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I got the flu


Allen

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5 minutes ago, Page Turner said:

...I did not read your source statistics.  Are they for the District proper (within the boundaries as laid out by George Washington), or are they for the metropolitan area ? The Metropolitan area for D.C. is not confined within the original boundaries. So what exactly are the facts in this case ? Your posting clearly says "District of Columbia".  Once again, I grew up there, and I am pretty familiar with the population demographics.  

Your concerns as they relate to people dying are purely semantic.

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Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths — United States, 2013–2017

...clearly, this particular study is referencing the District proper, and not the metropolitan area.

 

I never mentioned it here, but where I grew up in SE Washington, I was close enough to the MD line that  we could (and often did)  walk past one of the original stone markers laid out by ol' General George when he surveyed the place. :) 

Anyhow here's a map of the metropolitan area for some context. At various times I lived in SE, Arlington, University Park, Mt Ranier, and Chevy Chase.  I banged a nurse who lived in Bethesda for a while, and one of my girlfriends lived all the way out in fucking Rockville (which was a long drive home to Mt Ranier on a dark winter night. :( ). My high school job as a lifeguard for the Naval Research Lab was over in Suitland.

 

dcnewz.png....I grew up right near the line where it's marked "Hillcrest Heights." 

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2 minutes ago, Page Turner said:

...sweet baby Jesus, get a grip.  I'm neither on the side of the angels or the devil incarnate here.  I just think statistics ought to be used in context in order to understand a problem.

What it likely means is that there is increasing fentanyl presence in the local heroin supply. It doesn’t matter what side of the dotted line you lived on when you die. For that reason, a regional assessment of the DC area is very reasonable. 

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1 minute ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

What it likely means is that there is increasing fentanyl presence in the local heroin supply. It doesn’t matter what side of the dotted line you lived on when you die. For that reason, a regional assessment of the DC area is very reasonable. 

1) We'd love to see your regional assessment

2) Your " The District of Columbia had the fastest rate of increase in mortality from opioids with an annual percent change of 228.3% " is definitely not equal to "regional assessment of the DC area"

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2 minutes ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

He’s a 30 waist 32” length jean, medium sized t-shirt guy.

I used to be, and not all that long ago.  Now I am well-marbled and have a majestic belly.

Speaking of, I am all pissed off that I can't wander into my nearest capitalist establishment and buy pot brownies to celebrate the new year, but SW is up in that heathen state full of criminal cheaters and is getting all he wants.  How is this right?

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Just now, Prophet Zacharia said:

They may have a special starting tomorrow!

And it really is one thing he should not skimp on.  He should go for the ritziest gym membership he can find. Heck, he should supplement by joining a spin club as well.  He just needs to make sure he locks it in for 12 months so he doesn't risk lapsing and gets the best deal.

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1 hour ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

What it likely means is that there is increasing fentanyl presence in the local heroin supply. It doesn’t matter what side of the dotted line you lived on when you die. For that reason, a regional assessment of the DC area is very reasonable. 

...sure it's reasonable.  But apparently there's no statistical data base from which to construct it.

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1 hour ago, Razors Edge said:

And, FTR, where I live is not even on that map!

...you live in a place that would not be possible were it not for the Dulles Airport Access Highway.  I contributed considerable cash to that road, so you're welcome. I knew some hippies who got dispossessed to build your dream community. :angry:

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On 12/28/2019 at 12:29 PM, Road Runner said:

I guess you don't need it now.  :)

It would still protect against at least 2 and maybe 3 other strains of the flu.

The regular flu shot protects you from the two most probable A-strains and the two most probable B-strains of the flu.

The supercharged shot that seniors get is 4x as strong to insure your body reacts to it, but it only protects against 3 strains, 2 A and 1 B.

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If you come in contact with lots of people during your typical day, it really pays to get the flu shot.

When I worked in an industrial chemistry research lab I never got the shot or the flu - we used to joke that the phosgene gas we worked with (a cousin to the mustard gas used in WW1) killed the germs. Occasionally something would leak and we inhaled it by accident.  But also, we didn't come in contact with a lot of people, varying from one to several dozen people each day in the lab, office and plant.

But then I went into teaching (to avoid the carcinogens which were just being discovered) and ended up as the gifted & talented lead teacher in Maryland's largest high school with 3000 high school kids plus a few thousand more middle school kids in the same complex, sharing the same recirculated air in the heating/cooling systems.

I caught the flu the first two years I taught.  Fortunately I was in the best shape of my life. I was running 6 miles/day and my resting heart rate was in the 50's and I wasn't very sick for more than three days each time.  But I got the flu shot every year after that.  I ended my career in teaching with 175 unused sick days, typical of teachers who got the flu shot each year.  Those who tended not to get it averaged less than 50 unused sick days.  The difference might be due to teachers who bothered to get the shot were those who generally took better care of their health, but I'll bet it's mainly due to getting the shot.

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1 hour ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

Um, yes there is. The CDC is a reliable source.

...yes. That is why I linked to an article from them in post #57.  It describes in some detail the problems associated with gathering the statistics, and in particular mentions D.C. as separate from the other state statistics.  Which is where the MD and VA death statistics show up for people who live in both metropolitan D.C. and either MD or VA.  Understandably, those folks don't get counted twice.  You can go on about this as long as you want, but your original supposition is in error. 

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1 minute ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

You don’t even know what my original supposition was or why I was making it. You just jumped because you wanted to beat your chest about your knowledge of the District and surrounding communities. Good night.

...I read it. It was quite clear, and written in very good English.  English is my native language.  Is it chest beating to say that ?:huh: Get some rest, because you have gone way beyond the rational here.

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17 hours ago, Page Turner said:

Get some rest, because you have gone way beyond the rational here.

A new year, a new chance for PZ to apologize for leaving us all high and dry!  He knows as well as anyone that when you make a point with a random statistic in it, folks like to see where it came from.  It's called a "link" and folks can then click on it.

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6 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

A new year, a new chance for PZ to apologize for leaving us all high and dry!  He knows as well as anyone that when you make a point with a random statistic in it, folks like to see where it came from.  It's called a "link" and folks can then click on it.

I think I was reading this. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2725487
But it was a throw-away reference as I transitioned from @dottie to you scoring my smack. My only “point” was that you could easily get it.

  • Haha 1
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3 minutes ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

I think I was reading this. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2725487
But it was a throw-away reference as I transitioned from @dottie to you scoring my smack. My only “point” was that you could easily get it.

Dude, no one here wants to read a scientific journal!!! WTF are you on??? Opioids???

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7 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

Dude, no one here wants to read a scientific journal!!! WTF are you on??? Opioids???

Which is why didn’t link it. Nevertheless, it had nothing to do with what George Washington’s original map of the District were, or where Page used to drive a cab (or where you actually LIVE). His thoughts were superfluous to my claim.

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1 minute ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

Which is why didn’t link it. Nevertheless, it had nothing to go with what George Washington’s original map of the District were, or where Page used to drive a cab. His thoughts were superfluous to my claim.

Still, I live in Virginia.  In a former hippie commune, apparently according to Page, and he oddly doesn't realize the Dulles TOLL Road, not the FREE Dulles airport access road, is the what is paying for all sorts of nuttiness in NoVA. 

I still stand behind the inanity of comparing apples to oranges. Cities are not states, and it does a real disservice to folks if they are treated the same - even just in broad strokes.

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15 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

Cities are not states, and it does a real disservice to folks if they are treated the same - even just in broad strokes.

I agree you shouldn’t compare DC to entire states, in general. But the key issue is that opiates aren’t a city issue, and aren’t a state issue, necessarily, they’re a regional issue. So when looking at Pittsburgh, you should include the adjacent Mon Valley (but not the entire state of PA). But which is probably more comparable to the entirety of WVa, rather than just Morgantown or Wheeling. Which is comparable to the DC metro area, not just  inner city DC. Because opiate addiction has spilled over from inner city to surburban use and beyond, and the deaths follow the distribution range more than the maps.

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1 hour ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

 Nevertheless, it had nothing to do with what George Washington’s original map of the District were, or where Page used to drive a cab (or where you actually LIVE). 

giphy.gif

 

1 hour ago, Razors Edge said:

Still, I live in Virginia.  In a former hippie commune, apparently according to Page, and he oddly doesn't realize the Dulles TOLL Road, not the FREE Dulles airport access road, is the what is paying for all sorts of nuttiness in NoVA. 

 

...because none of the TOLL road is ever remotely near the FREE road.  They're not even in the same county, really. And they were very nice hippies.  With excellent pot to share. :slow-dance-smiley: 

1 hour ago, Prophet Zacharia said:

 But the key issue is that opiates aren’t a city issue, and aren’t a state issue, necessarily, they’re a regional issue. So when looking at Pittsburgh, you should include the adjacent Mon Valley (but not the entire state of PA). But which is probably more comparable to the entirety of WVa, rather than just Morgantown or Wheeling. Which is comparable to the DC metro area, not just  inner city DC. Because opiate addiction has spilled over from inner city to surburban use and beyond, and the deaths follow the distribution range more than the maps.

 

giphy.gif...The Changing Geography of the Opioid Crisis

 

...if you could find a "declining industrial community" anywhere in the currently defined DC metro area, you might have a point.  As it is it's just more WRONG !!!!!

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...all the suburban areas of DC, with all those out of work people, who were third generation coal miners and auto workers, are obviously the most appropriate area to look for answer to the opioid death epidemic.  Nothing breeds despair in a population demographic like commuting to a government job downtown five days a week.  And you only get a limited number of paid holidays.  And don't even get me started on federal government mid level supervisory bureaucrats.:angry:

 

If this were not such a sad idea it might be good for a laugh.

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18 hours ago, Page Turner said:

..because none of the TOLL road is ever remotely near the FREE road.  They're not even in the same county, really.

Huh?  Dulles Access Rd is the free road to/from the Dulles Airport. The Dulles Toll Road is the money-making, soul-sucking toll road that serves the Sterling-Vienna (Tysons) corridor. The Dulles Greenway (toll) continues from Sterling to Leesburg.

image.thumb.png.0c4bf907defce12fd3d20ae32433dcf1.png

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