The rise in the incidence of autism

[Matt Beasley]

The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
Maybe not having the immune system challenged enough
leads to more kids having arrested mental development!

[aug....@gmail.com]

...and maybe not. The rise in the incidence of autism (assuming that that's a genuine rise rather than just a rise in the diagnosis of autism) correlates with any number of things. And I could point out as well that categorizing autism as "arrested mental development" is probably a gross error as well.

[RSNorman]

The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with global warming.

The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with the number of
tweets per day.

The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with the number of
electric vehicles on the road.

[Burkhard]

also increase in number of pirates

[John Bode]

Sure, polio and measles and rubella and diptheria are mere "challenges"
to the immune system. They don't ever lead to death or permanent disability.

Moron.

[Paul J Gans]

The rise in the incidence of autism also coincides with the number
of posts about it.

--
--- Paul J. Gans

[RSNorman]

What kind of tests could you do to figure out which is cause and which
is effect?

[Davej]

On Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 1:14:59 PM UTC-6, Matt Beasley wrote:

> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
> the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.

Minnesota incidence rate is 1.4% while its southern neighbor Iowa
has an incidence rate of only 0.1% so obviously autism is caused
by northern lake mosquitoes or Iowa farm workers are just so
stupid that no one can tell if they have autism.

[John Bode]

Yeah. Stuff like that has pretty much convinced me that much of the
supposed increase is due to differences in diagnostic criteria more than
anything else.

Autism apparently also correlates with age of the father - the older you
are when you have a kid, the more likely it is to be on the spectrum.

We'll have to go back to pre-1940s child mortality and morbidity rates
before these people will get a clue. My folks knew at least one of their
peers who wound up in an iron lung, or deaf, or otherwise disabled from
some stupid disease. They would literally would not be able to comprehend
the anti-vax position.

[Matt Beasley]

On Jan 18, 2017, John Bode wrote:

> On Jan 18, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
> > the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
> > Maybe not having the immune system challenged enough
> > leads to more kids having arrested mental development!
>

> Sure, polio, measles, rubella, diptheria are mere "challenges"

> to the immune system. They don't ever lead to death or
> permanent disability.

In general, most of human conflict comes from big egos at the top,
and their avarice. The other major causes are drug prohibition and the
black market, overpopulation and its strain on infrastructure, and not
having a stable currency, pegged to gold, the lack of which adds
uncertainty and distortion to the marketplace.

The way to address the selfishness gone wild at the top is with an
unselfish act or acts. Shortening life spans is an example of an
unselfish act, and it's one that shows respect for other creatures
and future generations, by addressing the problem of overpopulation.
Stopping the prevention of some communicable diseases, like influenza,
is the best way to do that. We don't have to like the way nature
works; we just have to accept it.

[Matt Beasley]

On Jan 18, 2017, RSNorman wrote:

> On 18 Jan 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
>
> >The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
> >the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
> >Maybe not having the immune system challenged enough
> >leads to more kids having arrested mental development!
>
> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with global warming.
>
> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with the number of
> tweets per day.
>
> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with the number of
> electric vehicles on the road.

It also coincides with the 50% decrease in wildlife populations
since 1970!

[Bill Rogers]

Middle-aged white guy in a bowling league decides the way to eliminate selfishness and increase respect in the world is to deny health care to brown children. A modest proposal, but not as funny as Swift's.

[RSNorman]

What is truly frightening is that both the increased incidence of
autism and the decrease in wildlife populations have an incredibly
strong connection with the way in which we number our years.

Perhaps a calendar reform would help us solve a very large number of
problems. Randomly number the years -- that would totally eliminate
the correlations!

[John Bode]

On Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 7:29:58 PM UTC-6, Matt Beasley wrote:
> On Jan 18, 2017, John Bode wrote:
> > On Jan 18, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > > The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
> > > the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
> > > Maybe not having the immune system challenged enough
> > > leads to more kids having arrested mental development!
> >
> > Sure, polio, measles, rubella, diptheria are mere "challenges"
> > to the immune system. They don't ever lead to death or
> > permanent disability.
>
> In general, most of human conflict comes from big egos at the top,
> and their avarice. The other major causes are drug prohibition and the
> black market, overpopulation and its strain on infrastructure, and not
> having a stable currency, pegged to gold, the lack of which adds
> uncertainty and distortion to the marketplace.
>

Which has dick-all to do with *autism*.

> The way to address the selfishness gone wild at the top is with an
> unselfish act or acts. Shortening life spans is an example of an
> unselfish act, and it's one that shows respect for other creatures
> and future generations, by addressing the problem of overpopulation.
> Stopping the prevention of some communicable diseases, like influenza,
> is the best way to do that. We don't have to like the way nature
> works; we just have to accept it.

Oh, Christ, you're one of *those* assholes.

So put your money where your mouth is - be unselfish and shorten *your*
lifespan. Lead by example.

[Bob Casanova]

On Thu, 19 Jan 2017 07:50:19 -0800 (PST), the following
appeared in talk.origins, posted by John Bode
<jfbod...@gmail.com>:

>On Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 7:29:58 PM UTC-6, Matt Beasley wrote:
>> On Jan 18, 2017, John Bode wrote:
>> > On Jan 18, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
>> > > The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
>> > > the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
>> > > Maybe not having the immune system challenged enough
>> > > leads to more kids having arrested mental development!
>> >
>> > Sure, polio, measles, rubella, diptheria are mere "challenges"
>> > to the immune system. They don't ever lead to death or
>> > permanent disability.
>>
>> In general, most of human conflict comes from big egos at the top,
>> and their avarice. The other major causes are drug prohibition and the
>> black market, overpopulation and its strain on infrastructure, and not
>> having a stable currency, pegged to gold, the lack of which adds
>> uncertainty and distortion to the marketplace.
>>
>
>Which has dick-all to do with *autism*.

Nothing at all.

>> The way to address the selfishness gone wild at the top is with an
>> unselfish act or acts. Shortening life spans is an example of an
>> unselfish act, and it's one that shows respect for other creatures
>> and future generations, by addressing the problem of overpopulation.
>> Stopping the prevention of some communicable diseases, like influenza,
>> is the best way to do that. We don't have to like the way nature
>> works; we just have to accept it.
>
>Oh, Christ, you're one of *those* assholes.
>
>So put your money where your mouth is - be unselfish and shorten *your*
>lifespan. Lead by example.

If this is the same moron who infested t.o a few months ago,
he categorically rejected that idea (when he didn't just
ignore it) and kept asking what "plan" anyone else had to
solve the "problem". I guess he's "special"...
--

Bob C.

"The most exciting phrase to hear in science,
the one that heralds new discoveries, is not
'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'"

- Isaac Asimov

[John Stockwell]

It also correlates to the rise in the popularity of organic food.

Correlation does not imply causation.

[Bill]

Another, and more easily verified alternative, is that human
DNA is losing its vigor. Each generation is less robust than
the previous. To explore this further see:
http://misplacedfacts.org/entropy.html

Bill

[John Stockwell]

The term "vigor" is simply a relabeling of the defunct notion of
vitalism.


>
> Bill

[eridanus]

very good.
eri

[Bill]

Your pedantic fluff proves my point ...

Bill

[aug....@gmail.com]

In the context of DNA, what is "vigor" and how is it measured?

[Paul J Gans]

It is a matter of evolving complexity. It is akin to false facts,
which by the very nature of their existance, become true facts.

[Robert Camp]

The page you cite, which I believe is probably something that springs
from your own very confused mind, is complete nonsense as far as I can
tell. (That anyone has the stones to call this claptrap "facts," and
suggest "A recent study shows..." is staggeringly clueless, which also
strongly suggests you are the author.)

Predictably, I could find no reference to a "law of intellectual
entropy" or a "Bulgarian Bishop Bnorodor" anywhere on the web (beyond a
couple of sketchy pages). Of course that doesn't mean it's not there -
and all you have to do to show I'm in error is source your quotes and
historical assertions.

(Nor, by the way, does anything on this page have anything to do with
"DNA losing its vigor.")

You have referenced this goofy site before. If, as I believe, it is
simply a repository for your ravings, please stop acting as if you have
cited something authoritative. Filling your own website with bullshit,
then citing it in order to appear informed and insightful is
disingenuous, and pretty pathetic.

[Matt Beasley]

At the start of a new industrial age in the 18th century, it was
believed that "people are the riches of the nation", and there was
a general faith in an economy that paid its workers low wages because
high wages meant workers would work less.[20] Furthermore, "in the
mercantilist view no child was too young to go into industry". In
those times, the "somewhat more humane attitudes of an earlier day
had all but disappeared and the laborer had come to be regarded as
a commodity".[18]

Louis A. Landa presents Swift's A Modest Proposal as a critique of
the popular & unjustified maxim of mercantilism in the 18th century
that "people are the riches of a nation".[21] Swift presents the
dire state of Ireland and shows that mere population itself, in
Ireland's case, did not always mean greater wealth and economy.[22]

The uncontrolled maxim fails to take into account that a person who
does not produce in an economic or political way makes a country
poorer, not richer.[22] Swift also recognises the implications of
such a fact in making mercantilist philosophy a paradox: the wealth
of a country is based on the poverty of the majority of its citizens.
[22] Swift however, Landa argues, is not merely criticising economic
maxims but also addressing the fact that England was denying Irish
citizens their natural rights and dehumanising them by viewing them
as a mere commodity.[22]

[Bill Rogers]

You do go on about respect. It's generally a sign of respect for the actual authors of a piece of text to acknowledge them when you quote them at length, as you do here. You know, plagiarism looks bad. This particular text turns up so often it's hard to know who exactly you are ripping it off from, maybe the New World Encyclopedia

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/A_Modest_Proposal

maybe somebody else.

[RSNorman]

On Thu, 19 Jan 2017 20:21:16 +0000 (UTC), Paul J Gans

Are you saying that truth is an emergent property? I don't buy that
kind of anti-reductionist crap. Besides we all know that Truth is a
Conserved Quantity.

[Matt Beasley]

On Jan 19, 2017, Bill Rogers wrote:

> It's a sign of respect...to acknowledge...when you quote...

Take any first line of a paragraph, in quotes, search Google,
and "A Modest Proposal - Wikipedia" comes up!

Do you agree that Selfishness Gone Wild is the
number one Cause of Conflict?

[Bill Rogers]

I think that a middle-aged white guy in a bowling league who thinks brown children should be denied health care in order to increase selflessness and respect is the personification of "selfishness gone wild."

[Paul J Gans]

I, on the other hand, find Truth not unlike entropy. Most folks think
they know what it is, but actually wouldn't recognize it if it hit them
in the face.

Worse, the truth in an otherwise system is constantly decreasing.

And of course truth is not an EMERGENT property, it is, in fact,
a SUBMERGENT property, tending to vanish when examined by crowds.

[RSNorman]

On Sat, 21 Jan 2017 00:05:59 +0000 (UTC), Paul J Gans

Truth does, indeed, share many properties with entropy. As you say,
everybody talks about it but hardly anybody understands what it really
means.

Interestingly, information is measured in bits while truth is measured
in tweets.

[Paul J Gans]

A wise statement.

[Wolffan]

On 2017 Jan 18, Matt Beasley wrote
(in article<f21909e0-dbbd-4118...@googlegroups.com>):

> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
> the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
> Maybe not having the immune system challenged enough
> leads to more kids having arrested mental development!

Autism, like many other diseases, syndromes, and other bad and naughty
things, is caused by excessive supply of dihydrogen monoxide. Remove that,
and watch autism rates fall. I absolutely guarantee that if enough dihydrogen
monoxide is removed, many problems will be solved. BAN DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE.
BAN IT NOW. Will no-one think of the children?

[Bob Casanova]

On Sun, 22 Jan 2017 00:37:33 +0000 (UTC), the following
appeared in talk.origins, posted by Paul J Gans
<gan...@panix.com>:

Puddy tats are also measured in tweets, although
uncertainly.

[Matt Beasley]

On Jan 20, 2017, Bill Rogers wrote:

> I think a middle-aged white guy in a bowling league who thinks

> brown children should be denied health care in order to increase

> selflessness & respect is the personification of "selfishness gone wild."

I think you agree with the groupthink consensus that "War is
inevitable and there's nothing you can do about it". That's why
you never talk about the Causes of Conflict---there's no point
in doing so, because it wouldn't make any difference anyway!

[Mark Isaak]

On 1/18/17 11:13 AM, Matt Beasley wrote:
> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
> the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
> Maybe not having the immune system challenged enough
> leads to more kids having arrested mental development!

I have not seen the statistics, but I bet autism rates correlate highly
with Jenny McCarthy's income. We should make her a pauper and see what
happens.

--
Mark Isaak eciton (at) curioustaxonomy (dot) net
"We are not looking for answers. We are looking to come to an
understanding, recognizing that it is temporary--leaving us open to an
even richer understanding as further evidence surfaces." - author unknown

[Matt Beasley]

On Jan 18, 2017, RSNorman wrote:

> On 18 Jan 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
>
> >The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
> >the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
> >Maybe not having the immune system challenged enough
> >leads to more kids having arrested mental development!
>

> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with global warming.
>
> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with the number of
> tweets per day.
>
> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with the number of
> electric vehicles on the road.

The coincidence isn't even the point! The point is that the
interruption of natural processes has negative consequences
that aren't being recognized!

[Matt Beasley]

On Jan 19, 2017, John Bode wrote:
> On Jan 18, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > On Jan 18, 2017, John Bode wrote:
> > > On Jan 18, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > > > The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
> > > > the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
> > > > Maybe not having the immune system challenged enough
> > > > leads to more kids having arrested mental development!
> > >
> > > Sure, polio, measles, rubella, diptheria are mere "challenges"
> > > to the immune system. They don't ever lead to death or
> > > permanent disability.
> >
> > In general, most of human conflict comes from big egos at the top,
> > and their avarice. The other major causes are drug prohibition and the
> > black market, overpopulation and its strain on infrastructure, and not
> > having a stable currency, pegged to gold, the lack of which adds
> > uncertainty and distortion to the marketplace.
>
> Which has dick-all to do with *autism*.

John Bode doesn't know what the big picture is,
and John Bode doesn't want to know!

> > The way to address the selfishness gone wild at the top is with an
> > unselfish act or acts. Shortening life spans is an example of an
> > unselfish act, and it's one that shows respect for other creatures
> > and future generations, by addressing the problem of overpopulation.
> > Stopping the prevention of some communicable diseases, like influenza,
> > is the best way to do that. We don't have to like the way nature
> > works; we just have to accept it.
>

> So put your money where your mouth is - be unselfish and
> shorten *your* lifespan. Lead by example.

I'm the one sticking my neck out saying this stuff,
so I'm ALREADY "going first", obviously!

[Bill Rogers]

If you want peace, empower women. That'll make a difference.

[Matt Beasley]

On Jan 22, 2017, Bill Rogers wrote:

We gotta wait until the developing countries empower women?
Got an estimate on the time frame?

[Paul J Gans]

I'm with you!

[Paul J Gans]

But are they gluten free?

[Wolffan]

On 2017 Jan 22, Matt Beasley wrote
(in article<94301937-9e39-454a...@googlegroups.com>):

Nah. The point is that you are an obvious dihydrogen monoxide addict who has
been allowed to run free. Something Must Be Done to prevent you from doing
further harm. Please, please, think of the children and turn yourself in.

[Matt Beasley]

On Jan 18, 2017, Davej wrote:

> On Jan 18, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
> > the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
>

> Minnesota incidence rate is 1.4% while its southern neighbor Iowa
> has an incidence rate of only 0.1% so obviously autism is caused
> by northern lake mosquitoes or Iowa farm workers are just so
> stupid that no one can tell if they have autism.

Autism hits Somali kids harder, Univ of Minnesota study finds
By Jeremy Olson, Star Tribune, APRIL 1, 2015

Autism might not be any more prevalent among Somali-heritage kids in
Minneapolis than it is among white children in the city, but the
severity of the developmental disorder appears harsher in this
minority group. In a much-anticipated report released Monday,
UMinn researchers found statistically similar rates of autism
symptoms among 7- to 9-year-olds in Minneapolis, regardless of
whether they were Somali or white. But all of the Somali-heritage
children with autism also had related intellectual disorders —
defined as scoring 70 or less on IQ tests — compared with a third
of autistic children in the study overall.

“Somali children are much more likely to also have an intellectual
disability, which means their symptoms, their characteristics, the
ways in which autism presents itself in these children are very
different,” said Amy Hewitt, the lead author of the study and a
senior research associate in the university’s Institute on
Community Integration.

Concerns about the prevalence of autism among Somali children
surfaced among parents in 2008, and were validated in 2009 when a
report from the Minnesota Department of Health found that Somali
preschoolers were two to seven times more likely to receive autism
services from the Minneapolis public school system.

The U study, released Monday, was an outgrowth of that Health Dept
report, and is the largest examination ever in the United States
of autism prevalence among Somali immigrants’ children.

Rather than counting the number of children signed up for autism
services, or even who have received a diagnosis of developmental
disorder, the researchers examined medical records from thousands
of participating families and evaluated whether children met the
medical criteria for autism — regardless of whether it had been
diagnosed.

The net result was that one in 32 Somali children in the study
met the diagnostic criteria for autism, compared with one in 36
white children. The rates were notably lower at one in 62 for
non-Somali black children in Minneapolis, and one in 80 for
Hispanic children. The rates for the Somali and white children
were higher than national averages as well.

Somali autism advocate Idil Abdull said she felt emotionally
overwhelmed when she learned of the study results, because they
officially recognize a public health problem in her immigrant
community that Somalis have long confronted on their own.

Autism is marked by difficulties in communicating and forming
relationships, as well as struggles with language and abstract
concepts, which Abdull said is noticeable in a culturally verbose
Somali community. “Somalis are very talkative,” said Abdull, whose
11-year-old son is autistic, “and our children are not talking.
That’s why we’ve advocated and cried and protested from every
corner” that the disorder is more common among Somali children.

Doesn’t address ‘why’

While the study established a high rate of autism in Somali kids,
Hewitt said, it was not designed to address some of the pressing
“why” questions — such as why autism rates vary so sharply among
racial & ethnic groups. Nor did it address some of the persistent
fears in Minneapolis’ growing Somali immigrant community about the
origins of autism in their children.

Some in the community believed that autism was only a problem among
children born in the U.S., & not among Somali children who moved
here with their parents. Hewitt said that wasn’t addressed by this
study, but that researchers have birth record data to address that
question next. The report also didn’t address fears among some in
the community that pediatric vaccines were somehow to blame.

The study did find that children of all races & ethnicities in
Minnesota aren’t assessed for an autism diagnosis, on average,
until they are 5. That is late considering that the disorder can
reliably be detected by age 2.

A call for more research

Minnesota now needs to do more to research the causes of the
disorder and to spread awareness so conditions are diagnosed and
treated earlier, said Dr. Ed Ehlinger, state health commissioner.
“We know that they can develop coping mechanisms and they can
develop skills,” he said. “Even though it won’t lessen the severity
of their autism, they’ll find ways to deal with it much better” if
treatment starts earlier.

Abdull, who serves on a federal autism advisory panel, said it is
easy to spot the nonverbal Somali children who are at risk for
autism. But for years, Somali families have felt ashamed by a
disorder that is poorly understood. The Somali language doesn’t
even have a word for autism, or really describe the nuances of
mental disorders.

As one anonymous parent said in the U study, “In our culture, you
are either sane or you are crazy; there's no gray area. So there's
a fear that someone will call your child a name behind your back.”

Abdull speaks openly about her son’s autism & about the educational
software on an iPad that helps him learn & cope with the nonverbal
nature of his disorder. She said she hopes that the U study will
validate the problem for others & make them feel more comfortable
about seeking screening & treatment services for their children.

“With our kind of autism, you can’t miss it with a 10-foot pole.
Anyone can diagnosis it” in Somali children, she said. “A lot of
these kids are smart. We just have to figure out a way to
communicate with them and teach them by other means.”

http://www.startribune.com/dec-2013-autism-hits-somali-kids-harder-says-um-research-report/236033201/

========================
And boys are nearly 5 times more likely to be autistic than girls.
http://www.healthline.com/health/autism/autism-rates-by-state#1

[Mark Isaak]

Dihydrogen monoxide can be washed away with copious amounts of hydroxic
acid. It is unclear whether that would do more harm than good.

[RSNorman]

On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 08:18:09 -0800, Mark Isaak
<eciton@curiousta/xyz/xonomy.net> wrote:

>On 1/22/17 4:36 PM, Wolffan wrote:
>> On 2017 Jan 22, Matt Beasley wrote
>> (in article<94301937-9e39-454a...@googlegroups.com>):
>>
>>> On Jan 18, 2017, RSNorman wrote:
>>>> On 18 Jan 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
>>>>> the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
>>>>> Maybe not having the immune system challenged enough
>>>>> leads to more kids having arrested mental development!
>>>>
>>>> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with global warming.
>>>>
>>>> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with the number of
>>>> tweets per day.
>>>>
>>>> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with the number of
>>>> electric vehicles on the road.
>>>
>>> The coincidence isn't even the point! The point is that the
>>> interruption of natural processes has negative consequences
>>> that aren't being recognized!
>>
>> Nah. The point is that you are an obvious dihydrogen monoxide addict who has
>> been allowed to run free. Something Must Be Done to prevent you from doing
>> further harm. Please, please, think of the children and turn yourself in.
>
>Dihydrogen monoxide can be washed away with copious amounts of hydroxic
>acid. It is unclear whether that would do more harm than good.

A truly serious problem with dihydrogen monoxide is the presence in it
of the truly toxic pollutant, hydronium. The hydronium content in the
body is normally less than 1 part per billion but if it increases by
even 5% you get strong symptoms and four parts per billion is lethal.

[Matt Beasley]

On Jan 22, 2017, Wolffan wrote:

> On 2017 Jan 22, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > On Jan 18, 2017, RSNorman wrote:
> > > On 18 Jan 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > >
> > > > The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
> > > > the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
> > > > Maybe not having the immune system challenged enough
> > > > leads to more kids having arrested mental development!
> > >
> > > The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with global warming.
> > >
> > > The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with the number of
> > > tweets per day.
> > >
> > > The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with the number of
> > > electric vehicles on the road.
> >
> > The coincidence isn't even the point! The point is that the
> > interruption of natural processes has negative consequences
> > that aren't being recognized!
>

> Nah. The point is that you are ...

It's very difficult to see the consequences....you have to
keep up with the reports to get the picture. If you don't,
then you can clown around in La-La Land.

[John Bode]

On Sunday, January 22, 2017 at 2:34:58 PM UTC-6, Matt Beasley wrote:
> On Jan 19, 2017, John Bode wrote:
> > On Jan 18, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > > On Jan 18, 2017, John Bode wrote:
> > > > On Jan 18, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > > > > The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
> > > > > the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
> > > > > Maybe not having the immune system challenged enough
> > > > > leads to more kids having arrested mental development!
> > > >
> > > > Sure, polio, measles, rubella, diptheria are mere "challenges"
> > > > to the immune system. They don't ever lead to death or
> > > > permanent disability.
> > >
> > > In general, most of human conflict comes from big egos at the top,
> > > and their avarice. The other major causes are drug prohibition and the
> > > black market, overpopulation and its strain on infrastructure, and not
> > > having a stable currency, pegged to gold, the lack of which adds
> > > uncertainty and distortion to the marketplace.
> >
> > Which has dick-all to do with *autism*.
>
> John Bode doesn't know what the big picture is,
> and John Bode doesn't want to know!
>

Big picture is that we're all irrevocably screwed. Between climate change
and the headlong rush into the new feudalism, the 22nd century is going to
be a giant step backwards to the 17th. "Star Trek" isn't our future. "Ark
II" is our future, but without the RV and snazzy outfits.

I've ceased to care. The people who can make a difference don't want to,
and the people who want to make a difference can't. I'm just going to
enjoy the ride down the waterfall while it lasts.

>
> > > The way to address the selfishness gone wild at the top is with an
> > > unselfish act or acts. Shortening life spans is an example of an
> > > unselfish act, and it's one that shows respect for other creatures
> > > and future generations, by addressing the problem of overpopulation.
> > > Stopping the prevention of some communicable diseases, like influenza,
> > > is the best way to do that. We don't have to like the way nature
> > > works; we just have to accept it.
> >
> > So put your money where your mouth is - be unselfish and
> > shorten *your* lifespan. Lead by example.
>
> I'm the one sticking my neck out saying this stuff,
> so I'm ALREADY "going first", obviously!

Posting shit to a Usenet news group is not "sticking your neck out". You
want to stick your neck out, practice what you preach - shorten *your*
lifespan. Whether that means you stop wearing seatbelts, or stop cooking
chicken all the way through, or go skydiving without a reserve 'chute,
I don't care.

You think reducing the population is the way to go? Then start with your
own goddamned self.

[Matt Beasley]

On Jan 23, 2017, John Bode wrote:

> On Jan 22, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > On Jan 19, 2017, John Bode wrote:
> > > On Jan 18, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > > > On Jan 18, 2017, John Bode wrote:
> > > > > On Jan 18, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > > > > > The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
> > > > > > the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
> > > > > > Maybe not having the immune system challenged enough
> > > > > > leads to more kids having arrested mental development!
> > > > >
> > > > > Sure, polio, measles, rubella, diptheria are mere "challenges"
> > > > > to the immune system. They don't ever lead to death or
> > > > > permanent disability.
> > > >
> > > > In general, most of human conflict comes from big egos at the top,
> > > > and their avarice. The other major causes are drug prohibition and the
> > > > black market, overpopulation and its strain on infrastructure, and not
> > > > having a stable currency, pegged to gold, the lack of which adds
> > > > uncertainty and distortion to the marketplace.
> > >
> > > Which has dick-all to do with *autism*.
> >
> > John Bode doesn't know what the big picture is,
> > and John Bode doesn't want to know!
> >
>

> Big picture is that ...
> I've ceased to care....

>
> > > > The way to address the selfishness gone wild at the top is with an
> > > > unselfish act or acts. Shortening life spans is an example of an
> > > > unselfish act, and it's one that shows respect for other creatures
> > > > and future generations, by addressing the problem of overpopulation.
> > > > Stopping the prevention of some communicable diseases, like influenza,
> > > > is the best way to do that. We don't have to like the way nature
> > > > works; we just have to accept it.
> > >
> > > So put your money where your mouth is - be unselfish and
> > > shorten *your* lifespan. Lead by example.
> >
> > I'm the one sticking my neck out saying this stuff,
> > so I'm ALREADY "going first", obviously!
>

> Posting to a Usenet news group is not "sticking your neck out".

I've been sending letters to the editor since the 1970s.
Posting comments on NY Times, Facebook, and elsewhere.
I stopped listening to the politicians in 1975, because they're
looking primarily at votes in the next election.

> You think reducing the population is the way to go?
> Then start with your own goddamned self.

You don't care about anything, and you want me to do
what you say?? You forgot to say "Simon Says" first!

[Bob Casanova]

On Sun, 22 Jan 2017 12:28:22 -0800 (PST), the following
appeared in talk.origins, posted by Matt Beasley
<less...@gmail.com>:

>On Jan 18, 2017, RSNorman wrote:
>> On 18 Jan 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
>>
>> >The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
>> >the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
>> >Maybe not having the immune system challenged enough
>> >leads to more kids having arrested mental development!
>>
>> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with global warming.
>>
>> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with the number of
>> tweets per day.
>>
>> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with the number of
>> electric vehicles on the road.
>
>The coincidence isn't even the point!

Then why did you bring it up? If one removes your "coincides
with" irrelevancy your post reduces to zero content.

> The point is that the
>interruption of natural processes has negative consequences
>that aren't being recognized!

Go share a syringe with an AIDS-suffering addict.

[Bob Casanova]

On Sun, 22 Jan 2017 21:47:48 +0000 (UTC), the following

Only Rottweilers and Chinese chefs care.

[Bob Casanova]

On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 11:23:56 -0800 (PST), the following
appeared in talk.origins, posted by Matt Beasley
<less...@gmail.com>:

We care about many things, and we want you to put your money
where your mouth is.

> You forgot to say "Simon Says" first!

How old are you? 12?

[John Bode]

On Monday, January 23, 2017 at 1:25:00 PM UTC-6, Matt Beasley wrote:
> On Jan 23, 2017, John Bode wrote:
> > On Jan 22, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > > On Jan 19, 2017, John Bode wrote:
> > > > On Jan 18, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > > > > On Jan 18, 2017, John Bode wrote:
> > > > > > On Jan 18, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > > > > > > The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
> > > > > > > the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
> > > > > > > Maybe not having the immune system challenged enough
> > > > > > > leads to more kids having arrested mental development!
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Sure, polio, measles, rubella, diptheria are mere "challenges"
> > > > > > to the immune system. They don't ever lead to death or
> > > > > > permanent disability.
> > > > >
> > > > > In general, most of human conflict comes from big egos at the top,
> > > > > and their avarice. The other major causes are drug prohibition and the
> > > > > black market, overpopulation and its strain on infrastructure, and not
> > > > > having a stable currency, pegged to gold, the lack of which adds
> > > > > uncertainty and distortion to the marketplace.
> > > >
> > > > Which has dick-all to do with *autism*.
> > >
> > > John Bode doesn't know what the big picture is,
> > > and John Bode doesn't want to know!
> > >
> >
> > Big picture is that ...
> > I've ceased to care....
> >

If you're going to quote me, quote me accurately, dammit.

> > > > > The way to address the selfishness gone wild at the top is with an
> > > > > unselfish act or acts. Shortening life spans is an example of an
> > > > > unselfish act, and it's one that shows respect for other creatures
> > > > > and future generations, by addressing the problem of overpopulation.
> > > > > Stopping the prevention of some communicable diseases, like influenza,
> > > > > is the best way to do that. We don't have to like the way nature
> > > > > works; we just have to accept it.
> > > >
> > > > So put your money where your mouth is - be unselfish and
> > > > shorten *your* lifespan. Lead by example.
> > >
> > > I'm the one sticking my neck out saying this stuff,
> > > so I'm ALREADY "going first", obviously!
> >
> > Posting to a Usenet news group is not "sticking your neck out".
>
> I've been sending letters to the editor since the 1970s.
> Posting comments on NY Times, Facebook, and elsewhere.

"I've written *letters*! Lots and lots and lots of *letters*!"

Several *million* people marched this past weekend in protest of Trump's
election, and what did it accomplish? Trump's still President. Congress
is still in the hands of a bunch of radicals salivating at the prospect
of burning *everything* to the ground. Nothing changed.

Writing letters to the editor accomplishes *dick*. Carrying signs and
singing songs accomplishes *dick*.

You want to *do* something, then volunteer at a non-profit, run for office,
personally harangue your Congressweasel until they can't ignore you, go the full Kaczynski, I don't care. But don't pretend that "I've written lots of
letters" is the same as actually *doing something*.

> I stopped listening to the politicians in 1975, because they're
> looking primarily at votes in the next election.

Then take the plunge yourself. Run for office. Start local, work your
way up.

>
> > You think reducing the population is the way to go?
> > Then start with your own goddamned self.
>
> You don't care about anything, and you want me to do
> what you say?? You forgot to say "Simon Says" first!

Hey, *you're* the one advocating for a population cull, not me. I'm telling
you to do what *you* say.

You're like that guy who wanted everyone with an IQ over 100 to be shot.
When I asked if he'd be willing to pull the trigger himself, he responded
with "I don't answer sick questions." *He's* the one advocating mass
murder, but *I'm* the sick one for asking if he was willing to take
action personally.

You are nothing more than a crank. An easily ignorable crank. If you're
not going to follow through on your own ideas, why the hell should anyone
else?

[Matt Beasley]

On Jan 23, 2017, John Bode wrote:

You can't get elected by advocating unpopular positions!
But just because a policy is unpopular doesn't mean
it isn't the right thing to do!

> > > You think reducing the population is the way to go?
> > > Then start with your own goddamned self.
> >
> > You don't care about anything, and you want me to do
> > what you say?? You forgot to say "Simon Says" first!
>
> Hey, *you're* the one advocating for a population cull, not me. I'm telling
> you to do what *you* say.

What I'm saying is that Selfishness Gone Wild is the number one
Cause of Conflict, and the solution is to Practice Unselfish Acts.
Shortening life spans is an unselfish act that also addresses
another Cause of Conflict, overpopulation. The subject of the
policy is All of us, not One of us!

> You're like that guy who wanted everyone with an IQ over 100 to be shot.
> When I asked if he'd be willing to pull the trigger himself, he responded
> with "I don't answer sick questions." *He's* the one advocating mass
> murder, but *I'm* the sick one for asking if he was willing to take
> action personally.
>
> You are nothing more than a crank. An easily ignorable crank. If you're
> not going to follow through on your own ideas, why the hell should anyone
> else?

I don't take flu shots, so I'm already following through,
but it doesn't matter because the subject of global public policy
is All of us!

[Matt Beasley]

On Jan 23, 2017, John Bode wrote:

> "I've written *letters*! Lots & lots & lots of *letters*!"

What did you say in those letters?
Care to share it with us?

[Matt Beasley]

On Jan 20, 2017, Bill Rogers wrote:
> On Jan 20, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:

> > Do you agree that Selfishness Gone Wild is the
> > number one Cause of Conflict?
>
> I think that a guy who thinks brown children should be
> denied health care in order to increase selflessness and

> respect is the personification of "selfishness gone wild."

Do you agree that Drug Prohibition is a Cause of Conflict?

[*Hemidactylus*]

I'm not entirely sympathetic to the antinatalist stances of Arthur
Schopenhauer or David Benatar but life does suck because you suffer then
die. That should be the sort of propaganda aimed at prospective parents
that you inflict a life on someone who doesn't have a choice or option
clause in the matter. The anti-natalist view as stated view falters iff the
born person prefers that state after the fact.

But we should stop short of imposing our views on prospective parents.
Childfree is a choice. There was a time when it was imposed by eugenists
via sterilization laws and worse.

>
>> You're like that guy who wanted everyone with an IQ over 100 to be shot.
>> When I asked if he'd be willing to pull the trigger himself, he responded
>> with "I don't answer sick questions." *He's* the one advocating mass
>> murder, but *I'm* the sick one for asking if he was willing to take
>> action personally.
>>
>> You are nothing more than a crank. An easily ignorable crank. If you're
>> not going to follow through on your own ideas, why the hell should anyone
>> else?
>
> I don't take flu shots, so I'm already following through,
> but it doesn't matter because the subject of global public policy
> is All of us!
>

I got my flu shot again as is my duty to immune compromised folks and my
desire to not feel like shit for several days to a week. Got Hep A and B
shots because I could. Probably overdue for tetanus.

Morally prospective parents should consider downsides to potential
offspring and planet. Once born withholding vaccinations would be unethical
to offspring unless allergic or otherwise adversely affected. Also immoral
when herd immunity considered. Of course you disagree here. I am adamantly
pro-vax. Not a fan of iron lungs. The snowflakes who oppose vaccination
have no fucking idea what life was like before the technology reduced
chance of horrible disease. And they inflict their shitty choices on
others. Measles outbreak causing dumbfucks.

And if you inflict life upon spawn, why withhold HPV vax unless you are a
special kind of asshole? Once you open a potential person to a life reduce
their chances to suffer.

[Wolffan]

On 2017 Jan 23, Matt Beasley wrote
(in article<399ec765-72f8-483e...@googlegroups.com>):

Autism correlates highly with the presence of large quantities of dihydrogen
monoxide in plastic containers kept in homes where children can get to them.
Think of the children: BAN DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE NOW.

[John Bode]

...

You *do* realize I was making fun of you there, right?

[Bob Casanova]

On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 07:25:59 -0800 (PST), the following
appeared in talk.origins, posted by John Bode
<jfbod...@gmail.com>:

>On Monday, January 23, 2017 at 10:55:00 PM UTC-6, Matt Beasley wrote:
>> On Jan 23, 2017, John Bode wrote:
>> > "I've written *letters*! Lots & lots & lots of *letters*!"
>>
>> What did you say in those letters?
>> Care to share it with us?

>You *do* realize I was making fun of you there, right?

That *was* a rhetorical question, right? Of course he
doesn't.

[Bob Casanova]

On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 20:50:28 -0800 (PST), the following
appeared in talk.origins, posted by Matt Beasley
<less...@gmail.com>:

He was paraphrasing your statement, moron. See the quotes?
What do you suppose they might indicate? His comment
followed this, posted by you:

"I've been sending letters to the editor since the 1970s.
Posting comments on NY Times, Facebook, and elsewhere."

IOW, he was making fun of your sorry ass.

[Bob Casanova]

On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 13:25:51 -0700, the following appeared
in talk.origins, posted by Bob Casanova <nos...@buzz.off>:

>On Sun, 22 Jan 2017 12:28:22 -0800 (PST), the following
>appeared in talk.origins, posted by Matt Beasley
><less...@gmail.com>:
>
>>On Jan 18, 2017, RSNorman wrote:
>>> On 18 Jan 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
>>>
>>> >The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
>>> >the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
>>> >Maybe not having the immune system challenged enough
>>> >leads to more kids having arrested mental development!
>>>
>>> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with global warming.
>>>
>>> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with the number of
>>> tweets per day.
>>>
>>> The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with the number of
>>> electric vehicles on the road.
>>
>>The coincidence isn't even the point!
>
>Then why did you bring it up? If one removes your "coincides
>with" irrelevancy your post reduces to zero content.

[Crickets...]

Missed that, did you?

[Matt Beasley]

On Jan 23, 2017, John Bode wrote:

> On Jan 23, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > On Jan 23, 2017, John Bode wrote:
> > > On Jan 22, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > > > On Jan 19, 2017, John Bode wrote:
> > > > > On Jan 18, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > > > > > On Jan 18, 2017, John Bode wrote:
> > > > > > > On Jan 18, 2017, Matt Beasley wrote:
> > > > > > > > The rise in the incidence of autism coincides with
> > > > > > > > the rise in the prevention of childhood diseases.
> > > > > > > > Maybe not having the immune system challenged enough
> > > > > > > > leads to more kids having arrested mental development!
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Sure, polio, measles, rubella, diptheria are mere "challenges"
> > > > > > > to the immune system. They don't ever lead to death or
> > > > > > > permanent disability.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > In general, most of human conflict comes from big egos at the top,
> > > > > > and their avarice. The other major causes are drug prohibition and the
> > > > > > black market, overpopulation and its strain on infrastructure, and not
> > > > > > having a stable currency, pegged to gold, the lack of which adds
> > > > > > uncertainty and distortion to the marketplace.
> > > > >
> > > > > Which has dick-all to do with *autism*.
> > > >
> > > > John Bode doesn't know what the big picture is,
> > > > and John Bode doesn't want to know!
> > > >

> > > > > > The way to address the selfishness gone wild at the top is with an
> > > > > > unselfish act or acts. Shortening life spans is an example of an
> > > > > > unselfish act, and it's one that shows respect for other creatures
> > > > > > and future generations, by addressing the problem of overpopulation.
> > > > > > Stopping the prevention of some communicable diseases, like influenza,
> > > > > > is the best way to do that. We don't have to like the way nature
> > > > > > works; we just have to accept it.
> > > > >
> > > > > So put your money where your mouth is - be unselfish and
> > > > > shorten *your* lifespan. Lead by example.
> > > >
> > > > I'm the one sticking my neck out saying this stuff,
> > > > so I'm ALREADY "going first", obviously!
> > >
> > > Posting to a Usenet news group is not "sticking your neck out".
> >
> > I've been sending letters to the editor since the 1970s.
> > Posting comments on NY Times, Facebook, and elsewhere.
>
> "I've written *letters*! Lots and lots and lots of *letters*!"
> Several *million* people marched this past weekend in protest of Trump's
> election, and what did it accomplish? Trump's still President. Congress
> is still in the hands of a bunch of radicals salivating at the prospect
> of burning *everything* to the ground. Nothing changed.
>
> Writing letters to the editor accomplishes *dick*. Carrying signs and
> singing songs accomplishes *dick*.
>
> You want to *do* something, then volunteer at a non-profit, run for office,
> personally harangue your Congressweasel until they can't ignore you, go the full Kaczynski, I don't care. But don't pretend that "I've written lots of
> letters" is the same as actually *doing something*.

A letter to the editor (LTTE or LTE) is a letter sent to a
publication about issues of concern from its readers. Usually,
letters are intended for publication. In many publications,
letters to the editor may be sent either through conventional
mail or electronic mail.

LTEs are most frequently associated with newspapers/magazines.
However, they are sometimes published in other periodicals
(such as entertainment & tech mags), & radio & TV stations.
In the latter instance, letters are sometimes read on the air
(usually, on news broadcast or talk radio). In that presentation
form, it can also be described as viewer mail or listener mail,
depending on the medium.

In academic publishing, LTEs of an academic journal are usually open
postpublication reviews of a paper, often critical of some aspect
of the original paper. The authors of the original paper sometimes
respond to these with LTE of their own. Controversial papers in
mainstream journals often attract numerous LTEs. Good citation
indexing services list the original papers together w/all replies.
Depending on the length of the letter & the journal's style, other
types of headings may be used, such as peer commentary. There are
some variations on this practice. Some journals request open
commentaries as a matter of course, which are published together
w/the original paper, & any authors' reply, in a process called open
peer commentary. The intro of the "epub ahead of print" practice in
many journals now allows unsolicited letters to the editor (and
authors' reply) to appear in the same print issue of the journal,
as long as they are sent in the interval between the electronic
publication of the original paper and its appearance in print.

Subject matter
The subject matter of LTEs vary widely. However, the most common
topics include:

Supporting or opposing a stance taken by the publication in its
editorial, or responding to another writer's letter to the editor.

Commenting on a current issue being debated by a governing body –
local, regional or national depending on the pub's circulation.
Often, the writer will urge elected officials to make their
decision based on his/her viewpoint.

Remarking on materials (such as a news story) that have appeared in
a previous edition. Such letters may either be critical or praising.

Correcting a perceived error or misrepresentation.

History
LTEs always have been a feature of American newspapers. Much of the
earliest news reports and commentaries published by early-American
newspapers were delivered in the form of letters, & by the mid-18th
century, LTEs were a dominant carrier of political/social discourse.
Many influential essays about the role of govt in matters such as
personal freedoms & economic development took the form of letters —
consider Cato's Letters or Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania,
which were widely reprinted in early American newspapers.

Through the 19th century, LTEs were increasingly centralized near
the editorials of newspapers, so that by the turn of the 20th cent
LTEs had become permanent fixtures of the opinion pages.

Modern LTE forums differ little from those earlier counterparts.
A typical forum will include a half-dozen to a dozen letters (or
excerpts from letters). The letters chosen for publication usually
are only a sample of the total letters submitted, with larger-circu-
lation publications running a much smaller percentage of submissions
& small-circulation publications running nearly all of the relatively
few letters they receive. Editors generally read all submissions,
but in general most will automatically reject letters that include
profanity, libelous statements, personal attacks against individuals
or specific organizations, that are unreasonably long (most pubs
suggest length limits ranging from 200 to 500 words) or that are
submitted anonymously.

The latter criterion is a fairly recent development in LTE mgmt.
Prior to the Cold War paranoia of the mid-20th century, anonymous
LTEs were common; in fact, the right to write anonymously was
central to the free-press/free-speech movement (as in the 1735
trial against John Peter Zenger, which started with an anonymous
essay). By the 70s, editors had developed strong negative attitudes
toward anonymous letters, and by the end of the 20th century, about
94% of newspapers automatically rejected anonymous LTEs.

Some papers in the 80s & 90s created special anonymous opinion
forums that allowed people to either record short verbal opinions
via telephone (which were then transcribed & published) or send
letters that were unsigned or where the author used a pseudonym.
Although many journalists derided the anonymous call-in forums as
unethical (for instance, someone could make an unfounded opinion
without worry of the consequences or having to back the comment up
with hard facts), defenders argued that such forums upheld the
free-press tradition of vigorous, uninhibited debate similar to
that found in earlier newspapers.

Although primarily considered a function of print pubs, LTEs also
are present in electronic media. In broadcast journalism, LTEs have
always been a semi-regular feature of 60 Minutes & the news programs
of National Public Radio. LTE's also are widespread on the Internet
in various forms.

By the early 21st c., the Internet had become a delivery system for
many LTEs via e-mail & news Web sites (in fact, after several
envelopes containing a powder suspected to be anthrax were mailed
to lawmakers and journalists, several news organizations announced
they would only accept e-mail LTEs). Because the Internet broadly
expanded the potential readership of editorials and opinion columns
at small newspapers, their controversial editorials or columns could
sometimes attract much more e-mail than they were used to handling —
so much so that a few newspapers had their e-mail servers crash.

Editors are a frequent target of letter-writing campaigns, also
called “astroturfing,” or “fake grass-roots” operations where sample
letters are distributed on the Internet or otherwise, to be copied
or rewritten and submitted as personal letters.

Although LTE management gets little attention in trade journals, one
organization, the National Conference of Editorial Writers, often
includes essays on LTE management in its newsletter, The Masthead, &
at its annual meetings. Among the NCEW's strongest champions for
LTEs was Ronald D. Clark of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, who wrote,
"Consider letters as a barometer of how well (you are) engaging
readers or viewers. The more you receive, the more you're connecting.
The fewer you receive, the stronger the sign that you're putting the
masses to sleep."

OTOH many editors will allow the publication of anonymous letters
where the details of name/address of the author are not printed, but
are disclosed to the editor. This can promote a debate of issues that
are personal, contentious or embarrassing, yet are of importance to
raise in a public debate.

Sometimes an LTE in a local newspaper, such as the Dear IRS letter
written by Ed Barnett to the Wichita Falls Times Record News in
Wichita Falls TX, will end up receiving attention from the national
media

Misrepresentation
Submitting a letter under a false name to shill in support or to
criticize an opponent can have significant consequences. For example,
Canadian politician Paul Reitsma's career ended in scandal in 1999,
after he signed letters addressed to newspapers as "Warren Betanko"
praising himself and attacking his political opponents. His local
paper wrote a front-page story under the headline of "MLA Reitsma
is a liar and we can prove it."

In 1966 Israel, the Herut Party of then opposition leader Menachem
Begin was shaken by scandal when letters sharply attacking Begin,
which had been published in major dailies, were proven to have been
authored by Begin's rivals for the party leadership and sent to the
papers under various aliases & false names. As a result, the rivals
were discredited & eventually expelled from the party, which helped
buttress Begin's leadership position up to win the 1977 general
elections and become Prime Minister of Israel.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_to_the_editor

[Earle Jones27]

*
Several months ago I read a piece that posed this question:

What state has the longest period without a single reported case of
measles? And why?

The answer might shock you: Mississippi

This backward bunch of ignorant rednecks has not had a case of measles
since 1996(?)

Why? Because there are no excuses for school kids missing their
measles shot. No "it's againsst my religion, etc." or, "I don't
believe in vaccination."

If you want your kid to go to school, he or she gets vaccinated.

Reported by the CDC, Atlanta.

earle
*

[John Bode]

On Tuesday, January 24, 2017 at 4:54:58 PM UTC-6, Earle Jones27 wrote:

[snip]

>
> *
> Several months ago I read a piece that posed this question:
>
> What state has the longest period without a single reported case of
> measles? And why?
>
> The answer might shock you: Mississippi
>
> This backward bunch of ignorant rednecks has not had a case of measles
> since 1996(?)
>
> Why? Because there are no excuses for school kids missing their
> measles shot. No "it's againsst my religion, etc." or, "I don't
> believe in vaccination."
>
> If you want your kid to go to school, he or she gets vaccinated.
>
> Reported by the CDC, Atlanta.
>
> earle
> *

Yup. Of course, that policy was set when people were still sane.

Like I said in an earlier post, my folks grew up in the late '30s and '40s,
and I'm pretty sure they knew (or knew of) at least one kid that wound
up in an iron lung, or disabled from a round of scarlet fever. They would
have considered the decision to not vaccinate a child for any non-medical
reason to be pathological.

[Matt Beasley]

On Jan 25, 2017, John Bode wrote:

Learning to live with autism in Ethiopia
By Hewete Haileselassie
BBC Focus on Africa magazine
22 September 2011

[photo]
Jojo is now 20 and has recently started uttering some words

The year was 1995 & Ethiopian Zemi Yunus had no idea what autism was.
What she did know was that her 4-year-old son, Jojo, was clearly
"different from other children of his age."

Then her husband watched a TV programme in the U.S. where they were
living at the time. It suddenly dawned on them that perhaps Jojo was
autistic - certainly the symptoms described all seemed to point to this.

On the brink of returning to Ethiopia, Mrs Zemi began in earnest to
research the issue. Like many parents of autistic children, Mrs Zemi
says that she had long had concerns about her son's speech, but many
doctors had reassured her that boys are often "late talkers" and
assuaged her fears.

But the more she found out independently, the more she recognised that
her son's delayed speech, as well as his repetitive actions and his
behavioural difficulties, were clearly autistic. Unfortunately,
diagnosis of the condition, particularly in the developing world, is
rare. On returning to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, Mrs Zemi -
who was soon running a successful business - consulted psychologists,
doctors and other professionals for several years, but failed to find
any answers.

Finding a school also proved difficult; many teachers dismissed Jojo
as "spoilt" and he was expelled from five schools in a row. One
institution even asked to be paid triple the usual fee to keep him.

Probably widespread

By this time Mrs Zemi had done extensive research, & knew that autism
was probably a widespread condition in the region. In Ethiopia,
though, no-one was talking about it publicly but she persevered.
She began looking for other affected parents and what she found
shocked her; families with autistic children mostly kept them at home,
often in darkened rooms.

She even saw one little girl who was kept with her hands tied behind
her back - most likely to prevent her from hitting or striking herself.
This is not uncommon behaviour among children on the autistic spectrum,
especially when distressed.

All this became a catalyst for Mrs Zemi to begin speaking out publicly
about autism. Using her successful beauty business to launch her
charitable work, in 2002 she opened the Joy Centre for Children with
Autism and related developmental disorders in Addis Ababa. The school
opened with just four students including her son and a staff of three
employees. Today there are 75 children enrolled in the school for the
autumn term and more than 30 staff members.

As it is run as a non-profit organisation, parents pay what they can
towards fees. Joy has benefited from United Nations funding and aid
from other donors. Most importantly, the centre has led the Ethiopian
government to begin a programme for children with special needs.

'Possessed by the devil'

This does not mean there has been a tidal wave of sympathy in Ethiopia
towards those living with autism. Many people still think affected
children are possessed by the devil because of their parents' sins.
This could explain why autistic children are so often hidden.

The medical fraternity in Ethiopia is often equally ignorant. Elias
Tegene, a psychologist who specialises in autism, describes the
condition as a new "subject" that only became known in the past decade.
Despite the lack of official data in the country, he believes that
rates are climbing rapidly.

Compounding the problem is the fact that many doctors working in
Ethiopia have not heard of the condition. Often those that recognise
it either treat patients as psychiatric cases (when they are in fact
neurological), or simply tell parents to discipline their children
better.

From anecdotal evidence, Dr Elias believes autism to be most prevalent
in the children of the so-called "boom generation" - those who have
travelled abroad to work and study. Nine-year-old Addis is one of
these children. He was born in Maryland, in the US, to an Ethiopian
family and diagnosed with autism when he was just over two years old.

His early diagnosis was due in part to the fact he was born premature
at 27 weeks, and so was already being monitored by a medical team.

Life crammed with activities

Addis' father, Abiy, says that it took him & his wife a long time to
accept the initial diagnosis. "Everyone had a theory as to why this
had happened and why it seemed that autism was more prevalent in Horn
of Africa diaspora communities than in others. Someone told us that
the children who were diagnosed back home [in Ethiopia] were those
who had been born abroad in the US or in Europe," he says.

It was his wife, Azeb - a primary school teacher now specialising in
special needs - who first suggested Addis was autistic. However, he
resisted getting treatment for his son as he did not want to face
the reality. The diagnosis prompted a long period of soul-searching.

Today, however, Addis leads a full life crammed with activities and
has a particularly good sense of direction. "My son is a great kid.
If he had to have autism, so be it, but he is really the best son,"
says Abiy. "He is well behaved & has never held us back in any way."

While there is no research yet to support Dr Elias' view that autism
is on the rise among Ethiopians, especially those living abroad,
there is some evidence relating to Somali children in the diaspora.
In 2009 the New York Times reported that officials in the Minnesota
Health Department in the US had agreed on a startling fact - that
there are higher rates of autism in young Somali children in the
state. While stressing that this was a small sample, they stated
that Somali children were two to seven times more likely to suffer
from the condition than people from other ethnic backgrounds. There
is also data from Sweden and elsewhere in the US that seems to
support this.

Funding for research

Abdirahman D Mohammed - a family doctor at Axis Medical Centre in
Minneapolis, who hails from Somalia - treats a wide cross-section of
patients and has no doubt that autism is abnormally high in children
of Somali origin. "Unfortunately it's a huge issue for our community.
It causes families great distress and anxiety," he says.

And because some people link autism w/various childhood immunisations -
which is questionable and has never been proved - some Somali children
in the US are not being vaccinated against dangerous childhood diseases.

So why the strong prevalence in the Somali community? Dr Mohammed has
no answers. "Is it environmental, genetic or both? We don't know. This
is a great puzzle," he says.

Thankfully, the US Centre for Disease Control/Prevention has recently
approved funding to research just this issue. Perhaps more needs to be
done in Ethiopia and its communities living abroad.

Back in Addis Ababa, Mrs Zemi's son, Jojo, is now 20. She describes
him as "a handsome young man, with lots of achievements." Recently he
has started uttering some words. "He's on his way to talking, I'm so
excited about it . . . he's coming on," his mother said.

It is stories like those of Jojo and Addis that provide hope for
families living with autism.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14991267

[Wolffan]

On 2017 Jan 31, Matt Beasley wrote
(in article<2b44d64d-f85e-4faf...@googlegroups.com>):

> On Jan 25, 2017, John Bode wrote:
> > On Jan 24, 2017, Earle Jones27 wrote:
> > [snip]
> > > *
> > > Several months ago I read a piece that posed this question:
> > > What state has the longest period without a single reported case of
> > > measles? And why?
> > > The answer might shock you: Mississippi
> > > This backward bunch of ignorant rednecks has not had a case of measles
> > > since 1996(?)
> > > Why? Because there are no excuses for school kids missing their
> > > measles shot. No "it's againsst my religion, etc." or, "I don't
> > > believe in vaccination."

> > > If you want your kid to go to school, he or she gets vaccinated.content

> > > Reported by the CDC, Atlanta.
> > > earle
> > > *
> >
> > Yup. Of course, that policy was set when people were still sane.
> > Like I said in an earlier post, my folks grew up in the late '30s and '40s,
> > and I'm pretty sure they knew (or knew of) at least one kid that wound
> > up in an iron lung, or disabled from a round of scarlet fever. They would
> > have considered the decision to not vaccinate a child for any non-medical
> > reason to be pathological.

[plagiarized content deleted]
cutting and pasting someone else’s words from a website ain’t providing
_your_ plan on how you’re gonna ‘fix the population’. how many children
are you planning to kill per day, mass-murder boy?

[Matt Beasley]

On Jan 23, 2017, Bob Casanova wrote:

Like John Bode, you have ceased to care about developing
a plan for peace, having given up decades ago. That's why
YOU-ALL should go first, you worthless pieces of trash! lol

[Matt Beasley]

On Feb 5, 2017, Wolffan wrote:

https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-root-causes-of-conflict

David P, lives in Chapel Hill, NC (1993-present)
Written Dec 29

Selfishness Gone Wild is the main cause of conflict in the world.
The potential exists in every country, but democracies are more
peaceful because they address the issue with checks & balances,
term limits, a free press, etc.

Another important cause of conflict is Drug or Alcohol Prohibition.
There can be no peace until we reverse this policy.

A third cause of conflict is Overpopulation, which is also a form
of Selfishness Gone Wild with the continual increase in life spans.

All addictions can be characterized as Selfishness Gone Wild,
and all addiction recovery programs involve addressing this problem
by practicing Unselfish Acts. The best way to address the causes of
conflict worldwide is to shorten life spans by stopping the prevention
of influenza and some other communicable diseases. It is an Unselfish
Act that shows respect for other creatures and future generations.