Why Do We Dislike Cable?

By Johnnie Does

I have had a few friends of mine, who read the blog, ask me why the editorial staff seems to have a strong dislike toward cable? The answer really comes down to affirmation or information. Let’s face it, most of us do not embrace debate; we live in our own echo chambers. We seek out folks on television who affirm our beliefs; as such if you lean right you pick Fox News, lean left you pick the rest of the alphabet: MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CNN, NPR, or some other network. In the end, you witness the same behavior of the host talking over, interrupting, or asking a question in such a way that the opposing view cannot answer it. As this behavior is played-out by the host of your choice, you nod your head up and down or worse yet you do not even vet that “so called Dr.” who was on during the last segment. As a result, you began mistaking “opinion or commentary” with hard news shows and because of that you summarily dismiss the other side.

Let’s tie this into the COVID-19 fiasco.

At first, the networks really did not pick up on the threat posed by this virus. Instead what they reported back in January was that President Trump was a racist because he wanted to stop international flights from certain countries and there were not enough minorities on his Covid-19 task force.

Moving forward slightly, Tucker Carlson spent an entire week saying our government was lying to us and this virus is far worse than thought. Meanwhile, MSNBC and CNN started reporting that the corona virus came from bat soup at a wet market in Wuhan, China. At first, they called it the “Wuhan virus” or “Wuhan flu” but somewhere along the way they decided that we could not refer to it by that name or say that it originated in China because that was racist.

Then the narrative turned into claims that this virus could kill you within a short period of time. In essence, if I contracted Corona on Friday, over the weekend William would be saying goodbye to me via Facetime or Zoom, and I would be dead come Monday. Like much reported about the virus, this was subsequently discredited.

Then came the lies and propaganda about healthcare rationing, and the bizarre theories that folks were dying waiting in line to be tested at the local clinic. Remember the claims that next week or the week after, we will be just like Italy with so many dead there will be no place to put the bodies. Oh, and hundreds of thousands will die because of an acute shortage of ventilators, thus the mantra to flatten the curve.

Next thing you know, we are shutting down entire states based on fear, not science or anything else supported by actual evidence. Suddenly Dr. Anthony Fauci is front, and center on our televisions and we are hanging on his every word as if he was Moses leading us thru the perils of the Covid wilderness.

Then came the models. These models promised that life as we knew it was over. The “experts” assured us that Covid-19 was the next Spanish Flu. This was the one the experts have been warning us about, well it’s here and we are woefully unprepared. The models were showing that over 2 million will die in the USA within a few weeks. From the New York Times March 20, 2020

Now we get to the other end of the range of possibilities. Dr. Neil M. Ferguson, a British epidemiologist who is regarded as one of the best disease modelers in the world, produced a sophisticated model with a worst case of 2.2 million deaths in the United States.

I asked Ferguson for his best case. “About 1.1 million deaths,” he said.

When that’s a best-case scenario, it’s difficult to feel optimistic.

The Best-Case Outcome for the Coronavirus, and the Worst

Once these predictions began to ring hollow, the threat was revised down to several hundred thousand dead. Again, the mysterious model was revised to show deaths now peaking at 250K souls. Another week or so passes and the faceless model is now projecting that around 60k will likely die.

The 60K number seems to be consistent over the last few weeks but let’s look at that number for a minute. 60K dying from flu is at the top of the normal range of flu deaths in an average year. What they aren’t telling you is that 60K people a year die in the US from each of the following: alcoholism, drug overdose, suicide, and car wrecks. Why is it that we are willing to live a “normal life” with these morbidity rates but one death from Covid-19 is reason enough to shutdown most economic activity in our country of 330 million? Dear readers, Planned Parenthood kills may times that amount every year using your tax dollars, but they are declared “essential” and can keep operating, more on this later.

What is even worse is how cable has been acting during the last ten days. Tucker, Hannity et. al. on Fox are crying to reopen the entire economy and are seemingly declaring the pandemic over, even going as far as suggesting folks protest the decision to keep the shelter in place going. On the other networks, they are making fun of said protestors and saying we must keep things on lockdown except for essential services for many months. Basically, this goes back to my main point again, if you like the current occupant of the White House, open things back up, if you don’t then keep things closed down.

Folks the truth is that no one knows what is going to happen down the road. Those of you thinking that you are going to find the answer on cable television are kidding yourselves. There is a very uncertain future ahead for our country. Many networks are advocating for a prolonged shutdown because the dread models show that this fall the virus will come back more potent than ever, just like the Spanish Flu. Truthfully, it’s just pure speculation.

The virus has the healthcare system completely baffled because the behavior is not what the “experts” expected. Think of it this way, you can tell when someone has the common cold, flu, etc. but with this virus most folks, as William has referenced in his blogs, never even have any symptoms! Sounds like this thing is a silent killer of only those who have compromised immune systems, are elderly or have breathing issues.

What I do think you will see over the next few months is states beginning to open back up. The ones who are likely to support Trump will be open sooner than others with Florida and Georgia starting to lead the way. The obvious blue states will delay as long as possible holding out for more stimulus or giveaways, and the toss up states somewhere in between, depending on their governor.

I do think you will see some folks open their stores regardless of being “essential” or not. People will begin thumbing their nose at the order and for good reason. Most “non-essential” jobs paid a small paycheck April 1, for wages in the latter part of March; however, they got no check in April. May 1, when rent is due, is fast approaching. Sorry but that $1,200 payment from your great grandkids did nothing to improve your situation. If you’ve had to write a check for Federal taxes during the last two years, or didn’t file at all, then your direct deposit info is not on file with the IRS and you’re still waiting for the promised bucks from Uncle Sam. The virus may come back, or it may not, but the bottom line is folks are starting to get desperate. Owing 1 month of rent is one thing, but how about 2? Or 3? When does it stop? We stretch ourselves to the max as is, rent/mortgage, student loans, vehicle loans, credit card debt, keeping people out of work much longer will create a hostile situation. As recently as January, most Americans couldn’t handle a $400 cash emergency let alone have a three to six-month reserve.

In closing, please understand, if you are “essential” or a government worker who still gets paid, many people are not as fortunate as you. The economic upheaval from this will be felt for years. Think about the small business owner, hotel franchisee, or food service worker who was laid off. Now they are making a fraction of their former paycheck, or in some cases, they are making more if they got the $600 a weekly kicker from Uncle Sam. As far as essential businesses, this is a complete abomination of our Constitution. How is Planned Parenthood operating as “essential” but primary care physicians are not? Believe it or not, many healthcare professionals have lost their jobs as a result of the singular concentration on Corona virus. Why is the florist closed, but you can buy flowers at the grocery store? Game Stop is open? Petco is open? I am not sure who determined the criteria here, but I think tax dollars are part of the criteria as are campaign donations.

As far as cancelling your cable provider goes, frankly neither William nor I care, just as long as you understand that you are living in an echo chamber of your own design and are looking at a warped and distorted presentation of reality. Those talking heads on cable news networks, they make 7-8 figures a year, and live a very different life than you do. They have 1 primary job, to get ratings, which means higher advertising rates, and they are experts at what they do. How else can you explain to me why shelter in place is a good idea when it allows me to be at a park with 50 people simultaneously walking through it, at Home Depot with 500 people at it, or a grocery store traversing the aisles, essentially shoulder to shoulder with complete strangers? Try to vet the network/hosts/guests and shows you watch, just think about this closing point for a minute.

Here’s one illustration for you to consider. A colleague of mine consumes more cable in a day than William and I in a month combined. Back during the Oroville Dam crisis, I gave him daily updates on the spillway. He dismissed them as “this is the first time I’ve heard this” or “where do you get your news from?” Long story short, when the cable news channel he watches put out an emergency alert then the issue finally had his attention. Panic set in and he thought the best thing to do was get into a car and try to drive off to higher ground; all the while telling me to stay in place because it isn’t that big of a deal. In more current news, I told him the shelter in placed order would easily last through May, and likely into June, and he claimed, “he hadn’t heard that yet” and “stop checking BuzzFeed.” Yet here we are, 4/22 at press deadline time, and he is convinced Governor Newsom is opening commerce May 1, all because he hasn’t heard anything to the contrary. Too bad he can’t bother to listen to Newsom’s daily news conference for himself instead of wait to be told someone else’s interpretation of the highlights or he might know better.

Anyone want to take a bet that my colleague has a year’s supply of toilet paper, cleaning wipes, bleach, and non-perishable goods stocked up? While he and others cower at home not leaving, they build up fear and anxiety, all from shows they watch all day…on a continuous loop mind you. Yes, he lives in an echo chamber not paying attention to anything unless it is on cable…. oh, well. If you’ll allow me to rework the old proverb, a fool and his money are quickly parted, I have my own spin on it, a sheep who watches cable is easily fleeced.

Johnnie Does

CNN is Right and other Covid-19 Mysteries

Note to readers: Nope, I haven’t been sneaking a sip of the wife’s Fireball whiskey stash in our freezer. No, it’s more like when the stopped clock is right twice a day. But, nevertheless, it happened and it’s a big deal.

Buckle-up cable news viewers because CNN has officially destroyed the CDC narrative of the Covid-19 timeline. Sorry 90-day guy but you lose again. Here’s the story.

New autopsy results show coronavirus killed two Californians in early and mid-February — up to three weeks before the previously known first US death from the virus.

These deaths now stand as the country’s first two attributed to the novel coronavirus, a development that may change the understanding of how early the virus was spreading in the country, health experts told CNN Wednesday.

Two deaths in Northern California’s Santa Clara County happened February 6 and February 17, the county said in a news release Tuesday.
The previously understood first coronavirus death happened in Kirkland, Washington, on February 29.

Two Californians Died Of Coronavirus Weeks Before Previously Known 1st US Death

Ok, let’s break this down for those of you that need this in small bites.

CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) has maintained that the first Covid-19 death in the United States was on February 29. CNN’s report is that this is untrue.

Santa Clara County’s earliest death is now confirmed as February 6th. The person who died did not go to China or any other country; therefore, he was infected here in California. With an incubation rate of about two weeks, this person was exposed to Covid-19 in mid-January by someone else in California. If you trace back, then this unknown person must have been exposed to Covid-19 in early January or late December. Thus claims of cases in California during January and February—which are confirmed by antibody testing—are confirmed also by this person’s death.

It is safe to conclude that Covid-19 was spreading beyond China in December. This agrees with other media reports this week that Covid-19 began spreading in China during a timeframe between mid-September and late November.

Last thought is why check for Corona virus where it is presupposed not to exist? Stanford researchers must be making a difference in Santa Clara County. Thanks to whoever went above and beyond the conventional wisdom in search of the truth.

We are gratified that CNN has proven yet again that we are Really Right.

Covid-19 is a Classic Hydra

Oh, while we’re bragging, take a look at this story that confirms what I said yesterday that there will be no vaccine for this virus—or rather family of viruses.

A new study in China has found that the novel coronavirus has mutated into at least 30 different variations.

The results showed that medical officials have vastly underestimated the overall ability of the virus to mutate, in findings that different strains have affected different parts of the world, leading to potential difficulties in finding an overall cure.

Coronavirus has mutated into at least 30 different strains new study finds

More than 30 different mutations were detected, of which 19 were previously undiscovered.

“Sars-CoV-2 has acquired mutations capable of substantially changing its pathogenicity,” Li wrote in the paper.

The team discovered that some of the mutations could lead to functional changes in the virus’ spike protein, the South China Morning Post reported. Spike protein is the protein that the coronavirus uses to attach itself to human cells.

Li ‘s team infected cells with COVID-19 strains carrying different mutations, of which the most aggressive strains were found to generate as much as 270 times as much viral load as the weakest strains. The aggressive strains also killed the human cells the fastest.

The results indicated “that the true diversity of the viral strains is still largely underappreciated,” Li wrote.

The study could have future implications on the treatment of coronavirus, as several different strains have been found throughout the world. The United States, which has the world’s worst death toll at 42,897, and 799,515 overall cases, has been struck by different mutations.

New York, which itself had the worst death rate in the US, and the eastern coast show a strain of coronavirus similar to that found in Europe, whereas the western US has shown similarities with strains found in China.

Coronavirus has so far been treated in hospitals worldwide as one disease and patients receive the same treatment regardless of the strain. It has been suggested by the team at Zhejiang University that defining mutations in different regions may change the way we approach combating the virus.

Note that Covid-19 in New York is a different strain than that found in California, bet you didn’t know that. Perhaps this is why you can have Coivid-19, be pronounced cured and then get it again? Or do antibodies stop all variations? Oh the depths that we could plumb on this topic…

CA to Test Asymptomatic People

Our last told ya, is this story about California planning to test people by risk of exposure and not symptoms.

California public health officials say local authorities should test people for the coronavirus in “high risk settings” even if they don’t have symptoms, a change aimed at health care workers, prisoners and the homeless.

State officials believe the new guidelines are the first in the country to prioritize testing for people who don’t have symptoms. Until Monday, California followed guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that only those with symptoms should be prioritized for testing.

California Recommends Coronavirus Virus Tests For Some With No Symptoms

Please note that California is breaking with CDC guidelines to test this group of people. The article is mute on whether testing asymptomatic people will be done via antibody testing but that will eventually follow.

Thoughts on Herd Immunity and Re-opening America

Folks more and more evidence is coming forth that the party line on Covid-19 is BS. Now that a flurry of antibody tests are hitting the market, the government is loosing control of the narrative. It used to be popular to say that facts are stubborn things…but only if you stop watching 24/7 news and pay attention to them.

Folks the trendline is unanimous and unmistakable, Covid-19 is just another flu. It has spread like crazy and not affected most people. I am aware that I’m not using “herd immunity” in the textbook definition of the word but I’m using the term to make the point that a huge number of people have “been there, done that” without any harm. Covid-19 has infected at least five percent of everyone in the country and in some populations, maybe as many as half.

Boston, MA

We in California have heard our Governor express concern for the homeless. Look at the statistics of homeless people in Boston.

A small cluster of coronavirus cases at a Boston homeless shelter prompted broadscale testing at the facility, and officials were shocked by the results.

Of nearly 400 people tested at the Pine Street Inn earlier this month, 146 people tested positive for the virus. None of those who tested positive showed symptoms, leading the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to begin “actively looking into” the results.

“It was like a double knockout punch. The number of positives was shocking, but the fact that 100% of the positives had no symptoms was equally shocking,” said Dr. Jim O’Connell, president of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program.

Nearly 150 people without symptoms test positive for coronavirus at homeless shelter

Oh, 146 of 400 is 36.5 percent positive for Covid-19 with no symptoms.

Los Angeles

An estimated 320,000 adults in Los Angeles County may have been infected with coronavirus, according to preliminary results of a study that suggests the illness is far more widespread than current testing shows and the death rate is much lower.

The study conducted April 10-11 by the county and the University of Southern California estimated that approximately 4.1% of the county’s adult population of 8 million has antibodies to the virus. When adjusted for margin of error, the infection rate ranged from 2.8% to 5.6%, or about 220,000 to 440,000 adults.

Los Angeles study suggests virus much more widespread

The novel coronavirus has infected roughly 4.1 percent of the population in California’s Los Angeles County, suggesting the region’s outbreak is far more widespread than previously thought, between 28 and 55 times higher than the number of confirmed cases, new research shows, echoing the findings of a similar study elsewhere in the state.

However, the new data, if accurate, also indicates that the coronavirus death rate in L.A. County, the most populous in the country, is lower than initially predicted.

L.A. County Study: Coronavirus Outbreak Up to 55 Times More Widespread, Less Deadly than Predicted

As I’ve shown over the last few days, many places that have tested for Covid-19 antibodies show about 36 percent of the sampled population has been infected and recovered.

Thoughts on Vaccine

So, will the antibody tests help speed-up reopening businesses and getting back to our normal life? I’m currently skeptical on this. If you listen to Governor Newsom and other governors in his political party, they keep holding out the narrative that things won’t go back to normal until there is a vaccine for Covid-19. Such thinking is tilting at windmills. Here’s my proof.

Me: When was the last time that you got the cold vaccine?

You: Never!

Me: Really? Why not?

You: Because there isn’t such a thing.

Me: Exactly my point.

The governors are holding out for something that may never exist in the real world. A few questions need to be asked.

Is this virus really worth developing a vaccine?

If so, does everyone need it?

Will side effects be worse that the disease?

On this question, I am being serious. Back in our history, when some strain of swine flu was a thing, a new shiny vaccine came out that was fast-tracked and untested but given to the masses with an “everybody needs to have it urgency.” Well, my aunt was one of the first to get it. As a result of receiving the vaccine, she experienced paralysis and other side effects for about ten days. Knowing this, do you still want to be first for the Covid-19 vaccine?

Other note on side effects, the government will indemnify (grant immunity of product liability) to whoever gets the contract to manufacture and distribute said vaccine, if one is ever created. So, if the vaccine has side effects including death, you have no legal recourse. Do you still want to be the Guinea pig and get it first?

Re-Opening California

From the snippets of Governor Newsom’s press conferences that I’ve listen to lately, he plans to maintain status quote—hiding in place and business closures thru at least June. Can we really afford such a shutdown? Yes, he uses weasel words but a shutdown thru May is a certainty and June is looking like more of the same. Truly the cure is far worse than the disease.

With such timidity, this guy will squander any hopes of running for the White House and being a serious contender. Gavin needs to show leadership instead of hiding behind unelected public health officials. And please don’t fall for the line that “if it saves just one life…”all you need to blow-up that sentimental BS is remember that the churches are closed and Planned Parenthood is open for killing—even via mail order.

Oh, as of last week, the State of California is unwilling to recognize any antibody tests as valid for diagnostic or statistical purposes. In short, they want to ignore their existence or validity because it hurts their narrative. However, once they find a way to use such testing to political advantage look for this policy to flip on a dime. Given the magnitude of what’s happening, its bad when the FDA is out in front of the states claiming to be the leaders of the best academic and research schools in the nation.

As Newsom ponders what to do, here’s one for you to ponder. What if Apple or some other tech giant says, we’re moving to Austin to work until California decides to reopen then we’ll evaluate our options? Does a Hollywood studio dare to re-open in Vancouver because they can’t work in California? Do you see what a problem this is? Many jobs can be moved where they’re wanted. Being in California is nice but not a necessity for many.

If you live in California, New York, Massachusetts, or some other liberal state just remember that those deciding your fate now are in government because they couldn’t succeed in the private sector. Figuring how to un-ring the bell and get America working is a tough knot for those in a political party that thinks the government exists to create jobs.

Herd Immunity Example #3

Yep, here is third study in a third area of the country showing once again that a large portion of the population has had Covid-19 and most never knew it. This one from Chicago.

A phlebotomist working at Roseland Community Hospital said Thursday that 30% to 50% of patients tested for the coronavirus have antibodies while only around 10% to 20% of those tested have the active virus.

Sumaya Owaynat, a phlebotomy technician, said she tests between 400 and 600 patients on an average day in the parking lot at Roseland Community Hospital. Drive-thru testing is from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. each day. However, the hospital has a limited number of tests they can give per day.

Owaynat said the number of patients coming through the testing center who appear to have already had coronavirus and gotten over it is far greater than those who currently have the disease.

“A lot of people have high antibodies, which means they had the coronavirus but they don’t have it anymore and their bodies built the antibodies,” Owaynat told Chicago City Wire.

Antibodies in the bloodstream reveal that a person has already had the coronavirus and may be immune to contracting the virus again.

If accurate, this means the spread of the virus may have been underway in the Roseland community – and the state and country as a whole – prior to the issuance of stay at home orders and widespread business closures in mid-March which have crippled the national economy.

Roseland Hospital phlebotomist: 30% of those tested have coronavirus antibody

Also, in the article is this mention of a fourth study in Germany that agrees with the three in the US that I have cited over the last week.

A recent study of 1,000 people in the Heinsberg District of Bonn, Germany found that 15% of the population had contracted the virus, many unknowingly and without symptoms.

Of those, only 0.37% died from COVID-19, a figure much lower than those previously cited.

Folks, the stay at home order is a failure and this virus is way less dangerous than advertised by the experts—of course basing actual public policy on data from China has been one of the big failures of this whole exercise.

Let’s reopen America for business.

Democrats Not Letting a Crisis go to Waste

The Covid-19 crisis has been a game changer for the Left. Between the media, the cable watchers, and the Democrat elected we have a crisis that has given them a green light to push their agenda on us. Keep in mind, as of the press deadline for this submission, we have had 30,000 nationwide die of Covid-19. I suspect in some jurisdictions they are willy-nilly adding to the number with the lack of testing available. Keep in mind; suicide, the flu, alcoholism, and drug overdoses kill more than double that number in any given year. As a direct result we may be flattening the curve however we are flattening the economy as well.

William had a great line at the end of his last blog, take another look. “Folks, I hardly watch any television but seeing the behavior of those that do is always a treat. The insanity I witness (and overhear) at work and in the grocery store check-out line is breathtakingly uninformed.” I could not agree with this statement more. I will expand on this thought as well.

Keep this in mind, it wasn’t Trump, Senators, Governors, or House members who shut the individual states down. In the case of California, we had local (Sacramento) county director of Health Services Peter Beilenson order the shutdown of the county. Beilenson if you look at his record, is an unelected bureaucrat who is void of much actual medical work. Think doctor’s office, hospital, etc. Why was he allowed to shut a county down? And why at the same news conference was he asked zero questions by our elected DA, Sheriff or Board of Supervisors? It was a sight to behold. Hours later Governor Newsom after many other counties announced shutdowns decided to shut the state down. Believe it or not this actually made sense because it’s pointless to shut down one county, yet the neighboring ones remain open. I still didn’t agree with it from a constitutional viewpoint, but alas here we are today. New York and California led, and pretty much every additional state followed and fell in line. What happened next was draconian and far more damaging than this virus will ever be.

Peter Beilenson

When a governor orders a shutdown, as the chief law enforcement officer, he has unchecked authority. Gyms, schools, business, and anything else declared un-essential was shut instantly. Don’t believe me, go for a walk and look yourself, you cannot get your hair cut now. Worse yet, different groups and business were deemed essential and had to continue operations as usual, despite the affect this virus could have on your health. Full disclosure, my work is “essential” and I am being paid my regular salary and am working from the office. Restaurants are to go only and have laid off countless staff. Local Park districts have removed the basketball hoops at the local park, even though our property tax dollars are supposed to keep the park in ship shape. Many small businesses will never re-open, many laid off will never find full employment in their respective fields for a long time.

We had to pass funding assistance in the form of a stimulus, and we did so with so much haste it will prove ineffective. We didn’t help current out of work folks, we helped those based on last year’s tax returns, without regard to who is and isn’t still being paid to work or stay home. This however was just one step. In recent days Democrats have proposed a $2,000 per month payment to everyone in the US until the unemployment rate reaches pre-recession levels. The Democrat governors of Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and other states have extended shutdowns without regard to actual medical advice. The small business loan stimulus program is out of money, and in recent days banks have shut off the new mortgage/refinance spigots fearing a full-blown catastrophe is coming. Governor Newsom is now going to give illegal immigrant folks $500 a week, for I’m not sure how long, keep in mind that regular folks are not eligible for this program.

Let’s talk about individual governors and policy makers for a little bit. Governor Whitmer in Michigan has made headlines by thumbing her nose and angering her own citizens with shelter in place laws. Specifically picking which activities folks could and could not do, some examples include you could buy weed, lottery tickets, and booze but you cannot partake in buying lumber, fishing, or seeds. I would venture to say there is a direct correlation between being allowed to purchase the goods, and the amount of sales tax levied on said goods. A revolt ensued and all she could do was double down, acting like a tyrant, which is ironic as the left has been calling Trump a tyrant since day 1.

How about releasing “non-violent” criminals from our jails? I thought here in California we already had done this? Now I guess they have set bail at $0 for certain offenses because they don’t want folks who break the law to be exposed to Covid-19 in jail. A criminal in Stockton has already been re-arrested twice after being bonded out on $0 bail, and a criminal in Florida was released on zero bail and murdered someone. At Least this crisis has not gone to waste.

As far as policy makers go, noticeably absent during this pandemic are the so called “libertarian and conservative types” think Rand Paul, Matt Gaetz, and Ben Sasse. Why haven’t they been front and center asking why a governor or president thinks they have the authority to shut an entire state/country down? How come someone who claims to be a patriot, or a leader of common folks won’t take these leftists to court? Maybe someone on cable already addressed this, but I cannot understand why these folks are cowering in their basements doing interviews via skype while our rights are being trampled.

Bottom line is the Democrats are showing their hand early, making sure the world knows how they intend on governing if they win the White House and control Congress. Picking winners and losers and declaring full on lock downs will be the new normal. The condescending pressers, and remarks are the tip of the iceberg. Also notice how un-elected folks are now making major economic decisions? Why is it we elect folks to govern yet when they turn to a “specialist” we hang on there every word? Look at this Dr. Beilenson, Dr. Fauci, and others. Take a look at this “University Of Washington virus death model” notice how we went from 2 million deaths in the USA, to 500k, then 200k, now we don’t even hear the projections anymore as these modelers made the local weatherman look accurate.

In closing I will add this, harkening back to William’s earlier quote, take a step back and actively listen while you are in a grocery store or at a restaurant for takeout or market. Look at how some folks are spewing information that is absolutely off-base, yet it is taken as gospel since it was said on the news by someone with MD after their name or a salutation of DR before it. Be forewarned.

Chief

More Proof of Herd Immunity: 1/3 Already Had it

Around a third of participants in a Massachusetts study tested positive for antibodies linked with coronavirus, according to researchers.

The Mass. General study took samples from 200 residents on the street in Chelsea, MA. Participants remained anonymous and provided a drop of blood to researchers, who were able to produce a result in ten minutes with a rapid test.

Sixty-four of the participants tested positive – a “sobering” result, according to Thomas Ambrosino, Chelsea’s city manager.

“We’ve long thought that the reported numbers are vastly under-counting what the actual infection is,” Ambrosino told the Boston Globe. “Those reported numbers are based on positive COVID-19 tests, and we’re all aware that a very, very small percentage of people in Chelsea and everywhere are getting COVID-19 tests.”

He added: “Still, it’s kind of sobering that 30 percent of a random group of 200 people that are showing no symptoms are, in fact, infected.”

One third of participants in Massachusetts study tested positive for coronavirus

Ok, so one in three random people in Chelsea, MA test positive for Corona, so what does the city manager conclude? “It’s all the more reason for everyone to be practicing physical distancing.”

Dude, this guy isn’t a medical person, he’s a bean counter and budget nerd; and therefore, he concludes exactly the opposite of what he should. If one third of everybody has had it, we know three things:

  • Corona (Covid-19) is not the boogeyman that people claim is.
  • It’s not nearly as lethal as the regular flu and its also unstoppable.
  • Lots of people already had it and never knew it.

Remember, flattening the curve is not about stopping the infection, its prolonging it over a period of time to lessen the impact on the medical system so we don’t overload the acute care centers of hospitals—something which has not happened anywhere in this country.

Folks, the so-called experts cried “wolf” and the political class listened and shutdown the economy for nothing. Think what would have happened if all the gloom and doom forecasts of Y2K were listened too instead of ignored and this is what would have happened twenty years ago (albeit only for a week not months on end.)

We got played. Period. Let’s get America working again.

Herd Immunity Gets Boost from Stanford Research

Folks, first for context, please check-out this infographic of every pandemic in recorded history. Covid-19 is literally a blip on the screen. For those of you that remember astronomy, think how many planets the size on Mercury can you cram into the sun?

Visualizing the History of Pandemics

This headline tells you that something is wrong with the 24/7 news coverage (as if we needed any further proof).

Coronavirus antibody testing finds Bay Area infections may be 85 times higher than reported: researchers

A team of researchers in California found that the number of coronaviruses cases in one county may actually be up to 85 times higher than the what health officials have tallied, and say their data may help better estimate the virus’ true fatality rate.

“The most important implication of these findings is that the number of infections is much greater than the reported number of cases,” the researchers wrote, in a yet-to-be peer-reviewed study. “Our data imply that, by April 1 (three days prior to the end of our survey) between 48,000 and 81,000 people had been infected in Santa Clara County. The reported number of confirmed positive cases in the county on April 1 was 956, 50-85-fold lower than the number of infectious predicted by this study.”

Folks look at this paragraph in the story.

“This probably aligns with what overall national exposure may be, on order of about 5 percent once we do wide serology,” he tweeted on Friday. “Santa Clara was a hot spot and I would have expected exposure to be higher. Overall we’re probably diagnosing 1 in 10 to 1 in 20 infections.”

The current US population is north of 330 million, thus using the study’s conservative number of 5 percent national exposure, this translated to about 17 million people in the US have had Corona. These stats are based on numbers from 3 weeks ago (April 1) so presumably that number would be higher now.

Thus, this whole economic shutdown is overblown, and the Covid-19 fatality rate would be less than the common flu.

Why are we Throwing away Milk?

By The Chief

I have heard this question asked by a few people, and to be frank it is probably one of the most ignorant things one can ask. This had to have origins with the cable or 90-day crowd because the idea that farmers would dump hundreds of thousands of gallons of milk “just because” is at best absurd. Just to be sure I called an uncle of mine in Iowa who is a dairy farmer serving my old reservation to get his side of this story.

He actually was more than willing to discuss this issue and clarified quite a bit, now the cable crowd likely won’t listen but here is a snippet of what he had to say.

Why are you dumping gallons of milk?

Several reasons, first we have had spectacular decline in the milk category for a while, and it has been sped up by bankruptcies of two of the largest milk companies in the US. Second, most dairies are set up with contracts to sell their milk to processors that serve only a few customers/industries. For example if we are selling to a grocery store processor we are doing one/one and a half-half gallon cartons, schools and jails are likely quart/pint cartons, and restaurants are larger containers and quantities. With the shutdown of schools/universities/ball parks/theatres etc., demand has evaporated. So as a result, that processor won’t buy any additional milk from me.

The next big issue is that my cows must be milked every so often, so they can remain on a schedule, this is similar to a human body when it develops routine. I must keep my cattle on routine so if demand picks up I can stay on schedule, you cannot run into a situation where the supplier needs more, and you are unable to provide. As a result, you are seeing the dumping take place.

Can’t you sell to a different supplier/processor?

Not necessarily. Some have very lucrative contracts with Wal-Mart, school districts etc. and for deals like those they are likely exclusive, and repercussions are huge for going behind them and selling to others. Also keep in mind when you are flooded with excess likely the other dairies are as well. Subsidies from the federal government also play a role in this as far as how many gallons can be produced etc. similar to crops.

Fresh milk going down the drain

Can the excess be donated to a food bank?

In a word no. Unprocessed milk is not safe for human consumption. This would be a good way for the USDA to shut you down for good. Also, most plastic has been diverted to use to make ventilators, so keep that in mind too.

Any additional comments you want to pass on?

Key thing to remember is the processing and packaging plants are broken down; commercial/restaurant/school etc. They are all different. Right now we have finally caught up on the grocery store inventory issue we had initially it seems. The restaurant/commercial is having huge backlogs as a result of takeout/to go only, this reduced demand substantially, and as a result bulk buyers like Sysco have almost stopped taking deliveries. Those plants have been mostly idled. Other plants may be running full speed, but you must remember the lines at those plants are only set up to run for so long, and to produce certain quantities in specific containers. You cannot think of these places like other production lines where you could focus on a different part of the chicken/pork or beef by the day. The amount of time and money needed to convert the equipment, re-configure the line and train employees. Also keep in mind the employee part; if the virus breaks out and people at the plant are getting sick, they are not going to show up.

Farmers/ranchers are all feeling the pain right now, as you have seen chickens are being killed since the demand is down due to restaurant closures, vegetables are being plowed in the field and turned into a fertilizer. This is all due to a slowdown affecting the entire supply chain, the answers are not as easy as convert the plant, use cardboard instead of plastic etc. We will get through this, but we need normalization to commence at some point.

Chief

The Knights and the Catholic Church Are Ruined

By Jake the Snake

I celebrated Easter this past weekend like most religious folks try to do. I woke up, poured a cup of coffee, sat on my couch, and logged into a “live stream” Easter service. To be very frank, this was the most forced, pathetic let down I have witnessed in my years on this earth. Allow me to explain.

First our head priest “abandoned the flock” by returning to the Philippines to mourn a relative who had passed. I do not take issue with his mourning, as that is not my place, but the timing was horrific. It left our associate priest in charge, and with English being his 2nd or third language I feel he takes a back seat on everything that doesn’t involve the Spanish mass. The music was live played recordings from YouTube….yes, we even got treated to the commercial advertising prior to the songs being played. After the homily (sermon) I had to turn it off, it may have been a valiant effort, and the devil was likely smiling at my decision, but it looked forced. The priest was literally reading his homily off an iPad, and during the hymns he had a mono-toned voice, which again seemed very forced.

I was a little taken aback that we never were treated to the typical Christmas and Easter ode where the priest apologizes to all the folks who only show up to mass twice a year. It’s honestly a tradition unlike any other…and I’m not talking about the Master’s. It’s hard to fathom but yes, most all Catholic Priests apologize in hopes these folks will start showing up weekly to service….it never occurs. I never understood why someone would eschew the regulars in hopes that a couple additional folks will resume full attendance at mass.

Sadly it all boils down to $$$. More folks in the pews = more $$$ on the plate, and more money in the bank account. That being said, I was more taken aback by an email I received from the Bishop of Northern California Diocese. I will paraphrase and not include the email, but it talked about “tithing” which is a “highly suggested amount of required giving to the church of your before tax salary.” I literally was stunned. While I do not pretend to know anything about this Covid-19, I do know this, people are scared, and church has been closed for about 4 weeks now. A closed church means very, very little money donated. I feel for the church, even though ours is not struggling; we have almost 2 million in the bank. However this has to be one of the more tone deaf things I have heard. We have almost 22 million folks nationwide unemployed, most of which are all in the same sectors, meaning their unemployment is going to be long term. I thought churches were supposed to charitable. Why is it we have shut down entirely, yet we demand folks….check that….guilt trip folks to keep giving? I hate to say this but when an economic crisis like this occurs, folks need to take care of themselves, and I hate to break it to clergy folks, but at the moment, you are not the most important thing in people’s lives. Homes, cars, and food on the table are far, far more important. Church giving, and other charitable giving are optional.

However an organization I love to beat up on outdid the “Holy, Catholic, Apostolic, Church” I’m talking about the Knights of Cash…. I mean Columbus. Check this out. Our first vow, one of charity should be in full force right now. Our local food bank has made a desperate call for volunteers, and donations; for both food and money. However this plea fell on deaf ears. Instead, both the state office and the supreme office have sent out email blast upon email blast saying now is the best time to recruit new members. Think about that one for a minute, rather than actually do some good and help the folks who actually need it, at the local level, we are being told to recruit???? Increasingly I have begun to be distant with this cult, as I feel it has turned into a pyramid type scheme. Seriously only an organization led by an incompetent jackhole like Lee Ann Harper could possibly think this is a smart idea.

Not to be outdone, here at the local level, we were going to have a ceremony to promote to the 4th degree, this ceremony requires folks to pack in shoulder to shoulder in a church…again this is mostly older folks mind you. For a day long ceremony, followed by a banquet, where the usual folks promote themselves for sainthood all while this virus is killing folks in this demographic group! Yes you cannot make this up….even doing this over the priest’s objections! When the event was finally cancelled, the email focused more on how upset the leadership was that the recruits would now count toward next Columbian Years numbers! I swear these folks must all belong to a local Amway chapter; the absolute lack of common sense is befuddling to me. Again, this virus seems to kill folks who are elderly, which happens to be the age of all our new recruits…. but what’s a few lives when a silver star for recruiting is at stake.

It’s very disappointing to me. Great moments come from great opportunity, and while I won’t say Covid-19 is a great opportunity, it has presented a challenge for which the Church or the Knights could shine. Instead both have decided to ignore the Bible and its teachings and put money and recruitment above all else. How tone deaf can you be? While in the midst of a crisis, you are guilt tripping folks into giving money while not having the compassion to understand this economic depression that we are entering into is wrecking families. No one at my church, or my Knights Council will be lifting a finger to help those in need, and frankly why should they? The lesson seems to be that money should be hoarded and, in such times,, who the heck cares about the needy or charity? Maybe the Bishop should question why Planned Parenthood gets to remain open rather than asking us to reach deeper into our wallets? Maybe he should come out of his ivory tower and recommend we help at the local level, set our swords and shields down for a minute, and volunteer? What better tool for candidate recruiting or growing the church or Knights Council than needy folks seeing local groups step up? You know like the Rotarians, or Elks? The church may be in for a day of reckoning soon and not just falling membership…. changes to Prop 13 and our tax-exempt status may be coming soon. You think the state/county/local government wouldn’t love getting a piece of that 2 million?

Jake the Snake

Editor’s Note:
Jake this change in religious practice was all predicted 16 years ago. At the time we thought it was a joke but considering that Bill Gates is at the epicenter of the pandemic modeling that closed your church maybe…

“we will make the sacraments available on-line for the first time”

“You can get Communion, confess your sins, receive absolution — even reduce your time in Purgatory — all without leaving your home.”

Microsoft acquires the Catholic Church

Thoughts on Bail-out Bucks and other Oddities

OK, who besides me finds it weird that April 15th is almost like any other day—except for the fact that the government is giving people money tax-free for no reason except they watch cable/satellite news and believe what they’re told. I know tax protestors have advocated for a system where April 15th would be just be another day but somehow, I don’t think this socialist scheme is what they had in mind.

Also, is it me or did you notice that Democrat governors want to keep their states shutdown for many more months while Republican governors are beginning to open their states and rev-up their businesses? Folks, the latest draconian directives from Sacramento and Los Angeles are exactly the opposite of what we need—no surprise there except these folks need a stream of other people’s money to keep the utopian/socialist dream alive.

For example, today Los Angeles County leaders proclaimed that all 12 million plus people must wear a face covering or not be allowed outside of their homes for the next several months (Actually, at this point, it was indefinitely). Are they adopting Sharia Law or something just as wacky? Imagine Southern California with no sporting events, amusement parks, concerts, or other gatherings—including churches? Yet apparently, none of this is allowed thru at least the summer. In other words, no tourists allowed, and the locals will be punished to boot. FYI: Disney is bleeding 30 million a day in lost revenue and this could drive them into insolvency.

Did you read Newsom’s restart plan yesterday, talk about tilting at windmills? Remember, in terms of fatalities, Covid-19 is not as bad as the average flu season and the mortality rate might be even lower if the numbers coming out now hold true. Its as far from Spanish Flu, Black Plague, and Ebola as you can get. Yet, our governor wants to make it as difficult as possible for us to get back to work.

I have to agree with those that say Covid-19 went thru California before anyone—except maybe Trump—was even paying attention. At the same time Dr. Fauci and other were saying it was no big deal (late January), Covid-19 was going thru California like wildfire. Yep, in the timeframe of late January and into February, it was everywhere, so by the time social distancing and all the rest were in vogue in March, most of us had already had it. The biggest trigger to the spread was those celebrating Chinese New Year in later January. People returning home from China spread this virus worldwide and simultaneously. (Plus, I think it was here before then anyways.)

There is no way New York could be the epicenter in the United States. Ground zero was California; but earlier. Now that antibody tests are coming online, we will have the opportunity to see if I’m right. I have friends being tested now that think they had it in early February. I think my wife and son had it during that time as well. This is herd immunity. When enough people in a population develop immunity to the disease, a disease can’t easily spread to new people because it runs out of hosts.

Folks, Garvin Newsom’s Presidential aspirations are riding on how he deals with restarting California. If other states recover before we do, he’s toast on the national stage. I think he’s listening to the wrong people and will muff this up. Newsom’s linking our fate with Oregon and Washington is not a bright idea. The good side is that his leadership failure in California will be used to protect the rest of the nation from his failed ideas in 2024.

One last random thought. Does 4/20 seem like an odd day to restart education in our part of California? Hitler’s birthday, Columbine anniversary, and make pot legal day. Also, I think the Sith Lord is celebrating another birthday.

Folks, I hardly watch any television but seeing the behavior of those that do is always a treat. The insanity I witness (and overhear) at work and in the grocery store check-out line is breathtakingly uninformed.