Day: April 24, 2020💾

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I should have downloaded the COVID-19 testing statistics a while back.

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I should have downloaded the COVID-19 testing statistics a while back. 👾

If you ever want to see the effects of poorly randomized data, this is it. Counties with more testing upstate generally have lower rates per capita. The data suggests that Albany County for example has as similar COVID-19 rate per capita as Clinton, Essex and Hamilton County but much fewer people as a percentage of the population in those counties have been tested in those counties, so they’re sampling sicker individuals most likely.

I think it would be helpful if the state started doing COVID-19 testing doing jury duty style supeonas to random people. Got to sample the population truly randomly, can’t only be selecting those who think they have been exposed to have COVID-19. Maybe that’s draconian but it would be good for statistics.

Play with the data on data.ny.gov, join it against census data for per capita counts.

The Right to Protest is Precious, Even During a Pandemic – Defending Rights & Dissent

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The Right to Protest is Precious, Even During a Pandemic – Defending Rights & Dissent

On April 14, 2020, the police department in Raleigh, North Carolina, tweeted, “Protesting is a non-essential activity,” as an explanation for breaking up a protest. As organizations dedicated to protecting civil liberties and the First Amendment, the undersigned groups are deeply disturbed by this statement and other remarks and actions by public officials suggesting that peaceful protest can be outlawed during a national crisis. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic cannot be used to justify the suspension of First Amendment rights. People must be free to express disagreement with government decisions, even when it involves criticism of essential public health measures.

Upholding First Amendment rights need not be at odds with the government’s authority and obligation to protect public health and safety. The emergency decrees that call for social distancing, wearing of face covers or masks, and limits on the size of public assemblies can regulate the manner in which protests occur. However, regulations should be narrowly tailored to what is necessary to protect public health and cannot be so broad that they ban protest completely or so poorly drafted that they restrict peaceful demonstrations.

I sent an email

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I sent an email … 📤

To: Smart Growth Guilderland
From: Andy Arthur
Friday, April 24, 2019
Good afternoon,
 
I recently saw your advertisement and was interested in promoting smart growth, and protecting our community’s unique ecosystems.
 
Please let me know how I can get involved with your organization to promote smart growth and fight sprawl in Albany Pine Bush, which is increasingly threatened by developments that chew away Pine Bush habitat, one acre at a time.
 
Thanks, Have a great weekend.
 
~ Andy
Map: Cascade Lake
Map: Queer Lake

Trump Promotes Injecting Bleach — Here’s What That Does to Your Body – Rolling Stone

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Trump Promotes Injecting Bleach — Here’s What That Does to Your Body – Rolling Stone

Dr. Peter Chai is an assistant professor in the Emergency Medicine Division of Medical Toxicology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He says that most of the time, when he sees people injecting bleach, it’s usually IV drug users, due to an urban legend that it can clean your blood of impurities after you use heroin and methamphetamine. He says that when people have done this, the side effects are absolutely horrifying.

“Bleach is a caustic agent. It’s the opposite of an acid, because it’s more alkaline. It breaks stuff apart, which is why it works to clean surfaces,” he says. “So when you think about injecting into your veins, it’ll break things apart in your blood.” That usually results in hemolysis, or the red blood cells that carry oxygen in your body breaking apart, so oxygen can’t be carried into your vital organs. This can result in blood clots, liver injury, or most frequently, kidney injury or failure, which could be bad enough that it could be permanent and require dialysis.