Cancer
6/20/13
So you quit smoking (firsthand smoke);
and you stay away from smokers (secondhand smoke);
so now you're safe from nicotine, right?
Thirdhand smoke causes DNA damage
No matter where you go, or what you do on this planet;
there is always something out there ... that is out to get you.
Cheer up. If you are reading this then you were born human, which means ...
you already won the lottery.
permanent link
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Infectious Diseases
10/5/21
Fully-vaccinated, middle-aged make-up artist with no underlying conditions ...
dies from Covid
This story is a stark reminder
that in the middle of a worldwide pandemic
that has killed millions of people ...
even vaccinated people need to keep their guard up
(social distancing and masking)
There isn't, nor has there ever been,
a vaccine that is 100% guaranteed effective.
permanent link
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1/27/21
A truer picture of the Coronavirus devastation is given by examining ...
"excess deaths"
Those people didn't die from a secret rattlesnake invasion.
Many of the deaths could be attributed to
Corona victims who weren't tested and confirmed.
This supports a previous study in New York
which came up with an additional 20% of excess deaths.
UPDATE 5/7/21
A new worldwide study concludes that excess deaths may be far more than 20%.
In America, the death toll of approximately 600,000 looks to be closer to 900,000
and worldwide, the toll of 3.3 million may be a lot closer to ...
7 million
permanent link
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8/29/20
Bad news - you can catch Covid again ...
and the second time might be worse
Ghost worshipers and other reality deniers are learning the hard way:
Covid don't care about your invisible friends or your political propaganda.
Covid knows only one thing ... how to kick ass and put people in the ground.
So play all the delusional little games you want - Covid simply doesn't care.
permanent link
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7/25/20
Smallpox is a lot older than we thought ...
the Vikings had it over 1,000 years ago
Here's a quote from the story about smallpox
which killed about 300 MILLION people just in the 20
th century alone:
"
it was the biggest killer of all known pathogens."
We beat smallpox.
Now if we could just get the Covidiots to wear masks
we might be able to knock out another one.
(and don't forget about the other millions of idiots ... anti-vaxxers)
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3/14/20
Here is a comparison of the age distributions of Covid-19 cases
in Italy, where they are only testing people who show symptoms,
and South Korea, which has broad testing.
It shows that there are a whole lot of adults (aged 20-29)
who feel fine but are very contagious.
permanent link
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1/2/14
Can you catch a cold ... from cold weather?
(2:45)
Centuries of observations by everyone on Earth
led us to the belief that colds were caused by cold
which is why we called them "colds."
Then we learned that colds were caused by viruses.
But many people, in their zeal to bang everyone over the head
with their newly-found knowledge,
claimed that colds were not affected by temperature,
which contradicted centuries of observations.
Now researchers have shown that the observations were correct,
and that, while it is true that colds are caused by viruses,
it is also true that temperature does play a role
in whether or not we succumb to the viruses (1:04)
A few years ago I discovered,
that when a viral infection first began to irritate my throat,
if I donned a surgical mask before bedtime,
I had a good chance of preventing the cold by morning.
The mask worked better than aspirin.
I surmised that it might have something to do with the fact,
that by slowing down my breathing,
that might be enabling my immune system to better defend against the virus
which was trying to speed up my heart rate, etc.
(similar to how hyperventilating people slow their respiratory rates
by breathing into a paper bag)
Well, it seemed plausible anyway.
But as the video showed,
science explains what the real mechanism is behind the mask's success ...
Rhinoviruses prefer cold noses
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Obesity
5/26/17
As any bodybuilder can tell you,
the ubiquitous BMI score (body mass index)
is not a very accurate way to judge obesity.
To learn about a better measurement for determining obesity,
click on this selfie that I took the other night ...
permanent link
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6/19/13
AMA now classifies obesity as a disease
Since 1/3 of Americans are obese, 1/3 are 'only' fat, and 1/3 are healthy ... fat is the new normal.
But it gets worse
80% of Americans, not only believe in, but actually worship invisible ghosts,
making us the butt of jokes among advanced nations.
But it gets worse
Making fun of the fat, dumb kid isn't really such a good idea though.
America also happens to be the most powerful country on Earth,
and is constantly at war somewhere in the world.
Before it gets any worse
Those who benefit from keeping Americans fat, dumb, and aggressive,
accuse anyone who would change it as "America haters."
In a way they are right;
I hate what America has become: a fat, dumb, killing machine.
But what I hate more are the ones who have reduced America to what it has become ...
and some of us are trying to do something about it
permanent link
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Body Aging
8/12/21
Researchers flesh out the details explaining how and when ...
metabolism changes with age
I got a kick out of their opening statement:
"
Most of us remember a time when we could eat
anything we wanted and not gain weight."
"
Most of us?"
Seriously?
"
Most of us?"
Well, that line tells us one thing for sure ...
they aren't talking about Americans.
They should change that "most of us" to "some of us."
permanent link
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12/8/16
Life expectancy in U.S. dropped in 2015
for the first time in almost a quarter century.
If Republicans take away health care from 30 million Americans,
as they have threatened, life expectancy will fall even more.
When Republicans blocked the Medicaid Expansion in their states
about 12,000 additional American deaths occurred every year in those states.
9/11 was nothing by comparison to Republican governance.
I guess you could look at the bright side, and be grateful to Republicans
for helping us in the fight against overpopulation
permanent link
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12/28/09
Biologist Michael Rose extends the lifespan of fruit flies ... fourfold.
Watch all 3 parts (~10 minutes each)
Now, a new study on longevity offers an explanation of how delayed reproduction works.
Older dads produce longer-living offspring
Now, what did you learn?
If you said that the children of older dads live longer - hang your head
(don't feel bad, I had to hang my head too).
Steven Novella of the Skeptic's Guide to the Universe
pointed out that the headline was nothing more than journalistic sensationalism.
If you read the article carefully, it only said
that the greater telomere length, inherited by children with older fathers,
"may" give them a chance to live longer.
But other factors (mentioned at the very end of the article)
may nullify the advantage of the longer telomeres.
Just a thought: another way to verify this theory
would be for Rose to test his flies for telomere length.
permanent link
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Other Health News
8/9/04
The #3 cause of death in the U.S. is not even listed at all
on the C.D.C.'s list of top killers.
I wonder why not?
You need to think very carefully before resorting to any surgery.
After you have weighed the risks and benefits with your doctor(s),
then you can make an informed decision ... and take your chances.
10/29/14
Classic Emails (1 page)
I recently emailed the C.D.C.
regarding their list of the top causes of death in the U.S.
C.D.C. Leading Causes of Death
Look what they left out
Deaths From Medical Accidents
They left out the #3 cause of death!
I can understand omitting a minor cause - but #3?
It's also suspicious that the cause they omitted,
just happens to be the one that reflects negatively on their profession.
I then had the following email exchange with the C.D.C.
My email exchange with the C.D.C.
The C.D.C. replied to my email by claiming I wasn't clear enough
(even though I supplied them with the link above).
When I pointed out that I could not have been any clearer,
and that many people besides myself, have to be wondering
why the C.D.C. is ignoring one of the major causes of death ...
they chose to stop further communications.
Spreading joy and making friends ... it's what I do.
About a year later - the fight resumes ...
Classic Emails (1 page)
I sent the following email to the editors at Medical News Today:
There is an error in Hannah Nichols' article
What are the top 10 leading causes of death in the US?
The #3 cause of death should be "In-Hospital Medical Errors"
with almost 200,000 per year (and that figure was from 10 years ago).
Here is the link to the article, containing supporting data
on deaths due to in-hospital medical errors
That link is from your own web site.
Last year I sent that link to the CDC,
asking them why they did not include "medical errors" on their list,
as it gives the impression that the medical profession is trying to hide something.
They responded that they did not understand me!
They said I needed to "elaborate further."
I replied that I could not have made it any clearer, and repeated the question:
Why did they refuse to include the #3 cause of death on their list?
The CDC then stopped communication.
The ball is in your court MNT.
You can either deal with this embarrassment or ignore it like the CDC ...
the choice is yours.
(I'm predicting they will hide under their rock just like the CDC did;
but this is one time ... I wish I were wrong)
Here's what I got the next day:
Take a look at this bullshit, "go-away kid - you bother me" email
that they sent back to me
I took enough of that evasive crap last year from the CDC. Now it's time to ...
Let the games begin!
By the way, I found recent data - and it only makes my case ... stronger.
Recent data
UPDATE (another year later)
Well, Well. Looky what happened here ...
2 years ago the C.D.C. ignored me.
Let's see if they ignore Scott Pelley of CBS news.
After that show aired, I sent the C.D.C. the following email ...
To: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(I included the link to the CBS Special here)
"
So my question is ...
when are you going to add this in at #3
on your list of leading causes of death?
(it doesn't even appear in your top 50)
You wouldn't do it 2 years ago when I contacted you.
Is it safe to assume that you will do it now?
neo "
(I won't be holding my breath for a reply)
UPDATE - 5/3/16
More reinforcements arrive ... on my side
UPDATE 2/4/19
More reinforcements arrive, but ... NOT on my side
That last link was devastatingly powerful. I had been fooled just like many others.
This is where the ability to admit when you have been wrong, comes in handy.
Without that ability ... intellectual growth becomes nearly impossible.
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