Friday, May 3, 2024

NYT takes a stab at jab risk

Covid vaccines are safe and effective,
except maybe not always

The New York Times unveils a bit of truth about covid vaccines — thousands harmed — but cloaks the disclosure in simple probabilities taken from official data. No worries, the paper assures, the jabs are safe and effective.

Children's Health Defense report on NYT articles

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/new-york-times-investigation-people-injured-covid-vaccines-being-ignored/

In economics, utility is a measure of how satisfied a person is with a particular state of the world. It can also refer to the value or worth of a service or good, or the total satisfaction or benefit gained from consuming it. 

The concept of value, positive or negative, must be taken into account in risk assessment. For example, suppose you stand to gain $100K if you have “only” one chance in a hundred of losing a leg? Would you do it? After all, your risk is a smallish 1 percent.

It would seem reasonable that the greater the potential for harm, the lower you want the risk to be.

But we don't get much in the way of cost-benefit analysis from the press, government or big pharma. So when they talk about low risk have they factored in such a calculation? Rarely, and those who do so face a conspiracy of silence or public bashing.

A point that is often overlooked is that if you are a healthy young person, you face very low risk of severe covid effects. So what is the point of getting the jab even with supposed low risks of dangerous reactions? You never needed to take that jab risk at all.

If there is a small risk to your child of jab-induced heart damage, brain injury or autism, but there is near zero risk that a case of covid would do much to her or him, what is the better decision? Jab or no jab?

Suppose you are told that the chance of a life-threatening vaccine injury for your child is about one in 10,000.

Yet you would not like it if your child was one of the more than 1,000 American children who would have, by these figures, been tragically injured by the substance (which, in a side effect, injects foreign DNA into human cells).

[That is, of 73 million Americans 17 years old or younger, about 14.1 percent were vaccinated, according to not terribly reliable figures. That yields 10,293,000 kids who got the jab. Divide that by 10,000 and you have more than 1,000 children very likely to have been grievously afflicted from vaccination.]

But the chance of your child contracting life-threatening covid is so low that it is difficult to find hard percentages on the internet, even when bypassing Google's information control gateway. So was the shot worth the "low" risk?

Shown below is an answer by Perplexity AI to demonstrate how sparse are the data available to the public.

Certainly the Japanese people are not impressed that the probability of a meltdown disaster at Fukushima was very low. That is because, with hindsight, they can see that the scale of the potential consequences should have been taken into account when building a nuclear reactor in a quake-prone region.​



Friday, April 26, 2024

A peek at Paul

As a public service, NEWS of the WORLD reprints The FUNNY STUFF FUNNIES, an educational comic book giving basic facts on drugs and alcohol. Each post reproduces a page from the booklet, which is aimed at young persons and which avoids sermonizing and excessive wordiness.

XXV


Old NY Times and war correspondent clips

As a newspaperman, I once wrote under the name Roger Conant. I began using the name Paul Conant, the name on my driver license, in the early 1990s.

Many more recent clippings must exist somewhere, but those below are a few I was able to find on the internet. This is nuts and bolts stuff. The barn-burners are nowhere to be found.

But that lack doesn’t really matter, as my purpose in presenting these clips is not to boast (really, who cares?), but simply to assure you media people on this list that I really am one of you.

I’ve also tossed in a couple of war reporting features that were located by my son Christopher. My war reporting appeared in the Star-Ledger, New Jersey’s largest newspaper, the New York Daily News, at the time the nation’s largest circulation daily, the Stars and Stripes, a newspaper for service members, and elsewhere.
The author of The Funny Stuff Funnies takes sole responsibility for the content of this e-booklet. This booklet has not been sponsored, either directly or indirectly, by any government or non-government organization or fellowship, such as AA or NA.
Find table of content for Funny Stuff Funnies at this link. Read Funny Stuff Funnies again.
Start over HERE.
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Concerning source material


As a public service, NEWS of the WORLD reprints The FUNNY STUFF FUNNIES, an educational comic book giving basic facts on drugs and alcohol. Each post reproduces a page from the booklet, which is aimed at young persons and which avoids sermonizing and excessive wordiness.

XXIV
SS1
The author, Paul Conant, is a former New York newspaperman.

All facts in this booklet are taken from accredited private and government sources. Any factual errors beought to the author's attention will be gladly corrected.

For a bit of info on Conant's background, please see A Peek at Paul.

The author of The Funny Stuff Funnies takes sole responsibility for the content of this e-booklet. This booklet has not been sponsored, either directly or indirectly, by any government or non-government organization or fellowship, such as AA or NA.
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A word from the cartoonist


As a public service, NEWS of the WORLD reprints The FUNNY STUFF FUNNIES, an educational comic book giving basic facts on drugs and alcohol. Each post reproduces a page from the booklet, which is aimed at young persons and which avoids sermonizing and excessive wordiness.

XXIV
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I realize that some of my jokes are outdated. Others may be too far off the beaten path for most readers.

So readers are invited to submit their own jokes. You may also submit your own cartoons (no more than three). These may be black and white line drawings or they may be hand- or machine-colored.

I'll consider including them in this booklet, The Funny Stuff Funnies. If they won't quite fit, I'll do my best to include them in a cartoon joke book supplement. If the cartoons are too naughty (NSFW, or Not Safe For Work), I'll try to include them in a separate joke book carrying an NSFW tag.

You may leave a link to your drawings in a comment or you may send your work to kyrptx108 attt gmail dottt commm.
TN1
The author of The Funny Stuff Funnies takes sole responsibility for the content of this e-booklet. This booklet has not been sponsored, either directly or indirectly, by any government or non-government organization or fellowship, such as AA or NA.
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Roads to recovery: Step by step


As a public service, NEWS of the WORLD reprints The FUNNY STUFF FUNNIES, an educational comic book giving basic facts on drugs and alcohol. Each post reproduces a page from the booklet, which is aimed at young persons and which avoids sermonizing and excessive wordiness.

XXIII
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RY1
The steps suggested for recovery are virtually identical for Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. But, the two programs differ a bit in their approaches to recovery. The NA website lists other 12-step programs for various stressful problems.
The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous are outlined in the book Alcoholics Anonymous. They can be found at the beginning of the chapter “How It Works.” Essays on the Steps can be read in the book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.

The Twelve Steps of AA
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
RY2
The following are the 12 Steps of Narcotics Anonymous, also referred to as NA. Narcotics Anonymous offers recovery from the effects of addiction through working a twelve-step program, including regular attendance at group meetings. The group atmosphere provides help from peers and offers an ongoing support network for addicts who wish to pursue and maintain a drug-free lifestyle. The name, Narcotics Anonymous, is not meant to imply a focus on any particular drug; NA's approach makes no distinction between drugs including alcohol.

The Twelve Steps of NA
1. We admitted we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Some people benefit from tips in slogan form. Most people with alcohol or drug problems however need some sort of full-fledged recovery program.

Turn it over
Meeting makers make it.
Let go. Let God
This too shall pass
Misery is optional
Live and let live
Easy does it
Think Think Think
First things first
Live Easy but Think First

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
                                                                 -- Serenity Prayer

The author of The Funny Stuff Funnies takes sole responsibility for the content of this e-booklet. This booklet has not been sponsored, either directly or indirectly, by any government or non-government organization or fellowship, such as AA or NA.
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Some fentanyl victims


As a public service, NEWS of the WORLD reprints The FUNNY STUFF FUNNIES, an educational comic book giving basic facts on drugs and alcohol. Each post reproduces a page from the booklet, which is aimed at young persons and which avoids sermonizing and excessive wordiness.

XXII

 Taken from Wikipedia.

Notable deaths

  • American professional wrestler Anthony Durante, also known as "Pitbull #2", died on 25 September 2003 from a fentanyl-induced overdose.[185]
  • Wilco guitarist Jay Bennett died on 24 May 2009 from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, shortly after he publicly revealed that he needed hip replacement surgery which he could not afford due to his health insurance considering the situation a "pre-existing condition."[186][187][188]
  • Slipknot bassist Paul Gray died on 24 May 2010 from an overdose of morphine and fentanyl.[189]
  • Medical examiners concluded that musician Prince died on 21 April 2016, from an accidental fentanyl overdose.[190] Fentanyl was among many substances identified in counterfeit pills recovered from his home, especially some that were mislabeled as Watson 385, a combination of hydrocodone and paracetamol.[190][191]
  • Author & journalist Michelle McNamara died on 21 April 2016, from an accidental overdose; medical examiners determined fentanyl was a contributing factor.[192][193]
  • Canadian video game composer Saki Kaskas died of a fentanyl overdose on 11 November 2016;[194] he had been battling heroin addiction for over a decade.[194]
  • American rapper Lil Peep died of an accidental fentanyl overdose on 15 November 2017.[195][196]
  • On 19 January 2018, the medical examiner-coroner for the county of Los Angeles said musician Tom Petty died from an accidental drug overdose as a result of mixing medications that included fentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, and despropionyl fentanyl (among others). He was reportedly treating "many serious ailments" that included a broken hip.[197]
  • In 2018, American rapper Mac Miller died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, cocaine and alcohol.[198]
  • On 16 December 2018, American tech entrepreneur Colin Kroll, founder of social media video-sharing app Vine and quiz app HQ Trivia, died from an overdose of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.[199]
  • On 1 July 2019, American baseball player Tyler Skaggs died from pulmonary aspiration while under the influence of fentanyl, oxycodone, and alcohol.[200]
  • On 1 January 2020, American rapper, singer, and songwriter Lexii Alijai died from accidental toxicity resulting from the combination of alcohol and fentanyl.[201]
  • On 20 August 2020, American singer, songwriter and musician Justin Townes Earle died from an accidental overdose caused by cocaine laced with fentanyl.[202]
  • On 24 August 2020, Riley Gale, frontman for the Texas metal band Power Trip, died as a result of the toxic effects of fentanyl in a manner that was ruled accidental.[203]
  • On 22 April 2021, Digital Underground frontman, rapper, and musician Shock G died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, meth, and alcohol.[204]
  • On 6 September 2021, actor Michael K. Williams, who rose to fame through his critically acclaimed role as Omar Little on the HBO drama series The Wire, died from an overdose of fentanyl, parafluorofentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.[205][206]
  • 6 April 2023: Jarez Posey, the manager of US rapper Coolio (Artis Leon Ivey, Jr) attributes his death to fentanyl, according to press reports.[207]


The author of The Funny Stuff Funnies takes sole responsibility for the content of this e-booklet. This booklet has not been sponsored, either directly or indirectly, by any government or non-government organization or fellowship, such as AA or NA.
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For help or info, check out these links


As a public service, NEWS of the WORLD reprints The FUNNY STUFF FUNNIES, an educational comic book giving basic facts on drugs and alcohol. Each post reproduces a page from the booklet, which is aimed at young persons and which avoids sermonizing and excessive wordiness.

XXI
Tap phone images for better views.
HP1
The author of The Funny Stuff Funnies takes sole responsibility for the content of this e-booklet. This booklet has not been sponsored, either directly or indirectly, by any government or non-government organization or fellowship, such as AA or NA.
Have a problem with alcohol? There is a solution.
Alcoholics Anonymous
If you're looking for answers on alcoholism, AA has placed its "Big Book" online. You may also purchase online a regular book version.
Read free or buy AA's Big Book
Is NA for me?
Narcotics Anonymous
Alcoholics Victorious
offers a Christian-centered program of recovery.

Uppers, Downers, All-Arounders:
Physical and Mental Effects of Psychoactive Drugs

by Darryl S. Inaba and William E. Cohen (CNS Productions).
This fact-packed textbook is up-to-date and user-friendly. It has been adopted by more than 400 colleges and universities. Wide-ranging research and extensive citations make this an excellent reference source.
Some info on treatment of chem problems

What the feds say about crack
https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs3/3978/index.htm
Also:
https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/archive/special/9712/appb.htm
HP2
Here are some top-ranked U.S. sites for help on alcohol or drug abuse:
FindTreatment.gov

National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare

✓ If you or someone near to you is in crisis or suicidal, call or text 988, chat 988Lifeline.org, or call 1-800-273-8255 for free and confidential support.

✓ American Addiction Centers Online Resources & Addiction Help Websites, which provides educational and empowering resources for individuals struggling with substance abuse and addiction, including Alcohol.org, Recovery.org, DrugAbuse.com, and PsychGuides.com.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which offers a range of services for those with mental and substance use disorders, including a treatment locator, crisis and suicide prevention hotline, and resources for parents and caregivers.

DrugAbuse.com, which provides educational resources and guides individuals toward drug treatment options.

National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW), which provides information, consultation, training, and technical assistance to child welfare, dependency court, and substance use treatment professionals to improve outcomes for children, parents, and families.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which supports research and the development of effective interventions for treating substance use disorders, including medications, behavioral interventions, and digital therapeutics.

USA.gov/mental-health, which provides a directory of resources for mental health, including emergency hotlines, counseling, and treatment options for mental health and substance abuse.

For answers to SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, you might try using a free AI service such as Perplexity.ai, which provides links to its sources. You should check the sources and not rely on the machine's answer.
HP3
Zep: Stairway to Heaven
Financial worries?
Some people need help with the financial damage resulting from chem abuse.

Here is a site that might be of help:
https://www.annuity.org/personal-finance/financial-wellness/addiction-recovery/

We caution that we do not vouch for this service. It is up to you to use good judgment.

In general, experience shows that
recovery must come ahead of everything
-- including financial worries.

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NYT takes a stab at jab risk