How To Live In The Next Ice Age Glacial – Lessons From Siberia

I find this video fascinating in two ways.

First, the way that ethnic Russians with modern technology just accept the cold and frozen and work with it. In particular, their embrace of “way below zero” (C) as a feature. Yes, folks in the USA do that too, in the Ice Road Truckers of Alaska (and likely Canada too). But these folks go a bit further. In particular, I notice that their tires are way ATV like…

As I’m checking out ATV like tires for my all wheel drive Subaru, I’ve come to recognize radical tires when I see them.

Second, there’s the “Native” population bits where some folks who are clearly “Much European / Some Asian” in genetics are able to just live in a tent in Siberia. We are talking crazy cold that can not exist in Georgia, never mind Florida or Brazil. Even during an Ice Age Glacial.

So clearly during the coming Ice Age Glacial, it WILL be possible for folks to live relatively well in places like Alberta and Wyoming. At least until the glaciers arrive some thousands of years after onset. But I’m not worried about 30,000 years in the future. A couple of thousand is more than enough.

Big tires. Helping those in need. Shared community spirit among those who live “on the road”. Understanding the risks of nature. Understanding the need to cut losses when it is impossible. Understanding that fuel is survival (both for men and machines).

I think I will fit right in, in our future glaciating world.

But I think I need a 2nd set of rims and some good ATV tires for the Subaru first! ;-)

Subscribe to feed

Friends Of Australia Friday Lamburger Steak, Butter Sauteed Leeks, Chard, Cole Slaw, and Yellowtail Pinot Grigio

It’s once again an Australia Time Friday! It’s FRIDAY!!!!

I guess you can tell I’ve got a job now, only one posting in between the two Australia Friday postings… I’ll need to watch that. OTOH, I put what was effectively a posting about Scythians in comments in the Grab Bag ;-)

The Tucker

Tonight I’ll be doing a Lamburger Steak, pan fried in olive oil, with a dusting of salt, garlic granules, and a grind of pepper. Topper will be leeks sauteed in 50/50 Olive Oil / Butter.

Sides are Trader Joe’s Cole Slaw (a kit with dressing that’s cut a bit coarse, but is very tasty), Chard (the red stemmed kind. Tonight will be the leaves, steamed. Tomorrow the stems. We do both the French approach of leaves and the German approach of stems. ;-) And yes, it will be slathered in real butter as it hits the plate.

Desert will be strawberries in Kefir, with a bit of added sugar. We tried Kefir for the first time a week ago. I find that I like it. Calling it “A liquid like yogurt” doesn’t capture it. The stuff is more thick than “liquid”. It is rather like yogurt you can pour, sort of. But with an interesting quality to the flavor. Almost like a hint of effervescence. Mixed with a bit of jam it is very nice… But tonight will be real ripe strawberries, diced, and sugar to taste.

Wine – Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio

A very pale yellow, that looks almost water clear in the glass. A bit of effervescence here, too. Not enough to fizz, but enough to make the edges of your tongue dance. Nose is of light spring fruit. The flavor is gentle, subtle, and with enough acid to make it interesting, but it would be overwhelmed by strong foods or cheddar cheese. A very nice light easy drinking wine. I suspect it will be a bit whimpy up against garlic flavored lamb covered in leeks, so I’ll have to try and finish all I can before dinner ;-)

In Other News

Looks like Sky Australia has clue about Baffled Biden:

Yes, that’s about how 1/2 the USA sees him too.

Blithering Biden Bumbling and Bungling.

The only “good” I can see in this is that we know The Big Lie happened (that being the notion Biden was properly elected). The Dims are trying to tag the phrase “The big lie” to the notion that the election was “stolen”. I’m happy to embrace the phrase “The Big Lie” as the notion Biden actually got elected.

So there you go, Democrats. YOUR Big Lie has the world laughing at you. I’m beginning to enjoy watching you twist in the wind as YOUR policies make you look as stupid as Biden (who we know is barely able to read que cards and doesn’t know he’s in the White House when he wakes up – he told us so…)

Subscribe to feed

Grab Bag

Mother’s Day

First off, in the USA it’s Mothers’s Day, so “Happy Mother’s Day!” to all the moms out there.

We’re planning a drive around some parks (basically an ‘outing’ while staying in the car until we see a sunny patch of park somewhere) then a “take out” meal from some restaurant or other (not interested in fighting what is likely to be a very large crowd for a reduced capacity seating). This isn’t as big a ‘gift’ as for most Moms as I’m the cook in the family. So the spouse gets “table service” every night ;-) But it is special in that it will be something I don’t cook and a fancier meal. (Plus it meets what seems to be an obligatory marker of “spent money”…)

Mass & Flowers

Yesterday we had indoor Mass at one of the Missions of California. It was fairly well attended. We got to drive some fair distance into the country to a rural farm town to find a Mass open to attendance, so a bit of an adventure.

This was a special mass in that there were somewhere over 1/2 dozen kids taking their first communion. There was a “band” of 3 folks set up (piano, guitar, some other instrument I didn’t notice) with live music. This particular mission is in a Hispanic dominated town, so the kids were 2 Asians and the rest clearly Hispanic, likely Mexican in origin.

This brings with it some wonderful traditions. Now I have no idea if the events were traditional Catholic, or Mexican, or what. First off, the kids did a “vignette” of a play. Reenacting the story of a traveler stopped under a tree (one kid holding a branch over another) visited by an angel with bread and water, then walking for 40 days (the story all told by the priest). After the communion, the children lit communion candles from one of the altar huge candles. Everyone in fancy dress too. A whole lot of proud parents receiving commemorative boxes / books.

Then, after that was over, the band struck up a song about flowers (in Spanish) while the Mom’s (since this is the mass of Mother’s Day in the early Saturday version) lined up, each given a rose. My spouse was not expecting this and was very taken with her rose…

The service was mostly in English, with occasional bits in Spanish (that I think were particularly Mexican cultural additions, like the rose song and some around the candle lighting – or possibly just so the Spanish Speakers in the congregation knew what to do next – it’s easy to follow Mass in any language as it is a constant pattern, but off script not so much). Overall it was a charming and in some ways special experience. Even if we did need to drive a long ways for it.

The priest did announce that as of next week all capacity limits were removed (though masks were still required). I think maybe Governor Nuisance, having his recall make the ballot, has caught a bit of clue about pissed off voters. One hopes his tiny bit of clue has arrived too late for such concessions to save him. The usual church we attend for Mass has announced a kind of lottery for who gets to attend. It is usually very packed / over committed anyway and is only running at reduced capacity even into next week. I think that, because it is in a different “zone” for assessing status, it is not yet in the ‘no limits’ category. Spouse has put her name in the hat, so we’ll find out next week which way we go for next Mass.

Ivermectin Buying

I decided to just go ahead and commit to using Ivermectin as a prophylactic. I’m working in a medical office, setting up HIPPA compliance equipment, and there’s a fairly high risk of exposure. I’ve been there a few times during “regular hours” with patients coming and going.

So on the one hand, to meet government compliance mandates, I have to increase my exposure profile. On the other hand, to meet government mandates, I’m prevented from getting effective prophylactic drugs. Gee, Thanks Government! /snark;

Now I have a 250 ML bottle, but it is down to the bottom 1/3 or 1/4 and that’s not going to last long. About 6 weeks at one dose / week. So just went ahead and bought the Big Bottle. That was an interesting experience.

In Florida, at the same Farm Supply Store there was no rigmarole. Just a polite nag from the clerk that it was for “Animals Only”. From Amazon it was just order and move on. Here, in the same brand Farm Supply Store, it was “Phone number, Name, zip code…” when I asked I was told “Because it is a controlled substance”. Well, it isn’t. BUT that’s the cover story Management wants to give, OK, whatever.

Bottom line is I decided to say F’it… and instead of the 250 ml for $20 bought the 2.5 L (hopefully lifetime supply ;-) for $50.

In theory, both the spouse and I could self treat every week for 2 years and still have a bit left over. Since (outside of this contract) I’ve only used it when some suspected symptoms showed up, the reality is more like several years. But I’ve got more than enough now to be prophetically prepared while working this contract.

WHY am I doing this? Because it seems like our CDC / NIH and the W.H.O. are too stupid to read medical literature:

https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/aiims-study-covid-19/

A study by All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Bhubaneswar in the Indian state of Odisha found that two doses of potential drug ivermectin prophylaxis resulted in a 73% reduction in Covid-19 infection.

Between 20 September and 19 October, 12 physicians of AIIMS-Bhubaneshwar conducted the study on healthcare workers (HCWs) at risk of virus exposure.

Yeah, 73% reduction in healthcare workers (which, it seems, I am now one of…)

Now of particular note to me is that, IMHO, they were dosing at about the usual, but only ONE interval of doses then nothing for the rest of the MONTH. That using what is basically a ONE A MONTH dose they got this degree of reduction is quite amazing to me. Normal recommendations are one a WEEK.

Performed on two sets of HCWs, the study evaluated the association between the drug and development of Covid-19 infection, The New Indian Express reported.

In the two-cohort study, one set of HCWs received two-dose ivermectin prophylaxis at a dose of 300 μg / kg with a gap of 72 hours while workers in the other group received other prophylaxis.

With around 4,600 employees, over 625 employees of the institute tested positive for Covid-19.

The month-long study took place using 372 participants, including doctors, nurses, paramedics and sanitisation workers.

The dose used if scaled up for a 100 kg person (i.e. me) would be:
600 mcg / kg x 100 kg = 60000 mcg = 60 mg.
So 60 mg over 72 hours then nothing for the rest of the month. The dose more commonly used (at least for worming and parasites) is more like 50 mg for a 100 kg beast.

From their detail sheet “https ://www.durvet.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Ivermectin-PO_5L_FP-1.pdf”:

ANADA 200-340,
Approved by FDA
Ivermectin Pour-On for
Cattle Contains
5 mg ivermectin/mL
[…]
Ivermectin Pour-On for Cattle
applied at the recommended
dose level of 500 mcg/kg is indicated for the effective control of
these parasites.

500 mcg is 1/2 mg, so a 100 kg critter gets 50 mg, or 10 ml.

Now this is for the “pour on” drench, and I don’t know how much is expected to actually soak into the skin of a cow, vs be absorbed into hair and / or just not soak in, so there’s that.

But I’ve seen similar dosing profiles in other references. My PDR (Physicians Desk Reference) lists 200 mcg / kg for oral dose for strongyloidiasis (which would be about 20 mg for a 100 kg critter or 2/5 of the drench dose rate as an oral pill).

Toxic risk is low, as their is an extraordinarily wide theraputic range. Dosing with 40 x recommended has little effect, toxic dose in mice is 25 to 50 mg / kg or about 100 times the 200 mcg / kg. IF that maps to humans, it would require, for a 100 kg person, absorbing 2500 mg from the drench which is 500 ml. Yes, you would need to absorb, fully, 2 CUPS of the stuff. I think the isopropanol solvent would kill you first…

So given that, a 500 mcg / kg vs a 600 mcg / kg dosing pattern isn’t particularly significant. But the once a month is.

The bottom line here is that, IMHO, this Indian study was using a fairly ordinary dose, but at a very infrequent dosing schedule, and STILL got 73% protection.

I’d love to know what they would get with weekly dosing.

Now, for me, what this means it that instead of a 10 ml “treatment” after suspected exposure or early onset symptoms of “something”, or doing a weekly prophylactic dose: I’m thinking I’ll cut it back to an alternate weekly prophylaxis.

Now do note: This is only what I’m doing for ME. It is not advice nor guidance for anyone else. I’d MUCH MUCH prefer to be getting a human dose pill from my M.D. under proper medical supervision. It is ONLY because our CDC, NIH, etc. etc. are being incredibly stupid and hide bound, and PREVENTING an effective treatment that is shown safe in all sorts of other uses in humans that I’m pushed into this “DIY” necessity (as I’m in a high risk group and now in a high exposure risk setting).

This is not at all a preferred behaviour.

Pipeline On The Internet?

WT? are they thinking having ANY control equipment for a critical pipeline infrastructure connected in any way to the internet?

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/08/colonial-pipeline-shuts-pipeline-operations-after-cyberattack.html

Ransomware attack forces shutdown of largest fuel pipeline in the U.S.
PUBLISHED SAT, MAY 8 20218:48 AM EDT UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO

Colonial Pipeline fell victim to a cybersecurity attack on Friday that involved ransomware, forcing it to temporarily shut down all pipeline operations.

Colonial transports nearly half of the East Coast’s fuel supply through a system that spans over 5,500 miles between Texas and New Jersey.

The pipeline transports gasoline, diesel, home heating oil and jet fuel. It also supplies the military.

John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital in New York, said the U.S. will see spot shortages of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel develop rapidly if the outage persists.

Is it REALLY that costly to use a private “leased line” for your private company control structures? Is it REALLY that expensive to just pay someone to be there operating the pipeline controls and talk over the phone if needed to get guidance?

Why “Upper Management” is in such a stupid rush to connect everything via “The Internet” and put the corporate essential operations “in the cloud” is beyond me (and beyond stupid…)

Oh Well…

Hope you folks on the East Coast have your tanks full…

Subscribe to feed

Friends Of Australia Friday Shoulder Chops, Asparagus, eSteamed Broccoli, and Yellowtail Sauvignon Blanc

It’s once again an Australia Time Friday! It’s FRIDAY!!!!

The Tucker

Tonight was Shoulder Chops, pan fried in olive oil, with a dusting of salt, garlic granules, and a grind of pepper.

Sides were 2 steamed vegetables. Fresh Asparagus, and eSteamed Broccoli. Slathered with real butter.

OMG was that combination good! Yes, it is all so simple, yet it worked nicely. Also note that this is a low-carb dinner. Yes, we’re moving away from the “Storage Foods High Carb Prepper” stuff and back into Real Food with fresh vegetables and meats.

The Asparagus was more or less “Al Dente” while the broccoli was, as the spouse likes it, soft but not stinky. A VERY hard point to hit. If she would just let me make it Al Dente too, it would be much easier. I think there’s about 60 seconds during which it is ‘fork soft’ and not yet overcooked.

(Yesterday included a salad of colored carrot shreds, radish disks, purple cauliflower chips, olives, and Havarti cheese bits on a bed of fresh butter lettuce… Yes, green, orange, purple, white, red, black, yellow…) Topped with a Caesar Dressing. What can I say, this is what happens when I’m getting bored ;-)

But back at tonight…

Wine – A Yellow Tail Sauvignon Blanc

Unfortunately, earlier in the week, in a moment of weakness, I did-in the Australian Sangria. (Who knew? But it was quite good. Not too diluted with cheap juice as so many are… Details to be found here: https://chiefio.wordpress.com/2021/05/04/ode-to-president-dunsel/ well, maybe not so much details on the wine as on the effects ;-) But really, it is a nice strong wine base, Shiraz I think, with just enough fruit to have a Citrus note, but not make it silly sweet fruit punch with a bit of wine “somewhere”. Still, I’ll be having more of that. IF I can remember where I bought it. ;-)

But back at tonight, again:

This is a nice wine, but I must admit that my assessment of it will be colored by the fact I was eating aSalted Radishes as an appetizer. I like radishes, heavy with salt, for reasons nobody else seems to understand… but they do tend to blow out the taste buds. Hot sauce starts to taste more like ketchup. Pepper reminds you of allspice. That kind of thing.

A very pale yellow, that looks greenish yellow in the bottle as the glass is a bit greenish, it is a light flavor (especially in the context of radish relish tray… where it is more like water quenching fire… but I digress…)

Almost Germanic in it’s crispness. Sort of citrus overtones, I find myself wondering what a blend of their Sangria with this Sauvignon Blanc might do… It lists 7% of the contents as coming from New Zealand. Likely where they got cold season grapes that have that Germanic Zing to them.

Some astringency on the sides of the tongue give it that “watering mouth” feel, while there’s enough fruit in it to not leave you wondering what it might be. A touch of sugar, not enough to really taste sweet, but enough to not be bitter or so dry you look for a glass of ice water. Whoever blended this knows what they are doing.

Fruit flavor is there, but frankly, after radishes and garlic, it is my tongue that is inadequate to the task, not the wine. Nose is lightly fragrant, so I know it is in the bottle… Next time, “Wine FIRST, radishes last.”…

In Other News

I wish I had kept up on Australian news. I haven’t. I’m just ignoring the world and hoping it goes away.

China seems to have bought a large chunk of influence in New Zealand. Too bad. I liked New Zealand. It won’t be the same full of Cantonese speakers and Peking Duck.

China is putting the screws on Australia. I get that (thus this series…) and with PotuSINO Bidé[n] (the “n” is silent…) pResident in the White House, y’all are on your own. I get that. Just wish there was more I could do than eat your lamb and drink your wine. Please hang in there. Only one more year to the 2022 elections in the USA.

So hang in there. We’re pulling for you.

Subscribe to feed