Comments

Episode-2787- Topic Round Table for 12-7-20 — 9 Comments

  1. Re: SARS-COV-2 vaccines

    From what I’ve read, only some of the vaccines (Pfizer & Moderna) are the mRNA-type vaccines, whereas the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and the Russian vaccine are adenovirus-based vaccines. At first glance both are ‘experimental’ in the sense they are just being put into widespread use, but the adenovirus-based vaccines have been tested for decades, and there was a previous vaccine approved using this technology (the Ebola vaccine). I’m still reading into it, but the adenovirus-based vaccines seem to represent a less dramatic departure from conventional vaccines. If there was a gun to my head, perhaps I’d choose to go in that direction. This link describes the AstraZeneca one and adenovirus-based vaccines in general:

    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/24/health/astrazeneca-covid-vaccine.html

    Like you I also see some of these techniques turning into something really amazing, and I look forward to what they’ll enable in the future. That said, a basic risk management assessment has me steered away from taking one of those vaccines (especially the mRNA ones) anytime soon. Taking a new, experimental vaccine (where long-term effects are still unknown and the manufacturers are shielded from all liability) so I can be vaccinated against a virus with 99.7% survival rate (and a much, much higher survival rate for those in my demographic) just is not much reward for the potential risk. And I’m saying that with the assumption that the companies have every intention of making a good product… it’s simply that any new or experimental technology comes with higher risk.

    That said, I’m open to taking one of the vaccines later on once they’re better proven. The news coverage seems to be emphasizing the expected scarcity and long time-frame to have enough vaccines for everyone. And while part of that scarcity narrative is likely meant to generate more demand & desire for the vaccines, I have no doubt it WILL take a long time to have enough for even 2/3 of the population. So I suspect that outside of certain occupations & certain countries, most people won’t be “forced” to take one anytime soon. But who knows… next year could be even more crazy as this one.

    • Just the fact that they are pushing so hard for a vaccine that they know we don’t need concerns me. Myself and my immediate family have already agreed no vaccine. I already got my ex on board with home schooling my oldest if they make it mandatory for schools. Makes me hope they do it actually 🙂

      that said — the extended family ( some of them ) are all for it, so I can at least try to steer them away from the mRNA vaccine. Thank you for the info!

      • @TomFromFL-

        It sounds like you’re looking at the info yourself and making your own decisions, as it should be. But just to cover myself, I want to say I’m NOT a doctor and I’m NOT definitively saying the non-mRNA-based vaccines are safer than the mRNA ones. My personal opinion is based primarily on general probability assessments (i.e. how “young” or “less-proven” the technology is) rather than specific or specialized knowledge. And that’s mostly because there’s not a lot of transparency or information available on the vaccines so far.

        And to be fair, I don’t EXPECT there will be a huge risk with either vaccine. But even a small risk (say 1%) is a bad trade compared to the tiny fraction of a percent Covid lethality risk for almost anyone in good health who’s keeping their vitamin D levels up.

        • @Nick

          I appreciate the statement qualifications but they are not needed 🙂 I am sure there is a place for mRNA based medicine — but I am not going to be a guinea pig in the first wide spread usage. I like my DNA just the way it is thank you. I don’t want to put on my tin foil hat, but I do keep it in the closet just in case.

    • “And while part of that scarcity narrative is likely meant to generate more demand & desire for the vaccines”

      If you have the ability to market water to a thirsty person you know this is exactly what is being done. False scarcity is marketing 101.

      “I have no doubt it WILL take a long time to have enough for even 2/3 of the population.”

      Less than you think. Also they keep quoting 70% for “herd immunity” well since so many people have had it, (most with innate immunity and almost no symptoms) then the 50% of the dumb fucks that can’t wait to line up for this shit should be plenty if it works. They can do it, I won’t ever.

      With an illness I have this much chance of not only surviving but not even having a hard time with the risk of any vaccine will always exceed the risk of the virus to me. If we had something killing half the people getting it, I’d be a lot more open. If small pox had come back I’d get the vaccine etc.

      This is a manufactured crisis resulting in the largest upward transfer of wealth and power in the history of mankind. I will not participate in it.

      • “This is a manufactured crisis resulting in the largest upward transfer of wealth and power in the history of mankind. I will not participate in it.”

        Abso-frickin-lutely. That is what I think of whenever I encounter arguments & endless rants in regard to masks or vaccines. There ARE legitimate grievances & issues with both, but IMO they largely serve as distractions to move attention away from the lockdowns and the accelerated transfer of wealth to megacorps, big banks, the 0.1%, and well-connected bureaucrats. The vaccines aren’t the endgame; they are merely a small part of the chess game used to open the way for other pieces/agendas. It’s partly persuasion tactics to acclimate to deferrment to authority/”experts”, partly hunger for money, and partly a skilled magician’s misdirection.

  2. Oh, if you’re still trying to remember the name to that game you were talking about with the mechs and dice and stuff, it sounds like it was “Battletech”. My friends and I nerded out with that a number of times back in the day too. 🙂

  3. 100% agree on bermuda grass. I have been fighting it in my lawn now for 10 years after it crawled across the alley from my neighbor’s.

    I am getting ready for some fruit trees in a yard full of it. I dug down 18″ and pulled all the grass and roots. Then cut bottom from a livestock mineral tub about 12″ from the top and placed this in the hole. Then filled the hole with a blend of dirt, manure, vermiculite, peat moss and bark mulch. Hoping the trees will get big quickly and shade out the Bermuda grass since it will not grow in shade.

    Fingers crossed.

    Thanks for the info on crypto. I shoulda bought bitcoin 15 years ago when I learned about it first.

  4. Re: ARK

    The pace of development and continuing work on ARK is a big reason why I’ve held on to my stake in it (and even added a little), even though it’s under-performed compared to a lot other coins. Even aside from just being a small part of cool things they’re trying to do, I figure there’s also a good chance it’s dramatically undervalued/ignored by the larger crypto community and will start to realize its potential as it gets closer to achieving the long-term development goals. I see in it much the same hustle and potential for increased interest & attention that I see in Cardano, which started to see that increased attention in spades leading up to and continuing after their Shelley mainnet launch.

    Of course, there’s always the chance that it will fail to get widespread adoption like many other promising technologies have in the past. But between the decent odds of it getting traction and the level of potential gain, that’s a risk I’m willing to take. With a small percentage of my portfolio, anyway.