Mark Elliott
Bio
My name is Mark. I am recently married to my beautiful wife, Chris! We have two dogs: Belle, a Black Labrador. Jett, a Belgian Shepard. Belle and I are currently pursuing our K9 Search and Rescue certification.
Stories (3/0)
Designer Breeds: Swapping Standards for Status
There are approximately 340 dog breeds globally: maybe more, maybe less. Of those 340 breeds, the AKC (American Kennel Club, est. 1884) recognizes 199 of them. 199 isn't a lot, is it? One hundred ninety-nine breeds of dogs might not seem like a lot in a country of 320 million people. Still, when you consider that, like people, no two dogs are the same, coupled with the fact that there is a breed of dog for practically every purpose under heaven, perhaps 200 breeds of dogs are ample. As of 2020, the AKC categorizes all breeds into seven groups: Herding, Hound, Toy, Non-sporting, Sporting, Terrier, and Working. All 199 breeds of dogs registered with AKC fall into one of those seven groups. Five out of the seven groups have at least thirty breeds in their groups. Two groups, Toy, and Non-Sporting have an average of twenty breeds per group. With each dog having its own unique personality, finding one in any breed that fits easily into our lives isn't particularly difficult. What about mixed breeds? How many of them are in the world? Who knows! The United States has approximately seventy-five million dogs (including mixed breeds). The United States also has the most dogs of any country. Brazil, China, Russia, and Japan round out the top 5. I know what you are thinking about China. That's for another discussion. Why would we need more with so many dogs, purebred or otherwise?
By Mark Elliott 2 years ago in Petlife
The Will of the Mandate
Jacobson v. Massachusetts 197 U.S. 11 (1905) Henning Jacobson objected to a Massachusetts law requiring citizens to receive a second smallpox vaccination during an outbreak. Both Jacobson and his son, already taking the first vaccine, suffered side effects from the vaccine refused. Citing possible side effects of receiving the second vaccine, Jacobson refused and was fined five dollars, which he paid. What's five dollars worth today? A hundred bucks? I don't know. The Supreme Court at that time ruled the State of Massachusetts was within their right to insist citizens take a second shot. Yes, Jacobson could have either taken the second shot, accepted the side effects, or simply paid the fine. Instead, he took the case to the Supreme Court and, essentially, wrote the script that would be read verbatim one hundred sixteen years later. A Supreme Court, which included Oliver Wendell Holmes, said that citizens do not have the right under the Constitution to exercise their individual liberties because there are "manifold restraints to which every person is necessarily subjected for the common good." Further stating that State legislatures (not federal. Let me repeat that, NOT FEDERAL) have the constitutional authority to enact compulsory vaccination laws and exercise police power to restrict or eliminate liberty during a smallpox outbreak. Whether or not they got the decision correct is purely a matter of interpretation. What I want to point out is that the decision was left up to the state! There were no federal task forces at the time. So, it couldn't have been federally mandated. Therefore, as a model for 2021, it should not be used.
By Mark Elliott 2 years ago in The Swamp
The Science Behind Masks
Masks: They're about control, not microns Consensus is not science; science is not consensus – Michael Crichton. From the very beginning, it’s been a play on words; do masks stop the spread of covid-19, or are they effective against the spread of covid-19? A casual glance at these statements might tell you they are the same question. What’s the difference, right? Look again! A bulletproof vest will stop the penetration of most bullets. Meaning they will not go through the vest. At the same time, a phone book might just be effective against bullets. What would you feel safer with against your body, a bulletproof vest, or a phone book? In a public setting, with everyone wearing masks while maintaining a six-foot distance from each other, how easily is the virus transmitted? In a positive gravity environment, with little to no breeze/wind and not propelled by force, such as a cough or sneeze, roughly 2 meters is the distance droplets 60 to 100 microns will travel. That’s close to six feet. Sixty microns are enormous compared to .12 microns, which is the size of both the coronavirus and flu virus. What does that mean when comparing distances traveled? When launched at the same speed, such as hitting a golf ball and ping pong ball from a tee, the golf ball will travel much further despite its larger mass than the ping pong ball. Why? Friction. More precisely – air friction. When discussing particles the size of microns, air friction might as well be tar. Have you ever tried spitting into the wind (Jim Croce taught us that wasn’t a good idea)?
By Mark Elliott 2 years ago in Longevity
