Pandemics and Setting Precedents

     In 1957 it appears that political correctness was not a "thing" because in February that year the world was hit with a new influenza that emerged in East Asia and triggered a pandemic called Asian Flu. 

     The estimated number of worldwide deaths was one to two million and it is generally considered to have been the least severe of the three influenza pandemics of the 20th century. 

     By mid-summer it had reached the United States where it initially infected relatively few people, but several months later numerous cases were reported, especially in young children, the elderly and pregnant women. This upsurge was the result of a second pandemic wave that struck the Northern Hemisphere in November 1957. This second wave was particularly devastating, but the rapid development of a vaccine and the availability of antibiotics to treat secondary infections limited the spread and mortality. 

    In the U.S. Dr. Maurice Hilleman, an American microbiologist then running influenza monitoring efforts at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, saw the problem coming and prepared the country ahead of time. “This is the pandemic,” he said, adding “It’s here.” 

     He arranged for the U.S. military to ship samples of the virus from Hong Kong to his lab in Washington, D.C. where for five days and nights his team tested it against blood from thousands of Americans. They found that this strain was unlike any flu that humans were known to have encountered, so when it reached the United States no one would be immune. 

     The estimated one to two million worldwide deaths in 1957-58 pale in comparison to estimated 171 million worldwide Covid-19 cases that resulted in an estimated 3.55 million deaths, but it's interesting to note that there was also a rapid development of a vaccine in 1957. Hilleman quickly alerted the government and sent samples of the virus to the six biggest pharmaceutical companies, directing them to produce a vaccine for this new flu...and they did. 

     Some 20 million Americans were infected and 116,000 died, but researchers estimated that a million more Americans would have died if not for the pharmaceutical companies that distributed Hilleman’s vaccine and inoculated about 30 million people. 

     Hilleman went on to join Merck where he developed vaccines for more than 40 diseases, including measles, mumps and meningitis. As these illnesses faded from public memory, so did Hilleman, who died in 2005 at age 85. 

     In spite of the evidence many are still claiming Covid-19 is a hoax and now some are claiming the vaccine is a sinister government plot and it's the vaccine that is the real threat. But, as just noted there is a precedent for the rapid development of flu vaccines! 

     Psychologists and experts on misinformation are trying to figure out why the pandemic spawned so many conspiracy theories which have led people to eschew masks, social distancing and the vaccine. 

     What they’re seeing is a link between beliefs in the falsehoods surrounding Covid-19 and those who rely on social media and alternative news sources to get their information.

     These conspiracy theories give some people a sense of empowerment and the belief that they possess secret information that others don't have. This gives them a feeling of control in a situation that seems random or frightening.

     According to a Pew Research Center survey about 1 in 4 Americans believe the pandemic was “definitely” or “probably” intentionally created. In Europe, dozens of cell towers were destroyed because of bizarre claims that 5G wireless signals were triggering Covid-19. There were also reports of many who died after consuming poisons like fish tank cleaners, that were touted as a cure. Read more

Digital Manure

     There is a Facebook meme that claims that back in 2019 Vice President Kamala Harris said Joe Biden was "trash to me." Is that true? 

     The international news organization Reuters employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide and is one of the largest news agencies in the world. They investigated the claim made in the meme and did not find any instances of Harris saying this about Biden online. 

     Facebook and other social media sites are notorious for spreading false and misleading claims that are intended to sow division. Why are so many vulnerable to misinformation? 

     With social media, there are no editors reviewing what's published and there is no confirmation. When something is published or re-published many people accept it as fact. especially if it is something that falls in line with their biases. 

     It can be hard to spot fake news on social media because nowadays a surprisingly large number of Americans get their news from social media. According to a Pew Research Center report 55 percent of US adults now get their news from social media either often or sometimes. Americans seem to be getting more gullible as it becomes harder to trust what is or is not true on Facebook and other social media platforms. 

     A study from McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin found that social media isn't viewed as more trustworthy, but it is different than TV news or news websites because users do not choose the source of all the articles they see on social media. The report noted that on social media articles come from a wide variety of sources and this can include sponsored articles, which are really paid advertisements. 

     Often this (mis)information is readily shared with friends which simply means that fake news spreads easily. The study found that almost a quarter of social media users shared what turned out to be fake news. What's worse, 60 percent of users said that fake news leaves them confused about what to believe! 

     A lot of fake news comes from advertisements and social media users who create news for financial gain. Look at Yahoo headlines. At least a lot of what appears to be headlines of a news story carries the caveat that it's an ad. 

     The sharing of stories can actually boost the credibility with readers because people may think differently when using social media from how they might think when watching the evening news simply because the story is coming from a friend or family member. 

     One problem is that social media users are looking for pleasure or entertainment and that can make it easier to believe fake news. Research shows the hedonic mindset that comes into play when using social media makes it more difficult for us to think critically and we are less likely to fact-check the information we see.

     Detecting fake news on social media may not be as easy as spotting an outlandish headlines in the tabloids in the grocery store checkout, but it shouldn't be difficult either. The best way to avoid fake news is to not use social media as your primary news source and anything on social media sites should be checked out. Also, did you know that research has found that the mere exposure to headlines makes you believe them more? 

     Even if the headline seems to confirm something you already believe (confirmation bias) it is still advisable to research it. The best thing to avoid being duped is a large dose of skepticism.

Patent Leather

     It used to be that in the Marine Corps the standard for shoes and boots was the spit shine. To achieve the spit shine you needed a can of Kiwi shoe polish, a brush, spit (or water), a cloth (or small bottle) and a ton of elbow grease. Today patent leather has taken the place of the spit shine...sad. But wait! Patent leather is not new...it's history spans thousands of years! 

     Patent leather has its roots in rubber which was first used thousands of years ago in Mexico. In 1736, Charles Marie de La Condamine brought samples to France’s Scientific Society and eventually the knowledge of rubber began to spread around Europe and England. In 1770, Joseph Priestley in England observed that the material worked very well for rubbing pencil marks off of paper, hence the nickname of rubber. 

     Patent leather is is water resistant and has a high shine and some consider it "classy." It originated in the late 1700s when layers of oils were applied to dyed leather and dried. The resulting surface was durable and water resistant. Oils have since been replaced with synthetic materials and patent leather is commonly used in shoes, wallets, bags and accessories. 

     One of the first inventors to produce a leather that was waterproof also obtained a patent covering the method of production. Thus, because it was made through a patented process, it was commonly referred to as patent leather. 

     Patent leather is characterized by having a very clear, shiny, polished surface that is generally water resistant which helps provide durability by protecting the leather underneath. On the down side, the glossy surface is prone to scratches and must be cared for well. 

     Originally, patent leather was made from natural leather, but over time it has become much more common for it to be made from faux leather with synthetic coatings. The lower (read cheap) production costs of synthetic materials allowed patent leather to surge in popularity in the 1960s. 

     After World War II many advancements had been made in materials technology, and there was increased demand for consumer goods. On result was that patent leather quickly became popular. This included fake leather with its synthetic clear coatings that looked like real patent leather. This faux leather looks similar and is much less expensive which makes it popular. 

     Over the years, some materials have been produced that are similar in appearance and properties to patent leather...faux faux leather so to speak! One of the most popular was Corfam. 

     In 1963 at the Chicago Shoe Show, DuPont introduced a type of leather substitute. It’s goal was, to by 1984, have Corfam comprise about a quarter of the United States shoe market. While Corfam was shiny and water repellent, it was not breathable or as flexible as real leather. Nevertheless, the low cost and durability of PVC (plastic) leather made it appealing. By 1971, DuPont stopped selling Corfam because their hopes and goals for the product didn't materialize. 

     Due to the outer coating being plastic, it will degrade over years and it, so while it may look great, it's not extremely durable. The coating is usually a polyurethane or acrylic coating (plastic). They can be clear, result in a high shine, and remain flexible once dried. Pigment can also be added to the resin coatings to add color. Additionally, additives can be put into the coatings to increase desirable performance factors such as scratch resistance, abrasion resistance, and UV resistance. 

     Patent leather cracks because it is made of a plastic and over time the plastic begins to weaken and degrade. Due to the flexing the plastic will begin to crack over time. Also, due to the high-gloss finish, patent leather is very prone to scuffing. Additionally, patent leather is covered with a clear plastic layer that over time, as the plastic begins to degrade, it takes on a yellow tint.

     Bottom line: a spit shine on real leather beats the shiny fake-looking patent leather hands down.

Why do we have an appendix?

     Knowledge of the appendix dates back to the 1500s when anatomists identified it, but could only guess at its purpose. However, they did know that it could become inflamed and cause serious disease. 

     In 1735, Dr. Claudius Amyand performed the world’s first successful appendectomy, at St. George’s Hospital in London. The patient was an 11-year old boy whose appendix had become perforated by a pin he had swallowed. General anesthesia was not available until 1846, so it required a lot of assistants to restrain patients during what must have been very painful. 

     Surgical treatment for appendicitis began in earnest during the 1880s. However, doctors were not sure who should be operated on because some patients recovered without surgery. Even today the causes of acute appendicitis have not been identified and nobody knows why the appendix will rupture in some patients and others recover. 

     In 2007 researchers offered a compelling case for the function of the appendix (sort of)...it appears to play a role in both the digestive and immune systems by acting as a storehouse for good bacteria. These bacteria come into play when the gastrointestinal tract loses its beneficial gut flora. 

     Recently researchers are revisiting the question of whether antibiotics are just as effective as surgery. In the 1940s and 1950s, doctors in England began treating patients with antibiotics with excellent results. In the Navy men on submarines received antibiotics and patients reportedly did well. 

     What does the appendix do? Is it really redundant and useless, a remnant from eons ago that human development? Now, scientists know that your appendix actually has a purpose. 

     Many bacterial microorganisms are found in the stomach and intestines. These are good bacteria that help to break down food and stave off the growth of bad bacteria and the good bacteria also play a critical role in producing vitamins and hormones needed by the body. 

     Before modern medicine and public health, people suffered from cholera or dysentery. One of the symptoms is severe diarrhea in which literally everything, including the good bacteria, gets empties out of the gut. 

     The new theory (theory, not fact) is that the appendix acts as a safe haven for good bacteria. After intense diarrhea, the appendix repopulates the intestine with the good bacteria before harmful bacteria finds a home there. 

     When it comes to the appendix, we are not alone; humans aren't the only ones with an appendix...about 533 mammal species have one. 

     The theory is that in this hygienic society we live in immune system isn't constantly being challenged by parasites or disease-causing organisms. With no need to function regularly, the appendix may become blocked or overreact when it is required to function which causes it to become inflamed. Removing the appendix has no known negative effects, but without an appendix people may take longer to recover from an intestinal infection, but we have antibiotics. 

     Circumstantial evidence makes a strong case for the role of the appendix, but the bottom line is nobody REALLY knows what the purpose of the appendix is. 

 

Symptoms of appendicitis

There Is A Chicken Shortage

     At first it sounded like an alarmist hoax, but upon further investigation, it is true. 

     Chicken is popular in the United States (though not with me) and the popularity of chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, chicken and waffles and chicken wings is fueling such demand that the country is starting to run short. Actually, it's not like we weren't warned...doomsayers predicted it months ago when they warned there was a massive chicken wing shortage on the horizon. 

     There are three reasons for the shortage: covid-19, a sandwich craze and huge appetite for wings. YUM Brands which owns Kentucky Fries Chicken has announced that the demand for their new chicken sandwich (described as a mouth-watering extra crispy filet with premium pickles, and mayo on a brioche-style bun) has been so strong that, coupled with general tightening in domestic chicken supply, it's hard for them to keep up with the demand. 

     Also, the price of wings is going up as some restaurant owners are having to shell out more than $3 per pound for wings, the consumption of which has been on the rise since 2020. For example, back in February of 2020, the huge demand for wings on Super Bowl Sunday coupled with devastation from the winter storms in Texas, caused a severe wing shortage. 

     Wing consumption causes something of a problem. Each chicken has only two of them and if people order a bucket with 20 wings, somebody has to eat the rest of those 10 chickens that supplied them. 

     Not everybody in the world goes for wings and breasts like we do in the US. Europeans pay a premium for the breasts, while the Chinese market has a greater demand for the feet. Russians prefer dark meat, and in India people particularly enjoy the leg. 

     The National Chicken Council says that the US consume 60 percent of the dark meat produced in the country and much of the rest gets shipped overseas. This exacerbates the problem by increasing the carbon footprint because shipping produces carbon and costs a lot of energy which impacts the environment. Shipping chicken requires it to be stored in temperature-controlled containers. While food is generally shipped by sea instead of by air, saving some emissions, maritime shipping accounts for nearly 3 percent of all carbon emissions, equal to the output of Germany. 

     According to the United Poultry Concerns the US production of the 8 billion chickens consumed each year produce nearly 86 million tons of manure which creates toxic environments for the chickens, but it also presents major disposal problems. Some chicken poop can be used for fertilizer, but much ends up in water runoff. Did you know that chickens contribute about 12 million pounds of nitrogen to the Chesapeake Bay each year? Probably not. As a result over 80 percent of the bay is at least partially damaged by toxic contaminants. Environmentalist, who oppose everything, warn that the chicken industry destroys wildlife and wildlife habitat. They complain, "It just ruins every place it opens for business."

Boanthropy

     Nebuchadnezzar II was the king of Babylon circa 605 BC – c. 562 BC and was the longest reigning and most powerful monarch of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. 

     His conquest of Judah is described in the Bible books of Kings, Chronicles and Jeremiah. He was the king responsible for destroying Solomon's Temple and initiating the Babylonian captivity. 

     One night he had a dream and Daniel interpreted it for him. For seven years Nebuchadnezzar would be driven away from people and would live with the wild animals. During that time he would eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. 

     He was told by Daniel when he (Nebuchadnezzar) acknowledged that Heaven rules, then his kingdom would be restored. Daniel's advice was to renounce his sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue. Nebuchadnezzar didn't listen and it happened just as Daniel had predicted. 

     Today Nebuchadnezzar's condition is recognized as a psychological disorder known as boanthropy in which a human believes they are a bovine.

     Nebuchadnezzar is not the only early mention of this disorder. According to Persian traditions, the Buyid prince Majd al-Dawla was suffering from an illusion that he is a cow, making the sound of a cow and asking that to be killed so that his flesh could be consumed. 

     It has been suggested that hypnotism, suggestion and auto-suggestion may contribute to such beliefs. Dreams may also play an important part. Jung for example records how a stubborn woman dreamed she was attending an important social occasion. She was greeted by the hostess who told her, "How nice that you could come. All your friends are here and they are waiting for you." The hostess then led her to the door and opened it and the lady stepped through the door into a cowshed. 

     Freud noted cases in which a mental disease has started with a dream and in which a delusion originating in the dream has persisted. 

     Boanthropy is a rare and serious psychological disorder in which a human being experiences mental metamorphosis from being a human to believing he is a cow. In this condition, patient appears to walk like a cow. They stop talking like normal human beings and begin mooing. They grab others’ attention by bellowing and bawling. All of a sudden they develop a taste and craving for grass so their diet also consists of grass, hay and silage. They graze like a cow and eat whatever plant they see because that is what cows eat. They can even join a herd of cattle to graze and browse. 

     From behavior and diet to sounds, patients with boanthropy depict the character of a cow in real life. The cause is unknown. Many link its cause to religious perceptions or witchcraft and black magic. Boanthropy can be an additional aspect of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. A person might be hallucinating a lot which leads to altering their belief that they are a human being. There is no specific treatment, but psychotherapy and medication are generally used to try and help an individual give up their delusion.

On this day in history...

     On April 23, 2020, right in the heart of the coronavirus pandemic President Donald Trump said, "Suppose if we hit the body with a tremendous light whether its ultraviolet or just a powerful light...[or] brought the light inside the body...the disinfectant [also] knocks it out, [so perhaps we could] inject it inside.” 

     Incredibly, not a few of his supporters took his advice and there was a spike in people ingesting disinfectant, but President Trump took no responsibility for that. 

The Latest From Miss Moonshine

The Legendary Jimmy Dudley

     The Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame is full of people whose departure from the team was not of their own volition. i.e. they got fired. 

     Lou Boudreau was fired as a manager and released as a player. Rocky Colavito was traded by a general manager who had a pathological need to make transactions. Manager Mike Hargrove was fired. Broadcaster Jimmy Dudley, another Indians Hall of Famer, holds a special place in the hearts of Indians fans of his era, was also unceremoniously fired. 

     James Dudley was born in Alexandria, Virginia in 1909, and graduated with a degree in chemistry from the University of Virginia, where he played football and basketball. Dudley went to work for DuPont, but in 1937, took a job at a radio station in Charlottesville, Virginia. He ended up announcing games for the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Cubs. At the time popular announcers were Southerners: Red Barber, Mel Allen and Ernie Harwell. 

     After serving as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, Dudley was heard by an official at Erin Brew (a beer company), then the sponsor of Cleveland Indians broadcasts. At the time announcers were often so associated with the beer companies that if the brewery that sponsored the games changed so did the announcers. 

     On radio Dudley was paired with Jack Graney, a member of the Indians’ championship 1920 team and believed to be the first player to go into the broadcast booth. After Graney retired in 1953, Dudley was paired with Ed Edwards for two years and Tom Manning for one. Dudley also called games for the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Colts, as well as Ohio State football. Dudley called the 1954 World Series and All-Star Game for the Mutual network, and 1961's first All-Star Game for NBC Radio. 

     Dudley was known for his friendly, homespun style and his signature catchphrases: “Hello, baseball fans everywhere” was his opening line and he always signed off with, “So long and lotsa good luck, ya heah.” A full count on a batter was described with the phrase "The string is out" and home runs were described with a hearty. "That ball is going...going...gone!" When a batter struck out it was, "A swing and a miss! He struck him out." 

     Dudley did commercials for the Aluminum Siding Corporation, whose phone number of “Garfield 1, 2-3-2-3” is known to anyone who lived in Cleveland through the 1980s. 

     Beginning in 1957, after his broadcast partner retired, Dudley was paired with a rat named Bob Neal, who had called Browns games for radio and television since 1946. Dudley and Neal hated each other to the point that they wouldn’t even talk to each other on the air. 

     After the 1967 season, in a power play Neal forced Dudley out and Dudley was replaced in the radio booth by former Indians pitcher Herb Score, who had been calling games on television for the previous four years. Score would go on to be the radio voice of the Indians for 30 years. 

     Dudley was incensed by the move, which came shortly before spring training, not allowing him time to latch on with another team. “I consider it a kick in the teeth and a lousy thing to happen after all the years I have been with the Indians,” he was quoted as saying. He also stated, “When I left Cleveland last month I understood everything was OK. If they had let me know at the end of the season that I wasn’t wanted, then I would have had time to get another job in baseball broadcasting. Now, it’s too late.” 

     In 1969, Dudley landed a job the Seattle Pilots. After the Pilots moved to Milwaukee to become the Brewers, Dudley called minor-league games in Arizona, where he made his home and games for the University of Arizona, but his major league career was over. Dudley received the Ford Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997, two years before he died in Arizona at the age of 89. 

     Bob Feller. Indians Hall of Fame pitcher said, “There was not a better baseball announcer than Jimmy Dudley." 

Fellowes Brand Paper Shredder

     Our old home office paper shredder died the other day and we shopped around for a new one. A visit to Staples was fruitless as they only offered upper end machines for over $100. At Walmart we discovered the Fellowes Powershred 9C 9-sheet Cross-Cut Personal Paper Shredder for $49.88 and made the purchase. Details

     After getting it home and unpacking it the first thing that was noticeable was that it's smaller than the old shredder. That's because the paper basket (3.8 gallons) does not slide out as it did on the old one. Instead, the Fellowes model has the shredding mechanism on top of the basket which makes emptying it inconvenient, but we can live with that. 

     It cross-cuts up to nine sheets at a time and can handle staples, paperclips and credit cards, but personally I'd hesitate to put a paperclip through it! The front has a tinted see-through window so you can easily monitor the paper level. 

     The cross sections make it more secure than strip-cut shredders and this shredder cuts approximately 400 particles per sheet. It shreds for up to 5 minutes before a 30 minute cool down period is needed. 

     We had a 2-inch high pile of papers to shred and while the shredder was loud, it was fast and made quick work of the stack...less than 5 minutes so no cool down period was needed. Just don't believe the blurb on the box that says it's quiet. The main thing was that it's speed was impressive. For less than $50 it's a good buy for home use. 

 

NOTE: These shredders have a mechanical sensor bar that can get stuck causing the shredder to quit working. If it runs only in reverse the problem is likely paper jammed under the sensor bar which is located in the middle of the paper slot. If this is the case, use a long, thin, stiff wire to push the jammed paper through the grinding wheels being careful not to damage them!  In fact, a wooden chop stick is even better, or perhaps a plastic straw.