa’s Death Certificate Manual). Once filled out, it ultimately goes to the county coroner where it is reported to the state Health Department. Depending on the motivations of the state government, these numbers could certainly be subject to some “sleight of hand” if one wished to increase the numbers of Deaths related to COVID.

Before I get accused of being a COVID denier, let me say that on the same CDC website there is a graph showing monthly US death rates as far back as 2017, with a line just above the graft showing the point of so-called “excess deaths”. In every month since March, we have been above that line, so clearly there has been illness and death beyond the norm. It’s just that for many of us, the wave has passed.

The PCR test (deep nasal swab) for the coronavirus has recently come under scrutiny. A recent article in the New York Times does a nice job of explaining the methodology of the PCR test, and the likelihood of false-positive results.

PCR testing, also known as gene amplification testing, becomes more or less sensitive depending on the number of amplification cycles the lab specifies. It is thought that most labs have made the test so sensitive that it detects tiny amounts of virus or viral fragments that would not lead to clinical illness or disease spread. In the article, it is suggested that 85-90% of positive tests would be negative if testing were conducted more appropriately.

 The risk of false positives in PCR testing has been recognized before. In previous viral epidemics such as SARS-CoV-1, Zika, Ebola, or MERS-CoV, the CDC and WHO recommended that tests should only be performed on patients who either were symptomatic or were known exposures. It was also recommended that a positive test be followed with a second confirmatory test before assigning a diagnosis.

For some reason with the current virus (SARS-CoV-2), testing until recently was not limited to symptomatic patients, and still, no confirmatory tests are necessary. One positive PCR is enough.

There have been a variety of testing errors that have come to light. Most notably the 77 NFL players tested positive for the virus in late August in preparation for training camp. The players were all then retested and came out negative. Apparently, there was contamination at the testing lab. I think of other labs in Florida the reported having 80-100% positive results. Then there are the anecdotes of patients who registered to be tested, but never actually had a sample taken, but still received positive results. I continue to be concerned that our current testing regimen is deeply flawed.

All of the above is why I continue to believe and have stated multiple times, that the best marker for disease activity in the community is hospitalizations and deaths actually caused by SARS-CoV-2. It is these parameters that should be used to determine the government and public response.

So we in the “early states” where the actual COVID illness has come and gone, remain stuck with business and worship suppressed, following illogical regulations with no end in sight. Oh, maybe there will be a rushed vaccine of questionable efficacy and safety that many will refuse.

The curve is officially flattened.

Now we’d like our lives back.

I would be honored if you’d share this.

Image: Summer evening at Fountain Lake (Samsung Galaxy S8)

It is week 20 of the coronavirus lockdown. For a man of my age, between the pandemic, the sometimes illogical/irrational Government response, and the everlasting urban mayhem, this is clearly the most bizarre time period of my entire life.

Here in Pennsylvania, presumably due to a rise in cases in western Pennsylvania, our governor has re-imposed restrictions on bars and restaurants. The first version of this specified that there could be no bar seating, and customers had to buy food if they wanted a drink.

Understandably, many already struggling taverns created inexpensive food items for patrons who wish to have a libation while sitting at a table. Curiously, Governor Cuomo in New York, imposed the same rules on his state. This occurred despite the fact that the number of new cases in that state were minimal.

Apparently, New York bars and restaurants followed the Pennsylvania practice, and soon there were “Cuomo chips” made available to patrons.

For absolutely no discernible reason, other than perhaps pique, both Governors imposed additional rules requiring that A “substantial meal” be served. Andrew Cuomo made it clear that for instance “chicken wings” don’t qualify, undoubtedly endearing him to western New York voters.

All of this is ridiculous. I think of restaurants that I frequent in places like Sullivan County, Pennsylvania (5 confirmed cases), or Hamilton County New York (same statistics) which were forced to stay closed from March to June, only to have restrictions re-imposed once again for no good reason. No wonder that a recent Yelp survey reported that 53% of their member restaurants were closing for good.

I recently visited an establishment where I sometimes go for lunch on my day off. I usually sit at the bar, talk to friends, have a beer, and a single slice of sausage pizza (I love the crispy texture of re-baked crust). The slices are large and it’s more than enough food for me.

My waitress on that day was unfamiliar. I dutifully sat alone at a table, no friends around. I ordered my usual slice of pizza with a beverage and waited.

She came to the table with the pizza and beer and then informed me that although they would honor my order today, the slice of pizza was inadequate to be considered a meal, and they would not do this again. I was also told that I could not have another beer regardless of whether the pizza was finished. The restaurant, often quite busy on a Thursday, was minimally occupied. I can’t imagine why.

What kind of madness is this? Is the state now determining what I eat for lunch? And how does this protect anybody from COVID? Or is it just meant to add to the general misery? You decide.

I would be remiss if I didn’t discuss the surge in cases throughout the southern US. There are likely multiple reasons for this from the parallel surge in Mexico, to the loosening of COVID restrictions. Spring break activities may well have played a role.

The climate may also have something to do with this. While the Northeast in March April and May were “hotspots”, the South had minimal problems with really no “peak” like we experienced in April. It was a cold spring in the North and for most of us, we were trapped indoors, while people in the South presumably spent more time outside.

Now in summer things have reversed themselves, with those in the South, escaping the summer heat indoors with air conditioning, and those of us in the North are enjoying the outdoors. I do wonder whether HVAC systems are helping to spread the virus. There is some emerging interest in this possibility.

So, let’s talk about hydroxychloroquine. I’ve been writing about the pandemic since March 21st. In that first article, I already noted that there was some evidence that hydroxychloroquine, along with azithromycin might have some efficacy. I also noted that a research-based physician such as Dr. Fauci would culturally be uncomfortable recommending a medication without multiple double-blind studies. This is entirely understandable. But Dr. Fauci doesn’t treat anybody. Practicing caregivers in the middle of a pandemic are sometimes forced to innovate for the benefit of the patients.

Even in March, there was in vitro data suggesting that HCQ inhibited coronavirus replication, and since then, we have come to understand that there perhaps for other mechanisms on a cellular level where the drug may prevent viral contents from entering human cells. There were also non-blinded trials strongly suggesting that the drug was useful. In later articles, I discussed other papers that had been published with similar views. Finally, there was the controlled study from Detroit where HCQ halved the mortality rate of hospitalized COVID patients.

Unfortunately, when Donald Trump mentioned the drug in one of his briefings, all hell broke loose. I think I understood what he was trying to do, namely offer some optimism during frightening times. I honestly believe that another president, at another time might have been given the benefit of the doubt. Not in this case. Hydroxychloroquine became “Trump’s drug” and its use must not be allowed.

On Monday, a group of physicians calling themselves America’s Frontline Doctors held a press event in front of the Supreme Court. There they discussed their experiences using hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of COVID. The most prominent and controversial speaker was Dr. Stella Immanuel, who was apparently a pediatrician, born in Cameroon. She also claims to be a minister. She is convinced that hydroxychloroquine is effective having by her account treated 350 patients with it with minimal morbidity and no mortality.

What she seems to believe is that “Big Pharma” is suppressing information on the drug’s efficacy in order to boost profits from drugs such as remdesivir, as well as from vaccines to be developed. Having dealt with pharmaceutical companies for much of my career, I do not find this idea completely fantastic.

It was her opinion, that if hydroxychloroquine was used more often for prophylaxis and treatment, that no masks or other restrictions would be necessary. She was, to say the least, very fervent in her beliefs.

I saw this video on Monday night. It was interesting, but I’d never heard of the physician group and thus wasn’t sure what to make of it. Nonetheless, if her treatment claims are truthful, it is another data point. I couldn’t really figure an ulterior motive when the drug is off-patent for 40 years.

Tuesday morning, I was perusing Facebook when I noticed that multiple friends of mine had posted the video. They also were reporting that Facebook and YouTube were deleting it. I despise “Big Data” censorship, and thus I shared the video with the comment that I was posting this because it was being removed, but I found the video “interesting”.

I was then beset upon by a young lady of my acquaintance, who works in health sciences who was extremely offended that I would post what she considers to be essentially anti-science. She informed me that either I should take down the post, or undoubtedly Facebook would, as she had already reported the post to their “editors”.

Dr. Immanuel, as it turns out as a somewhat “colorful” online presence and holds some controversial opinions as part of her ministry. Websites like the Daily Beast, eschewing their usual love of diversity, quickly did a “deep dive” in order to debunk her. They claimed that Dr. Immanuel claimed that masks are not necessary, without the qualifier she provided.

Nonetheless, if her claims about her medical practice and her treatment of coronavirus are true, then the information may be useful. Again, it’s information to be processed and then believed or discarded. Information is generally helpful.

Given the significant number of articles that I have quoted in the past, some controlled, some anecdotal, but all supporting hydroxychloroquine as a COVID antiviral (here is a recent one from Newsweek), the virulence of opposition to this video would suggest that there are people who just don’t want to know if the drug works. Logically, it suggests that they may not wish for any chance to see the pandemic brought under control so that the economy can fully reopen. And why would they feel that way? Maybe it has something to do with the presidential election in 3 months or so?

I for one cannot imagine being such a nihilist- so politically driven that I would be willing to discard a potential treatment and prolong people’s physical and economic distress. I do not understand on an interactive forum like Facebook, why people who disagree with a viewpoint, would want to erase it, rather than just to make their case in opposition.

I just want to know what works so I can treat my patients.

And perhaps selfishly… sit at a bar with a beer and eat a piece of pizza.

It is a beautifully crisp and cold Christmas morning here in the mountains of eastern Pennsylvania. I want to wish all of my readers a blessed and glorious holiday, hopefully, graced by the love of family and friends. Here are a few Christmas presents for all of you delivered via YouTube.

I’ve always enjoyed the now controversial song Baby its Cold Outside. With its reputation tarnished by the “Me Too” movement, it remains (unless clumsily brought “up to date” by over-sensitive types) an extremely clever dialog between two people flirting in a way that was perfectly understandable as innocent for of us that grew up in the 50s and ’60s, but now vilified as inappropriate.

Written by Frank Loesser, for many years it was performed only at parties by the author, with Loesser’s wife Lynn Garland singing the female part. It was apparently quite a hit on the cocktail circuit.

Here’s a version with the classic Dean Martin vocal track remastered to feature Martina Mc Bride as the female part. No one does sleazy better than Dean.

Here’s is another take, a more contemporary version, this time by Natalie Cole and James Taylor.

Finally a wonderful clip from the show “Sing Off” with a truly unique arrangement performed by Ben Folds, and a favorite of mine, Sara Bareilles:

In the years since this aired, the song has been recorded multiple times horribly butchered so that it can conform to modern sensibilities. I won’t post links to any of these versions, they’re just too painful.

Once again, I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season.