Archive for the ‘ Pictures ’ Category

Are flu vaccines effective? Prognosis: negative.

Posted on October 22nd, 2015 Be the first to comment

It’s that time of year again when government rolls out the “get your flu shot!” propaganda under the usual auspices of “keeping everyone safe”.

Well, you know…government.

Now I know that there are questions about the safety of flu vaccines, some of which (especially those indicated for very young children) contain thimerosal as a preservative, but that’s not what I’m talking about.

flu1 flu2

There are anecdotal indications in the news, and of course I have my own personal experiences with not contracting seasonal bugs while those around me (who proudly got the jab) got repeatedly sick, but these are hardly objective. So for this post I wanted to do a more thorough analysis using the statistics being provided by the very people making the claim that the flu shot keeps you safer: https://www.ontario.ca/page/flu-facts

On the same page that touts the flu shot as “the most effective way to protect yourself and your family from the flu”, the “Flu Facts” page links to Google’s flu tracker to provide yearly data on the infectious disease: http://www.google.org/flutrends/about/

The flu vaccine wasn’t widely promoted by the government until 2008 but has been promoted for kids since 2004. These dates, along with historical population numbers, provide a good basis to work with.

Here are the results of that work:

Date Total Recorded Canadian Influenza Infections Population of Canada Infection rate per population Average per period
2004-12-26 77828 32048000 0.2428%  
2005-12-25 98859 32359000 0.3055%  
2006-12-31 97598 32723000 0.2983%  
2007-12-30 85821 33115000 0.2592%  
2008-12-28 84826 33506000 0.2532% 0.2718%
2009-12-27 141118 33630000 0.4196%  
2010-12-26 67855 34010000 0.1995%  
2011-12-25 73778 34340000 0.2148%  
2012-12-30 101581 34750000 0.2923%  
2013-12-29 104231 35160000 0.2964% 0.2845%
2014-12-28 121388 35540400 0.3415% 0.2940%

I split up the values into two ranges (pre-2008 and post-2008) for which complete data sets were available. For example, although flu data is available for 2003, it’s only for a portion of that year so I excluded it. Similarly, since 2015 isn’t finished yet, I left it out. The above numbers are condensed from a larger data set which you can download as an Excel spreadsheet (.xls / .xlsx), or an Open Office / Libre Office spreadsheet (.ods), and you can always recreate the calculations from the sources I linked to above.

Of course it would be a wild leap to say that you are more likely to contract the flu because of the introduction of the flu vaccine (though this may actually be true), I think that this result demonstrates that the inverse claim is also dubious. In fact, it looks like the trend for influenza infections is actually climbing rather than receding.

What’s unfortunate is that many people, often the same ones that uphold objective science and reject theology, are willing to entirely and instantly reject any such claims when they’re contrary to those pushed forward by the “authorities”. Sounds like dogmatic religion to me, but what do I know, I must just be a bitter anti-vaxxer.

Filed under: Patrick Bay, Pictures, Why I'm Right

And the winner is…

Posted on October 21st, 2015 1 Comment

I know that it’s basically impossible to prove at this point, but I was 100% correct about the results of this week’s election:

Government won!

Real Change No!

Filed under: Dispatches, Patrick Bay, Pictures

So many feels

Posted on October 20th, 2015 Be the first to comment

TCL’s search stats suggest that I may have hit a nerve…

searches

Filed under: Dispatches, Patrick Bay, Pictures

How did I vote?

Posted on October 19th, 2015 Be the first to comment

I didn’t.

Instead of spending an hour to stuff a flimsy paper ballot into a flimsy paper box that’s manned by a well-meaning geriatric every four years and then using the remaining time exercising my “right” to wallow and complain when things inevitably go wrong, I choose to spend 99.998% of my time (yeah…do the math) making an actual difference. Trying to, anyways.

To put it bluntly, if you voted for any politician then it’s you who have no “right to complain” (as statists are fond of blathering), when the government that you implicitly “granted” the ability to fuck you over, fucks you over. I mean, you actually went out of your way to do that!

voting-the-slaves-suggestion-box

Filed under: Patrick Bay, Pictures, Why I'm Right

Uncle Tetsu’s Cheesy Cakes

Posted on October 14th, 2015 1 Comment

Uncle Tetsu's, Bay and Dundas

Today I got a chance to try the headliner at the perennially busy (except this morning), Uncle Tetsu’s Japanese Cheesecake.

Uncle Tetsu's Cheesecake

The cakes are a not unpleasant crossbreed between an angel food cake or maybe a soufflé, and a mildly flavoured cheesecake. With the exception of the company name, there wasn’t a lick of English anywhere on the packaging so I couldn’t tell what actually went into it. Allergies? That’s your problem.

The $10 cake should be enough for at least two people, and the $2.50 cupcake-like madeleines are a good alternative if you’re not willing to make the investment. I found both treats tasty and I’d probably get seconds if the hankerin’ hit, but despite the gushing adoration some people are heaping on it, you won’t catch me waiting in a line up for what comes across as essentially a sponge cake with a cream-cheesy taste.

Filed under: Patrick Bay, Pictures

Not so mobile

Posted on October 14th, 2015 Be the first to comment

Public phones, Beverley and Dundas

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Mos Eisle @ Dupont

Posted on October 14th, 2015 Be the first to comment

Gates at Dupont Station, Dupont and Spadina

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From the valley

Posted on October 14th, 2015 Be the first to comment

Don Valley ParkwaySkyline from the Don Valley Parkway

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Sub way

Posted on October 13th, 2015 Be the first to comment

Sherbourne Station entrance, Bloor Street East Sherbourne Station tunnel, Bloor Street East

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Tigerset

Posted on October 10th, 2015 Be the first to comment

Looking west from Sherbourne and Carlton

Filed under: Patrick Bay, Pictures