Contemplating belief versus reality

Feel very sad as consider bit over three years since world was reeling with news of arrival of a deadly highly contagious virus. At first seemed like people were taking seriously. And I thought much basic would happen to help prevention of infection.

Know more than most on subject as while I enlisted despite having a physics degree, did get a direct commission eventually. Was in radiation safety which is a part of Preventive Medicine and learned much overall.

Somehow preventing infection though was not a priority recently which greatly puzzled. People focused on idea of vaccines and quickly decided were safe. And many quickly decided to move on.

Was very puzzled until pondered beliefs as also had rethought behavior with AIDS epidemic over three decades ago. Was horrified to realize was a very similar pattern.

Is clear to me now that many do not believe in viruses as actual things like say bullets or grenades. While I do and know can be just as lethal but more subtle as travel as microscopic particles. Situation remains grim as another lethal virus spreads much unchecked.

But is way more contagious and is clear world will not get decades with this one.

Public health pays

After over two years since notice given of a novel coronavirus in 2019 the pandemic it has caused is worse than ever. More people have been killed this year than in 2020.

Historically pandemics are stopped by hygienic measures which continue to improve public health long after pandemic has gone.

Like we have focus on clean water as a result.

But our modern civilization is now in ideological conflict. Fighting for public health conflicts with people claiming it harms the economy.

Yeah is a bizarre situation.

Rather than focus on detecting the virus rapidly so people can avoid it, governments emphasized finding vaccines.

Sure, vaccines are great but pandemics end by hygienic measures. Ending a pandemic with a vaccine is literally a common plot in fiction. It is easy in theory but actually should go with policies to limit infections.

But with an ideology claiming that public health is too expensive governments have routinely let the virus causing the pandemic run wild while blaming individuals.

Without giving tools to know exactly where the virus is, or who has it, the public is left with few options.

I continue to try to avoid the virus by social distancing and staying home as venture out primarily for groceries. Thankfully I have that luxury.

The pandemic is worsening now with many now fatalistic about becoming infected. The ideology of refusing needed public health measures will collapse am sure. But will kill so many people first.

Governments still have to learn that public health pays for itself. Human beings are worth protecting.

Truth, belief and facts considered

Having people believe you can seem so basic, until it becomes hard. And for years now did not realize the devastating impact on me until finally had someone at the VA who simply did not dismiss or ignore facts. And have been open about seeking out mental health. It is a great thing. And appreciate that my status as a veteran means can get it, but what good if you are not believed?

In my case of course now it seems obvious that finding out have things that pull attention from 100+ countries might have an impact, including anxiety. Where also, yeah, if you are talking to a person who pulls that kind of attention that can impact you as well.

And yeah, have thought about wanting some of these VA folks to go before US Congress and testify about how they could ignore CHECKABLE facts from veterans, like myself, and then proceed as if those were irrelevant, even when pushed.

Like with me, web was dismissed--over and over and over again, until now. And feel like maybe am talking more freely because finally got a therapist who was accepting rather than dismissive and rejecting. And make no mistake, when am talking about prior people with VA dismissing the web they were not nice about it really. I'd get the feeling like they thought I was an idiot or was just lazy or lived in a fantasy world. And what could I do?

And yeah, to the US Congress I think part of reforming the VA is checking with veterans as to whether or not FACTS with regard to them are believed or DISMISSED by VA providers. From my talks with other veterans I think it is a huge and outrageous problem, where if a VA person doesn't feel comfortable or interested with a FACT in YOUR case then can just bizarrely proceed--as if does not exist.

You have to believe in people. How can you help someone if you refuse to show you believe in them in important ways? In my experience, you cannot. And found was not helped, as my problems continued.

Seems simple to me: how about a simple question for veterans like myself as to whether feel like checkable facts have been carefully noted and actually considered when elevated as important.

Like in my case is easy enough to web search. Search on: Class Viewer.

There is a website on SourceForge which should come up on any search engine. Comes up on all the ones I try. And you can click on, go to download stats, and shift to annual, like look at 2018.

Just did that for THIS post and there were downloads from 105 countries last year. Last one listed is Qatar.

IF you had something pulling attention from over 100 countries annually, and had a sense that getting that RIGHT was important how would you feel if some VA staffer supposedly helping you not only DISMISSED but refused to even check?

I've been infuriated. And make no mistake, maybe some of them will end up in front of the US Congress trying to explain if I can make it happen. I think would be great for the VA, great for veterans to get taken seriously--ALWAYS, and great for our country.

And hey, now kudos to the VA as have someone now helping me who DOES take me seriously, so can end on a positive. Right now desperately need that help. But when I hear about veterans who...just too many sad stories and am not surprised. I wonder who in the VA was not really listening with them.


James Harris

Adverse stressors in childhood matter

Just watched an incredibly important TED talk and wanted to post to include the video and link to the website for the ACE study mentioned in the talk. But it's not just a public health crisis that is incredibly important where there is a lot known know about how adverse stressors in childhood literally change the human brain, it is also a personal one.

I just took the ACE quiz before making this post, as it is online and it didn't take me long, and it's a way to mention things I've kind of wanted to mention without giving way too much personal information, and I scored a 7.

Here's the video:

In the video Dr. Nadine Burke Harris--not a relation as far as I know--talks about the health impacts of early childhood traumas. It's important to emphasize these literally change the developing brain. Someday a brain scan may be all that's necessary to detect and diagnose, but for now there's the ACE quiz. And yeah, it's scary to contemplate for me with my score and she talks scores in the video so you can hear its implications.

And I grew up in a lower middle class home to very religious parents. Went on to Vanderbilt University on a full tuition scholarship. Have 5 years active duty service in the US Army working at large medical centers, and left with a honorable discharge. Along with a host of other positives I could mention, which I think can maybe hide so much.

And I've struggled with massive issues mostly in the dark, where I will hold my privacy as to the details, and will admit to recent issues with high blood pressure. It can be hard to face these kinds of things as I think we all either wish we had idyllic childhoods, and figure no one does, or have gotten tired of people seemingly making excuses for their lives blaming supposedly bad ones.

The science, however, is where there can be a clear path both to mitigation and treatment without any loss of adult responsibility for one's actions.

Adverse Childhood Experiences Study website: http://www.acestudy.org

Science here can make a difference for so many people, including protecting their dignity, and helping them get the medical treatment that works best.


James Harris

Super staph

Link above goes to: MSNBC

Quote from page:

Experts: Staph germs becoming harder to treat
Bacteria acquiring ‘superbug’ powers, causing serious illnesses, doctors say

updated 1:43 p.m. PT, Mon., Oct. 27, 2008

WASHINGTON - Drug-resistant staph bacteria picked up in ordinary community settings are increasingly acquiring “superbug” powers and causing far more serious illnesses than they have in the past, doctors reported Monday....

AP story though that doesn't copy in, and I'm still somewhat hesitant to touch AP stories but this one is extremely important.

It seems past time that the CDC went into overdrive on educating the public.

Smelling mates and the Pill

Link above goes to: MSNBC.com

Quote from the page:

The Pill makes women pick bad mates
Ability to sniff out a compatible partner affected by taking contraceptives
By Jeanna Bryner

updated 10:17 a.m. PT, Wed., Aug. 13, 2008
Birth control pills could screw up a woman's ability to sniff out a compatible mate, a new study finds....

I've read about this issue before in Psychology Today and in that article (sorry no direct reference) it mentioned marriages breaking up when a woman goes off the pill because the couple has decided to have children, and she finds she suddenly cannot stand the smell of her husband.

Kind of makes me wonder how people supposedly fall in love on-line. After all, you really cannot smell anyone through your computer.

Superbug kills young and healthy

Source: MSNBC, post title is their headline

Superbug kills young and healthy, experts say
Drug-resistant MRSA responsible for 24 deaths during 2006-2007 flu season

...Many of the cases were caused by a drug-resistant form called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA, the team led by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday....

Healthy foods article

Source: Yahoo Health

8 Ultimate Flat-Belly Summer Foods
By David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding
Posted Fri, May 23, 2008, 12:11 pm PDT

...To combat the nutritional chaos and the extra poundage that comes with the rising mercury, we’ve chosen the eight best foods to eat every day. Beyond being packed full of disease-fighting, life-extending nutrients, these foods will also help keep your belly full, because they’re loaded with fiber and protein, the sultans of satiety.