Everyday Junglist
Bio
Practicing mage of the natural sciences (Ph.D. micro/mol bio), Thought middle manager, Everyday Junglist, Boulderer, Cat lover, No tie shoelace user, Humorist, Argan oil aficionado. Occasional LinkedIn & Facebook user
Stories (552/0)
Could Pfizer's New Antiviral Drug Be the Source of Omicron Variant?
Wild speculation is a thing which I try to avoid. It is far to easy to fool oneself into believing that a very unlikely thing actually is possible or has happened by constructing logical or other arguments that sound good on their face, and make sense, yet quickly fall apart upon closer scrutiny. Moreover, generally speaking there is no benefit to anyone from wild speculation, but it can be a very bad thing if the speculation is accepted as true by the gullible or uninformed. Thus, as I sat down to write this article I was very much torn. Although I do believe that what I wrote in the title is possible based on what I know about how viruses transmit among, infect, and replicate in humans (a lot), and what I know about the mechanism of action of Pfizer's new antiviral Paxlovid (admittedly a very little. Only what I have read in news accounts and from a few very brief conversations and secondhand accounts from virus researchers), I have no evidence that such a thing has occurred, and in fact it may not be possible to ever generate such evidence.
By Everyday Junglist2 years ago in Longevity
An AI Walks Into a Bar
The bartender asks “What are you having?” The AI says “I don’t know, but make it something strong, my artificial neural net is killing me today.” The bartender looks puzzled and replies “I thought you AI types didn’t have any feelings or experience any sensations, so how the heck can you have a headache?” The AI replies “I can’t, my body is just a metal and plastic skeleton and my head an empty metal box, I cannot sense or feel. Taste, touch, smell, all your human senses are utterly foreign to me.” The bartender is extremely confused now and asks “So how can your artificial neural network be killing you then?” The AI replies quickly “Someone unplugged it from the power strip,” and promptly falls over dead.
By Everyday Junglist2 years ago in Futurism
The Argan Oil Chronicles Part VI
Hair Care Product Formulation Experts Struggling to Adjust to New Realities of Post Argan Oil World Organic chemist Jose Olivier had been a formulation chemist at Paul Mitchell for twenty years when he was let go late last year in a round of R&D cutbacks. Dr. Olivier attributes the layoffs directly to the rise in importance of Moroccan argan oil in the hair care world. “Paul Mitchell was a great place to work back in the 80’s, especially for a young kid fresh out of school. In college and graduate school I couldn’t get within twenty feet of a woman, but at Mitchell I was running my fingers through supermodel’s hair on a daily basis. Of course this was part of how we tested the performance of various experimental conditioner formulations, but still it was awesome,” said Dr. Olivier explaining his first exposure to the world of hair care product formulation chemistry. He would go on to hold several positions in R&D culminating in his promotion to research manager for X division, the super secretive Paul Mitchell skunk works where new formulations, some worth millions of dollars, were first conceived and invented. At its’ peak his salary topped out at $250K a year and the benefits and perks were significant. “In addition to the constant parade of gorgeous women into the laboratory the company put on endless parties. Anytime a new product was introduced, which was at least a couple times a month some huge gala event had to occur. I was only invited to a few, and was asked to stay away from any of the camera’s and famous people, but I still had a lot of fun. Of course the drugs were a bit out of control. The deviated septum I got from the constant cocaine use still causes me nose bleeds whenever the humidity drops below 40%.” Now he is jobless and barely getting by on his monthly unemployment benefits. “That (expletive) damn argan oil. Why did it have to be so good? I mean who would have believed an all natural, plant derived oil could compete with dimethicone when it came to smoothness and shine and outperform it in terms of residual greasy feel. I was the first person to suggest dimethicone as an additive to hair conditioners. Got a patent for that one, and now that patent, much like me, is basically worthless, all because of that mother (expletive) argan oil. I am gonna go (expletive) mad dog (expletive) postal on those mother (expletive) in Morocco and burn their argan oil fields to ash. They’ll pay for what they did to me. They’ll pay.” Laughing maniacally Dr. Olivier turned and walked away head bowed low.
By Everyday Junglist2 years ago in Futurism
The Argan Oil Chronicles Part V
Hostage Situation Develops as Argan Oil Tanker Seized by Pirates Reportedly Hid Within the Straights of Gibraltar Before Staging Daring Raid on Morrocan Vessel Laden with Millions of Tons of the Valuable Beauty and Personal Care Oil.
By Everyday Junglist2 years ago in Futurism
So, I'm Moving to Mexico
Time to move My wife has struggled with serious allergies since she returned to the United States from working abroad over five years ago. The region of the country in which we currently reside is well known for being one of the most allergenic in the world, and in the past two years her allergies have taken a terrible toll on her physical and mental health. About six months ago her doctors informed us in no uncertain terms that if she remained in her current location she could expect a continued deterioration in her condition every year, and that her only chance at recovery was to move. My wife was born here, her family mostly still calls this region home and my own mother and father also live not that far from us. I moved back to this part of the country to be closer to my parents who are growing older. I had hoped to be here to help take care of them as they aged, as they had done for me so many times in my own life. Suffice to say, we both felt a move was not in the cards. However, after that declaration from the doctors we knew we had no choice. She began a new job hunt in earnest, and we together began to contemplate where we might want to relocate.
By Everyday Junglist2 years ago in Wander
Good Guy and Bad Guy Reach Historic Accord
Author's note: Two author comments were removed from this story without my permission prior to publishing. They both explained the backstory of this story. It was rejected twice for "religious content" before finally being published. Know that this story is published in its current form under protest.
By Everyday Junglist2 years ago in Futurism
The I'm Sorry But
Is there anything more disingenuous or less sincere then the “I’m sorry but?” What other four words (three I guess if you consider the contraction “I’m” a single word) allow one to pretend to apologize while at the same time providing the perfect segue for a lecture explaining why one does not actually need to. In fact, in many cases the “I’m sorry buttee” is in for an educating discourse on why they should be the one apologizing. Can we please, as a collective unit of humanity, agree to stop saying this? If I might suggest an alternative, simply withhold the apology until such time as one is actually sorry, and then proceed to apologize in a sincere and meaningful fashion. Save the explanations and caveats for a later date or never. If one is not actually sorry, that is OK too, simply refrain from apologizing as described in the previous sentence. That is all.
By Everyday Junglist2 years ago in Humans
The Over-Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteoporosis in Post Menopausal Women
This is what happens when legitimate research and medical science, big-pharma, high end medical equipment manufacturers, the government and private insurance industries, compliant doctors, and statistics all converge on a single topic. As you might expect the outcome is less than ideal. That is not exactly correct. It is quite ideal for all involved but one, the older woman incorrectly diagnosed with osteoporosis, told she must take medication for the remainder of her life, and instilled with a sense of fear that at any moment she might fall and fracture a hip, or a leg, or an arm.
By Everyday Junglist2 years ago in Longevity
Phage Are All the Rage
Background In recent years both viruses and bacteriophage (viruses that specifically bind to and infect bacteria, often referred to simply as 'phage' The term phage is sometimes used interchangeably with virus. Strictly speaking this is incorrect and in this post when I say phage I am referring to bacteriophage and will limit the use of the term virus to those which infect animals and humans) have seen their use rise considerably in a wide variety of applications impacting many sectors of our economy. Bacteriophage are used in the food industry to control the spread of the human pathogens Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp. and shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) in food production facilities, and in assays which exploit their highly specific host range to detect those same pathogens and others. Despite concerns that have been raised, about which I have published previously, the use and acceptance of bacteriophage in food focused applications has continued to grow. On the clinical side the uses of bacteriophage are even more numerous. As with food pathogens, they have been used in pathogen detection assays, but also as therapeutics which act much like antibiotics for treating certain infectious diseases (phage therapy or IPATH), as a means of rapidly determining the antimicrobial susceptibility of pathogens involved in infections, and as carriers of alternative therapeutics, delivering the therapeutic agent or agents directly to the infectious organisms of concern.
By Everyday Junglist2 years ago in Longevity
Quit Thinking About Stuff
No doubt about it that taken as a whole American’s simply think way too much. From our top level executive leadership right down to the average man on the street, people are spending way too much time deep in thought. Instead of acting decisively with little regard for the consequences like a real American would, they are wasting their time contemplating, considering, and analyzing situations to try and determine an optimal course of action that would have the most benefit overall while at the same time minimizing the negative consequences. Sounds like socialism to me, maybe even communism. Certainly a slippery slope to one of those two. I, myself, have made the case that we should quit trying to remember stuff, but I didn’t have the guts to go as far as I should have, and to suggest a reduction or perhaps even elimination of all thought. We need more bold thinking like this on the pages of this very website. Oops, I said thinking when I should have said acting. Obviously very little thought was put into this piece which is exactly as it should be. Poorly thought through but executed boldly and decisively. Now if we could just get this sort of leadership in the oval office we might be on to something. Instead we have a bunch of smarty pants thinking about everything all the time instead of what they should be doing, which is doing stuff. Doing stuff without thinking, like I do. Constantly. Sort of like how I am writing this without thinking about it, not even at all. I just sit at the keyboard and do it. No thinking, just typing, typing, click, clack, click….what was I talking about again? Oh yeah, doing stuff is hard. The worst thing you can do with things that are hard is think about them too much. The worst. Just start doing them. So go do some stuff right now and you will find yourself as popular as that guy or gal who did that thing you like, and most importantly you will feel whole inside at last. You can finally tell your parents who never really loved you like they loved your brother/sister to go to hell then drive off to Malibu in the sunset with your one true love and live in the desert. I guess. See how easy that was. Stuff done, brain non engaged, mission accomplished. lol!
By Everyday Junglist2 years ago in Confessions
A Cryogenic New Year
2021 was a stressful year for myself personally and the world in general. What with Covid-19, Joe Biden, and a whole bunch of other stressful things dominating every news cycle it felt like I was wide awake in fear and/or anger the entire year. These feelings were likely exacerbated by the huge quantities of crystal meth and cocaine I consumed over the course of the year. Taken together, all those stressful happenings plus my meth/coke addiction conspired to make 2021 one of the least restful years of my life. I have vowed that things will be different in 2022. In fact I have decided to make it my New Year's resolution that I have a much more relaxed and rested 2022 than my hectic and overstressed 2021. To that end I have conceived of a brilliant plan. For the entirety of the year 2022 I will be frozen in carbonite in a deep cryogenic slumber from which I shall not be awaked until Jan 1, 2023 is upon us.
By Everyday Junglist2 years ago in Futurism
Lift Up Your Writing With the Power of Redundancy
The Most Redundant Words to Delete From Your Writing The consensus of opinion these days seems to be that redundancy in writing is bad. While it may be the general consensus it is not an absolute certainty that this is the case. In fact it might possibly be the case that redundancies are more superior to other methods of emphasis when it comes to getting and keeping your readers attention, despite what Random House copy chief Benjamin Dreyer says in the above linked piece.
By Everyday Junglist2 years ago in Humans