Tom Chavez

Tom Chavez

Introduction: The Story of Narasimha 

Climate change and coronavirus are creating a fuss, but it’s nothing like an ice age. The glaciers which scooped out the great lakes were several miles thick during the last Glacial Maximum, between 26,000 and 13,000 years ago, completely covering Canada and much of what is now the US, Europe and Asia. The accumulation of water into ice lowered sea levels about 500 feet below today’s levels.

During warm interglacial periods such as the Eemian, there was little or no ice, Antarctica was a jungle, and oceans were much higher than today.

Human civilizations are almost completely destroyed by such extreme global changes. Rare fragmental remnants of ancient civilizations are found worldwide, going back millions of years, but mostly just legends and myths remain, like stories of Atlantis or Lemuria. Most of us think that modern humans have evolved from primitive ancestors, and that we have developed the most advanced scientific civilization ever. 

A different picture is given in the ancient Sanskrit writings of India, the Vedic literatures. The Vedas describe a human civilization in which we had an advanced subtle technology of mind and intelligence, in which yoga, paranormal abilities and contacts with extraterrestrial beings were highly developed.

Most of what we learn is from authorities. For example, there is a country in Asia called Bhutan, in which the government rejects the concept of GNP (Gross National Product) in favor of GNH or Gross National Happiness. I’ve not been to Bhutan, but a reliable friend has. Based upon his authority, I know about Bhutan.

I don’t request you to blindly believe this story, but take it with an open mind, with the theoretical view that perhaps the Vedic account is authoritative. It will seem fantastic, and it is difficult to translate into modern language and culture. I can give only the briefest synopsis here. There’s much more, if you want to follow up.

This story is from an historical Sanskrit text (purana) called Srimad Bhagavatam. The story is extremely ancient, and perhaps not even from this planet.

Vedic culture and civilization did not believe in gradual evolution as we know it today. Our current civilization is not a product of chance evolution, but of applied intelligent effort. Society requires intelligent management to maintain supplies of water, electricity, food and so on. Similarly, Vedic culture taught that from the very beginning the universe was guided and developed by intelligent supervision.

The very first living being in the universe had a body made of pure intelligence and was tasked with creating planets, dimensions and ecological niches for a vast variety of living entities from angels, to humans to demons and all kinds of beings in between. His name was Brahma and he had four heads. This story is about what happened when Brahma ran into a big problem.

The story, recorded in Srimad Bhagavatam, was told by Brahma to Narad, an ordinary human being who perfected himself by yoga and attained a body of pure consciousness. The picture below shows Brahma instructing Narad. Narad taught Srimad Bhagavatam to the human society, and that is how the story of Narasimha became famous.

Al Peffley

Are we being controlled and conditioned for long-term, national OCD?

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/05/the_munchausen_states_experiment_with_mass_ocd.html

This author presents an interesting discussion about long-term social separation and masking psychological effects of pandemic proclamations and Marshall Law enforcement on our American culture.

Vaccines only enable herd immunity, they don't directly kill the virus. We need a prescribed and monitored treatment to eliminate the virus' ability to enter a healthy cell and reproduce in people who don't have a natural immunity response to this pathogen.

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
― Benjamin Franklin

Tom Chavez

Tom Chavez

Passion and Ignorance

President Donald Trump has stopped talking about the decades-old antimalarial drug for Covid-19. When he first began touting the drug in mid-March, a frenzy ensued as hospitals, patients and doctors raced to secure supplies. 

As quickly as pharmacies were drained of the pills, the tide has now turned against hydroxychloroquine and its chemical cousin, chloroquine. Prescriptions have plummeted back to nearly normal levels.

The president’s passionate enthusiasm has large costs even as the mania recedes. The U.S. government has agreed to spend tens of millions of dollars to assess and acquire hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine.

Don’t expect apologies from those who accused Dr. Fauci and other scientists of trying to undermine the president when they warned that the scientific evidence wasn’t there. 

The same voices are now accusing those who promote safe hygiene and social distancing of wanting to “control free citizens,” “create a permanent Nanny state” and “put the economy in a coma.”

Gregg Wilson

Tom,

There are doctors on the front line who have used hydroxychloroquine and have found it to be effective in treating symptoms of the coronavirus.

Al Peffley

Tom, there are lots of medicine "tools" available to doctors for treating virus infections. No one treatment approach will work with every patient. I find it ironic that you post a cartoon on vaccines and politics, and then follow up immediately with a critical diatribe about Trump as the culprit and a weak defense of Dr. Fauci using Trump as a scapegoat. The NIH and Dr. Fauci's peers were involved in coronavirus and HIV research before the outbreak in Wuhan. The American economy has been devasted by politics and excessive spending of printed money we don't have to spend because of the world trade disruption.

We will overcome this pandemic with dedication to helping the people actually infected with COVID-19 and giving more attention and supplies to Long Term Care homes and facilities that have been neglected by greedy Mayors and Governors using PPE supplies, ventilators, bailout monies, and medicine contributions by the Federal Government elsewhere.

The U of W pandemic model has failed to estimate the true nature and trends of the virus. Who has peer-reviewed and verifed & validated the UW's pandemic model? What are the model's assumptions and data inputs? Where is the audit report on a peer review and a thorough assessment of the sample population inputs that are driving political emergency proclamations? I have seen no public-reported audit of the UW's pandemic modeling program and it is keeping our state in lockdown until June 1st. This situation is being used for political leverage in many states. Now some large hospital systems are the PPE hoarders, and they are furloughing key medical staff and simultaneously decreasing salaries of MD specialists! How stupid is that if we have a second wave of infections like the influenza of 1918? Little rural hospitals are going under and the Hollyweird lobbyists have been approved to continue scheduling plastic surgery procedures. No, it is obvious to me from the elite's access to haircuts, pot stores, and fancy clothes suppliers that "We are [not] all in this together". In Washington State we have flattened the deaths curve statistic and we are still denied certain services because the controlling authorities think they are not essential for the "little people" who can't think for themselves as adults and practice distancing/mask-wearing. The Sweden model is being ignored in Washington State and instead is being based on political fear statements, not on the rational assessment of collected pandemic statistical data and observed medical treatment progress facts.

Tom Chavez

Al, if I were properly vaccinated against politics I would not have posted that article about hydroxychloroquine. Unfortunately, I became infected by reading your posts!

Different folks have different perspectives, that’s for sure. And different beliefs. Gregg believes that doctors on the front lines have found the drug to be effective. There may be a miraculous cure with the drug, but it’s possible that the drug was coincidental. I like to see the scientific evidence. 

In your response you criticize ‘greedy’ mayors and governors, the UW pandemic model, large hospital systems, ‘Hollyweird’ lobbyists, ‘elites’, and Washington State authorities.

You repeatedly express criticism, resentment, disdain and scorn toward a plethora of people and institutions. You gripe that your ‘sacred’ rights are being threatened and trampled, and illustrate your ire with a picture of the US Constitution on fire.

I don’t feel that way at all. I feel fortunate and blessed to live in this country. I respect the institutions, laws and people of America. Of course, we are all imperfect and don’t always live up to our ideals. But if I could, I aspire to follow this advice:

There is so much good in the worst of us

And so much bad in the best of us

That it ill behooves any of us

To find fault with the rest of us.

Tim, I went to your link, but it was already removed. What kind of subversion are you promoting, anyway?

Tim Jones (Jones)

I'm not promoting anything. I looked up Judy Mikovits on Wikipedia.  Explains something....? Curious  minds want to know!

Al Peffley

I like my freedom and liberty described in both the Washington State and US constitutions, Tom. There is nothing scientific about social control and political management of people. There is also nothing wrong about questioning authority if the authority is dictatorial or totalitarian in polices and operation. I also no longer wish to live in the Seatlle metro area and seek the rural life similar to where my parents came from and grew up. There is nothing wrong with wanting people to be freemen. You like authority or you would not have an apartment in China. I am sure there a lot of good people in China and I feel sorry for those who suffer under the heavy boot of Communism. Asking for peer review of modeling is not unreasonable and audit of a poor estimating tool is just good practice and common sense -- there is nothing political about open V&V procedures, unless there is something to hide from the public.

Yesterday was Ed Hesner's birthday. Ed and Gary Lindberg have become brothers from other mothers to me, even though we did not socialize much at HHS. Ed and I reconnected while we both worked for Boeing on classified military programs at the Developmental Center. Last night I reread his Christian testimony that he posted on his classmate page. It is both bold and full of good wisdom about our journey through life's peaks and valleys. Thank you Ed.

I read the history of Dr. Judy, the UNLV Biologocal Science Virologist. She is right about not wearing masks while distancing outside and riding inside your automoble. Restricting oxygen flow by constantly wearing a mask, especially for people with compromised or small volume capacity lungs, is not healthy. She is not a Dr. Fauci fan, but so what? She is a scientist who has dedicated her life to her biological science specialty discipline, but she is not always politically correct. We need scientists who catalyze open debate for thorough peer reviews.

It is a sunny day here in SW Washington and we are listening to the inspirational music of John Michael Talbot. I love the America I served with respect and honor in the US Navy and at Boeing on space and military technology programs. I have been to other countries where life is not as economically opportunistic and politically stable as the US had been after WWII. I can see God's influence in our constitutions. Life is good, but not perfect (never has been). If it were perfect we would be in the Biblical promised place that I hope to see, with His grace and forgiveness, after leaving this life. Many have gone home before me. If you are reading this Ed, Gary and other classmates of good will, cheers to all of you and yours. Love ya bro's and sista's of love and service to humanity in an ever changing world. Everything comes and goes, but the Creator is eternal to the faithful. Peace be with you always. God bless America and people of good will everywhere.

Gregg Wilson

Tom,

I will take the reports from front line, practicing doctors over that of a "world authority" Dr. Fauci. Fauci has done nothing to find a cure for the virus. He is simply "Doctor Gloom and Doom", who declared we should down the country for two years. He is an idiot.

Tom Chavez

Gregg, you have expressed your opinion about the drug and about Dr. Fauci without factual evidence. You say he has done nothing to find a cure, which is false. 

Dr. Fauci has given his life to solving health problems and has been recognized and honored by both governmental and scientific institutions. He continues to oversee research even now. 

Dr. Fauci was appointed Director of NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infections) in 1984. He oversees an extensive research portfolio of basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose, and treat established infectious diseases including emerging diseases such as Ebola, Zika and coronavirus. NIAID also supports research on transplantation and immune-related illnesses, including autoimmune disorders, asthma and allergies. 

Dr. Fauci has advised six Presidents on many domestic and global health issues. 

He is certainly not an idiot.

Tom Chavez

Tim, from what Wikipedia says, Judy Mikovits sounds like a sketchy character, both scientifically and legally. Conspiracy theorists seem to cotton to her. 

Doctors know more about disease than I do, and I am indebted to them. I try to avoid them, though, by keeping fit with yoga, exercise, good nutrition and avoiding toxic foods and intoxicants. 

I avoid vaccines, but I’m not an anti-vaccination conspiracy theorist. I’ll take the vaccine if I am forced. A vaccine card was once required when we travelled internationally. I expect that to happen again.

Tom Chavez

Al, I hope you find the freedom and liberty that you value. 

People have different perspectives and views. Einstein didn’t agree with Bohr, the founder of quantum mechanics. Doctors give differing opinions.

We will achieve more by respectful, sincere and honest communication than by ideological rhetoric, name-calling, disrespect and division.

The person who is content with simple necessities is happier than the rich powerful person who is discontent and always seeking more.

What do I care if some Hollywood moghul gets plastic surgery while I practice social distancing? There are so many injustices everywhere. I don’t want to waste my few remaining days envying or criticizing others. 

Try to tolerate the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. The good you do to others will come back to you.

Robert Bramel

Al Peffley

Bob, zinc supplements in small doses seem to also help those who become infected. I don't have credentials in the field of science to prove that advice, I just noted reports released from virology specialist researchers in virus replication processes. I have seen similar case study reports on the impacts of vitamin D benefits.

Gregg, you may find this interview with the "Bakersfield Doctors" interesting and informative:

https://youtu.be/3f0VRtY9oTs

These two California urgent care MD's have taken a lot of criticism from several specialist doctors' organizations that they are members of within their fields of medical practice. Open discussion and respectful debate is being censored by some authority groups who obviuosly have a biased and central government controls agenda. Free speech is only tolerated if you agree with the inner circle of managing subject matter experts who belong to powerful central government committees. Their in situ, "boots on the ground" observations and willingness to share them on YouTube are another avenue of information that we can consider for support or rejection. I am glad that they are brave enough to speak out, and I hope that the Trump Administration hears their testimonials and seriously considers their points of view. I doubt that their state governor, Pelosi's nephew, will listen to their points of view concerning the pandemic response so far. Every pandemic provides opportunity for recording lessons learned to respond to the next world-wide, critical incident.

Tom Chavez

New Observational Study of Hydroxychloroquine 

in Hospitalized Patients with Covid-19

In the latest study, 811 patients got hydroxychloroquine and 565 did not at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

"We didn't see any association between getting this medicine and the chance of dying or being intubated," lead researcher Dr. Neil Schluger told Reuters in a telephone interview. "The patients who got the drug didn't seem to do any better."

Among patients given hydroxychloroquine, 32.3% ended up needing a ventilator or dying, compared with 14.9% of patients who were not given the drug.

But doctors were more likely to give hydroxychloroquine to sicker patients, so researchers adjusted the rates to account for that. They concluded that the drug may not have hurt patients, but it clearly did not help.

Because they were not randomly assigned to receive hydroxychloroquine or a placebo, "the study should not be taken to rule out either benefit or harm" for the drug, researchers said. Randomized trials, the gold standard for tests of new therapies, should continue, they added.

But for now, "the guidance in our hospital has changed so we don't recommend giving hydroxychloroquine to hospitalized patients," said Dr. Schluger, chief of the division of pulmonary, allergy and critical care medicine at Irving.

Complete report at the New England Journal of Medicine: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2012410?query=featured_home

Tom Chavez

It seems from Bob’s graph that we should all insure that we get enough vitamin D, but not too much! Here is what I found:

Obtaining sufficient vitamin D from natural food sources alone is difficult. For many people, consuming vitamin D-fortified foods and being exposed to some sunlight are essential for a healthy vitamin D status. Some people may need dietary supplements to meet the daily need for vitamin D.

Older adults are at increased risk of developing vitamin D insufficiency in part because, as they age, skin cannot synthesize vitamin D as efficiently, and they are likely to spend more time indoors. 

Milk is fortified with vitamin D, as are many ready-to-eat cereals and some brands of yogurt and orange juice. Cheese naturally contains small amounts of vitamin D. Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel are very good sources of vitamin D.

Don’t overdose on vitamin D. Intakes of vitamin D from food that are high enough to cause toxicity are very unlikely. Toxicity is much more likely to occur from high intakes of dietary supplements containing vitamin D.

Vitamin D toxicity can cause non-specific symptoms such as anorexia, weight loss, polyuria, and heart arrhythmias. More seriously, it can also raise blood levels of calcium which leads to vascular and tissue calcification, with subsequent damage to the heart, blood vessels, and kidneys. 

Excessive sun exposure does not result in vitamin D toxicity. Soak in the rays.

Robert Bramel

Not that I recommend anything to anybody, but I've been taking 10,000 IU daily for many years. Serum levels have always been at the high end of the normal range. Ideal.

Gregg Wilson

Tom,

A VIP formal advisor that states the country should be shut down for two years is not an idiot??????

This entire shut down demand has been a mistake. A majority of persons arriving at hospitals with coronavirus had isolated themselves in their homes.

Large majorities at processing plants have had the coronavirus with apparently no symptoms. Farmers are destroying their produce while grocery stores are running out of foods. Stop the shut down and return to normal business.

Gregg Wilson

Robert,

I agree with your post. Have been taking large doses of vitamin D. No side effects.

Tom Chavez

Gregg, you accuse Dr. Fauci of saying that the country should be shut down for two years. This appears to be another false accusation.

Here is what he actually said:

March 24th: “The president has the awesome responsibility of considering every aspect of this. I just give public health advice completely clean, unconnected with anything else. He has to factor in other things. And that’s the way he operates. He takes advice from a number of people, from a number of different vantage points, and then he makes his decision.”

On April 14, Fauci advised that a May 1 target is "a bit overly optimistic" for some areas of the country. Any easing off the strict social-distancing rules would have to occur on a "rolling" basis, not all at once, he said, reflecting the ways COVID-19 struck different parts of the country at different times.

Dr. Fauci is an advisor. He gives scientific recommendations based upon health and epidemiology. The administrative decision is for the president to make, or to delegate to the states.

You have a right to disagree with Dr. Fauci’s advice, and and to argue against his opinion. Why falsely accuse him? Why not stick to truth and facts?

Tom Chavez

Tim and several others have asked about the “Plandemic” video which has been removed from social media platforms due to false claims and misleading advice. The video features Dr. Judy Mikovits talking about COVID-19. 

“Plandemic” shows unnamed people, presented as doctors, saying they’re being pressured to add COVID-19 on people’s death certificates or are not being allowed to use the drug hydroxychloroquine to treat patients. We can’t really tell who they are, or even if they are doctors at all. Their credibility cannot be confirmed.

Politifact evaluated (bold red) Mikovits’ most misleading claims (bold black):

The Whittemore Peterson Institute in Reno, Nevada, fired Mikovits in September 2011 after her study was discredited and retracted by Science, a peer-reviewed journal. In November 2011, the district attorney in Washoe County, Nevada, filed a criminal complaint against Mikovits for allegedly stealing notebooks and other property from the institute. Mikovits says in "Plandemic”: the notebooks were "planted" in her house. She also alleged that the National Institutes "paid off" investigators at the direction of Dr. Fauci, the director of the agency. 

There is no evidence to support either claim. 

‘It’s very clear this virus was manipulated’

Scientists say it’s not. The genetic structure of the novel coronavirus rules out laboratory manipulation. A Nature article published March 17 states: "Our analyses clearly show that SARS-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus.”

Hospitals get ‘$13,000 from Medicare if you call it COVID-19’

This is misleading. The federal government does give more money to hospitals that treat coronavirus patients. Congress included extra in the CARES Act. There is no indication that hospitals over-identify patients as having COVID-19 — in fact, evidence suggests the illness is being underdiagnosed.

‘The flu vaccines increase the odds by 36% of getting COVID-19’

First of all, the study was conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors do not say flu vaccines increase the odds of getting a coronavirus by 36%. That false claim was added to the study in a March 11 story from DisabledVeterans.org.

‘If you’ve ever had a flu vaccine, you were injected with coronaviruses’

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu vaccines protect against influenza A (H1N1), influenza A (H3N2), and two influenza B viruses. There are no coronaviruses in the flu shot.

‘Wearing the mask literally activates your own virus. You’re getting sick from your own reactivated coronavirus expressions.’

There is no evidence to support this. We’re not sure what a "coronavirus expression" even is. The CDC advises anyone who goes out in public to wear a mask to prevent spreading the coronavirus through coughs and sneezes.

Al Peffley

Dr. Fauci has stated he does not believe in taking vaccines but likes the Bill Gates' Foundation money. I had several primary care practicitioners who did not participate in the vaccine programs at both Group Health and Kaiser.

The coronavirus "family" of vruses is larger than just COVID-19. The "inserts" to this novel virus do not look like they came from mutations in the wild, but we have no specific evidence from the Wuhan labs to confirm what they were really doing there with horseshoe bat-host coronaviruses.

Fact - Dr. Fauci's home NIH organization ($5.9B budget this fiscal year, plus hundreds of millions of Gates' donations to supporting research organizations like the WHO) has been directly involved in (and funded with US taxpayer dollars and outside donations) global coronavirus research after 2007 (maybe even before 2007.)

Who has peer-reviewd the studies that you cite from third party media sources? Where is their report on the peer review published?

Your defense of Dr. Fauci and the CCP is endless. We know who you support, without question. Dr. Fauci has worked for the Federal Government his whole professional career since achieving his MD certification. Anthony has never owned a small business and never had to raise a family of three daughters on a small business' income. Someone else has taken care of all of his salary, fringe benefits, health care agreements, and job description paperwork. Dr. Fauci does not appear to be in economic stress at 79 years old and confined to an LTC. He is not reported to ever have been in any economic discomfort because he has always had a well-paying government-salaried job. He appears to have little empathy of the people losing their businesses because I and many others think he is a privilaged government bureaucrat (not evil, just dependent and a Catholic, socialist-leaning subject matter expert.)

Dr. Fauci does appear to respect the position of the POTUS, unlike some of his acquaintences in politics and globalist activist groups. However, he has still made some inflamatory comments in mass media interviews about Trump. Neither government leader is "perfect", especially in a global pandemic fear environment affecting over 300 million Americans.

The states and Federal Government were poorly prepared for the pandemic. Obamacare laws and regulations are not helping the response. The quasi-socialist US Government managed health program is causing all kinds of systemic medical supplies resource allocation and doctor retention issues.

We will see if the economy servives this "Just in Time" and restaurant/recreation-oriented business culture disruption. We are about to live differently just like after 9/11. Global governance has its "cons" (pun intended).

Tom Chavez

Pandemics Depress the Economy, Public Health Restrictions Do Not

Evidence from the 1918 Flu

According to this SSRN paper*, restrictions such as social distancing, business closings, mandatory masks, etc., reduce the death rate and help in the economic recovery. This is based upon factual history and science, not politics and emotion. 

Based on geographic variation in mortality during the 1918 Flu Pandemic in the U.S., more exposed areas experienced worse economic activity. Social restrictions to limit exposure decrease influenza mortality. Cities that intervened earlier and more aggressively generally grew faster after the pandemic was over.