Editorials

I believed that vaccines could prevent diseases and save lives. So in March-April, 2021, I had taken the two prescribed doses of the vaccine for COVID-19. I had no trouble with them. In December, 2021, providers were offering another shot—a booster. I took it. For four or five hours, I had no problem. But then my bowels poured out their contents, and about every half hour for about three hours this happened again. Each time I was amazed at how much fluid I was losing. After the last trip to the toilet, I wondered whether I’d have enough strength to stand up and walk back to the bed.

Hype likely leads to the formation of crowds. In any case, reporting on the solar eclipse of April 8, 2024 focused much more on the social phenomenon than on the astronomical event. A lot of people gathered for and many cheered and applauded the show in the sky; quite a few people interviewed provided accounts of their awesome experiences.

So, what is your name?
........So, my name is So.
So, I'm not So--you're So.
........So, yeah, that's right, you got it.
So, you don't understand: I'm not So.
........So, you're not So, I know.
So, why do you keep calling me So?
........So, why are we going around and around?
Well, I just wanted to know your name.
........Well, my name is not Well.
Well, my name is not Well.
........Well, I'm not feeling well right now.
Well, you're getting on my nerves.

While an acorn can develop into an oak tree, an acorn is not an oak tree. While all citizens of the United States (natural born citizens at least 35 years old who have resided in the United States for at least 14 years) have the potential to become the president, a potential president is not a president. While an embryo can develop into a human being, a potential human is not a human: an embryo is not a human being.

There are many critics of the billionaires who will be taking quick trips into space, riding on rockets built and operated by Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic. Senator Bernie Sanders weighed in on the matter recently.

Information technology is complicated. And so, for those who do not understand how it works, it may be dangerous. The same is true for cars and rotary saws. Risk management is not just for certified professionals to practice; we all manage risk. The little sister who guides her younger brother across a busy street, the advisor to a president regarding a matter of national security—these people manage risk. They—we all—have to consider probabilities for success and failure, for living and dying.

The consequences of the lockdown of businesses and the curtailment of travel by State governors in response to the spread of COVID-19 in 2020 are many. The main purpose of the regulation is limiting the pandemic. The regulation has helped to achieve that goal. Many of the economic and social consequences, while unintentional, are nevertheless undesired and harmful.