114 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 4-25-20”

  4. I finally have coffee to drink again. I missed the energy it provides.

    Any plans for today besides staying home like all the other good citizens (exception for our precious and dear healthcare workers)?

    I would go outside but the ligustrum pollen might do me in.

    Last night I pulled out the carton of vanilla ice cream and found I had bought a lite version with artificial sweetener. I could not see to read that without my glasses at the store. I suppose that is good for Art’s diet. He got to enjoy spaghetti and the frosted orange drink. I opened into a new jar of kosher garlic dill pickle spears and ate about five. They were so good. I called that dinner. He did not get home until 9:40 p.m. so pickles worked for me at that late hour.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Janice,

    It’s a grey heron, Although very similar to the great blue heron, you can tell the difference between the grey and blue herons by the neck. The grey has a totally grey neck.

    Liked by 2 people

  8. Good morning! Today I will be outside chopping wood with thirteen year old, may go on the roof or may just send him, and planting another apple tree. Husband bought us four to replace the ones eaten by the sheep while I was in Boise. Then into the gardens. Finally, back to my recliner to recover from the early gardening efforts. Though I may get some mowing done as well, if the rain holds off. So, does that count as staying in?

    Liked by 4 people

  10. A friend sent some humor by e-mail. Here is the copy and paste:

    —–

    Subject: The lighter side

    Tomorrow is the National Homeschool Tornado Drill. Lock your kids in the basement until you give the all clear. You’re welcome!

    I was so bored I called Jake from State Farm just to talk to someone. He asked me what I was wearing.

    2019: Stay away from negative people. 2020: Stay away from positive people.

    The world has turned upside down. Old folks are sneaking out of the house, and their kids are yelling at them to stay indoors!

    You think it’s bad now? In 20 years our country will be run by people homeschooled by day drinkers…

    This virus has done what no woman had been able to do…cancel all sports, shut down all bars, and keep men at home!!!

    Do not call the police on suspicious people in your neighborhood! Those are your neighbors without makeup and hair extensions!

    Since we can’t eat out, now’s the perfect time to eat better, get fit, and stay healthy. We’re quarantined! Who are we trying to impress? We have snacks, we have sweatpants – use them!

    Day 7 at home and the dog is looking at me like, “See? This is why I chew the furniture!”

    Does anyone know if we can take showers yet or should we just keep washing our hands???

    I never thought the comment “I wouldn’t touch him/her with a 6 foot pole” would become a national policy, but here we are!

    Me: Alexa what’s the weather this weekend?

    Alexa: It doesn’t matter – you’re not going anywhere.

    Can everyone please just follow the government instructions so we can knock out this coronavirus and be done?! I feel like a kindergartner who keeps losing more recess time because one or two kids can’t follow directions.

    I swear my fridge just said “what the hell do you want now?”

    When this is over…what meeting do I attend first…Weight Watchers or AA?

    Quarantine has turned us into dogs. We roam the house all day looking for food. We are told “no” if we get too close to strangers. And we get really excited about car rides.

    Liked by 3 people

  13. I had to laugh when my doctor asked about my caffeine intake. I said I am down to one cup of coffee in the morning for the most part. She said that was good, but it sure makes for being sleepy during the day. I told her that is when it is so nice to be able to take an afternoon nap. There are perks to being older and home.

    Liked by 3 people

  14. AJ, I thought egret because it looks white on my small screen, but I thought its proportions were off with its size. Glad to get that clarified. Herons are so majestic and graceful when they move.

    Like

  15. I talked with oldest son yesterday and he regaled me with “Tales of life with a 19-month-old,” or, how to make the Grandmother pray harder . . .

    My son had to put wooden sticks in the two sliders because Adorable #6 could not only open the door, but he could unlock it and escape to the backyard alone.

    The pool is fenced in, but . . . this one apparently inherited everybody’s brains . . .

    “Oh, it’s not all that bad,” C laughed. “He’s really only trying to get to me. Since the gate keeps him from coming downstairs where I’m working, he goes outside, walks around the yard, and then knocks on the door to my office. Of course, I have to let him in!”

    Adorable #2, meanwhile, has emailed us all illustrated instructions on how to draw a horse. We’re now required to follow her instructions, color and mail her the results so she can put them on her wall.

    I’ll work on that today. I also printed out a dot-to-dot horse that I will either send to her or complete myself . . .

    If you would like to follow my lead and mail children in your life word searches, check out this site here:

    http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/WordSearchSetupForm.asp

    This allows them to submit their own words! (I copy and paste them into a Word doc and enlarge the word search puzzle for ease of unpuzzling).

    Liked by 4 people

  16. Chimney is clean. Son did it. I chopped wood until the guy came with a bunch more. A good exercise program. We have a wood splitter and it could all be done in a few hours, but where is the fun in that? Husband lets me putter along though he is anxious to fire up his splitter. Now the tree….

    Liked by 5 people

  17. Morning. The flickers are pecking on the house and have managed to make a hole in the upper eve over the garage. Everyone in the area seems to have Swiss cheese stucco on their homes these days….we will find a way to win…yes we will!
    Staying home today except for my afternoon walk. Time to get motivated….

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Mumsee, you mean I am supposed to get out of this chair!!!!
    I do notice that the dandelions are taking over the driveway. No tools or anything else here.
    I may have to take my golf course walk earlier since it is getting warm around here.

    I saw in some counties they are opening golf courses. Nooooooo…..

    Liked by 1 person

  20. I am at the beach waiting to show a couple of lots to people who are driving down from Huntsville this morning.
    70 something degrees, the sun is shining, I drive a convertible, why not?

    We will be out doors, they will follow me.

    Liked by 2 people

  21. Tree is planted, upper gardens cleaned up so they will be ready in May. Fence secured around the one closest to the goats… I have no idea but seemed like a good idea….
    We even got fresh gas in the little mower for twenty three to work on the rose garden. Almost time for breakfast.

    Liked by 1 person

  22. I woke up to the lovely sight of coastal fog outside my open bedroom window. It’s actually a cool morning (it was still in the low 80s inside my house when I went to bed at 11:30 p.m. last night). It should be cooler today.

    I had to do some laundry first thing this morning, out of everything.

    And I saw on FB this morning that my former colleague lost his coonhound dog ‘Rocket’ at age 13. Broke my heart to see that, he and I did the pets blog together way back when, our dogs were “new” dogs together. What fun those years were.

    I talked to another friend in town yesterday who also lost his dog last week, he is totally broken up over it still. And of course Real Estate Guy lost his Great Dane a few weeks ago. 😦

    Peter, rain is no fun when it’s getting into the house. I used to stress every time it rained when my roof was still leaking. Houses.

    So, I’m not sure what I’m doing today, there are so many choices, lol. It’ll probably still be too warm (for me) to work in the yard, though maybe I’ll water late in the day — or late tomorrow, we’ll have to see how the weather is, it’s supposed to definitely cool down Sunday.

    I see my rose bushes are blooming again. I still (someday) want to re-do the front yard areas with native FLOWERS, something colorful and pretty and natural, rather than manicured “grass” which is so boring and bland to me now (not to mention hard to keep up, even when a lot of it consists of green weed patches in this drought).

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Janice, I am always cautious about how much I say, as details, given too close to events, could accidentally reveal identities, and confidentiality is paramount in patient care. When a little more time has passed, I may be more comfortable relating it.

    Chas, notes never seem to work for me. They dull my memories, not sharpen them. I have to relate a memory in an organic way – as an illustration, for example – in order to write a memory down in an effective way.

    Liked by 2 people

  24. Roscuro, you are like my husband. His sermon notes are all in pictures 🙂

    Houses: we’re working on filling all the little divots in the basement floor today. Thankful for self-leveling cement. Once it’s cured, we will install the dricore and then put up the back wall of the new laundry room. I’m getting excited.

    There’s still a huge list of things to do before the furnace install. The ground needs to thaw and and then our friends will come and take the remainder of our heating oil, and then we’ll get the propane tank installed. We’ll trench for the line and THEN the furnace can be installed.

    Liked by 3 people

  25. I wish my memory were better. I wish I knew as much about houses as kare (and could fix stuff myself 🙂 ).

    I need to start making random calls to handymen to get that bedroom ceiling fan going again before summer. It’s the only thing that saves me in this house at night when it gets really hot.

    Liked by 2 people

  28. The concern in our area this weekend is people crowding onto the beaches, where there’s a little more coolness.

    It was so hot last night I even heard some neighborhood fireworks, a summer staple around here.

    I’m reading the latest World Magazine, something I don’t do thoroughly most months (but I should).

    The cat decided her job this morning was to knock everything off the kitchen tile ledge/bar area. She seems satisfied now and is napping.

    Liked by 1 person

  29. I’ve transplanted a fuschia from the front yard to the back yard, planted climbing green beans, raked the path, watered and I’m now bushed–oh, that was after walking 3 miles. Temperature is close to 80, but the backyard is, alas, mostly shade.

    Now off to do laundry and hang it on the lawn! Then it’s back to the book for the rest of the afternoon.

    Like

  30. The new protocol here, also, will be to do monthly routine tests for all people (whether symptomatic or not) in long-term care facilities which have the scariest incidents. So far, Carol’s facility isn’t showing up on the growing list of those facilities that have reported at least one case. Probably only a matter of time. I told her I check the list daily and they’re not on it. If they did turn up, I’m not sure I’d say anything immediately to her (and they might get wind of it anyway); I don’t want to unnecessarily upset or worry her. For now, she’s just bored. They were told their quarantine lock-down (with no visitors) could extend through the rest of the year. 😦

    Like

  31. What are your churches doing about VBS? Surely I asked this before. Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center in Santa Cruz, 3.5 hours from us but the biggest complex around, has been shut down for the entire season by its county. Nothing. They do have an endowment, but a huge property.

    Our local camp, 238 acres also with redwood trees, is still waiting to hear. Every month they don’t hold camp, they lose $50K.They’re concerned about staff–all of whom have a place to live but whose pay has been cut in half. Even the director of 38 years is wondering if he needs to start looking for a job.

    We discussed maybe having a one-day VBS at the above camp in, say, August, since the camp director told me a survey of parents around the US associated with Christians camps adamantly said they did NOT want a screen-version VBS. They want their kids outside.

    Like

  33. AJ, are you sure about the grey heron ID? I ask because I see postings of photos of them on Flickr from England, and the species doesn’t show up in my Stokes field guide. (That doesn’t mean it isn’t present in America, but I think the guide is fairly definitive.)

    Like

  34. Michelle, you did ask about VBS. Our CE committee meets Monday night (by Zoom), and after that I may know more about whether we’ll even attempt it this year. It would be five weeks from now, and personally I vote no at least to committing to it, but we haven’t discussed it yet. (The girl who is supposed to be writing the curriculum is the daughter of a doctor, and her mother–the doctor’s wife–is on our CE committee. He’s the one largely responsible for our church going to Zoom, though most churches seemed to do it the same weekend we did or the following one.)

    Liked by 1 person

  36. Jumping in while behind on comments again. I wasn’t going to do that, but I noticed that Kevin asked me a question last night.

    Kevin – Thanks to you and Mrs. B for asking about us. Tell her I said “hi”.

    The court case is on hold, postponed until sometime in June. It turns out that X had not gone to Maine after all. Now with his parents not wanting to supervise his visits with Boy, due to the coronavirus situation, and Nightingale declaring that I will not supervise phone calls between them (because I can be easily manipulated by him), there has been no contact between X and Boy for a few weeks. (I’ve lost track of how long it has been, but X had been out of town for a couple weekends even before the social isolating began. I do feel sorry for him, but he brought this on himself.)

    I think I had previously mentioned that he seems not to have his attorney anymore.

    As for us here at home, we are doing well so far. Nightingale has been working extra shifts. With all the patients at the nursing home who have been diagnosed with the virus, she wonders if it is only a matter of time before she is exposed. The virus is spreading even with all the super-duper precautions they are taking.

    We haven’t seen Chickadee in over two months, and since she is not very “talkative” via texts or email (and hates talking on the phone), I miss her pretty bad. But I am thankful to have the company of Nightingale and Boy. Boy has been behaving himself pretty well for me, which is a blessing in itself.

    Liked by 1 person

  37. Since I already jumped in, I will toss this in here now, too.

    From September, 1977 to June, 1982, I kept a journal in notebooks, writing all kinds of things from the daily goings-on in my life to my thoughts and feelings, to just kind of doodling in words and ideas. I have had the notebooks in a metal file box for all these years. I re-read them over 20 years ago, but not since then. I am thinking that when I am no longer here, my daughters may want to read them. (They are aware of their existence, as well as some stories I wrote when I was younger.)

    But I have remembered that there was a period of time when my parents and I used a Ouija board, and I had written the “conversations” in my journal. For years I have thought that I don’t want them to read those writings, because they may be led astray, as what I wrote could be quite convincing to someone not a Christian who knew better than to take it all at face value. (Hopefully, they will be believers by that time, and even sooner.)

    Whenever I would occasionally remember those journals, I would think that I should rip those pages out and destroy them. But those thoughts would occur to me while lying down at night, not when I could do something about it, and then I wouldn’t think of it during the day. This went on for several years, as it didn’t seem urgent.

    Well, I am not one to worry about dying, but it has occurred to me that there is a chance that we could get the coronavirus, and a slim chance that it could be fatal for me. (Remember, I had that long bout with pneumonia last fall, and then a long bout with a sinus infection, after years of pretty good health. It is said that folks who have had pneumonia once are more prone to get it again.) So I determined to find that file box and take a look at those journals.

    Between yesterday and today, I finally found the file box, skimmed the journals, ripping out the offending pages, and ran them through the shredder. I feel relieved.

    I have to say, though, it is perplexing and creepy how “real” the messages seemed. We were supposedly in contact with my grandfather, mostly, and a couple others, and much of it was very convincing. It makes me wonder just what was really going on.

    Liked by 1 person

  40. It’s almost like he knew what he was talking about, even though his delivery was lacking.

    Liked by 1 person

  41. More….

    https://townhall.com/tipsheet/bronsonstocking/2020/04/24/potential-wuhan-coronavirus-treatment-uses-uv-light-to-disinfect-lungs-n2567591

    “Maybe Trump missed his calling as a medical researcher. The president was roundly criticized for pondering whether or not UV light or other disinfectants that have proved effective at killing the Wuhan coronavirus on surfaces could somehow be administered inside the body to treat patients suffering from the disease. During Thursday’s coronavirus task force briefing, President Trump asked White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx whether sunlight has been explored as a possible treatment for those suffering from disease, specifically the coronavirus.

    “Not as a treatment,” Dr. Birx answered the president. “I mean, certainly fever is a good thing when you have a fever. It helps your body respond. But not as, I have not seen heat or …”

    The president cut her answer short. “I think that’s a great thing to look at,” the president interjected.

    “Well, Dr. Birx must have missed the press release, published by the AP on April 20th, announcing the novel treatment developed by scientists at Cedars-Sinai that administers ultraviolet light inside the bodies of patients inflicted with respiratory infections. The research team at Cedars-Sinai is currently working with the FDA to explore an expedited regulatory process to use the treatment as a possible medical intervention for those suffering from the Wuhan coronavirus. “

    Liked by 1 person

  42. The claim that UVA rays are harmless is false. Not only do UVA rays from the sun play a role in developing skin cancer, they penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB rays, causing the connective tissue damage that leads to the effects of skin aging, such as wrinkle development. This was known long ago: https://uihc.org/health-topics/what-difference-between-uva-and-uvb-rays

    UV radiation works to kill bacteria and viruses by breaking down their DNA and RNA. The problem is, body cells also contain DNA and RNA. There is plenty of medical research literature that has been done on UV treatment. Some case studies done in the 50s and 60s seemed to yield good results, but studies of how UV radiation affected the blood showed very concerning results. Red blood cells were not adversely effected, which is not surprising, since mature red blood cells do not contain DNA, having jettisoned their nuclei for more oxygen carrying capacity. But white blood cells, the lymphocytes, which are the key components of the immune system’s fight against disease, were seriously damaged by UV radiation: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6122858/

    As with chloroquine, all options are being explored against those virus. But all asp chects of those options must be explored. The exaggerated claims claims of a private pharmaceutical company that their product only uses ‘harmless’ UVA rays raises immediate red flags.

    Like

  43. So… what? We ignore the fine researchers and doctors who are experts in this at one of the most prestigious medical facilities in the world, Cedars-Sinai simply because they partnered with one of those evil, rich, pharma companies?

    Pass….. I’ll go with the actual experts.

    “[Aytu BioScience, Inc. (the “Company”)], a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on commercializing novel products that address significant patient needs announced today that it has signed an exclusive worldwide license from Cedars-Sinai to develop and commercialize the Healight Platform Technology (“Healight”). This medical device technology platform, discovered and developed by scientists at Cedars-Sinai, is being studied as a potential first-in-class treatment for coronavirus and other respiratory infections.

    …

    The Healight technology employs proprietary methods of administering intermittent ultraviolet (UV) A light via a novel endotracheal medical device. Pre-clinical findings indicate the technology’s significant impact on eradicating a wide range of viruses and bacteria, inclusive of coronavirus.

    …

    “Our team has shown that administering a specific spectrum of UV-A light can eradicate viruses in infected human cells (including coronavirus) and bacteria in the area while preserving healthy cells,” stated Dr. Pimentel of Cedars-Sinai. Ali Rezaie, MD, one of the inventors of this technology states, “Our lab at Cedars-Sinai has extensively studied the effects of this unique technology on bacteria and viruses. Based on our findings we believe this therapeutic approach has the potential to significantly impact the high morbidity and mortality of coronavirus-infected patients and patients infected with other respiratory pathogens.”

    Like

  45. Note it was the researchers and doctors who came up with this. The pharma company is just funding it.

    “This medical device technology platform, discovered and developed by scientists at Cedars-Sinai,”

    Like

  46. Lots of things are dangerous. But when used in moderation, and in a responsible way, not so much. Everyone knows too much UV rays are bad. But this isn’t the same as lying in the sun on a beach for years on end frying yourself.

    Even the flu vaccine uses the flu virus, which is dangerous, does it not? Same for numerous other vaccines and treatments. Chemo is horrible for the body, but cancer is worse. So we use it. Same principle here.

    Like

  47. Cedars Sinai is not the only hospital or research in the world, not even in the US. “In the multitude of counsellors, there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14, 15:22, 24:6), the founding principles of peer reviewed research in a nut shell. Furthermore, they are researching it and have not yet finished that research. As with chloroquine, initial lab trials may yield very different results than real life trials.

    Like

  48. Chemo and UV radiation have much the same effect on white blood cells – both destroy the cells of the immune system – and those on chemo have their immune systems wiped, rendering them vulnerable to infectious disease.

    Like

  49. It is such a pretty afternoon in this forest! Neighbor and I had our walk and ran into some other neighbors enjoying themselves…the air is so fresh!
    Husband went on a run on a trail across town closer to the mountain. A cyclist rode by him shouting “where’s your mask”?!! Yep..he is out in the fresh air around no one and this guy flying by him on his power aided bike (and he had a mask on) shouts to someone running that he needs a mask! Ya know I can see these passive aggressive sorts getting punched one day…not saying it would be me doing the punching but I don’t think I would have any sympathy for them if I saw it happen…

    Liked by 1 person

  50. DJ – Their temperature is taken every time they enter the building. If her temp is up, or she has to call in sick with the symptoms, she would have to stay home for at least a couple weeks, I think. She is trying to make sure that we are stocked up on groceries and such, but even if we need something, I could call and have a friend from church do a little shopping and leave it on the porch.

    Our freezer is stocked with a couple large lasagnas that she made, as well as several soups she made and put in freezer bags, flat on one of the freezer shelves. It’s funny to see soup stacked up.

    The latest tally is that 36 patients at her facility, a quarter of the total number of patients, have tested positive for the virus, and there have been three deaths. There are some tests that were recently done, on her wing, that haven’t come back yet, but are suspected to be positive for the coronavirus.

    The first death was of a man who was not a long-term resident, but was there for rehab from a surgery or injury.

    Like

  52. Kizzie, I assume you do most of the cooking? As far as the shopping, our daughter who works in the nursing home doesn’t want to take the virus from her patients to people outside the home, or vice versa, so our son-in-law (her brother-in-law, not her husband) has been doing her shopping so that she won’t be in stores. Has Nightingale thought about having someone else do the shopping?

    Like

  53. Cheryl – Actually, Nightingale does most of the cooking. She loves to cook, and in a pinch, can whip up something special out of whatever she can find in the fridge and pantry. She will cook a large batch of something on a day off, but also likes cooking when she gets home from work. She also much prefers her cooking to mine. 😀

    It is my job to clean up after her, and believe me, that is no walk in the park. She’s one of those cooks, like her father before her, who gets stuff spread over all the counters. But it is worth it to let her do the cooking and not have to worry about the clean up after.

    So far, she has been careful about the shopping, only going every two weeks on a day off, making sure she is clean and wearing a mask. I will ask her what she thinks about it, though.

    Like

  54. This is scary.

    “Young and middle-aged people, barely sick with covid-19, are dying of strokes

    Doctors sound alarm about patients in their 30s and 40s left debilitated or dead. Some didn’t even know they were infected.”

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/04/24/strokes-coronavirus-young-patients/?fbclid=IwAR2a7YsgyshUsOAA1v6dlm1vs5_7w84mQAe2VLWNPbrJhS4RDSjozuLKPt0&utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

    I had read elsewhere about the problem of blood clots with COVID-19. I guess it makes sense that some of those are causing strokes. 😦

    Liked by 1 person

  55. Doctors here are reporting the same issues. Doing a CT scan to find the clot and discovering ground glass in the lungs. Inflammation from the immune system can increase the risk of blood clots forming, but there is also the question of whether the virus is infecting the blood vessels, as there are ACE2 receptors, the receptor the virus binds to, in the lining of blood vessels.

    Like

  56. Now the itty-bitty mosquitoes are back. I’m sitting on the patio, the only cool place, much cooler now than the house, and I’ve been bitten on the left hand. So I went in, slathered on the creamy, odorless “deep woods” insecticide and came back out with the laptop; put some anti-itch cream on the hand.

    Those mosquitoes are so vicious.

    I went to Home Depot earlier, had to stand in line just to get into the store, and picked up a couple new flood lights for the motion lights in the backyard that haven’t been working. Try the simple fix first. But so far, not triggering. 😦 Sigh. Houses.

    Blanket of fog on the harbor all day today, I took a photo and will send it in — it’s one of those times when just the shipping cranes appear peeking above the heavy layer. It’s all good, helps to cool things down hopefully. It was still too warm for my taste today, low 80s, but I think tomorrow may be a little cooler, then we should be back down to normal next week.

    And, as I’ve mentioned, sure enough, the weekend is flying by.

    Like

  57. Neighbors are barbecuing over our common fence with Beach Boys music on. “California Girls.” Not an unpleasant evening vibe 🙂 Summer is coming. So is Christmas.

    Liked by 1 person

  58. Kizzie, if cooking is how she relaxes, more power to her! I thought you were bragging on your girl’s cooking and not mentioning your own, since I was thinking you’d talked in the past about cooking.

    Liked by 2 people

  59. Real Estate Guy says he’ll interrupt one of his naps in the next couple days to come take a look at the motion lights. Maybe I just need a new unit, he thinks, but he said they should last “forever.” This one’s not old, 2-3 years? But I’d rather get another $39.99 unit than have it be a wiring issue.

    Like

  60. Kizzie, I’ve read about the stroke issue, very disconcerting. As we keep saying, we’ll know more in a month, 6 months, a year … Until then …

    We wait.

    Liked by 2 people

  61. Roscuro,

    Scientific peer reviewed consensus? You seem to give that way more weight than you should. They’ve been wrong on plenty. Remember, the Earth was flat, that was the scientific consensus at the time. It was also wrong.

    How about that peer reviewed, scientific consensus on the theory of evolution? No evidence of it, but that’s the consensus. No Creator, just randomness. That’s the consensus.

    The latest world wide global climate change scam? All the peer reviewed scientific consensus says it’s happening, yet they have to fudge data to “prove” it. I’m old enough to remember the scientific consensus that said we would all freeze in the coming ice age. It never came. Then we were all gonna fry from global warning by 2010, then 2015, then 2020, but now we’re all just gonna die from the rising seas. The Earth is dying, and we’re the cause, is the consensus. Yet a 3 month shut down of industry and pollution in India, China, Cali, and other places has disappeared to a large extent.

    Scientific consensus, even the peer reviewed kind you seem fixated on, has been and will continue to be wrong on a wide variety of things.

    Here’s a nice running list on all the peer reviewed, scientific consensus that aren’t worth jack anymore.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superseded_theories_in_science

    “Astronomy and cosmology
    Ptolemaic system – replaced by Nicolaus Copernicus’ heliocentric model.
    Geocentric universe – made obsolete by Copernicus
    Heliocentric universe – made obsolete by discovery of the structure of the Milky Way and the red shift of most galaxies. Heliocentrism only applies to the selected Solar System, and only approximately, since the Sun’s center is not at the Solar System’s center of mass.
    Copernican system – made obsolete by Johannes Kepler and Isaac Newton
    Newtonian gravity – superseded by general relativity, to which it is a good approximation unless typical speeds approach that of light in a vacuum (c). The anomalous perihelion precession of Mercury was the first observational evidence that Newtonian gravity was not totally accurate.
    Luminiferous aether theory
    Steady state theory, a model developed by Hermann Bondi, Thomas Gold, and Fred Hoyle whereby the expanding universe was in a steady state, and had no beginning. It was a competitor of the Big Bang model until evidence supporting the Big Bang and falsifying the steady state was found.
    Many planets and other objects were once thought to exist but are now known not to – see List of hypothetical Solar System objects

    Geography and climate
    Flat Earth theory. On length scales much smaller than the radius of the Earth, a flat map projection gives a quite accurate and practically useful approximation to true distances and sizes, but departures from flatness become increasingly significant over larger distances.
    Terra Australis
    Hollow Earth theory
    The Open Polar Sea, an ice-free sea once supposed to surround the North Pole
    Rain follows the plow – the theory that human settlement increases rainfall in arid regions (only true to the extent that crop fields evapotranspirate more than barren wilderness)
    Island of California – the theory that California was not part of mainland North America but rather a large island
    Inland sea of Australia[6][7]
    Pre-Modern Environmental determinism (as explanations for moral behavior, as opposed to modern theories such as factor endowments, state formation, and theories of the social effects of global warming)
    Climatic determinism
    Topographic determinism
    Moral geography
    Cultural Acclimatization
    Global cooling
    Drainage divides as always being made up by hills and mountains.”

    ————-

    And so much more…..

    And as technology and medicine advance, the list will only grow larger.

    Liked by 1 person

  62. AJ @ 2:53
    In 1972 I was walking through the student lounge at Purdue. I saw a magazine cover with huge print. I was very busy at the time, so I didn’t stop. But I remember the heading”
    THE COMING ICE AGE!

    Liked by 1 person

  63. All those theories in that list were jettisoned as more people studied the issues, gaining information and sharing it with others, and their peers then confirming it with other research. That is what peer reviewed is supposed to do. It does not rely on one study alone for information. It does not rely on one person or organization for information alone. Incidentally, the medievals did not actually believe the earth was flat, that is a myth that has cropped up since. Evolution, which has no bearing medical biology and was not even mentioned in my anatomy or pathophysiology classes, is constantly being questioned as new knowledge is gained. Darwin’s theories are no longer considered valid even by those who believe in evolution, and devotion to evolution has more of a religious than scientific motive – if one does not believe in God, one must somehow account for us existing – but it is irrelevant to many fields of scientific research, including medicine. Climate change, which again has no bearing on medical biology, is much more of a political than scientific movement, and science that is led by political motivation risks losing integrity. It is because scientists realize that their motivations can be corrupted by politics, or the desire of gain, or personal bias, etc. that they publish their studies so that their peers can review them for flaws. Is the system flawless? No, nothing human is ever faultless, but the extended lifespans in the West and successful treatment of many diseases is owing to peer reviewed research finding causes and cures.

    Liked by 3 people

  65. We have seen huge changes in the medical field, and will continue to do so. And the real is accurate in pointing out the lemming mindset, even in medicine.

    Liked by 1 person

  67. Mumsee, and those huge changes in the medical field came about through peer review research. And the popular idea that lemmings follow each other off cliffs has been disproven: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20141122-the-truth-about-lemmings

    The UV research would simply have been just one of many treatments being investigated, if it had gone unmentioned by a politician. I have no interest in the politician, who will certainly be out of power within a mere more years (not a political statement, just a fact about term limitation), and I did not bring up the story. But the question of whether UV treatment was viable or not is important to me, because healthcare is within my field. So, I wondered whether the claims of UVA being harmless in that video advert on the device that was shared in the Twitter link were accurate. I looked it up, and found that previous research, published long before the politician mentioned the topic and therefore could not have been published in the hope of discrediting the politician, had found UVA was not harmless and that there were concerns abouts the effects of UV on the cells of the immune system. That is what I shared. Having to explain the reasoning behind peer review was unexpected, but conversations often take unexpected turns.

    Liked by 2 people

  69. Roscuro, we all know that lemmings don’t do that but we also all know what I was referring to: the tendency of humans to follow the latest and greatest.

    Peer review sounds like a good thing. However, being an imperfect system run by imperfect humans, it continues to be educated guessing.

    Like

  70. Mumsee, peer review is part of the effort not to follow the latest and greatest, to not jump on bandwagons. When peer review is bypassed, situations such as the current hormonal and surgical treatment, which is not based on enough peer reviewed research and rather going by social and ideological pressure, for gender dysphoria result.

    Educated guessing, as you perceive healthcare to be, is at least better than uneducated guessing. The former president of the West African country where I worked was a megalomaniac, who used the titles of professor and doctor without having had any if the requisite education. Being prone to eliminate anyone who questioned him made it difficult to contradict him, but it was immensely frustrating to the healthcare community when he made such irresponsible claims as having the ability to cure AIDS. His claim that he could do so undercut the campaign of education on the dangers of unsafe sexual intercourse, since if there was apparently a cure, those who found the instructions for protected sexual intercourse to be onerous would find it easier to disregard them.

    Liked by 2 people

  73. I fell asleep last night (late) to a concert of fog horns in the harbor. I woke up to the same. Beautiful, soothing sounds. I don’t have a direct view of the port from my house (just from either corner on the block where I live) so it reminds me that I live in a harbor town.

    Roscuro makes sense on the peer study process which can be extraordinary lengthy (and frustrating to us laymen and women). How often do we hear that earlier conclusions about something have now been called into question? Eggs, good, bad, good … Coffee, good, bad, good …

    But in this case of finding treatments and, ultimately (we hope) a vaccine that are both effective and safe to use, it’s clear the process she described has to play out.

    It also gives me hope with regard to the climate change argument that is never ending. It has become more a “faith” issue than a science issue for those who are pushing it as far as they can. I’m hopeful clearer heads will prevail as more data is accumulated and honestly evaluated.

    Liked by 1 person

  74. As I mentioned earlier, peer review sounds good. But working with imperfect people, it is an imperfect science. It has happened that the peers accept as truth, bits and pieces that were never proven so their peer review acceptance is precariously balanced on not a solid foundation.

    Liked by 1 person

  75. But it is perhaps the best process we have to weed out bias and to keep the focus on the growing amounts of data, not political or other kinds of opinion.

    Like

  78. No human system is perfect. “Checks and balances” aren’t a perfect form of government–but they’re better than dictatorship. There’s a saying “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good” that plays in here. (Here’s a good article explaining the term if it’s new to you. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dont-let-the-perfect-be-t_b_158673 )

    In fact, here is a video I almost posted a few weeks ago when I first watched it. It’s about thalidomide babies. Thousands of babies around the world were born with greatly shortened (or missing) arms and/or legs because of a sleeping pill that was advertised as being safe enough for pregnant women . . . even though the manufacturer had plenty of evidence it wasn’t. The drug was kept out of America because the American medical establishment hadn’t seen evidence it was safe. (The babies of the affected years–yes, years, not months–include the years in which my husband and some of my older brothers were born.) In other words, peer review may be imperfect . . . but it’s a whole lot better than just pushing forward! The video is well worth watching, but quite sad at times. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uizvsiaHyw

    Liked by 1 person

  79. By the way, we had a trivial example of peer review earlier on this thread. AJ identified the bird in the header as a grey heron. I happened to be already familiar with the grey heron, having noticed in photos on Flickr that it looks nearly identical to the great blue heron–in fact, if you give me a set of photos with both birds, chances are I won’t be able to put all the photos with their correct identity. I suspect it’s really just two subspecies of the same bird, or close enough that they could breed with each other successfully. But I also know the grey heron isn’t an American species, so I suggested (politely, I hope) that he double-check the identification, since the bird is far more likely to be a bird found commonly in America than a very similar migrant from another continent.

    Pointing out that Walt Disney faked his film footage of lemmings jumping into the sea is another time that “peer review” worked.

    Real scientific peer review is more elaborate than those examples, because it’s running the same experiments as the first reviewer. But in effect it’s saying “We aren’t going to go with the first test or the first assertion, but test it and make sure it’s accurate.”

    Liked by 1 person

  80. I have a friend who was a thalidomide baby. She had all her arms and legs, but had other issues. I believe her mother got it in the US and that many in the US were affected?

    Like

  81. Oh so the numerous peer reviewed scientific studies on global cooling/warming/rising seas are somehow excused because they don’t fit the narrative you’re pushing?

    C’mon.

    It’s “settled science” according to the experts. Yet it’s been wrong for 30 plus years. Yet according to scientists, this is peer reviewed and indisputable.

    Why do they get a pass?

    You know why, because it doesn’t make your case. That’s the point. I provided an entire list of things that were peer reviewed, settled science, the truth we were told. Until they weren’t, because the consensus was wrong. Again.

    According to the researchers and doctors at Cedars Sinai, the consensus is wrong on UV-A as well. And we know UV rays can be harmful, but it’s already used in moderation for treatments of several diseases including psoriasis and melanoma. Same with chemo, it’s deadly. But when used correctly in moderation, it’s beneficial. We shall see with time where this goes, if anywhere.

    Like

  82. Remember, the Earth was flat, that was the scientific consensus at the time. It was also wrong.

    You must remember the Roman Catholic Church (the Pope) controlled all thought in those days, so if one went against the church there was a chance of being burned at the stake. It took brave men like Copernicus and Galileo to change the church’s view on science. Those two were not well received by the “scientific community” (i.e. the Pope) of their day.

    Like

  84. I’m always amused by the statement (often) made on various topics that “The science is settled.”

    By its very nature, science is an evolving process that ‘moves’ with more data, more understanding and more knowledge. It’s never truly settled (at least not for long in nearly all cases). That would make it not science at all.

    Liked by 1 person

  88. The Real, the current figurehead of the climate change movement is not a scientist, neither was the former figurhead one that started it all with ‘An Inconvenient Truth’. As I said, it is more of a political and social movement. If there were not a social impetus towards the peddling of a doomsday narrative, the climate change would have remained a debate between scientists. There is not infrequently, for those who deny climate change, been citation of all the scientists who disagree with the interpretation. Pure science would keep the discussion at the level of a debate. There would be exchange of ideas between those who see evidence of climate change and those who do not. But political and social ideologies have gotten in the way of that free exchange. Political and social forces are being used to pressure scientists to conform to one interpretation of data. This is what those who do not hold to the climate change narrative have been saying all along, that climate change is not settled science. Well, all I was saying was that UV treatment was not settled science.

    Liked by 1 person

  89. And what I was saying, it is an imperfect system. Run by imperfect people. Yes, it can be useful. There are a lot of snake oil salesmen.

    Like

  90. Little brother, this is what we do on weekends when you don’t drop by. This is the settled science of the theory of evolution thread. In microcosm.

    Liked by 1 person

  91. Kevin, this was not supposed to be a political discussion. We have philosophical discussions on this thread now and again. The concept of peer review is within the philosophical realm.

    Mumsee, snake oil salesmen were not scientists. They were con men, looking to make a profit off of people’s health concerns by providing fake cures. Once again, peer review was developed to keep down snake oil salesmen.

    Liked by 1 person

  92. Kathaleena, if you watch the video I linked, you’ll see that it was never approved for sale in the US, but American doctors were sent samples with the idea “Eventually it will become legal, and those doctors will be ready and already thinking favorably about our pill.” The documentary doesn’t explain (I don’t think) whether any of those doctors ever gave the samples to patients. But yes, there were some in the US–it just was never approved as a medicine doctors in the US could prescribe. But presumably some women got them in other countries (or friends gave them some they got in other countries), and some of the doctors might have given out their samples. But it never became the mass casualty it did in many other countries.

    Liked by 1 person

  93. Roscuro, I see I need to be more clear in my comments. I guess I am a lot like the President that way. The point of the comment on snake oil salesmen was to protect the masses from their crazy claims with peer reviewed medical options.

    Liked by 1 person

  94. Good news, looks like the backyard motion lights were a victim of poor positioning at installation that allowed a lot of water exposure (sensor should have been flipped the other way when installed). There is still power to the outlet, so just need a new unit. Real Estate Guy is at Home Depot buying a new one to put in, I’m the power switcher-on-er and off-er when he’s doing his thing on the rest of it. … Will of course pay him for his time along with the materials — it’s pretty warm out here again today, unfortunately, but not as bad as previous days. It’s about 80 right now outside, according to my phone; but it feels warmer to me. I’m hoping the line to get into Home Depot isn’t too awful, it moved fast for me yesterday, was inside in about 10-15 minutes.

    Liked by 3 people

  95. And looks like he may have picked up the ladder while he was there, just got a notice thanking me — I’d sent the receipt with him even though I hadn’t heard that it was “ready” yet.

    Liked by 1 person

  96. I got a call scheduling a conference call in an our, oh, half an hour. To discuss my needs and what I am doing. It is with my church missions committee. Mostly about this house. There is another family or couple here now who get the house after me. So… do i need it now or where should I go. They didn’t say that. That is just what I am thinking. That is why I have already begun to organize my things.
    I am very introverted, so prayers appreciated.

    Liked by 5 people

  100. Perhaps before making your “expert opinion” on the matter known, you should find out the details.

    Patents are already filed.

    https://apnews.com/b44f4531071e6204023f7b8e16f59d4b

    “Led by Mark Pimentel, MD, the research team of the Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program at Cedars-Sinai has been developing the patent-pending Healight platform since 2016 and has produced a growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating pre-clinical safety and effectiveness of the technology as an antiviral and antibacterial treatment. The Healight technology employs proprietary methods of administering intermittent ultraviolet (UV) A light via a novel endotracheal medical device. Pre-clinical findings indicate the technology’s significant impact on eradicating a wide range of viruses and bacteria, inclusive of coronavirus. The data have been the basis of discussions with the FDA for a near-term path to enable human use for the potential treatment of coronavirus in intubated patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Beyond the initial pursuit of a coronavirus ICU indication, additional data suggest broader clinical applications for the technology across a range of viral and bacterial pathogens. This includes bacteria implicated in ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP).

    “Our team has shown that administering a specific spectrum of UV-A light can eradicate viruses in infected human cells (including coronavirus) and bacteria in the area while preserving healthy cells,” stated Dr. Pimentel of Cedars-Sinai. Ali Rezaie, MD, one of the inventors of this technology states, “Our lab at Cedars-Sinai has extensively studied the effects of this unique technology on bacteria and viruses. Based on our findings we believe this therapeutic approach has the potential to significantly impact the high morbidity and mortality of coronavirus-infected patients and patients infected with other respiratory pathogens. We are looking forward to partnering with Aytu BioScience to move this technology forward for the benefit of patients all over the world.””

    The company believes the Healight platform technology has the potential to positively impact outcomes for critically ill patients infected with coronavirus and severe respiratory infections. The company licensed exclusive worldwide rights to the technology from Cedars-Sinai for all endotracheal and nasopharyngeal indications. Patents have been filed by Cedars-Sinai Department of Technology Transfer, and Aytu BioScience will manage all aspects of intellectual property prosecution and filing globally. Aytu BioScience expects to partner the product outside the U.S.”

    ————-

    https://aytubio.com/healight/

    Like

  102. Twitter can’t have folks thinking Trump might be right. 🙂

    So let the censorship begin! 🙂

    So predictable…. But don’t worry, the video they’ve banned is available at the second link above, for aytubio/healight.

    Liked by 1 person

  106. OK, new motion light unit is installed on the back corner of the garage. Red light blinks which means it is “live” and it has power. We’ll see how it works tonight, hoping lights work after dark as intended.

    And sure enough, when the old unit came down there was a sticker that said “This side up” — on the bottom. So essentially water was able to seep into the sensor and the rest of the unit over time.

    New ladder is nice, it’ll be handy inside the house for me also when changing out ceiling bulbs; better and more secure than the shorter step stool.

    Liked by 3 people

  107. Oh look, another one. This time from Columbia University. They also say when used at low levels, it doesn’t harm the human cells it comes in contact with, although this is an exterior use. Cedars -Sinai says the same is true for internal use at low doses.

    https://news.columbia.edu/ultraviolet-technology-virus-covid-19-UV-light

    “Could a New Ultraviolet Technology Fight the Spread of Coronavirus?

    Columbia researcher David Brenner believes far-UVC light—safe for humans, but lethal for viruses—could be a ‘game changer.’”

    “A technique that zaps airborne viruses with a narrow-wavelength band of UV light shows promise for curtailing the person-to-person spread of COVID-19 in indoor public places.

    The technology, developed by Columbia University’s Center for Radiological Research, uses lamps that emit continuous, low doses of a particular wavelength of ultraviolent light, known as far-UVC, which can kill viruses and bacteria without harming human skin, eyes and other tissues, as is the problem with conventional UV light.

    “Far-UVC light has the potential to be a ‘game changer,’” said David Brenner, professor of radiation biophysics and director of the center. “It can be safely used in occupied public spaces, and it kills pathogens in the air before we can breathe them in.”

    The research team’s experiments have shown far-UVC effective in eradicating two types of airborne seasonal coronaviruses (the ones that cause coughs and colds). The researchers are now testing the light against the SARS-CoV-2 virus at Columbia in a biosafety laboratory, with encouraging results, Brenner said.

    The team previously found the method effective in inactivating the airborne H1N1 influenza virus, as well as drug-resistant bacteria. And multiple, long-term studies on animals and humans have confirmed that exposure to far-UVC does not cause damage to the skin or eyes.”

    ———–

    “Scientists have known for decades that broad-spectrum, germicidal UV light has the capacity to kill microbes. Hospitals and laboratories often use UV light to sterilize tools and other equipment. But conventional ultraviolet light is highly penetrating and can cause skin cancer and eye problems.

    In contrast, far-UVC, which has a very short wavelength, cannot reach or damage living human cells. But the narrow band wavelength can still penetrate and kill very small viruses and bacteria floating in the air or on surfaces. “

    Liked by 2 people

  108. AJ, your 5:54: Roscuro is a nurse. Right now, nurses and doctors around the world are risking their lives to keep the rest of us safe. They are also doing a lot of research on the best treatment options–though much is not yet known, and no one can keep up with all the current research. Roscuro also has health concerns that make her job uniquely risky for her.

    Putting “expert opinion” in scare quotes when writing to a person who actually is an expert on the subject (when you are not) is condescending and rude. Surely there is a way to present a link to a possible treatment without being condescending?

    Liked by 1 person

  109. It’s going down in the 40s tonight. I am freezing. It’s so windy that it seems colder. What is this all about? I have my hoodie on and I have the hood over my head. Maybe I need to find my face mask, too. Atlanta is in competition with LA for the film industry and more importantly for the top title of Coldest Dog Park.

    Liked by 1 person

  111. I had a nice walk with neighbor and the skies are cloudy. There is a fire burning over on the other side of the mountain and we are smelling smoke and feeling the effects …. scratchy throat, itchy eyes…along with the pollens out there
    Reading about the hopeful treatments for this virus can be confusing and ever changing. I have a nurse friend who teaches at the college and she tends to agree with some of that research AJ has cited……so I guess it is not a one size fits all. Just hoping it all shakes out and a treatment and or preventative is found……

    Liked by 1 person

  112. Since each individual’s body chemistry varies from other’s so much, it will be good for doctors to have several medicinal or other treatments in their weapon arsenal. And along the way, they will discover that some of their remedies will help with other afflictions, too.

    Liked by 2 people

  113. Rkessler posted a video on FB on how to make hand sewn masks….that is going to be my next project. It looks fairly easy (I’ll let you know if that proves to be so for me but so far this is the best video I have seen online concerning mask making by hand) I keep thinking I cannot put a scarf around my head all the time especially when the weather gets warmer…. 😊

    Liked by 1 person

  114. The long scarf wraps make us look mysterious, I think. Sometimes I even leave my sunglasses on inside the store along with the long face wrap. Like an Audrey Hepburn get-up in Charade?

    Motion lights work, they’re bright, but may need some redirecting to try to light up more of the area toward the back of the yard and behind the garage.

    I dropped a grape on the floor this afternoon and it became Annie’s very favorite ever toy. She rolled and chased that thing all over before I could grab it and throw it away.

    Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.