1. Warning Labels on Media, 2. Galileo Gambit, 3. Autistic Muppet, ↕4. Mosquito Borne, 5. Medical Astrology, 6. Hominoidea Extinction, 7. Default Chart Modification, 8. Altruism vs Exploitation, 9. Swiss Planning, 10. Mumps, 11. Spinning Murder, 12. Noise and Health, 13. Law Ecology, 14. Desertfication.
-1. Continuation of 170312-1↓. This Is Now What Happens When You Try to Post Fake News on Facebook. Fact Checkers’ Code of Principles as applies to Parademic Weekly Notes. Commitment to: 1) Nonpartisanship and Fairness. Hard to comply with this one. At this time valid information tends to be from “liberal” sources, while invalid ones tend to be from “conservative”. 2) Transparency of Sources. Direct link to the source should fulfill this. 3) Transparency of Funding & Organization. Easy one, there is none. 4) Transparency of Methodology. Another gimme. The blog is the method. 5) Open and Honest Corrections. This one is difficult to comply with. Some of the sources are in error. The blog itself uses the devices of grammar that are poorly stated, mispellings, and intentional error. Corrections are made to the curator’s own conclusions about parademic as evidence indicates, but with humans and biology it is never possible to be absolutely sure about anything. ¶ Twitter’s Policy on Offensive Content indicates that it will never dispute information. It does have some rules, but apparently very weak enforcement of them [Photoshop, Cartoon].
-A. In a sense all news, media, communication is fake news. There are always biases, making things fit an overall narrative, rules of grammar, good closure, selection of what’s pertinent and information gaps. Any source of information should not be blindly trusted. The problem is when one chooses to trust something without verifying and in what areas and ways a source can be trusted. Moreover can you be trusted as a source and open about what skews the information you provide and leave out.
-1.1. This is moving into legal action. Tw itter Inc. Takes Legal Action in Court Against its Most Infamous User, Donald Trump, Trump Adviser Calls Twitter Critic, Threatens Legal Action. Facebook and Twitter Could Pay the Price for Hate Speech. But who determines when the line is crossed between free speech and fake news and/or hate speech, Facebook & Twitter: Remove insults to Islam or Muhammad. Will this become censorship or safety. The parademic interests favor safety related to medical advice, but would HHS, FDA, AMA, other agency, NGO or self appointed experts be the arbitrator. Health Information on the Internet, Common Jellyfish Sting Recommendations Can Make Stings Worse, Ken Jeong Answers Medical Questions from Twitter (Video). Tweeting in Times of Emergency, The Emergence of the White Troll Behind a Black Face with fake Twitter accounts; All Trolled Up [Photo, Icon]. ¶ Google Promises to Keep Ads off 'Hateful, Offensive' YouTube Content, ads appeared on content that was not aligned with their values. Frustrated with Ads Appearing next to Offensive Content, Havas Pulls U.K. Spending from Google and YouTube, Google's Bad Week: YouTube Loses Millions asAdvertising Row Reaches US. This social contagion of hate speech and extremist view has been present for a long time, the current social distancing is typical of over reaction when discovering a contagion sitting next to you.
-Quote: A society that gets rid of all its troublemakers goes downhill. – Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love [Cover]
-1.2. The Earth Is Flat. Check Wikipedia. For the world's largest crowdsourced encyclopedia, combating myths like this is nothing new. It started at the same time as Wikipedia 16 years ago. To combat misinformation, Wikipedia has developed a robust corps of volunteer editors. Anyone can write new entries and scrutinize existing ones for adherence to Wikipedia's rules on sourcing and neutrality. While it's not free of errors or pranks, what results is a resource that 50 million people turn to daily on hundreds of thousands of topics in a few dozen languages. ¶ Today, educators are among those more concerned than ever with standards of truth and evidence and with the lightning fast spread of misinformation online. The Wiki Education Foundation is sharing Wikipedia's methods with a growing number of college students, striking a blow for information literacy along the way 2.1↓. ¶ There is another source of fake news, Science Sting Exposes How Corrupt Some Journal Publishers Are.
-1.3. Trump’s Claim of Doctors Fleeing the Profession Rings False. Doctors in the US actively caring for patients grew from 799,501 in 2010, when the ACA became law, to 860,939 in 2015. Change in the medical profession has brought discontent among doctors: shift in the way doctors are paid, paperwork requirements and retirement plans. A Fact Check Finds Many Misleading Letters from Lawmakers on Health Care. ¶ Trump Says Republicans Will Lose In 2018 If They Don't Support GOP Health Care Bill, Dems See Trumpcare Fallout as 2018 Opportunity, Thousands of Would Be Democrat Candidates Flood States in Trump Backlash, GOP Rep: Trump Could Be 'One Term President' If Healthcare Bill Passes [f2 Cartoon, Cartoon]. Anxiety Disorders Induced by Trump Presidency Not Covered Under GOP Health Bill. Trump Tells GOP Critics of Health Care Bill: ‘I’m Gonna Come after You’ “Oh, he was kidding around. I think”, which has been seen before 170319-2.1, 170220-5.10T↓. Trump Didn't Quite Close the Deal with House GOP on Obamacare Repeal Bill. Americans Worry, Cheer as Congress Moves to Upend the Affordable Care Act [Cartoon, Cartoon]. In a Do or Die Moment, Republicans Come Undone. Trump Delivers Ultimatum: Pass Health Bill Friday or He’ll Move on. [Tweet, Cartoon, Cartoon]. GOP Leaders Punt on Health Care Bill, Postponing Vote. Republicans Kill Health Care Vote as GOP Members Defect [Cartoon, Cartoon, Cartoon]. Fact Check: Misleading Claims on the Health Bill, The 70 Times Trump Has Tweeted about Repealing and Replacing Obamacare [Tweet]. Congress Passes Canadian Health Care Act: Let’s Just Mooch Off the Canadians. ¶ The ACA’s Future Is in Trump’s Hands. His Plan: ‘Let Obamacare Explode’. Twitter's Best Reaction to President Trump Pulling the Health Care Bill, The Best Reactions to Trump Pulling the Republican Healthcare Bill [Tweet]. Not the President’s Fault, but Exactly What He Wanted, Trump Says He Never Promised to Quickly Repeal Obamacare. Here’s a Bunch of Times He Promised Exactly That. A Huge Sigh of Relief on Health Care. Lawmakers Signal Fight for Healthcare Reform Is Not Over [Cartoon, Cartoon], New Anxieties as Trump Says Obamacare Will 'Explode' [Cartoon], in fact one should watch what is done to assure that the ACA explodes [Meme], in part with underfunding*. We may see a repeat of an anniversary Mar 26, 1950, McCarthy Charges That Owen Lattimore Is a Soviet Spy. ¶ Inspector General to Review Pullback of HealthCare.gov Ads 170129-T.1↓.
-*. In fact with 60+ attempts to repeal and prevent the ACA it is likely things will get real ugly, especially in other populist issues such as tax, environment, immigration, decreasing the size of government and deficit, getting rid of controls and regulations that cut into business profit . Ex CDC Director: History Proves the Dangers of Underfunded Health Programs. 21st Century Health Threats Need Optimal Budgeting – Health Security Is a National Issue. The Realities of Global Health Security. This Is How the World Gets Sick. The Real Threat to National Security: Deadly Disease. 170319-5.2*↓.
-1.4. 7 Psychological Concepts That Explain the Trump Era of Politics. 1) Motivated reasoning: rooting for a team changes your perception of the world. 2) People who are the most well informed about politics are often the most stubborn about it. 3) Evolution has left us with an “immune system” for uncomfortable thoughts. 4) The argument that’s most convincing to you is not convincing to your ideological opponents. 5) Many people seem unashamed of their prejudices. 6) Fear has a powerful influence on political opinion. 7) Social norms that protect against prejudice can change in the blink of an eye. Media speculation about Trump’s narcissism, inability to let go of minor slights, perseveration that he is not wrong, poor impulse control, his conspiracy theory beliefs, magical thinking, fear of outsiders, and obsession with loyalty [Tweet] to himself, collectively are trending toward being reported as paranoia. However is it paranoia if indeed everyone hates him and/or stabbing him in the back. A neurotic is a man who builds a castle in the air. A psychotic is the man who lives in it. A psychiatrist is the man who collects the rent. But what if the person both builds and lives in an empire of physical castles (albeit some are bankrupt sand castles), and is the landlord that gets paid.Paranoia is a form of parademic that accelerates biodisaster. [Cartoon]. 2016 Didn’t Just Give Us Fake News. It Likely Gave Us False Memories 5.1↓. You're an Expert at Avoiding Information You Don't Want to Know. Here's Why.
-1.5. 'The Resistance' Faces a New Question: What to Do with All That Money. Progressive groups like Planned Parenthood have enjoyed a fundraising bonanza since the election of Donald Trump. The challenge for these groups is to use the windfall effectively. Unintended consequences tend to co-occur with extreme actions, in this case supporting those who one was opposed to. 170205-T.B•Aiding the enemy↓.
-2. The Galileo Gambit: Just Because Your Quackery Is Rejected by the Establishment Does Not Make You Galileo or Semmelweis. Quacks love to invoke experts who made predictions that turned out to be wrong or point to Galileo or Semmelweis as examples of scientists whose findings were rejected by the scientific or medical establishment of the time, as though poor prediction or rejection by the establishment means there must be something to their science. As Michael Shermer put it, heresy does not equal correctness. [Ad, Game, Cover]. Antivaccine Hero Andrew Wakefield: Scientific Fraud. Galileo, Semmelweis, and You. Galileo Gambit. #Book That Voodoo That You Do [Cover] possibly a combination of titles to include Do Do That Voodoo That You Do So Well. 170122-2↓.
-2.1. Critical Thinking Instruction in Humanities Reduces Belief in Pseudoscience significantly reducing student beliefs in pseudoscience that is unsupported by facts 1.2↑. ¶ The control group of psychology students did not change their beliefs – but students in both history courses had lower beliefs in pseudoscience by the end of the semester. The Need for Critical Thinking.
-3. Sesame Street to Introduce Julia, a Muppet with Autism. Some characters are confused by Julia’s behavior, but they come to embrace her differences. This is not the first time that "Sesame Street" has presented an important, but delicate subject to its young audience. The show has previously covered topics like divorce, incarceration and grief. The writers faced a unique challenge when creating Julia. They wanted to help normalize autism using a single character, but autism presents differently in each person with the disorder. So the team collaborated with autism experts to select a series of traits that would best represent a child on the spectrum. [Photo]. Characters with Disabilities. This fictional presentation of facts is more effective than factual presentation of fact (170319)-2.1*A, 170205-C.4↓ [Meme, Meme, Photo]. 8 Stereotype Shattering Sesame Street Characters. Sesame Street’s New Muppet with Autism Could Be Trump’s next Budget Victim. Sesame Street Introduces Autistic Character.
↕4. The original was not used in weekly notes, but still nice to know that CDC can still make corrections with new evidence and use the word condom. Correction: Zika Spring Break Travel Tips – March 20, 2017 6↓. After You Return From Your Trip: If you are not feeling well after your trip, see a doctor and mention that you traveled recently. ¶ If you have traveled to an area with Zika risk, take steps to prevent mosquito bites for 3 weeks after your trip. Even if you don't feel sick upon returning, take precautions so that you don't spread Zika to uninfected mosquitoes that can spread the virus to other people. ¶ Be sure to use condoms for at least 8 weeks (women) or 6 months (men) after travel to an area with Zika risk to protect your sex partners from transmission. ¶ If you traveled to an area with Zika risk and have a pregnant partner, use condoms correctly every time you have sex or do not have sex for the entire pregnancy.
-4.1. Use of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Considered in Houston. Officials are considering releasing genetically modified mosquitoes in Houston as part of the fight against the insects known to carry diseases such as the Zika virus. Texas has a strong anti-vax movement Trump Energizes the Anti-Vaccine Movement in Texas, Thanks Anti-Vaxxers. Mexico May End up Wanting That Wall as TX May Be on Verge of Measles Outbreak 170220-1.1A*, -5.8T↓, but Texan anti-GMO is weak Despite National Efforts, Texas Not Enthusiastic about GMO Labeling. Unlikely there will be the same level of resistance against GMO Mosquito as happened in Florida 170205-5.3↓+. On the other hand Texans may rally to protect their state bird [Postcard, Meme]. Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Wall’ at U.S.-Mexico Border Will Require Him to Take Big Swaths of Other People’s Land. *States Can Lower Risk of Measles Outbreak by Strengthening Exemption Policies. Massive Measles Outbreak in Romania: A Warning to the US.
-4.2. A contributing cause for mosquito spread is Climate Change, but is it considered a threat to one personally. How Americans Think About Climate Change, in Six Maps. Americans overwhelmingly believe that global warming is happening, and that carbon emissions should be scaled back. But fewer are sure that the changes will harm them personally. Maps Show Where Americans Care about Climate Change. The updated Yale Climate Opinion Maps 2016 suggest Americans' opinions on climate change differ sharply from that of the president. Interestingly the [Map] does not correlate exactly with areas and levels that are affected by climate change. There does appear to be a correlation between beliefs about climate change and how counties voted in the November 2016 election. A Country Divided by Counties [Map, Tweet], note that many large cities that did not vote Trump were subsumed by the county they were in, The Election Highlighted a Growing Rural-Urban Split. It is ironic that rural areas that have the least health care access Rural Health Disparities* are the ones that the Health Care Plan Championed by Trump Hurts Counties That Voted for Him, [Cartoon, Cartoon], In Trump Country, Voters Say He's Not to Blame for Health Bill Debacle. And It’s Not Their President 1.2↑. Your Vote in the 2016 Election Explains Almost Everything about Your Climate Beliefs.
-A. Trump’s Budget Would Cut Funding for Appalachia — and His Allies in Coal Country Are Livid. One of the programs threatened is the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) [Logo]. About ARC Project Grants Health Grants can be made for equipment and demonstration projects, and in special cases for renovation and construction of facilities. The ARC health program focuses on the development of rural primary care networks in distressed counties and areas. Eligible activities include support of rural health clinics and small hospitals; of programs that eliminate gaps in the delivery of health services, especially to children and the elderly; of projects that address infant mortality reduction, oral and mental health, and health planning activities; of telemedicine networks as a means of universal access to comprehensive health care; and of projects that increase the availability of health care workers. Examples of ARC Health Care Projects. West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources - Mosquito Borne Diseases. ¶ New Research Identifies a ‘Sea of Despair’ among White, Working Class Americans, Why the White Middle Class Is Dying Faster, Explained in 6 Charts, The Forces Driving Middle Aged White People's 'Deaths of Despair' [Strip], is there a correlation with being one of the groups that supported Trump, immigration ban**, reviving jobs that have no market, building a wall, magical thinking, conspiracy theory, and the most at risk if ACA is repealed 5.1, 14↓. Glaring Gaps: America Needs a Biodefense Upgrade. The Scarcity Trap: Why We Keep Digging When We're Stuck in a Hole. Los Angeles Health Clinic 'A Microcosm' of the Nation's Anxieties.
-*. ‘I Was Really Needed’: How an Iraqi Cardiologist Won Trust Deep in Trump Country, Doctors Caught in Middle as Travel Ban Intersects with Rural Recruitment, With an Eye on Doctor Shortages, AMA Asks Congress to Enact Law Protecting Immigrants, Trump’s Travel Ban, Aimed at Terrorists, Has Blocked Doctors, 170205-T.B•Threats to Life↓. J-1 Visa Waivers for Physicians to Work in Medically Underserved Areas, ARC J-1 Visa Waivers.
-**. How the Bloodiest Mutiny in British Naval History Helped Create American Political Asylum. The decade of the 1790s wasn’t necessarily friendly to asylum seekers. Although President George Washington favored a liberal immigration policy, limited to be sure to “white Europeans,” the French Revolution coupled with unrest in Ireland against British occupation contributed to a lapping tide of xenophobia in the early Republic, especially among leading members of the Federalist Party, who viewed England as a lone bastion of civil order in Europe. Nativist fears crested with congressional passage in 1798 of the Alien Acts, which granted President Adams, as Washington’s successor, the power to deport émigrés without due process of law. 170220-1.8↓. When Your Commute Includes Hearing ‘You Don’t Belong in This Country’. Immigration Lawyers Warn of Visa Delays and More Denials with Beefed up Vetting. Nativism, Violence, and the Origins of the Paranoid Style. 170220-5.8 et al↓.
-4.3. The Zika Virus Threat. How Concerns About Scientists May Undermine Efforts to Combat the Pandemic. Public polling shows that Americans are becoming increasingly concerned about the threat of Zika, and they question the government’s ability to limit its spread.1 What is less clear are the factors influencing perceptions of the Zika pandemic and support for governmental efforts to curb the spread of the virus. ¶ Key Findings: 1) Most New Hampshire residents currently view the Zika virus as only a minor threat to public health in the United States, and they trust the CDC as a source of information about Zika. 2) More than one third of New Hampshire residents believe emergency federal funding to combat Zika is a high priority, but most people are only somewhat confident in the government’s ability to curb the spread of the virus. 3) Nearly one half of New Hampshire residents agreed with the statement, “scientists adjust their findings to get the answers they want”. These individuals were significantly less likely to trust the CDC as a source of information about Zika. 4) Individuals who question the integrity of scientists are less likely to believe the Zika virus is a threat to public health, have confidence in government efforts to combat the virus, and to prioritize emergency federal funding for Zika. 5) These results suggest that the erosion of trust in scientists not only affects highly politicized issues but may also undermine efforts to curb the spread of infectious disease and protect public health. [Photo]
-4.4. Seven Months after Rio Olympics, Zika Continues to Plague Babies in Urban Slums. The near paranoia related to Zika leading up to the 2016 Rio Games could have been avoided by heeding the lessons* of previous epidemics. 9.1↓, 160828-1A, 160724-3.2A↓. ¶ Then there is the depopulation 9C↓ and deterioration Here Is What the Abandoned Venues of the Rio Olympics Look like Just 6 Months after the Games, in appearance similar to the aftermath of an accelerated biodisaster 170312-2.4C*↓. Zika: A Scourge in Urban Slums. Essentially this is part of the larger global trend that the rich become richer with more protection, while the poor become poorer (perceived as enriching the rich) and have less protection.
-*4.5. One of the lessons from Ebola was to increase more involvement of the locals. Guess what did not happen. Getting Pandemic Prevention Right. The voices of the countries most affected by Ebola have not been at the forefront of the numerous global commissions convened to review the crisis. The history of the HIV pandemic suggests that nuances of managing such a response need to come from those who managed the response and were most affected by it. ¶ Population Responses during the Pandemic Phase of the Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 Epidemic, Hong Kong, China. During August 2009-July 2010, we conducted 7 longitudinal telephone surveys among 503 adults in Hong Kong, China, to explore changes in their behavioral and psychological responses to the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus epidemic. Knowledge regarding preventive measures and adherence to such measures was, in general, higher among our participants than among the general population in other countries (e.g., Australia, India, and the Netherlands). The prevalence of misconceptions about some incorrect modes of transmission (e.g., insect bites) gradually declined; however, 50% still held at least 1 of the 4 misconceptions regarding transmission (i.e., airborne transmission over a long distance and transmission through insect bites, water sources, and well cooked pork). Over time, a lower percentage of participants avoided touching their eyes, nose, and mouth to prevent virus transmission. Perceived severity of pH1N1 virus infection decreased over time, which may partially explain the decline in distress and avoidance behaviors. An increasing proportion of participants believed that, compared with seasonal influenza, pH1N1 resulted in more deaths and more severe body damage. Perceived susceptibility to infection declined substantially as the epidemic progressed, suggesting that the public gradually perceived fewer risks from pH1N1 virus. Avoidance behaviors and use of facemasks in the absence of influenza like symptoms became less prevalent over time. Persons in Hong Kong seemed to remain rational during the pandemic, thereby avoiding possible pandemic associated economic threats. Public support for the government declined over time. This agrees with the general pattern that with greater knowledge the most appropriate measures/behaviors are adhered to. At the same time with greater familiarity/normalization and apparent decrease of risk protective behaviors decreased.
-5. March 20, 1345, Black Death Is Created, Allegedly. According to scholars at the University of Paris, the Black Death is created on this day in 1345, from what they call “a triple conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars in the 40th degree of Aquarius.. The Black Death, also known as the Plague, swept across Europe, the Middle East and Asia during the 14th century, leaving an estimated 25 million dead in its wake. ¶ Often, it was not the movement of stars that was blamed for the disease, but the minorities in the community. Witches and gypsies were frequent targets. Jewish people were tortured and burned to death by the thousands for supposedly causing the Black Death. Preachers claimed that the disease was God’s punishment for immorality. Many turned to prayer and those that did survive ascribed their good luck to their devotion, resulting in the rise of splinter religions and cults in the aftermath of the plague’s destruction. Alternatively, some resorted to useless home cures to try to avoid the disease, bathing in urine or menstrual blood in an attempt to deter it. Does not sound that different from today Medical Astrology. 160410-1↓. #Linguistics Things however have changed since the middle ages Yiddish to Be Introduced Into Official Medical Terminology.
-5.1. Another moral panic fiction had a milestone on March 23, 1984 Teachers are indicted at the McMartin Preschool. The debacle began on August 12, 1983 when it was reported to police that a mother believed her 2½ year old son had been molested at the McMartin Preschool. Less than a month into the investigation. On September 8, the Police Department sent out a form letter to more than 200 families, alerting them of an investigation into the allegations of child molestation and naming Ray Buckey as a suspect. The letter set off a wave of hysteria in the community. Compounding the problem, virtually every child who attended the school was sent to the Children’s Institute International, an organization that claimed it could get children to reveal abuse even when they didn’t want to talk about it. Unfortunately, CII easily manipulated children to reveal abuse when it had never actually happened. The larger incident that has been used in Parademic Weekly Notes as an analogues example of the witch hunting that literally occurs in parademic, is known as the Satanic Panic and tied to the Harry Potter Satanism 1.4↑. Moral panics are not a biodisaster, but can accelerate current biodisaster. Moral panic is usually about purifying from a contamination, it is still a practice among some groups toconsider people with a disease as unclean, that they are suffering a Devine retribution, and to stigmatize and even kill such unpure people. The Murder of the Handicapped. ¶ Empathy from the Sick May Be Critical to Halting Disease Outbreaks. The study pitted the self interests of susceptible individuals against those of infected persons, and found that only if sick persons took precautions to avoid infecting others could the illness be eradicated. Healthy people attempting to protect themselves couldn't, by themselves, stop the disease from spreading. Among the key factors was empathy of infected persons. If people feel threatened, even if there is no threat, they start to take more extreme measures to protect themselves 4.2A↑.
-6. Primate Parasite Network Analyses Show How Germs Jump from Host to Host 4↑. About 60 percent of the more than 500 known primate species face an extinction threat and more than three fourths of them are on the decline, due to loss of habitat, hunting and disease. Large chunks of the world's forests are succumbing to agriculture, mining and logging, bringing people, primates, pets and livestock into closer proximity. That juxtaposition sets the stage for more pathogens to jump between humans and our closest relatives. More than 20 percent of wild primate species harbor parasites capable of spilling over into humans. HIV, Ebola, yellow fever and respiratory viruses are examples of viruses shared by humans and wild primates. How an emerging pathogen spreads through a species tends to be 'a black box' until it causes an outbreak among people. The Zika virus, for instance, was first identified in monkeys in Uganda in 1947 but was not widely studied until recently, after it started sweeping through human populations. 160410-3.2↓. Worth paying attention to what is happening to our hominoidea cousins. If you however don’t believe that homo sap and other hominoidea share a common ancestor then this is not of concern.
-7. Happened to see chart 160410-4.3A↓ and saw it is inapplicable to BioTrumpism without modification. The original chart indicated that the best political default on biodisaster is to do nothing. BioTrumpism default about biodisaster is apparently to do something to take undue credit or lay blame on others Winning a Competition Predicts Future Dishonest Behavior. The original chart is based on Pandemic Flu, Lessons from 1918 (slides 47-50), which is currently unavailable but I am searching for another copy. This is a problem citing internet sources, they sometimes move or disappear. Destroyer and Teacher: Managing the Masses During the 1918-1919 Influenza Pandemic. Defining Leadership Options in a Disaster Response.
Absolutely Certain Decisions That Are Great (Someone Else is to Blame)
If I Do Nothing or Do Something and _____ happens
No Biodisaster Yertle the Turtle Gertrude McFuzz
Mild Biodisaster Gilderoy Lockhart Nero
Severe Biodisaster Emperor Clothes Darth Sidious
-Quote: The risk is that you’ll make a bad situation worse, and I certainly don’t recommend this approach to everyone. But my experience is that if you’re fighting for something you believe in – even if it means alienating some people along the way – things usually work out for the best in the end. – Donald Trump, The Art of The Deal
-7.1. Establishing a Broader Context is an important task for the historian (social scientist). Doing so shows that events do not occur in a historical (social) vacuum: just as any event is subject to the immediate dynamic of cause and effect, so too, by stepping back, the historian recognizes larger relationships between events and issues as they unfold over time. Just as biodiaster and parademic cannot be fully understood by focusing on a specific type of biothreat in a specific area for a stated time, one needs the larger context to understand #BioTrumpism. This larger context is: What happened years (longue duree(Search)), if not centuries before that still continue to influence the current situation or event; The larger area that influence and is influenced by the hot zone of the biodisaster; The goals for the future(s), which shape the present; The acts of individuals, groups, cultures; the languages; the stories; human physiology and anatomy; biology; ecological systems, biomes and biosphere; infrastructures; technology. Then one must think about how all these interact. Parademic leaves out the larger context, the total picture of Trumpism and focuses on the BioTrumpism, but one is making a mistake if the full context is not explored. This is sometimes called systems thinking or holism. Elaborating on Systems Thinking in Health Promotion Practice, Complexity Science in Brief, Systems Theory in Anthropology, [Chart].
-8. ∩ People Remain Calm as the World Ends, Video Game Study Suggests. As the world ends, will you lock arms and sing 'Kumbayah' or embark on a path of law breaking, antisocial behavior.A new study, based upon the virtual actions of more than 80,000 players of the role playing video game ArcheAge, suggests you'll be singing. The study found that despite some violent acts, most players tended toward behavior that was helpful to others as their virtual world came to an end. ¶ The results have limitations – namely that they are based upon a video game, not real life. Nevertheless, researchers argue that the study offers a realistic view into the behavior of people in an end of times scenario. I Would Not Plant Apple Trees If the World Will Be Wiped: Analyzing Hundreds of Millions of Behavioral Records of Players During an MMORPG Beta Test. Parademic has used multi player role playing games in the past as virtual pandemic analogues, Corrupted Blood(Search), Deadly Plague Hits Warcraft World. ¶ Though this supports my bias that competition or cooperation are more a function of human factors at the time of the biodisaster, real world evidence is more of a mix of cooperation/altruism and competition/exploitation. There appears to be more altruism than exploitation, but the impact of antisocial behavior is more heavily reported and has more dramatic impact. This impact can cause more harm than is caused by the biodisaster, or is synergised by the biodisater. Much of the helping behavior is mitigating this negative selfish act, not the biodisaster agent itself. How MMO Diseases May Save Real Lives.
-8.1. Altruism begets altruism, When the US Funds Global Health, Other Countries Do Too. In President Trump's proposed budget, there's a $54 billion bump in military spending. US foreign aid would be cut by 28 percent. Global health spending beyond AIDS, malaria and vaccines will suffer; McConnell Rejects Trump’s Proposed Cuts to Foreign Aid, Medical Research. Breaking trust begets continued mistrust, After Bringing Cholera to Haiti, UN Can't Raise Money to Fight It. When the leader of the UN apologized to Haitians for the cholera epidemic that has ravaged their country for more than 6 years – caused by infected peacekeepers sent to protect them – he proclaimed a "moral responsibility" to make things right. U.N. Raises Only about $2M of $400M for Haiti Cholera Fund. UN Accepts Blame but Dodges the Bill in Haiti.
-8.2. And then there are the behaviors of outraged righteousness activists, often times attacking those who are trying to make things better, because they are not making things even better as they define better, Gates Foundation’s Rose Colored World View Not Supported by Evidence. Though health inequity is a real problem, it is not the most effective way to give constructive criticisms, and does nothing to help improve the program. It can in fact cause more harm that good as this article can be used by those who have attacked the Gates programs with “proof”. Why Perfect Is the Enemy of Good.
-9. I was intrigued by 170312-11↓ and asked the author question: “ What was the reasoning for placing the “2014 – 2015 Ebola epidemic” (chart, page 3 ), as a Social disaster, instead as a Natural one was not covered. Was this because of social issues such as poverty, dense populations, slow response, panic, social disruption, economic downturn, potential of reigniting civil war, or other reason(s)”. They sent the following answer with a link to ahe reference. “You’re raising an interesting question. When categorizing the different hazards, we simply followed the typology used by the Swiss risk report and other studies Disasters and Emergencies in Switzerland 2015. My understanding is that pandemics are not specifically social due to the sociopolitical aspects that you mention (I’d argue that social factors are central in most forms of disasters), but rather because their emergence directly depends on human interaction”.
-A. In addition to the different terminology, it is interesting to compare the Swiss Perspective (mental templates) to Emergency Management of the US. They split what is combined in the US, and not noting some events that are considered risks in the US. What they would consider a disaster, are normal conditions in the US. Differences in what belongs to larger categories and the categories differ. Much of this are due to different disaster histories, comparative size [Map], being in a single time zone (US areas of responsibility is 10 zones wide, to include crossing the international date line), terrain, weather, being multilingual as a norm. The following chart is taken from the reference:
33 Events That Could Strike at Any Time
Natural Hazards Societally Induced Hazards Technically Induced Hazards
Severe Weather Radiological Attack Electricity Outage
Flooding Biological Attack Road Accident with Hazardous Materials (HazMat)
Storms Chemical Attack Accident in a Chemical Plant
Heavy Snowfall Mass Migration of Refugees Accident in a Nuclear Power Plant
Cold Spell Epidemic/Pandemic Crash of Flying Object
Solar Storm Conventional Attack Rail Accident Involving Hazardous Material
Drought Animal Disease Interference with Navigation Routes
Invasive Plants Cyber Attacks Dam Incident
Forest Fire Violent Unrest Accident in a Biological Plant
Meteorite Electricity Shortage Gas Supply Failure
Earthquake ICT Failure (Information and Communications Technology)
Heatwave
-B. Note also that all of these (except air crash and even that is possible [Photo, Photo, Cartoon, Photo]) are all potential biodisaster. There were some areas that were not covered in relation to parademic. Biodisaster have no respect for national borders and will cross jurisdictions Switzerland Bans Meat Imports from Four Brazilian Sites. Populations can be displaced inside a nation, as well as areas being depopulated. Displaced populations and depopulated* areas. Invasive include animals, pests and insects. There are pollution, contamination and ecological threats. Does not have a Critical Infrastructure Category, though aspects are stated. Does not appear to consider disruption of supply and distribution of daily life support needs. Mass casualties and fatalities was not specified. Accidents were stated but intentional acts were not. One area that was emphasized was what used to be called Civil Defense in the US which but that is now lost at the national level in favor Critical Infrastructure and Continuity.
-*C. One of the differences of biodisaster is that the demographic changes can be profoundly different from geodisasters. It is more than resilience it’s: recover, replacement, renew, recession, repopulate 4.4↑, return, repair, recovery of bodies. Who Leaves, Who Comes Back. When a community endures catastrophic damage, residents must evacuate. One of the hallmarks of a resilient community is that most of the residents come back. But what we don’t know is who will or won’t return. While I don’t have the answer let me illuminate the question a bit, if only so those of you smarter than me can see it more clearly.
-9.1. Growing Isolation of Poor Helps Explain Changes in Concentrated Poverty. Concentrated poverty – neighborhoods where 40 percent of the population or more lives below the federal poverty level – is back on the rise for all ethnic groups in the United States, according to demographers. 4.4↑.
-10. Mumps Outbreak Tied to Vaccine Shortfalls. Of interest because Fox News previously tended toward anti-vax until 2016, Anti-Vaccine Mothers Speak out amid Backlash (2015), The Danger of Ignoring Vaccines – and a Solution (2016). Social Media, Math and the Mystery of a Mumps Outbreak. Since August 2016, there have been nearly 3,000 cases of mumps diagnosed in Arkansas. A epidemiologist explains how her team used online data and mathematical modeling to understand the outbreak. 161211-5 et al, 160410-2↓. Since Mumps vaccination began in 1967 Mumps cases dropped Mumps Cases and Outbreaks, until 1998 with the Wakefield Fake MMR Vaccine study, The MMR Vaccine and Autism: Sensation, Refutation, Retraction, and Fraud. Due to having a lower Ro (4-7) than measles (12-18), the cases of Mumps re-emergence tracks differently than Measles [Chart ]. Mumps also apparently requires boosters. Like Pertussis/ Whooping Cough, because of the success of the vaccine, there were less repeat exposures to reactivate immunity Mumps Cases Spike, Raising Questions about Need for Vaccine Boosters. Vaccine complacency for boosters set in and males were vulnerable to the disease when it could sterilize them. ¶ Unknown if the Trump-Fox conflict in 2016 contributed to Trump supporters not supporting Fox, and looking for a replacement changing the editorial policy toward more provaccine. On the other hand the Mumps spike in 2016 and weight of evidence about vaccines did. NOTE: I am not an epidemiologist and this stub may have errors. This is another reason why I usually do not cover clinical aspects of disease outbreaks. My research of seven years does not make me an expert on vaccination itself. I can only claim more than average knowledge of the social aspects (parademic) of vaccination. Mumps Cases up 900% in Six Years.
-10.1. Out of Tragedy, a Campaign to Increase Vaccine Uptake in Michigan. I’ve written before about how our vaccination rate here in Michigan are…suboptimal. Indeed, a couple of years ago, health officials were so alarmed at the increases in personal belief exemptions to school vaccine mandates that a new regulation was instituted that require parents seeking nonmedical exemptions to school vaccine mandates to travel to an office of the state health department in order to receive instruction about vaccines. They can still get their personal belief exemption, but not without first undergoing instruction. This has a certain appeal. It still would be taking away individual rights, but the punishment is travel and having to set through a class, rather than exclusion or other fines. It’s also a fun reversal on the idea that if someone wants an abortion they have to receive “instruction”. In my opinion this will not be as effective as mandatory requirements, but is certainly more palatable. It also leaves the problem that now someone can knowingly put other people at risk. If a death occurs due to an unvaxxed infecting someone with a medical exemption that could be the grounds for legal action. Another Child Suffers From the Effects of Anti-Vaccine Propaganda…and Tetanus, Vaccination Debate Flares on NSW North Coast after 7 Year Old Contracts Tetanus. Bill Aiming to Boost Vaccination Rates Dies.
-11. Follow up on 170312-3↓. Naturopaths Cynically Use the Murder of a Quack to Promote Naturopathic Licensure. The grieving widower killed the naturopath who treated his wife with cancer after telling her that "chemo is for losers". Where I see a tragedy, naturopaths see an opportunity to argue for naturopathic licensure. There are example of alternative medicine practitioners dying and conspiracy theory that BigPharma is killing them, and excuses made that someone killed by alternative medicine was not their fault. This is the first I have seen where the murder of a alternative MD was spin to turn that tragedy into their advantage. An as Yet Unidentified “Holistic” Practitioner Negligently Kills a Young Woman with IV Turmeric (Yes, Intravenous).
-12. How Noisy Is Your Neighborhood. Now There's a Map for That. For the first time, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics has released a handy map tracing the noise produced by airports and interstate highways in locations across the U.S. This has implications for parademic. There is a correlation with Disappearing Darkness [Map]. Light and noise impact on health 5 Ways That Being a Night Owl Can Harm Your Health, Health Effects from Noise. Being a transportation map this would correlate with disease spread if infected individuals escape by air or land to other areas. Then combine This Is an Incredible Visualization of the World's Shipping Routes and one has the route of human vector spread of disease, invasive species, pollutants, climate change and other biodisaster\fs24plain . [Photo, Earth hour. Give an idea of light pollution, but also could be a scene from a biodisaster depopulation].
-12.1. When Air Pollution Is Bad, Know How to Protect Yourself. There are steps we can take to protect ourselves and our families from air pollution, which has well documented negative consequences for childhood asthma, birth outcomes, pregnancy risks, cardiovascular health, and other diseases. The World Health Organization reported this month that pollution and environmental risks are responsible for 1.7 million child deaths per year. Around the world, pollution is constantly taking a toll on our health – and oz one pollution is especially problematic when the weather gets warmer. Though of course we want to protect ourselves and families from pollution but there is a problem with the anthropocentric* view. Not just humans are harmed by pollution and heat. It is the whole ecosystem (to include microbiomes). Plants, fish, birds, animals, microorganisms suffer equivalents to human asthma, birth outcomes, pregnancy risk, cardiovascular health, allergies, rashes, lowered immunity, genetic damage, selective pressures, and other conditions and diseases from pollution and contaminants. Ultimately if the rest of the ecosystem is harmed then humans are. *How the Word 'You' Helps Us Deal with Negative Experiences.
-12.2. Quiz: How Much Do You Know about Global Pandemics and Killer Viruses. Our global health team has just finished up a series called What Causes Pandemics. We Do. In radio and online stories, we looked at the causes behind our new hyperinfectious era. We'll continue covering this topic in future stories, but we thought our readers might want a chance to brush up on their pandemic facts. So roll up your sleeves, wash your hands and then try this quiz. I got 100% but I suspect that is because I had read the articles and knew which myths were the “correct” answer. 80-90% likely know more, and likely those who would take this quiz will also be more familiar with pandemic than the general population. 90-100% 1,248 people, 80-89% 1,500 people, 70--79% 2,118 people, 60-69% 2,292 people, 50-59% 2,657 people, 40-49% 326 people, 30-39% 83 people, 20-29% 11 people, 10-19% 8 people, 0-9% 3 people.
-13. A frequent problem in parademic is that law is way behind medical practices, knowledge, biotechnology. This is exacerbated that laws for global biodisaster are not coordinated. Soft Law: New Tools for Governing Emerging Technologies. As governments around the world struggle to govern a multitude of emerging technologies, they often seek to harmonize their regulatory approaches. There are at least 10 different reasons why nations may seek to harmonize their oversight of a specific technology, and discerning which of these rationales will apply to a specific technology is critical for selecting the optimal harmonization approach. The traditional approach is the negotiation of formal international treaties, but, as exemplified by the challenges of (Bio/Health)security, such treaty based approaches are too resource intensive and difficult to be effective for most technologies. Accordingly, a new generation of informal international governance tools are being explored, often grouped under the term “soft law”. They include private standards, guidelines, codes of conduct, and forums for transnational dialogue.
-A. The reasons of harmonizing – and these will differ for different emerging technologies and change over time – are: 1) Enhance mutual security, but this may require giving up or sharing an advantage. 2) Fairly share the burden of achieving an international goal, some countries may get a free ride at the expense of other nations that are willing to make sacrifices. 3) Where there is a need to establish a commonly agreed goal, where the actions of a single country can have global impacts. 4) Minimize international trade disputes. For genetically modified foods there have been billions of dollars in economic injuries from blocked shipments and testing requirements. 5) Ensure safe exports and imports. Exported products could harm the population of the importing nation. 6) Ensure equal rights and protection for citizens of all nations. Harmonized standards can prevent a “race to the bottom” in which countries may be tempted to adopt more lenient and less protective standards in domains such as environmental protection, in order to attract investments, jobs, and tax revenues (BioTrumpism). 7) Avoid medical tourism. To the extent these practices are viewed as unsafe or unethical, harmonized standards can help eliminate the need for, or appeal of, medical tourism. 8) Protect against transboundary impacts (Multi Jurisdictions). For example, toxic air pollutants emitted by one nation may cross into the territory of another country and cause harm. 9) Promote efficiency with aligned requirements worldwide. 10). Regulation efficiency to share the workload and avoid duplication of efforts (Mutual Aid and Cost Sharing).
-14. What Really Turned the Sahara Desert From a Green Oasis Into a Wasteland. 10,000 years ago, this iconic desert was unrecognizable. A new hypothesis suggests that humans may have tipped the balance. ¶ The archaeological and environmental data shows a pattern. Wherever the archaeological record showed the presence of “pastoralists” – humans with their domesticated animals – there was a corresponding change in the types and variety of plants. It was as if, every time humans and their goats and cattle hopscotched across the grasslands, they had turned everything to scrub and desert in their wake. 4.2A↑. 6 Ghost Towns and Abandoned Cities of Africa [Photo], Chinguetti, "Lost" Fortresses of Sahara Revealed by Satellites, Castles of 'Lost Cities' Revealed in Libyan Desert. There may not be evidence of abandoned cities solely due to disease, but climate changes or sea level rise and desertfication. These phenomena are alsoaccompanied by disease, and parademic to save the city was probably the final blow. ¶ One of the worst problems after a wild fire or drought is rain. After Intense Downpour, Superblooming California Has a Problem. In a word: weeds. Fearing Disease, Kenyans Burn Animal Carcasses as Drought Deepens. Drought Stricken Somalia Battles Hunger and Cholera. ¶ There is also the human caused biodisaster that comes not from action, but inaction via policy. How Eliminating Two EPA Programs Could Affect Large Parts of America, EPA Chief: Trump to Undo Obama Plan to Curb Global Warming.
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