Tim Friede’s “Daredevilry” in Taking 650 Venom Injections and 200 Poisonous Snake Bites to Help Create a Universal Antivenom “for Humanity” 7 May 10:01 PM (20 hours ago)
Back during Covid, over 38,000 adults volunteered to participate in a “challenge” clinical trial of the new vaccines, but such trials were not allowed. In a challenge trial each participant receives the vaccine and then is exposed to the disease. Phase 3 trials for efficacy can be completed much more quickly, with many fewer participants, … Continue reading "Tim Friede’s “Daredevilry” in Taking 650 Venom Injections and 200 Poisonous Snake Bites to Help Create a Universal Antivenom “for Humanity”"
Muriel Bristol Was Allowed to Act on What She Knew but Was Unable to Prove or Explain 6 May 10:01 PM (yesterday, 10:01 pm)
Muriel Bristol knew that tea tasted better when the milk was poured in first, than when it was poured in after the tea. She knew it but couldn’t prove it and didn’t know why it was true. The world is better when more of us, more often, can act on what we know, but what … Continue reading "Muriel Bristol Was Allowed to Act on What She Knew but Was Unable to Prove or Explain"
Democratic Donor Warren Buffett Praises DOGE 5 May 10:01 PM (2 days ago)
(p. A1) . . . at the end of Saturday’s Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, the Oracle of Omaha dropped a bonbshell before a gathering of some 17,000 shareholders: that he’s set to step aside as Berkshire CEO, with vice chairman Abel taking his place. . . . (p. A4) It was little surprise that the … Continue reading "Democratic Donor Warren Buffett Praises DOGE"
A Rare Antibody in James Harrison’s Blood Protected the Lives of 2.4 Million Australian Babies 4 May 10:01 PM (3 days ago)
I recently purchased from Amazon, but have not read, Good Blood, which describes the discovery of a cure, and the struggle for acceptance of the cure, for the RH disease sketched in the passages quoted below. The disease affected my family, but I am not sure I remember exactly how. I am Rh positive and … Continue reading "A Rare Antibody in James Harrison’s Blood Protected the Lives of 2.4 Million Australian Babies"
Trump Proposes to “Chop Domestic Spending to Its Lowest Level in the Modern Era” 3 May 10:01 PM (4 days ago)
My entry today is part of a continuing effort to document Trump administrations actions to deregulate and downsize in the hope that the good from deregulation and government downsizing will dominate the bad potentially done by tariffs. (p. A1) President Trump on Friday [May 2, 2025] proposed slashing $163 billion in federal spending next fiscal … Continue reading "Trump Proposes to “Chop Domestic Spending to Its Lowest Level in the Modern Era”"
Private Sector Succeeds Where Public Sector Fails at Operating a Successful Passenger Train 2 May 10:01 PM (5 days ago)
The New York Times recently ran a surprising (for them) article highlighting the success of the privately owned Brightline passenger railroad on the east coast of Florida. The Times contrasts the private success of Brightline with the public failures of Amtrak and California’s mostly undone proposed bullet train. Amtrak ran an operating deficit of over … Continue reading "Private Sector Succeeds Where Public Sector Fails at Operating a Successful Passenger Train"
A World with No Tariffs, No Barriers, No Subsidies 1 May 10:01 PM (6 days ago)
Art Laffer and Stephen Moore had an op-ed a few weeks ago in which they encouraged Donald Trump to be the best version of himself on the tariff and trade issue. Trump has made inconsistent statements on tariffs and trade. Sometimes his goal seems to be to seek long-term tariffs that bring in substantial revenue. … Continue reading "A World with No Tariffs, No Barriers, No Subsidies"
“If She Ever Had a Clever Thought, It Died Alone and Afraid” 30 Apr 10:01 PM (7 days ago)
I still smile whenever I see a Tesla Cybertruck. Boldly audacious–its mere existence gives me hope for the future. If I could charge its battery as fast as I can fill a tank of gas, I would buy one tomorrow. I still worry that Musk will implode or cave. But right now he looks like … Continue reading "“If She Ever Had a Clever Thought, It Died Alone and Afraid”"
Covid Handouts Raised Government Debt, Leading to Higher Inflation 29 Apr 10:01 PM (8 days ago)
During Covid, Democrats in Congress pushed for ever-greater government handouts to voters, that often were handed out to fraudsters, and substantially increased the U.S. debt. Former Democratic Secretary of the Treasury Larry Summers predicted that this would fuel inflation. Recent research by Ernie Tedeschi, the former Chief Economist at President Biden’s Council of Economic Advisors, … Continue reading "Covid Handouts Raised Government Debt, Leading to Higher Inflation"
Killer Conservationists 28 Apr 10:01 PM (9 days ago)
I have not read Cull of the Wild: Killing in the Name of Conservation, but from its title and description it sounds like it documents an important and under-appreciated point. The point is that to “conserve” some species, so-called “conservationists” sometimes kill large numbers of the members of other species. (See, e.g., my blog entry … Continue reading "Killer Conservationists"