We wish you a happy and glorious Easter.
Category: current events
Do Not Lie to Me!
In about an hour (a galactic standard week), I plan to watch yet another rerun of Men in Black. That’s the first one of the trilogy. I nearly always can find a connection with some quotes from the MIB movies and current events. I don’t care to specify the current events because they’re depressing.
The title of this post is actually part of quote from MIB 3, “…do not lie to me!” I can apply this one to just about every news story.
Another quote is often applicable in the daily news, and it’s from Men in Black:
Agent K: “We do not discharge our weapons in view of the public!”
Agent J: “We don’t got time for this cover-up bullshit! Look, I don’t know if you forgot, but there’s an Arquillian Battle…”
Agent K: “There’s always an Arquillian Battle Cruiser, or a Korilian Death Ray, or an intergalactic plague that is about to wipe out all life on this miserable planet. Agent K: “There’s always an Arquillian Battle Cruiser, or a Korilian Death Ray, or an intergalactic plague that is about to wipe out all life on this miserable planet. The only way these people can get on with their happy lives is that—they do not know about it!”
Unless there is something we can do about it, I do not want to know about the Arquillian Battle Cruiser.
University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art Wins Prestigious Master Builders of Iowa Award
The University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art, won the highest Master Builders of Iowa Award. See the Russell Group Inc. website for more details about the award.
It’s a very impressive space and a must-see marvel when you visit Iowa City.
Xylazine More About Death Than the Walking Dead
The recent news stories about xylazine-adulterated fentanyl (also known as Tranq) describe it as turning users into zombies because it causes skin necrosis. This can lead to abscesses which may require amputations.
Even more important, it can kill users. Xylazine, which is an animal tranquilizer (hence the name “Tranq”) is said to be available for free in some locations. It has been reported in the eastern states, including Pennsylvania and the availability has been moving steadily westward across the country. The Iowa Office of Drug Control website has posted information about it.
Connecting xylazine to zombies may be a way to get people to pay closer attention to this dangerous substance. That’s ironic because it doesn’t make users just look like the walking dead—it causes death. Xylazine-laced fentanyl overdoses can’t be completely reversed by naloxone because xylazine is not an opioid.
Dr. George Dawson wrote an excellent blog post describing the scientific details about xylazine and its deadly effects in April of 2022.
Those who make this drug know exactly what they’re doing. It’s one thing to sell it on the street, which itself is a terrible thing to do. But if it’s true that it is available for free in some places, then something other than the profit motive is at work.
Black History Month Begins February 1, 2023
Black History Month begins February 1, 2023. There are many learning resources available and activities available.
Websites include:
African American Museum of Iowa (Building is closed for renovation although online collections are available for viewing)
FDA VRBPAC Discussion Topics Today
The FDA VRBPAC 178th annual meeting on future Covid-19 vaccine regimens includes two main discussion topics:
“Future periodic vaccination campaigns:
Simplification of COVID-19 vaccine use:
- Immunization schedule: Please discuss and provide input on simplifying
the immunization schedule to authorize or approve a two-dose series in
certain young children, and in older adults and persons with compromised
immunity, and only one dose in all other individuals.
Periodic update to COVID-19 vaccines: - Vaccine composition: Please discuss and provide input on the
consideration of periodic updates to COVID-19 vaccine composition,
including to the currently authorized or approved vaccines to be available
for use in the U.S. in the fall of 2023.”
Among the members attending the web conference is University of Iowa Professor Stanley Perlman, MD, PhD, Departments of Microbiology and
Immunology, Professor of Pediatrics, Mark Stinski Chair in Virology.
The meeting is today from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM ET.
Update: Dr. Stanley Perlman MD, PhD from the University of Iowa will be the acting voting chairman of today’s meeting.
Update: Dr. Jerry Weir gave a clarifying and practical bird’s eye view of the issue at hand which began at 2:30 PM on the live play today (the meeting is being recorded). The questions and comments for Dr. Weir by Offit, Levy, and Chatterjee were also helpful to hear.
Update: Voting Question is:
“VRBPAC Voting question
Simplification of current COVID-19 vaccine use:
- Vaccine composition: Does the committee recommend harmonizing the
vaccine strain composition of primary series and booster doses in the U.S.
to a single composition, e.g., the composition for all vaccines administered
currently would be a bivalent vaccine (Original plus Omicron BA.4/BA.5)?”
Voting Result: Unanimously upvoted.
Today is National Opposite Day!
As we were listening to the Mike Waters Wake Up Call radio show on KOKZ, we were disoriented when he gave the temperature as “83” degrees and that it’s “Wednesday evening”. The more he talked, the more bizarre he began to sound and I wondered if KOKZ was for whatever reason broadcasting a past recording of his show.
Then he announced that it’s National Opposite Day, which occurs on January 25th annually. It’s not a holiday on any calendar, and when I looked it up on the internet, I found out it arose from a kids game. It dates way back to the turn of the 20th century.
You get the idea. What would be opposite goal of a game of tag? You’d have to try to catch each other, of course!
This holiday creates a paradox for itself. You’re supposed to declare that it’s Opposite Day, but that would imply you would have to not observe it. Huh?
We had pot pie for breakfast today. Does that count?
Reminder: FDA Advisory Committee Meeting Thursday January 26, 2023 on Future of Covid-19 Vaccination Regimens
Remember, the 178th Annual Meeting of the FDA Advisory Committee on the future of Covid-19 Vaccination Regimens is this Thursday from 8:30 AM-5:30 ET.
The details so far include the voting question:
“Simplification of current COVID-19 vaccine use:
- Vaccine composition: Does the committee recommend harmonizing the
vaccine strain composition of primary series and booster doses in the U.S.
to a single composition, e.g., the composition for all vaccines administered
currently would be a bivalent vaccine (Original plus Omicron BA.4/BA.5)?”
More Crazy Announcements!
Here are crucial announcements.
Sena bought me Bigfoot pajamas. They clearly show Bigfoot doing the Patty walk, which refers to the historic sighting of Bigfoot caught on video decades ago in the Patterson-Gimlin film.
The Amaryllis leaves have grown to about 11 inches! There is no flower.
Cattle ranchers are now putting diapers and masks on their cows to reduce methane emissions. Soon there will be statutes requiring humans who fart and belch in public to take Beano gummies several times daily. You know who you are.
FDA Advisory Committee Meeting to Discuss Future Covid-19 Vaccine Regimens
The FDA 178th Meeting of the Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet in open session January 26, 2023 to discuss future Covid-19 vaccination regimens. The meeting will run between 8:30 AM-5:30 PM ET.
Go Retire Psychiatrist 