Bottleneck

The Very Unstable Lunatic's cavalier 'opening' of meat processing facilities was, clearly, aimed at corporate fatcats' paychecks. More poorly paid, and poorly educated folks die? What, me worry? But there is yet another side effect (or, upstream consequence). It turns out that a huge proportion of American farm product doesn't go into our bellies, but into the original owners of that steak or drumstick.

In the U.S., 36 percent of corn crops being used to feed livestock. Soy is also commonly used in feed, with 75 percent of global soybean crops being fed to livestock. To support these crops, one-third of arable land being used for feed production globally, using vast amounts of land and water resources.

(And, so far as corn goes, here's the tally, and the American dinner table doesn't even get listed.)

Of course, that's just one report among many (happened to come up at the top of my search results), and focuses on issues not related to Covid-19. But read it anyway for the education. In the context of today's meat processing issue, not only are livestock being jettisoned before conversion to human foodstuffs, but, in due time (this is planting time, after all) this will affect farmers. Fewer animals grown for meat, less grains needed to feed same. What's that snake that circles around to eat its tail? The ouroboros.

Super Nova

Pretty much from the point in the Covid-19 saga where its existence could no longer be denied, the The Very Unstable Lunatic and his sphincter lickers have brayed that the death toll is/would be no worse than a bad flu season. One of the problems with that assertion is that the measure of 'flu season' is fuzzy. No part of the Damn Gummint tests-confirms influenza. What they do is use an, unknown to the general public, algorithm to decide how much each of cold, pneumonia, and flu will be apportioned. Now, if you look at the data, you'll see that 'flu' deaths as commonly portrayed, are way, way majority pneumonia.

To see this, go to the paragraph, "P&I Mortality Surveillance", click on 'View Chart Data", then click through to the spreadsheet. The last two columns are pneumonia and flu, the third from last is 'All Deaths'. As you can see, flu is a small fraction most weeks going back years.

The term of art is ILI, which stands for 'influenza-like illness' and includes both. With Covid-19, so far near as I can tell, opportunistic pneumonia isn't being counted as a death. Those dying outside hospitals, at home for instance, aren't being counted. Deaths in elder care facilities may or may not; I have found reporting that still says, 'no', while other says, 'now they are'. In sum, death from flu or Covid-19 remains more apples to oranges than equivalent.

Which brings us to the Santa Clara county data. It's being reported that a survey showed a much higher percentage of the population had been exposed than previously estimated. There are a raft of such reports, some being more critical than others of how the survey was conducted. Be that as it may, my interest is in what isn't demonstrated by the data.

Here goes with the unanswered questions.
1 - are these long term, non-contagious asymps?
2 - are these long term, contagious asymps, aka Typhoid Marys?
3 - are these asymps within the expected period of asymp on the way to sickness?
4 - are these post-sickness (apparently super mild, since they didn't seem to know it) immunes?
5 - what, if any, is the length and strength of immunity, if that is what is being measured?

Obviously, if these are mostly, or even significantly, in cat 3, Santa Clara is looking at a super nova in sickness. Same, although in a more drawn out manner, if these are mostly, or even significantly, in cat 2.

Keeping Count - part the twelfth

Let's continue the tally of states that The Manchurian President is setting up to toss him out in November.

-- 28 April

Iowa again. So Kim Reynolds turns workers into slaves.

Iowa Workforce Development said Monday that failing to return to work out of fear of catching the virus will be considered a voluntary quit, which disqualifies workers from receiving unemployment benefits.

The department urged employers to report workers who don't return to their jobs for a good reason "as soon as possible." It warned that the federal law providing an additional $600 weekly in benefits contains "serious consequences" for fraudulent claims.

OK fatcats, let's party like it's 1850!!!

What else would you expect from these Fascists?

Parallax View - part the second

Ok, so I'm impatient. Today's numbers:
25 to 99 - 666
5 to 24 - 860

Ah symbolism!! Even if I wanted to wait, that is too much to give up.

The elevator is going UUUUUUUUUUP.

It Is Meat and Right So To Do

"Soylent Green is people!" And, today The Orange Shitgibbon proved that he don't care who dies so long as bidness critters can still make money. Anyway, those workers are the lowest of the low. We all know that, don't we?

Parallax View - part the first

The topo map (not to be confused with the Topos one) allows one to look at the USofA from various points of view. Naturally, I, as most others I suspect, go for the high count (Red) counties. But, I'm not so sure that such is the most predictive view.

If, instead, you choose the two boxes for 5 to 24, you see where the virus has seeded, and where, should the populace be really stupid, the explosions will be in a week or two. As I type, the count for these categories is 876, while for the next (25 to 99) is 653. Next Monday, I'll update and see where things have gone. Or not gone.

Science Free Diet

Well, I wonder how Boris Badenough likes his crow cooked.

On 12 March Boris Johnson warned the country that, as a result of Covid-19, "families are going to lose loved ones before their time", yet took little immediate action to stop the virus spreading.

Now, of course, his tune changes

The first world leader known to have had coronavirus is now leading his nation's response to it, and in a speech outside 10 Downing Street, the British Prime Minister had a clear message: Don't give up on the lockdown yet.

I suggest deep fried, southern style.