On Oct. 30, 2001, Pres. George Bush is about to throw first pitch at Yankee Stadium and Derek Jeter tells him, “Don’t bounce it, they’ll boo you.” World Series Game 3
“Nearly 3,000 children under the age of 18lost a parent on Sept 11. The average age was 9. A total of 108 were born in the months after their fathers died.”…
“Then the crowd let out a collective gasp, I looked to see the first of many people falling through the sky. The television stations and the newspapers downplayed this aspect of a day already filled with enough shock and terror, but I place great importance on it because it immediately human-ised the situation for both myself and those around me. This wasn’t just a burning building; it was suddenly full of people, friends, and family.
For me, it is the most haunting memory of the day. When I focussed on
what the crowd had noticed, I too let out a cry so involuntary and so
primeval that I barely recognised it as my own. It was not a piece of
building falling to the ground,but a man, recognisable by his flapping tie
and flailing arms and legs as he fell through the air. The situation
was surreal no longer; my body shook with shock, my knees buckled and a
light-headedness overwhelmed me with such severity that I thought I was
either going to throw-up or fall down.
I sat down and looked uponly to see more people jumping. I thought for a moment that they might have fallen, but there were too many people, their arms windmilling as they subconsciously tried to fight gravity and avoid the inevitable.
Haunted by these visions numerous times since the incident, I have
tormented myself by trying to imagine the extreme conditions that those
people must have faced that they should choose certain death by leaping
from the building over clinging to any hope of rescue. What were they
thinking when they jumped; what did they think on the way down?…But my
fear is thatto forget is to fail the lesson
and lose the opportunity. That’s why this raw wound will never
completely heal and that things can never go back to ‘normal’. Because
even as a simple bystander I have a responsibility to incite change for the rest of my life or I watched all those people die in vain.”
Everyone who takes a Covid PCR test is entitled to see their Ct score. States should forbid reporting of “cases” without corresponding Ct scores. Rhode Island Ct numbers acquired via FOIA-Todd Kenyon, 1/8/21
First, a quick review of the PCR test. Originally
developed to detect the presence of DNA and RNA in biological samples,
even its Nobel Prize-winning inventor Kary Mullis declared that PCR
was never intended to diagnose a disease. It simply detects the
presence of specific genetic material, which may or may not indicate
infection.
As Dr. Mullis put it, the PCR technique can find almost anything in anybody.
The PCR test uses amplification cycles to find viral RNA. The sample is
repeatedly chemically amplified to increase the RNA copies until they
can be detected. Each “cycle” of amplification doubles the number of
molecules in a sample. If you run enough cycles, you can effectively find a single molecule of any substance.
But is this clinically significant? Not according to many studies that confirm PCR results by culturing virus from the samples (a technique not practical for wide-spread testing). These studies indicate that if the machine must run more than 25 to 35 cycles to get the sample to the test’s Limit of Detection, there isn’t enough virus in the sample to matter clinically – i.e., no live virus can be cultured.
Except that officials don’t seem to think so. If you get a positive PCR test result, good luck getting your Ct value. It is simply not reported.This
is akin to taking a cholesterol test and getting a yes/no answer. You
are “positive” for high cholesterol, but no information is given on LDL
and HDL levels and how far out of normal range they are. That would be
ridiculous, yet this is what the world is doing with PCR tests for
COVID-19.
On top of the Ct issue is that tests don’t look for the complete RNA strand. Instead, they test for one, two, or three gene sequences. Tests that look for only one sequence are less accurate than those that use two or three, and even if the Ct value is reported, that value is often the average of the values for the different gene sequences
instead of the number of cycles needed to detect each sequence. If the
number of cycles for detecting different sequences varies widely, that
may be an indication that there is a problem with the test, and
averaging the values can hide that.
If you get a positive result, you have no idea “how positive” you are. Are you infectious? Likely to become ill?
but go and quarantine anyway! Not only does this result in huge amounts of needless quarantines, it also serves to drive fear and panic. Overly sensitive
First we take a look at each individual positive test,
plotted as Ct score versus date of test. The pandemic hit RI hard in
early spring, and these data cover that period. Note the color code that indicates which of these “positive” tests may have been truly infectious versus not infectious, or “cold positives”. One can argue where exactly to draw these zones, but the point is clear that a great number of the positive tests represented “cold”/non-infectious individuals.
Next we look at the relative numbers of tests in each category, by Ct value.
Data source: RI HHS via RIFreedom.org
By: TTBikeFit LLC
We can analyze the data further by looking at what percentage of Ct scores were above 32 (likely not infectious) by month. As the Spring progresses, we see more tests with higher Ct values = more people with lower viral loads, to the point where 2/3 of tests in June were likely not infectious.
Data source: RI HHS via RIFreedom.org
By: TTBikeFit LLC
Note that RI’s case/hospitalization/death metrics peaked right near the end of April – which corresponds to the large jump in non-infectious Ct scores in May vs April!
Now it gets even more interesting. Let’s look at the daily mean Ct scores by date.
As May approaches, the average Ct score of positive tests rises linearly through the “maybe infectious” zone into the “not infectious” zone, again showing clearly that viral loads were decreasing (fewer people were actually sick).
Finally, if we overlay fatalities, we can clearly see the potential predictive effect of Ct score trends relative to pandemic severity.
In the graph below, daily fatalities have been offset by 21 days
(shifted 21 days earlier than actual date of death) to better align with
infection date.
Here I inverted the Ct scale to represent viral load. As viral load is decreasing (Ct score increasing), we see that fatalities (21 days later) follow. As average Ct scores pass through the yellow into the green zone, fatalities wane.
Perhaps one might object that this is just one data set (sadly), so maybe this is a fluke. Well, we did manage to procure a second small data set from a lab on the U.S. west coast, also from the spring. And voila, the Ct score distributions are remarkably similar to those in RI.
Worse than draconian lockdown policies are lockdowns based on faulty and incomplete data. How can rational policy be set based on metrics that are corrupted through improper use of PCR testing?
In baseball today, less contact, less action. 2016 had 3,294 more hits than strikeouts. 2021 is on a pace for 5,000 more strikeouts than hits-George Will, Washington Post
Improved technology generatesdata about pitches’ spin rates, the launch angles of batters’ swings, particular batters’ tendencies on particular pitches and much more. Improved kinesiology increases pitching velocity.The results include a slower pace of play, diminished action, fewer balls in play and more of them handled by radically repositioned infielders.
With pitchers dawdling to recover between high-exertion, high-velocity pitches and with 36 percentof at-bats ending with home runs, strikeouts or walks, around four minutes pass, on average, between balls put in play.
Players spend much more time with leather on their hands than with wood
in their hands, but have fewer and fewer opportunities to display their
athleticism as fielders. Home runs predominate because scoringby hitting a ball far over defensive shifts is more likely than hitting three singles, through shifts, off someone throwing 98 mph fastballs and 90 mph secondary pitches. This means fewer baserunners. In 2021, there probably will be 1,000 fewer stolen bases than 10 years ago.
Writer Tom Verducci notes that in the last 26 minutes of 2020’s most-watched game, the final World Series game, just two balls were put in play. In this game, the ball was put in play every 6.5 minutes, and half the outs were strikeouts.
More pitches and less contact. Longer games (13 minutes 17 seconds longer than a decade ago) and less action. No wonder fans who have been neurologically rewired by their digital devices’ speeds are seeking other entertainments. Major league attendance has fallen 14 percent from its 2007 peak.
Last season, MLB made an action-creating change — a runner is placed on second base to begin each extra half-inning. And MLB is experimenting with other changes in various minor leagues.
Because pitching velocity is suffocating offense, MLB could move the pitcher’s mound back a foot
(from today’s 60 feet six inches) to give batters more reaction time.
The changed physiology of pitchers has, in effect, moved the mound closer to home plate: In the 1950s, the Yankee’s 5-foot 10-inch Whitey Ford had a Hall of Fame career. Today, 6-foot 4-inch pitchers, with long arms and long strides, release the ball significantly closer to the plate than Ford did.
Requiring four infielders to be on the infield dirt — or, even bolder, requiring two infielders to be on the dirt on each side of second base — as the pitch is thrown, would reduce reliance on home runs,which are four seconds of action, followed by a leisurely 360-foot trot. A 20-second pitch clock
might reduce velocity by reducing pitchers’ between-pitches recovery
time. And by quickening baseball’s tempo, the clock might prevent
batters from wandering away from the batter’s box and ruminating between
pitches. Stolen bases might increase if pitchers had to step off the rubber before throwing to first base. After a walk and then a steal, one single would produce a score.
MLB Commissioner Manfred says sports betting is good for baseball, “fills in the gaps” in the game. NBA Commissioner told Manfred to stop complaining about slow pace of baseball, its pace is perfect for sports betting
“Tonight’s game against the White Sox has been postponed and will be made up as part of a traditional doubleheader on May 31 when there is (hopefully) not snow on the ground.
If you have a ticket to tonight’s postponed contest, you will receive an email with further details. pic.twitter.com/HoadMt7R9X— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) April 21, 2021″…
After failing to spell out specific criticisms of Georgia’s voting laws, Rob Manfred is in the awkward position of having to defend Colorado’s voting laws. The situation calls to mind the 2006 Duke lacrosse case, when many erred-like Mr. Manfred has here-Fay Vincent, Wall St. Journal, 4/6/21
“Major League Baseball decided last week to move the All-Star Game out of Atlanta
after the Georgia Legislature passed changes to the state’s voting laws
that many, including President Biden, called racist. Activists urged
Commissioner Robert Manfred to punish Georgia. By rushing to do so without first protesting the substance of the law,Mr. Manfred made a serious mistake.
The use of “muscle” or financial power to influence policy is an ancient tactic.The
term “boycott” has its roots in 19th-century Ireland, where the
nationalist politician Charles Stewart Parnell urged his followers not
to deal with Charles Cunningham Boycott, a highly unpopular British land agent. A boycott is generally an act of desperation,and the original one was largely unsuccessful.
The midsummer All-Star Game is an exhibition that
benefits only the city where it’s played. It was reported Tuesday
morning that Denver will be the new host. The players will get paid no
matter where the game takes place. MLB will get the same television
revenue. The only people hurt by Mr. Manfred’s decision will be
Atlanta’s stadium workers and local vendors.
During my time as commissioner, I learned that the American people view baseball as a public trust.
They want the game to stand for the best and noblest of our national
virtues. They see baseball as the repository of their dreams, even as
they root for their favorite teams. They don’t want, and won’t accept, anything that separates them from the game’s history and leadership.
With roof open, temperatures in mid 70s, after a year when no fans were allowed, 38,000 enjoy baseball at Texas Rangers home opener in Arlington, Texas
The game, with an announced attendance of 38,238, also marked the first Rangers home game fans were allowed to attend after no fans were allowed during the 2020 regular season as part of MLB’s health and safety protocols to guard against the spread of COVID-19.
Although the stadium officially holds a maximum of 40,518, Monday’s
figure was considered a sellout. Many attendees were guests of the
Rangers, including essential personnel and VIPs.
The Rangers, who lost the home opener 6-2 to the Toronto Blue Jays, were counting on fans to cooperate with CDC-recommended protocols, including wearing masks at all times inside the $1.2 billion ballpark except while eating or drinking in their seats.
So, things weren’t completely as they were at the last Rangers home game with fans, the season finale of the 2019 season, but the Rangers, taking advantage of Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to end the mask mandate and fully open Texas, moved a step closer to normalcy.
Some fans were more cautious than others.
Gerald Esparza, 63, of Fort Worth, and his 27-year-old son were admittedly a little “apprehensive” about joining a packed stadium of fans amid the pandemic. But they tested the waters during last week’s exhibition gamesat Globe Life Field and both are fully vaccinated.
“We thought they had enough [safety precautions] in place that we felt comfortable,” said
the son, who chose to keep his name private. The family has been
season-ticket holders for most of the past 12 seasons, Esparza said.
“We still wear our masks just to be respectful,” he said.
“As long as businesses can stay open, and the Rangers are open, I have
no problem wearing the masks if that’s what keeps everything open.”…
The Rangers were proactive in doing their part to mitigate risk.
Public address announcer Chuck Morgan gave frequent reminders to fans before the game to observe the health protocols in place, and the policies were also played over the sound system outside the ballpark near the entrances.
Chuck and Dorrie from Bedford are both vaccinated and thought most fans (at least before the game started) were respecting the face-covering requests. Without vaccinations, they were unlikely to attend the opener….
Although fans have had various, limited opportunities to see the retractable roof ballpark before
Monday’s home opener, including the World Series and National Finals
Rodeo events last year and a couple of exhibition games last week, most were seeing the park for the first time.
Only a combined 23,000 fans attended the two [exhibition] games last
week. And most of the limited tickets during last fall’s postseason
games were used by fans of the teams competing.
The roof was open Monday with temperatures in the mid-70s.
“It’s nice to be out,” Dorrie said.
President George W. Bush and his wife Laurawere spotted in a field-level suite along with Craig Biggio, the former Houston Astros second baseman who’s now in the Hall of Fame. Biggio’s son, Cavan, plays for Toronto.Also on hand was Fergie Jenkins, the Hall of Fame pitcher who was with the Rangers for six of his 19 seasons.
“According to a report, Major League Baseball (MLB) is expected to announce that they have decided to relocate the All-Star Game from Atlanta, Georgia, to Denver, Colorado.A person familiar with the situation revealed the decision to the Associated Press Monday night.”…
Baseball blog. I agree with Doug Pappas that any writer meeting the Commissioner’s standards of good journalism should be fired. Not affiliated with XM.
