Sunday, August 22, 2021

Sunday Night Links

  • There’s something else interesting in NHTSA’s approach. Focusing on these kinds of crashes frames first responders as the implied victims—not the occupants of the Tesla, who could (arguably) be said to have accepted the risks of Autopilot when they activated the system. That “buyer beware” defense has been voiced loudly by Tesla’s defenders after previous crashes have grabbed headlines, such as one in Texas earlier this year in which two individuals inside a Tesla were incinerated (neither was reportedly in the driver’s seat). It’s impossible to claim consent exists for a first responder—or for anyone else struck by a Tesla driver. [Slate]
  • Elon Musk got up on stage last night and promised that Tesla, a company whose driver assist software is unable to reliably avoid parked ambulances, would soon build a fully functioning humanoid robot. [link]
  • The investigation, which involves the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is focusing on Canadian data that suggests the Moderna vaccine may carry a higher risk of myocarditis for young people than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, especially for males below the age of 30 or so. The authorities also are scrutinizing data from the United States to try to determine whether there is evidence of an increased risk from Moderna in the U.S. population for the condition, which causes inflammation of the heart. [WaPo]
  • Patient 2, a 42-year-old man, presented with dyspnea and chest pain 2 weeks after mRNA-1273 vaccination (second dose). He did not report a viral prodrome, and a PCR test was negative for SARS-CoV-2. He had tachycardia and a fever, and his electrocardiogram showed diffuse ST-segment elevation. A transthoracic echocardiogram showed global biventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction, 15%), normal ventricular dimensions, and left ventricular hypertrophy. Coronary angiography revealed no coronary artery disease. Cardiogenic shock developed in the patient, and he died 3 days after presentation. [NEJM]
  • There are indeed insurrectionists in Washington, D.C., the problem is that they are currently running the country and the bureaucracy, having imprisoned a few sad-sack political opponents who did not understand the rules of the game being played. The growing and energetic majority of Democratic leaders have already seceded from America—from its culture, its history, its government and its institutions. [link]
  • The pentagon won’t do anything because they know many of their weapons systems aren’t worth spit and all their high tech toys that do work have long lead times and low inventory levels to fight a prolonged war. They’ve been building high priced junk for decades. The volunteer grunts also aren’t WW-II grade; they’re in the military for the benefits and early retirement because it’s just a welfare program for the human trash that can’t compete in the private sector. The people at the top can’t afford to put their junk systems to a real test for fear their decades of defrauding the country might be exposed. They want to continue with the scam they perfected of ever increasing budgets so they can retire on a fat pension. Why risk that? [unz]
  • The next time around, I soaked both hinges in WD-40, and that helped, though the fight was still more difficult on the passenger side. Also: a few days after reinstalling the doors the first time, that the driver's side was groaning as it opened and closed. An inspection revealed a loose upper hinge bolt, and tightening it solved the problem. But that minor troubleshooting highlighted a fact of Bronco life: Once you take the doors off and reinstall them, the vehicle is forevermore partially assembled by you. Hopefully your personal assembly line has tight quality control. [Car and Driver]
  • 2020 was GloboCap Year Zero. The year when the global capitalist ruling classes did away with the illusion of democracy and reminded everyone who is actually in charge, and exactly what happens when anyone challenges them. [link]
  • Unlike many of the new high-priced prescription drugs, insulin is almost 100 years old—discovered in 1921 and first used by a patient in 1922. Insulin is also unique in its market structure: a persistent oligopoly both nationally and globally, in particular with respect to the prices of analog insulins. Only three companies—Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, and Eli Lilly—provide insulin the United States market, despite the existence of several other manufacturers globally. [CBS]
  • The FDA already has begun to clear the market of e-cigarettes that it says don’t meet its standards. This month, it instructed JD Nova Group LLC to halt sales of about 4.5 million of its nicotine liquid products. [WSJ]

No comments: