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waltfrench.bsky.social
@waltfrench.bsky.social
150 followers 90 following 820 posts
Retired from investing; not retired from scientific-type software exploration. Also enjoying being Grandpa
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waltfrench.bsky.social
AFAICT, the only “fraud” associated with this claim that German researchers found PCR test numbers overstated true COVID infection, is ☞Focal Points’☜ use of the word “fraud”

Good God, you trolls aren’t even good at twisting the results you cherry pick and (apparently intentionally) misinterpret
December 10, 2025 at 7:48 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
This www.aol.com/articles/fas... pivots from human-interest to surprisingly technical news of genetic testing

But WAITAMINNIT!

Something is badly wrong when the Occam-ish aphorism “when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras” overrides a decade of serious symptoms. Will genetics fix that?
AOL story screenshot: Dave Runkel went to his primary care physician with a problem: the 36-year-old engineer was passing blood. He was a Navy vet living in South Carolina with a career that required frequent overseas travel. His wife also worked full-time, and together they were raising three kids between the ages of 6 and 14. Seeing blood in his stool was disturbing to Runkel, because he’d intermittently had extremely loose stools and searing abdominal pain for nearly a decade—but none of his doctors had ever taken it seriously. Runkel went to the doctor determined to get a colonoscopy. The doctor hesitated—Runkel was younger than the screening age of 45, and colorectal cancer is still relatively rare at his age. Runkel became frustrated and decided to lie to the doctor and tell him he had a family history of cancer. The doctor ordered the test. When he finally got the colonoscopy several months later, the doctors found colorectal cancer.
December 10, 2025 at 5:40 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
Th’ NewYawkTimes, hated on for its sanewashing of MAGA, finally reads the room:
Excerpt from a NYT article: President Trump unleashed a xenophobic tirade against Somali immigrants on Tuesday, calling them "garbage" he does not want in the United States in an outburst that captured the raw nativism that has animated his approach to immigration. Even for Mr. Trump —who has a long history of insulting Black people, particularly those from African countries-his outburst was shocking in its unapologetic bigotry. And it comes as he started a new ICE operation targeting Somalis in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region... He described Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota, who came to the United States from Somalia as a refugee and became a citizen 25 years ago, as "garbage."
December 9, 2025 at 6:14 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
Was he the responsible party for the iOS 26 interface? Maybe.

(This from 26.2. But also, it was difficult to copy this screencap from a text message bc the popup menu with “share…” on it was off-screen at the bottom)
December 8, 2025 at 8:07 AM
waltfrench.bsky.social
“Gold Standard Science” is a new coinage🪙, from Backers of Trumpism

It’s basically “he who has the gold, makes the rules”—it added to existing standards of practice exactly ONE element: ☞MAGA Politicians☜ and not scientists, decree what “science” is acceptable

GSS OVERRIDES science with…
December 7, 2025 at 7:42 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
IANAL so can anyone more attuned to legal and Roberts Court nuances explain why Trump’s order seems blatantly unconstitutional but SCOTUS didn’t reject it out of hand as the most terrible of his many power grabs?

Not “Roberts ALSO wants a fascist America,” please. Gotta be some sort of a fig leaf
December 7, 2025 at 5:06 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
The King is dead! Long live the new king!
December 4, 2025 at 7:09 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
Time was, power made wealth. Then, rents fed it; with the Industrial Revolution, accumulated capital

Late 18th & 19thC democracy refocused us. Science—esp of health—went from a gentleman’s hobby to being intellectual capital owned by the whole society. Life expectancy measures non-oligarch benefits
December 4, 2025 at 3:55 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
“Interesting”…a 30% drop in under 2 months

But that sharp a plunge in a widely-traded asset demands more scrutiny. Market manipulations normally wouldn’t be possible

But with a purely-speculative meme asset and VERY unsophisticated cosplay holders, “pump-and-dump” profiteering is a concern
Price chart of BTC/BitCoin showing a high-water mark of ~$125K/coin on October 5, vs $87K today
November 25, 2025 at 5:46 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
Fair enough but I’d prefer the taste of humanity working together for a shared future versus being goaded into it by the man who consciously renamed our Defense Department, the “Department of War”

(As noted by an actual genius)
Screen capture of a quote from noted genius Albert Einstein: “You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war. The very prevention of war requires more faith, courage and resolution than are needed to prepare for war. We must all do our share, that we may be equal to the task of peace.” — Albert Einstein
November 15, 2025 at 6:54 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
I have the privilege to choose a diet with very low UltraProcessed Foods

I’m no fan

But studies *associating* UPFs w shorter, unhealthier lives may confuse cause/effect: jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

High-UPF diets may be a symptom of impoverished attention to multiple good-health practices
Excerpt from study: “Those with higher ultraprocessed food intake had a higher body mass index, more pack-years of smoking, a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes, a higher proportion of regular aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, current menopausal hormone use, and more symptom-driven endoscopies. They were less likely to use multivitamins and undergo screening endoscopies; had lower levels of physical activity and lower intake of fiber, folate, calcium, and vitamin D; and had a lower Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 score.
November 14, 2025 at 7:36 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
Seeing yet another absurd howling lie/absurd idiocy from Dear Leader on his Truthiness Antisocial site, I’m reminded how much we’ve become Vonnegut’s story of a dystopia
Excerpt from Google AI— In Kurt Vonnegut's story Harrison Bergeron, headsets are not for listening to music but are government-issued "mental handicap radios" for intelligent people. They emit loud, jarring noises like shattering glass every 20 seconds to disrupt their thoughts and prevent them from using their intelligence, forcing them to live on an equal footing with everyone else. Harrison wears a more advanced version of this device, consisting of huge earphones and spectacles that cause headaches, as part of his many handicaps.
November 10, 2025 at 10:46 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
The CW is that high (above 1.0) beta signals analysts that a company’s future profits are super-proportional to the S&P average co‘s prospects

But DJT’s beta might signal a collapse in its retail investor enthusiasm—individuals losing heart in the stock super-proportionately more than the market
Chart showing stock DJT falling to a new low since the 2024 election and its high “beta” sensitivity to other stocks (not high volatility of company-specific changes)
November 7, 2025 at 9:14 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
Yes, it absolutely IS the MAGA Party (née GOP) that, for over a half-century has consciously worked to destroy a common democracy where We The People could work together for a better future for all of us

To whip up Confederate Dead-enders. To gut the 1st, 14th & 15th Amendment

Why do you ask?
Spiro Agnew's "positive polarization" referred to a political strategy of deliberately dividing the American electorate along "authentic lines" based on cultural and social values, in order to consolidate the support of the conservative "silent majority" and win elections. Key Context and Meaning Political Strategy: The phrase was part of the Nixon administration's "Southern Strategy" and larger effort to "divide and conquer" the opposition. Agnew, serving as Vice President Richard Nixon's "attack man," used fiery rhetoric to appeal to voters who felt alienated by the anti-war movement, counterculture, and civil rights protests of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Target Audience: The "positive polarization" was intended to rally the "silent majority"-middle-class, often white, Americans who held
"traditional American values" and were anxious about the social changes of the era. Targeted Opposition: The "polarization" was against a perceived elite of "intellectuals, cosmopolitans, professionals and liberals" who were critical of the Nixon administration and the Vietnam War effort. This also included a focus on the news media, which Agnew famously called "nattering nabobs of negativism" and accused of having an "elitist-liberal" bias against the administration. A Call for Realignment: Agnew argued that existing political categorizations were superficial and that it was "time for a healthy in-depth examination of policies and a constructive realignment in this country". He explicitly stated, "If, in challenging, we polarize the American people, I say it is time for a positive polarization". Goal: The goal was to force people to choose a side, believing that those who were not part of the protesting, liberal "small bands of students" and "professional protesters" would naturally align with the Nixon-Agnew ticket. This strategy proved successful in helping Nixon achieve a landslide re-election victory in 1972.
November 7, 2025 at 7:38 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
“Our lawyers say releasing benefits breaks the law. But SCOTUS sez *I* don’t need to follow laws (thanks, Roberts!) so here ya go

Not enough to prevent kids & poor seniors from going hungry (got that, Law of the Jungle MAGAs?)

Only to show I’m in command; we don’t need Congress, courts or voters”
November 3, 2025 at 8:07 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
This interview www.medpagetoday.com/popmedicine/... betw Schumer and his host seems spot on

Vital, even
Clip includes text Schumer: Fifty-one thousand people will die at minimum if we don't change the law, we don't renew the ACA [Affordable Care Act]. When you talk to a mother and she says, "My daughter has cancer and she's going to lose her treatment. My daughter's going to die," that's a moral imperative, not a political imperative, a moral imperative to do something about it. Varshavski: I think the reason why our channel is successful is because we try and see people who disagree with us, their side of things. Schumer: Yes. Good idea. Varshavski: So what's your understanding as to why the Republican leadership is OK with making these cuts? What is their plan? In the past, I've said that my content is clinical, not political, and I realized that's inaccurate. In order to advocate for my patients, in order to advocate for good quality public health, we need to be political. The key is to not be partisan. Currently, the United States is in the midst of a historic government shutdown, all centered around healthcare spending.
October 24, 2025 at 8:21 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
You just KNOW a “novel” idea is toxic when a popular, hardcore rightwing actor cant get MAHA to endorse it and he has to turn to Florida Man

(The 2020 Trump White House pushed IVM for COVID despite it being USELESS AND HARMFUL for it; IMO MAGA now seeks to justify the dumb idea it’s a wonder drug)
Screen clip from a Medical newsletter: Florida's plans to finance research into ivermectin as a possible cancer treatment was spurred in part by claims made by actor Mel Gibson on a podcast hosted by Joe Rogan. (Washington Post)
October 22, 2025 at 7:25 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
Sure, we PARDONED all the people who were found by a jury to have beaten police and threatened House members in order to stop them from certifying the 2016 election

But we obviously denounce people who allegedly threaten House members
Clip from Politico: 5. POLITICAL VIOLENCE WATCH: A pardoned Capitol rioter was charged for allegedly threatening to “eliminate” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney reports. “Court records reflect that the FBI’s tipster told the bureau that on Oct. 17, [Christopher] Moynihan ‘made statements regarding the assassination of Congressman Hakeem Jeffries’ and that he planned to carry out the attack ‘in a few days,’ while the Democratic House leader was in New York. The person told the FBI that Moynihan described the motivation for the plot as ‘the future’ and voiced concern that the man given clemency by Trump had been abusing drugs and expressing increasing ‘homicidal ideations.’” The response: “Jeffries praised state and federal authorities for apprehending Moynihan and lamented Trump’s blanket pardon. ‘Unfortunately, our brave men and women in law enforcement are being forced to spend their time keeping our communities safe from these violent individuals who should never have been pardoned,’ Jeffries said in a statement.” Johnson denounced the alleged death threat this morning: “Anybody who threatens to kill any political official, we denounce it absolutely.”
October 21, 2025 at 8:49 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
[Bloomberg] News story: cryptocurrency investor Ross Calvin is pushing a $450-million proposal to build a statue of the Greek god Prometheus on Alcatraz island that would stand 145 feet taller than the State of Liberty

[Wikipedia’s] Oh-so Apt Chaser:
In the Western classical tradition, Prometheus became a figure who represented human striving (particularly the quest for scientific knowledge) and the risk of overreaching or unintended consequences. In particular, he was regarded in the Romantic era as embodying the lone genius whose efforts to improve human existence could also result in tragedy: Mary Shelley, for instance, gave The Modern Prometheus as the subtitle to her novel Frankenstein (1818).
October 21, 2025 at 3:17 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
The Guardian captures one of the core truths about today’s protests—the Trumpists only know hate and we protestors can let them have their tantrums on their own time; we’re busy rescuing our Constitution
Screen capture from the Guardian The marchers largely ignored what looked like a determined effort by a handful of counter-protesters in Maga hats to provoke conflict. “Ignore them,” a protester with dyed purple hair said. “Because there’s a sea of us that are like-minded and they’re just a little drop of shit.” [photo] Tommy Allen, right, a Trump supporter who was recently charged with assault for punching a protester outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in South Portland, shouted praise for Trump and transphobic slurs during an anti-Trump rally in Portland, Oregon on Saturday. Photograph: Robert Mackey/The Guardian “I could go over there and I could scream at them, but it won’t matter,” the protester, a young woman from neighboring Gresham, Oregon added. “This is what matters, people coming together.”
October 19, 2025 at 6:39 AM
waltfrench.bsky.social
Care to say more about what it was like? Presumably your flight crew, who individually log many thousands of hours in the air, have been thru it many times and haven’t chosen less stressful work
October 16, 2025 at 10:20 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
October 13, 2025 at 8:21 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
“…gently fry the eggplant until golden.”
October 8, 2025 at 1:06 AM
waltfrench.bsky.social
We did ratatouille in the 12-week “basics” class last night and now it’s time to see if I can do it as well at home. First step, comparing our recipe to Alice Waters’s; second, a trip to the Berkeley Farmers’ Market
Beautiful, fresh eggplant, basil, red bells, zucchini and dry-farmed early girl tomatoes next to a cookbook
October 7, 2025 at 10:50 PM
waltfrench.bsky.social
With all respect, Governor, nope this isn’t authoritarianism so much as the first shots of a second civil war

A war that’s coming to a boil (as ALSO our first civil war did) by powerful people choosing to destroy a status quo based on protecting our human rights notion that we are all created equal
Clip from Politico: ... Gavin Newsom: "This speech should terrify anyone who cares about our country. Declaring war on our nation's cities and using our troops as political pawns is what dictators do. This man cares about nothing but his own ego and power."
October 1, 2025 at 12:51 AM