Category: Uncategorized

Or, Scott — Perhaps BOTH Of Them Are Malign, Moronic, Unserious But Narcissistic… Loons.

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Usually, the simplest explanation tends to most line up with reality. That’s what William of Occam has long taught all educated humans, since about the Twelfth Century.

This morning, though, Johnson runs about ten paragraphs to suggest only one (Tangerine) is a “true conservative”.

I no longer find it amusing, or even useful, to plumb whatever it is the Powerline boys NOW want the word “conservative” to mean.

What I know for certain is that neither Tucker Carlson, nor Donald Trump are… that thing. In any respect.

And, day by day, over the past nine years, both have shown themselves to be narcissistic, evil megalomaniacs, willing to waste vast resources, and destroy good people — mostly to salve what each perceives as… their bruised egos.

There is no need for any falsely ponderous “why” analysis, Scott.

Almost all educated, voting Americans now see the truth about BOTH of these cretins. And all you Powerline boys.

And. They. Are. Not. Amused.

Cheers.

OT: But Please Permit This Digression — Jim Thorpe Was ALSO A Pentathlon and Decathlon Gold Medalist (And Pro Baseball Player) And A Pro-Footballer, But Travis Is… Better!

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I keep seeing sports pundits write that young Travis Hunter is likely third on the list for the 2024 Heisman. It is supposed to go to the most outstanding college football player (not necessarily the MVP, to his particular team).

So, if the voting holds true to the actual founding documents, for the Heisman… this should not even be a remotely close question. Unless he suffers a career ending injury in the next nine games, there will be no one even close to young Mr. Hunter.

There have been 14 players since about 1960 who played at least some snaps on both offense and defense. But the last time any football player played essentially every snap on both sides of the ball (and, at skill-positions), with the dominance that Travis is displaying… it was right when Titanic first sailed. Jim Thorpe also kicked field goals (as deep as 45 yards) for his team.

But we should also note that the athletes opposing Mr. Thorpe were by no means as well trained, powerful and fast, or of the caliber at all, that Travis meets each Saturday, up and down the line. Sure, there is a good argument that Mr. Thorpe was the greatest overall athlete ever to come out of America, but there can be little argument that ANYONE is playing 120 plus snaps a game at the level Travis is from 2023 through 2024. No. One. At. All.

Chuck Bednarik (1960s), and then Deon Sanders (now Travis’s coach) did it a lil’ in the 1980s — and, Bo Jackson did it for a lil’ bit in the 1990s… but not one of them (or anyone else, since 1910-1912) took every snap on both sides of the ball, all season long, and dominated the way Thorpe and Hunter have. He’s now done it for two seasons (like Thorpe).

And he is rewriting the Colorado record books, on offense and defense — at the same time. Let it also be known that he is carrying a 3.85 GPA in Business, and thus is also an ACADEMIC All-American.

So it has been about 112 years since anyone saw a collegiate player remotely like Travis Hunter.

He should win the Heisman, in a cake walk. Forget every running back or QB also being touted (except perhaps Shedeur Sanders, his QB team-mate who hits him with perfectly thrown balls about 75% of the time)… this young man simply is a… unicorn. The likes of which we’ve not seen since the then racist US Olympic Committee stripped Jim Thorpe of his Olympic gold medals supposedly on the theory that he played a few innings of semi-pro baseball before the 1912 Games.

Now you know. Let your local sportswriters know that you too, are watching. He is the clear Heisman man this year.

नमस्ते

[U: Buffs Win — 48-21!] Flying Through Colorado — On Way Home, Now — But Wanted To Mention The New Clade Ib Mpox Case In Kerala, India… As Well As Biden Pledge.

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While we were off grid, President Joe Biden pledged additional monetary and in-kind aid — to alleviate the ongoing African mpox outbreaks. Mr. Biden said the United States would send over $500 million to Africa, to help prevent and respond to mpox and will donate another one million doses of the approved Mpox vaccine.

In addition, there is now a confirmed more dangerous strain case of Mpox inside India, one that seems travel related. Here is a that story — from mid last week, from the BBC:

…India has reported its first case with the new mpox strain that has triggered a public health emergency alert by the World Health Organization (WHO), Reuters reports.

Called clade 1b, the new variant is highly-transmissible and has been linked to the mpox outbreak in Africa.
According to media reports, the strain has been detected in a 38-year-old man from the southern state of Kerala who returned from Dubai recently.

Mpox, previously known as monkey pox, is a contagious virus that can cause painful skin lesions….

Health Ministry spokesperson Manisha Verma confirmed to Reuters that the mpox case reported in Kerala’s Malappuram district belonged to clade 1.

The patient is being treated in a hospital and the people he came in contact with are being traced and monitored, authorities said.
The district’s health officer said that about 29 friends and family members of the patient along with 37 passengers on board his flight were being monitored but none of them had exhibited any symptoms so far, the news agency reported….

Now you know — and if the stadium in Orlando is squeegeed off… go Buffs, go — at 2:30 pm Eastern, on Fox Sports! [Not since 1910-12 and Jim Thorpe has there been a player as dominant on both sides of the ball, on every play, as Travis Hunter. He plays 120 plus plays from scrimmage each outing — and thus sprints about seven miles per game, while absorbing around 20 crushing hits, and delivering another 15 of his own. His stat-line today? A receiving TD, along with 89 yards on 9 catches, no receptions against his coverage, a drive killing interception, and four solo tackles. And he did it all wearing a tee shirt under his pads that reads… “Bland”. IYK,YK. Heh.]

नमस्ते

Mirengoff Claims We Should Be Concerned About Some Staff Resignations — During Last Four Years.

~ condor ~ 5 Comments

Clearly, Paul is running low on ammo — regarding things to complain about (re Kamala).

He tells us there were 24 staffers, or six a year — that didn’t stay on for her coming presidency. Y A W N.

First, nothing would stop them from rejoining (many may have assessed that Joe wasn’t likely to win in 2024, and also wouldn’t step aside willingly).

Second, that’s normal turnover.

Finally, consider that nearly all of Tangerine’s cabinet level people were repeatedly fired, re-upped with new hires — and those in turn, fired… likely over 50 people (more than double Kamala, and almost all more senior roles than these 24). [That’s just off the top of my head, from unaided memory, BTW. The figure is likely much higher, if we count lower level people as Paul has, tonight.]

So — Paul well knows it: only one of these two candidates is a terrible leader of his own hand-picked team(s).

He’s the one with leaky Depends, and the one slathered in pumpkin hued concealer, from head to toe. As well as tons of bad cologne.

Yikes.

Out.

I Am Pretty Sure Lilly Hasn’t Much To Worry About, From Lemonaid Health…

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Disclosure: I am long Lilly. And I own no equity position in 23andMe. Now, with that out of the way. . .

As the latter public company struggles (see last week’s reporting here), it has sent a direct mail campaign out to its genomics customers, touting subsidiary Lemonaid’s ability to fill prescriptions, at a discount (likely by compounding). Wild — but the same API injection costs ~$1,200 to ~$1,500 a month from Lilly or Novo Nordic:

…Lose 15% of your body weight, starting at $299/month

Membership is only $49/month, medication charged separately

No hidden fees, no long-term commitment, and no additional fees for dosage increases while on the same medication

Ongoing, quality care from U.S.-licensed medical providers….

Not sure its mailing list is tightly fit to the “offer”. Hmm. These are strange times, indeed — at the personal genomics pioneer… so it goes.

To be fair, I should note that Lilly made a tactical mis-step last week, as a PR matter — by writing to thousands of US patients it suspects of buying compound pharmacy (low priced) GLP-1 products — asking for personal health information. The theory was that Lilly was protecting them from being harmed by unlicensed compounders — but most astute observers think that’s just… creepy.

Onward, up mountain… grinning.

नमस्ते

NAACP & NASA: Advancing STEM Career Choices

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Well, this is simply. . . excellent!

I’m in the valley, reloading groceries — so I’ll post this for Monday morning enjoyment — do read it all:

. . .During an event Thursday, NASA and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) signed a Space Act Agreement to increase engagement and equity for underrepresented students pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and to improve access to agency activities and opportunities.

“NASA and the NAACP share a longstanding commitment to attracting more diverse students to STEM education and ultimately careers,” said Shahra Lambert, senior advisor for engagement and equity, NASA headquarters. “This agreement reaffirms that commitment and solidifies a partnership that will enable us to expand opportunities for more students of color to build their STEM identity and gain real-world experience through NASA STEM education, mentorship, and career awareness. With the NAACP’s help we’ll be able to truly impact young minds who will be our future scientists, engineers, explorers and more.”

As part of the agreement, the NAACP will incorporate NASA STEM lessons, content, and themes into its Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) achievement program, which is a series of competitions where students compete for scholarships and other incentives in areas ranging from performing and culinary arts to business and STEM. In turn, NASA will provide guidance on programming, participate in information sharing, provide mentorship, and facilitate tours of NASA facilities when appropriate.

“Much like NASA, brave, brilliant, Black women were critical to the success of the NAACP,” said Leon W. Russell, Chairman of the NAACP Board of Directors. “For years, we’ve worked to increase the number of diverse STEM students by providing scholarships and establishing key initiatives. Through our ACT-SO program and this new partnership with NASA, both organizations will make even greater progress to help pave the way for more Katherine Johnsons and Mary Jacksons. By enacting today’s agreement, we hope to increase the number of Black and underrepresented students in the STEM fields and help them reach for the stars.”

While initial efforts will be led by NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, the umbrella agreement also allows for further collaboration and partnership in the future. Specifically, the agency and the NAACP will look to support certain areas of NASA’s Equity Action Plan. . . .

So, now you know. . . heading back up the mountain — grin!

नमस्ते

Tonight, 23 And Me’s Independent Board Members, In Unison, Have “Voted With Their Feet”…

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Many long term readers here will recall that I was a very early, “bleeding edge” adopter of the 23andMe genetic sequencing services — and attendant data delivery. We’ve been following the story since late 2013 (even prior to any FDA approvals), pretty closely.

Since we last mentioned it, the company went public, and added a truly independent board. Then COVID-19 cratered whatever incremental sales and monetization plans the company had articulated. The outside large shareholders then grew impatient for an upside, or an exit plan. The response? “Let’s just go private — again.” Not a great strategy (for minority shareholders), even in the best of times. So, the stock has gone from ~$10, to $0.36, tonight.

It is not clear that the company will now remain intact, in this present form. Here’s the story:

…The board includes Sequoia Capital’s Roelof Botha as well as Neal Mohan, who took the helm as CEO of YouTube last year after Susan Wojcicki, Anne’s late sister, stepped down.

“After months of work, we have yet to receive from you a fully financed, fully diligenced, actionable proposal that is in the best interests of the non-affiliated shareholders,” Botha, Mohan et al wrote in a letter addressed to Wojcicki. “While we continue to wholeheartedly support the Company’s mission and believe deeply in the value of the personalized health and wellness offering that you have articulated, it is also clear that we differ on the strategic direction for the Company going forward.”

Due to that difference—and the fact that Wojcicki controls 49% of 23andMe votes—they resigned. Wojcicki is now the only board member left….

The company has been flailing this year. Last month, in a recent bid for cash, it began writing [sic — “filling” would be a better word, here] prescriptions for GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy through its telehealth subsidiary, Lemonaid Health….

We will check back in on this, when we come down mountain… in about ten days, but it may be… a completely different story, by then. It usually is — in these dramas. Onward, smiling….

नमस्ते

Idolizing… The Guy Leading Sodom and Gomorrah, John!?

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Tonight, Hinderaker would tell us that “persuadables” will find pro-Trump country ditties… vote winning. Emotional appeals, set to music — songs.

Color me decidedly… skeptical.

Kamala makes FACTUAL appeals, on the other hand — ones which are not just coincidentally deeply evocative, emotional appeals — as well… because it is a fact that at least two women bled out — in a parking lot, instead of getting family health services. This happened in two states where doctors are afraid they will go to jail if they save the woman’s life… before she is very near death.

That is an emotional appeal, driven specifically by hard factual truths — that radiate from “legal changes” — that Tangerine pushed through some red state houses, and the Supremes.

That sort of “Gomorrah governance” will drive Democratic turnout, among women (even women who previously voted Trump)… to a far greater degree, than some yokel crooning about a mythical “fighter”. [It will drive truly moral men, too.]

So much so, that I can’t wait for November to pop up — on my calendar.

Cheers, son.

Pembrolizumab Snags FDA Approval For Unresectable Advanced Or Metastatic Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma… Cool!

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This is very good news for mesthelioma sufferers, some 30,000 world wide.

And, even so… it is highly likely that oncologists have already been dosing the more dire cases, “off-label”, for a few years now. In any event, here is the latest — from the Rahway press release:

…[Merck] today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved KEYTRUDA, Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, in combination with pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy, for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).

The approval is based on data from the pivotal Phase 2/3 IND.227/KEYNOTE-483 trial. In IND.227/KEYNOTE-483, KEYTRUDA plus chemotherapy demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in overall survival (OS), reducing the risk of death by 21% (HR=0.79 [95% CI, 0.64-0.98]; p=0.0162) compared to chemotherapy alone at the trial’s pre-specified final analysis. Median OS was 17.3 months (95% CI, 14.4-21.3) for KEYTRUDA plus chemotherapy versus 16.1 months (95% CI, 13.1-18.2) for chemotherapy alone. KEYTRUDA plus chemotherapy also significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) versus chemotherapy alone (HR=0.80 [95% CI, 0.65-0.99], p=0.0194; median PFS 7.1 months [95% CI, 6.9-8.1] versus 7.1 months [95% CI, 6.8-7.7], respectively).

Overall response rate (ORR) was significantly higher for KEYTRUDA plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone (52% [95% CI, 45.5-59.0] versus 29% [95% CI, 23.0-35.4], respectively; p<0.00001). Adverse reactions occurring in patients with MPM were generally similar to those in other patients receiving KEYTRUDA in combination with pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy….

Malignant mesothelioma is a type of cancer that starts in the linings of certain parts of the body, including the chest, abdomen, heart and testicles. Worldwide, it is estimated there were more than 30,000 new cases of mesothelioma diagnosed and more than 25,000 deaths from the disease in 2022. Pleural mesothelioma, which develops in the lining of the lungs, is the most common form of malignant mesothelioma, accounting for about 75% of all cases. Malignant pleural mesothelioma can progress rapidly, and the five-year survival rate for all stages for cases diagnosed in the U.S. from 2014-2020 was 12.8%….

Now you know. And… I’m the ghost — with the… most, babe! Grin.

नमस्ते

To Sum Up… The Exploding Mid-East Devices: Wrong, Scott.

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Scott lauds the two days of this.

I think a NYT editorialist said… it best (for me): this all evinces a tactical “success” — without any real strategic goal.

That pretty much… nails it for me. Sure since it’s not an official declared war, we cannot make the technical argument that these attacks violate the Geneva Conventions. But they do. And our own US — but modern, and international “law of war” treaties, ever since then plainly prohibit “booby trapped” consumer devices, like pagers and walkie-talkies.

Indeed, anyone with a working forebrain knows this use of explosives disguised as comms devices… is killing women and children — many of whom are not involved. This morning, at a funeral for one of yesterday’s pager attack deaths, a second device — a “walkie talkie”, was detonated — and it clearly injured women and children at a funeral — during prayer (video available… everywhere). This. Is. Not. Acceptable.

Thus, these tactics are largely indistinguishable from… terrorism.

Moreover, there is a high likelihood that this mostly leads to a hardening — a hardening of the positions taken by much of the EU… that Israel’s military is untethered — and that Bibi, and the IDF just needs to… stop. Cease-fire.

Onward.

Mayhem for mayhem’s sake… seems… illogical.

And I say that as a supporter of Israel.

That’s all I’ve got.