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Archives for April 2025

04/09/25 Arkansas Sets new standard for Scientific Ignorance with new law for Ivermectin

Posted on April 4, 2025 // 1 Comment

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Amazing that Arkansas has taken the Ivermectin craziness to the level of passing a law to allow over the counter purchases of the drug. Note it’s been proven over and over that Ivermectin has NO effect on the outcome of Covid-19. So now it’s possible to purchase the ineffective drug over the counter, and possibly have over dosing issues. NOTE: the FDA has warned multiple times in regard to problems with people taking ivermectin in the wrong dosage.

Arkansas doesn’t lead the nation in very much, and we now can take a black eye with this type of a law. Do you wonder how many cases of Covid-19 are in Arkansas currently? I do, but due to the current leadership in Arkansas, the numbers are no longer reported. It’s like OK, if you don’t talk about it, it’s not really there. What a way to lead. Thumbing your nose a science, and allowing the over the counter use of a de-worming drug to treat Covid-19. And since many in this state have blindly followed the current state of affairs in the US with no negative concerns, it’s no surprise that such laws have been passed.

Just in case you want to read the facts, I have posted many screenshots below from various studies around the world. All of which have the same results, net Ivermectin has no effect on the outcome of Covid-19 infection.

FDA notes on Ivermectin use for Covid-19
Study results in regards to the use of Ivermectin for Covid-19
Oxford University Study results in regards to the use of Ivermectin for Covid-19
Study results in regards to the use of Ivermectin for Covid-19
Study results in regards to the use of Ivermectin for Covid-19 Mayo Clinic
Study results in regards to the use of Ivermectin for Covid-19 Drugs that work
Study results in regards to the use of Ivermectin for Covid-19

My message, please consult your Doctor or PCP and ask them about use of Ivermectin to treat Covid-19, also ask them if they know the current case count and number of patients in the ICU or Hospital due to Covid-19.

Filed Under: General World Wide Issues //

04/04/25 The Debacle of the Trump Tariff Plan Continues, with another 1K drop in the Market

Posted on April 4, 2025 // Leave a Comment
The Market Continues a Negative Response to Trumps Tariffs

Big surprise here. The market has continued with its negative response to the Trump Tariff Plan. 2.5K drop in two days, I believe that is a RECORD?

Maybe in a couple of months we will get back to the 42K level the market was with Biden, however with the current group of idiots in charge, we may not.

As a photographer, I started to look at what this would mean if I purchased a new camera or equipment after April 9th. As most if not all of the equipment I purchase come from Japanese companies, Fuji, Nikon, Canon, Phase One*, Pentax. Currently the tariff is 25% on all products from Japan and 54% if the product is manufactured in China. A lot of Nikon lenses are manufactured in China, and so are Hasselblad parts for lenses. I don’t know if Canon has moved anything to China, or if Fuji has. But lets look at the uplift for the average product:

  1. Hasselblad X2D or new X2D II currently 8K, would now cost 10k, uplifted 2K
  2. Fuji GFX100II current cost 8K, would now cost 10K, uplifted 2K
  3. All lenses would be uplifted 25 percent, very considerate for Hasselblad X glass which on average costs over 4K per lens.
  4. Nikon Z8 currently 3.5K, would cost 4.3K
  5. Leica SL2 currently 7K, would cost 8.4K
  6. The list goes on and on
  7. Phase One IQ4 (average price with trade in 30K) goes to 37K

I checked this morning with various on-line camera retailers and they are not showing any price increases. However they may have quite a bit of stock on hand, at least for items like the Nikon Z8, or Canon R5. I doubt they have as many Hasselblad X2D, or Leica SL3 camera in stock. The way I understand the tariff is that stock on hand in the US at the time of the tariff is not effected, but once new product is ordered to replace it, the tariff goes into effect.

I saw a post from my Phase One dealer which implied they would take the last orders from customers today, the 4th without a tariff applied. Anything that ships out on the 7th will have the tariff. Not sure if they understand that the tariff’s don’t apply till the 9th. However as most of their product is not in stock and orders for the product as placed when the customer orders, they will be hit by the tariffs sooner than the larger retailers like B&H.

Sad state of affairs for the US, as historically tariffs never help, just create more isolation between nations.

Filed Under: General World Wide Issues //

04/03/25, Trumps Big Call, the fascination of watching a narcissist at work.

Posted on April 3, 2025 // Leave a Comment
The Great designs of our Current President.

The new look to the US Economy, run by a narcissist, Tariffs, what a joke.

Not sure now many people told Trump that this was a bad idea, (it was a lot of people on both sides of the isle), and of course he did not choose to listen. His narcissist approach to the current presidency just took yet another turn for the worst. The market may recover sure, but try to count the number of times the market dropped 1,300 point in less than 5 minutes. I can’t remember the last time that happened. Per the Great all knowing Trump, “it will take longer than I thought”, yep it sure will. Maybe forever. Not to mention:

  1. The loss of focus on disease control by cutting back funding for future cancer research, and current disease studies at the CDC.
  2. Total loss of respect for the Veterans, by staffing cuts across the Veterans administration, and throughout the various Veterans hospitals.
  3. Continuing to focus on cutting down the Social Security Administration, making it harder for the US citizens that really need such help, even harder to get.
  4. Showing a TOTAL disregard for the EPA, by cutting them to the bone and removing many of the current EPA standards for pollution in the US.
  5. Renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of American, just so unopposed drilling can continue in the Gulf.
  6. Continuing to support the worst dictatorship in the World, Putin and Russia. (Really have to wonder what Putin has on Trump).
  7. Creating animosity between Canada and the US, for the first time in over 200 years. Canada, one of our last allies is no longer.
  8. Cutting staffing for the National Parks, which will allow them to become mismanaged and have their precious natural resources compromised forever.
  9. Placing people with no possible credentials in cabinet and staffing positions. Health and Human Services, Education, Military, just a few examples.
  10. Setting a record for executive orders, over 65 in 2 months i.e. acting like a king.
  11. Creating a new emigration policy that is putting people in prison that should not be there.
  12. Took away incentives for both Solar and Wind alternatives, pushing the US back deeper into oil.
  13. The first president who called himself a KING! Wake up Republicans. Please.

This list could be endless. But today’s actions just again shows that Trump has no concerns about his actions. He proved this by getting away with attempting to overturn the constitution on January 6. The fact that he is forcing huge tariffs on the US population again shows he has no clue how to run a country. He seems to believe you can stop a huge super tanker in 5 feet instead of the 5 miles or so it takes. You can’t turn a country around in 2 months.

The most embarrassing issue about the entire Tariff situation is that Congress is the actual body that is supposed to enact tariffs. Trump is just using some bogus emergency powers provision to create them, and Congress could quickly overturn them, instead they (Republican members) continue to keep their heads in the sand and allow Trump to rule as if he was a king. The longer this goes on, the harder it will be in the future to stop it. It will turn to the other side eventually, it always does and the current President has set standards in place that all future presidents can use, be them Democrats or Republicans.

Also remember, Trump doesn’t care about your personal loss in the market today. He has plenty of money now and if something happens and he gets convicted again, he will just play the same game as before, declare bankruptcy for the 8 or 9th time.

Filed Under: General World Wide Issues // Tagged: , , ,