If Covid Vaccines Are as Deadly as Anti-Covid-Vaxxers Want to Believe Covid Vaccines Are ...

Why are none of my immediate family and myself - all vaccinated -not experiencing health problems from blood clots or "harmed" immune systems?

Why is my employer, with 1500-2000 employees in the SF Bay Area - not experiencing elevated employee absences from employees' blood clots or "harmed" immune systems?

Why is my church not experiencing reduced attendance from members' blood clots or "harmed" immune systems? Why, instead, has my church had to add a service to the number of services it had pre-Covid?

Why are running event organizers - companies and schools/charities - back to doing the number of events with similar participation (numbers of runners and volunteers) they did in 2019? How is that possible if runners and volunteers suffer from blood clots or "harmed" immune systems?

Why have my morning and evening commutes reverted to what was normal pre-Covid, or heavier?

Why are malls such as Valley Fair, Santana Row, and Oakridge as busy as they were pre-Covid?

Why are restaurants here in Silicon Valley as busy as they were pre-Covid, albeit with some shift towards take-out and delivery services?

Why isn't the hospital across the freeway from my home flooded with "Vaccine Injury" cases?

Why isn't the home-care hospice 15 minutes' drive from my home inundated with people dying of Vaccine Injury?

Why isn't the cemetery 10 minutes' drive from my home experiencing a constant stream of funerals for people who died of Vaccine Injury?

Some 230 million people in the US are fully vaccinated. If Covid Vaccines Are as Deadly as Anti-Covid-Vaxxers claim, where are the hundreds of thousands or millions of extra dead bodies?

Trump Did Nothing About Ventilators?

 The primary responsibility for having necessary Personal Protective Equipment and equipment such as ventilators is with hospitals. They need to have sufficient for predictable usage, plus allowance for repairs and maintenance, plus allowance for a moderate surges in demand. For greater surges in demand, cities, then counties, then states should each have stockpiles of PPE and equipment such as ventilators. The Federal Government should be the last, not the first, resort for such supplies and equipment.

Looking at https://covidtracking.com/data/national , it was only on March 15th that the count of daily confirmed new cases in the US topped 10,000. With that as context, what has the Trump Administration done with regard to ventilators?

March 27, 2020 - Executive order delegating to the Secretaries of HHS, DHS, and Defense President Trump's authority to make or guarantee loans, purchase and commit to purchase, and other actions to obtain and facilitate the domestic manufacture of PPE, ventilators, and other medical necessities; https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/DCPD-202000198/pdf/DCPD-202000198.pdf , While this sounds like a yawner, the authority Trump delegated was used to make numerous purchase totalling 10s of millions or billions of dollars

March 27, 2020 - Trump signed a Defense Production Act order to General Motors to make ventilators; https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/27/trump-orders-general-motors-to-make-ventilators-under-defense-production-act.html, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/memorandum-order-defense-production-act-regarding-general-motors-company/

March 27, 2020 - Under DPA order, GM and Ventec partnering to produce ventilators; GM will also produce surgical masks at its Warren, MI, ramping up to 50K a day in two weeks, with potential to produce up to 100K per day; https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/27/trump-orders-general-motors-to-make-ventilators-under-defense-production-act.html , https://www.venteclife.com/news/ventec-life-systems-and-gm-partner-to-mass-produce-critical-care-ventilators-in-response-to-covid19-pandemic

March 30, 2020 - Ford Motor Company committed to producing 50,000 ventilators in the next 100 days; https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/30/ford-ge-plan-to-produce-50000-ventilators-in-100-days.html

March 31, 2020 - In response to March 27 DPA order, GM repurposing Kokomo, IN factory to produce Ventec ventilators; https://www.kokomotribune.com/news/gm-hiring-local-workers-to-build-ventilators-in-kokomo/article_4818254c-72bb-11ea-9c48-9b461b7fcc9e.html

April 2, 2020 - Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to direct General Electric Co., Hill-Rom Holdings Inc., Medtronic Public Limited Co., ResMed Inc., Royal Philips N.V. and Vyaire Medical Inc. to produce ventilators and material for producing ventilators; https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/02/politics/defense-production-act-ventilator-supplies/index.html

April 8, 2020 - Under the DPA, HHS announced contract with Philips to produce 2,500 ventilators for Strategic National Stockpile by end of May and 43000 by the end of December 2020; https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20230510/applying-defense-production-act , https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/491812-hhs-announces-646-million-contract-with-philips-to-provide-ventilators/

April 8, 2020 - HHS announced the first contract with GM to produce 30,000 ventilators to be delivered to the National Stockpile by the end of August; https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/08/politics/general-motors-ventilators-defense-production-act-coronavirus/index.html , https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/491765-gm-to-produce-30000-ventilators-under-500m-defense-production-act/

April 13, 2020 - HHS announced new contracts for ventilator production under the DPA to General Electric, Hill-Rom, Medtronic, ResMed, and Vyaire, mentioned in Trump's April 2 DPA order, as well as contracts with Hamilton and Zoll, also under the DPA; https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20230510/applying-defense-production-act , https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN11337

April 14, 2020 - GM began mass production on an order of 30,000 Ventec ventilators, 600 ventilators to be shipped this month, the full order to be completed by August; https://www.autoweek.com/news/industry-news/a32169651/gm-starts-ventilator-production-in-under-a-month/

April 16, 2020 - Under the DPA, HHS announced a $336 million contract with GE for 50,000 ventilators to be produced by July 13; https://www.medtechdive.com/news/ge-ford-get-336m-hhs-contract-for-50k-lower-cost-ventilators/576247/ , https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/16/ge-ford-sign-336-million-federal-contract-for-ventilator-production.html

April 17, 2020 - GM announced that they delivered the first GM-Ventec ventilators to Chicago hospitals; https://investor.gm.com/news-releases/news-release-details/first-general-motors-ventec-critical-care-ventilators-delivered

April 30, 2020 - FDA approved EUA for a ventilator developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which is tailored to treat patients with COVID-19; https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-includes-ventilator-developed-nasa-ventilator-emergency-use , https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-developed-ventilator-authorized-by-fda-for-emergency-use/

May 28, 2020 - Under the DPA, DOD in support of HHS signed a $2.2 million contract with Hollingsworth & Vose to increase US production of 27.5 million N95 ventilator filters and 3.1 million N95 respirators per month starting in August; https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2200654/dod-announces-defense-production-act-title-3-covid-19-ppe-project-22-million-in/

June 2, 2020 - FDA added a second ventilator developed by NASA to the list of authorized ventilators, under EUA; https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-daily-roundup-june-2-2020

June 8, 2020 - FDA added the BioMedInnovations SuppleVent Ventilator to the list of ventilators authorized under EUA; https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-daily-roundup-june-8-2020

June 29, 2020 - FDA added the Stewart & Stevenson Healthcare Technologies, LLC: Apollo ABVM and SAGICO USA, LLC: V2O SAGICO SYSTEM to the list of ventilators authorized under EUA; https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-daily-roundup-june-29-2020

July 23, 2020 - Under the DPA, DOD in coordination with HHS awarded Pall Corporation a NTE $4.9 million contract to increase domestic production capacity of ventilator filters; https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2286217/dod-awards-49-million-contract-to-pall-corporation-to-increase-industrial-base/

Context matters; or How the City of New York created its own 2020 ventilator shortage - https://www.propublica.org/article/how-new-york-city-emergency-ventilator-stockpile-ended-up-on-the-auction-block

Trump Did Nothing About Masks, Gowns, and Gloves (PPE)?

 The primary responsibility for having necessary Personal Protective Equipment and equipment such as ventilators is with hospitals. They need to have sufficient for predictable usage, plus allowance for repairs and maintenance, and allowance for a moderate surges in demand. For greater surges in demand, cities, then counties, then states should each have stockpiles of PPE and equipment such as ventilators. The Federal Government should be the last, not the first, resort for such supplies and equipment.

Looking at https://covidtracking.com/data/national , it was only on March 15th that the count of daily confirmed new cases in the US topped 10,000. With that as context, what was known at the time, what did the Trump Administration do with regard to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?

March 2, 2020 - Emergency Use Authorization given, allowing hospitals to use industrial filter N95 respirators to protect against Covid, https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-and-cdc-take-action-increase-access-respirators-including-n95s

March 4, 2020 - HHS announced intent to purchase 500 million N95 respirators over the next 18 months for the Strategic National Stockpile; https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-health-us-news-ap-top-news-politics-090600c299a8cf07f5b44d92534856bc ; AP's partisan spin is pathetic. Should Trump magically have known from very sketchy information, leaked just 2 months before this announcement, and despite the following ~3 weeks of China and WHO denying that human-to-human transmission had happened, that the Feds would need to purchase large quantities of respirators (face masks)? AP's criticism was partisan spin. AP also ignored the historical context, https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/face-masks-in-national-stockpile-have-not-been-substantially-replenished-since-2009/2020/03/10/57e57316-60c9-11ea-8baf-519cedb6ccd9_story.html , of the Strategic National Stockpile not having been replenished since 2009, a Congressional (Congress controls and passes the budget) failure and by the Presidential Administration in office when the depletion occurred. Context matters.

March 17, 2020 - Defense Department to give HHS up to 5M respirator masks, 2,000 ventilators; https://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/Article/2115200/dod-poised-to-provide-masks-ventilators-labs-to-hhs-for-coronavirus-fight/

March 18, 2020 - Pernod Ricard USA began producing hand sanitizer at all of its US distilleries, in coordination with and assisted by the White House Task Force; https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pernod-ricard-usa-produces-hand-sanitizer-to-help-us-combat-covid-19-virus-301026216.html

March 23, 2020 - Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to forbid hoarding, speculating, and price-gouging of PPE and sanitizing products; https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingpricegouginghoarding , https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-will-not-tolerate-the-price-gouging-and-hoarding

March 27, 2020 - Executive order delegating to the Secretaries of HHS, DHS, and Defense President Trump's authority to make or guarantee loans, purchase and commit to purchase, and other actions to obtain and facilitate the domestic manufacture of PPE, ventilators, and other medical necessities; https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/DCPD-202000198/pdf/DCPD-202000198.pdf , While this sounds like a yawner, the authority Trump delegated was used to make numerous purchase totalling 10s of millions or billions of dollars

March 27, 2020 - Under DPA order, GM and Ventec partnering to produce ventilators; GM will also produce surgical masks at its Warren, MI, ramping up to 50K a day in two weeks, with potential to produce up to 100K per day; https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/27/trump-orders-general-motors-to-make-ventilators-under-defense-production-act.html , https://www.venteclife.com/news/ventec-life-systems-and-gm-partner-to-mass-produce-critical-care-ventilators-in-response-to-covid19-pandemic

March 30, 2020 - FDA approved Battelle’s process for decontaminating tens of thousands of N95 masks per day; https://www.wtol.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/fda-approves-use-of-battelles-mask-sterilizing-technology-at-full-capacity/512-265af79c-a9b5-4833-95b1-c4da65e81a91 , https://www.einpresswire.com/article/513367958/secretary-azar-statement-on-fda-authorization-of-mask-sterilization-procedure , FDA has slow-walked this approval since 2016!

March 30, 2020 - Under DPA, Honeywell has increased production in its Rhode Island facility and begun expansion of its Phoenix, AZ which produces N95 masks; https://www.honeywell.com/en-us/newsroom/pressreleases/2020/03/honeywell-further-expands-n95-face-mask-production-by-adding-manufacturing-capabilities-in-phoenix

April 1, 2020 - White House, HHS, FDA worked with Senator Rob Portman to acquire, authorize use of two million gowns donated to the Strategic National Stockpile by Cardinal Health; 2020, https://riponadvance.com/stories/portman-coordinates-cardinal-healths-gown-donation-to-strategic-national-stockpile/

April 2, 2020 - Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to direct 3M to produce more N95 masks and not export masks produced in the US; https://www.npr.org/2020/04/03/826945445/defense-production-act-would-compel-3m-to-change-mask-production-and-export , https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/memorandum-order-defense-production-act-regarding-3m-company/ , https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/02/politics/defense-production-act-ventilator-supplies/index.html

April 2, 2020 - Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to direct General Electric Co., Hill-Rom Holdings Inc., Medtronic Public Limited Co., ResMed Inc., Royal Philips N.V. and Vyaire Medical Inc. to produce ventilators and material for producing ventilators; https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/02/politics/defense-production-act-ventilator-supplies/index.html

April 3, 2020 - Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to forbid export of PPE masks and gloves; https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/491137-trump-invokes-defense-production-act-to-prevent-export-of-surgical/

April 6, 2020 - Trump announced an agreement with 3M to produce, import 55.5 million N95 masks per month for the next three months; https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/06/coronavirus-trump-and-3m-strike-deal-to-bring-55point5-million-masks-a-month-to-us.html

April 8, 2020 - HHS announced agreement with DuPont and FedEx to manufacture, deliver 2.25M new Tyvek Protective Suits to Strategic National Stockpile; https://newsroom.fedex.com/newsroom/global/fedex-activates-project-airbridge-operation , https://globalbiodefense.com/newswire/dupont-to-produce-up-to-4-5-million-tyvek-protective-suits-for-u-s-healthcare-workers/

April 12, 2020 - FDA issued an emergency authorization for devices from Advanced Sterilization Products, which can decontaminate ~4 million N95 respirators each day; https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-issues-emergency-use-authorization-decontaminate-millions-n95 , https://medtechintelligence.com/news_article/fda-issues-emergency-use-authorization-to-asp-to-decontaminate-nearly-4-million-n95-masks/

April 13, 2020 - DoD announced it was buying 60 Battelle decontamination systems which can sanitize 80,000 N95 respirators per day; https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2148352/dod-contract-for-60-n95-critical-care-decontamination-units-415m-contract-each/ , https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/13/politics/pentagon-n95-mask-decontamination/index.html

April 14, 2020 - EPA announced it has temporarily waived certain approvals for manufacturers producing coronavirus disinfectants; https://www.natlawreview.com/article/epa-continues-to-expand-efforts-to-ease-production-disinfectants-approved-use

April 17, 2020 - Under DPA, Honeywell has begun production of N95 face masks in a new facility in Rhode Island; https://www.honeywell.com/en-us/newsroom/pressreleases/2020/04/honeywell-begins-production-of-n95-face-masks-in-smithfield-ri ; also see March 30, above.

April 20, 2020 - Coordinated by White House equipment czar Peter Navarro, Owens & Minor provided specialized fabric, UPS transported it to NYC, where several manufacturers will sew them into 400K surgical gowns by May 23; https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/nyc-garment-districts-to-produce-surgical-gowns-amid-coronavirus/

April 21, 2020 - Under the DPA, DOD to invest $133 million to increase US domestic N95 mask production by over 39 million over the next 90 days; three companies were awarded contracts, 3M , O&M Halyard, and Honeywell; https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2158351/dod-details-133-million-defense-production-act-title-3-covid-19-project/

May 1, 2020 - Under the DPA and CARES Act, DOD in coordination with HHS, has signed a $126 million contract award with 3M for the increased production of 26 million N95 medical-grade masks per month, starting in October 2020; https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2178152/dod-awards-126-million-contract-to-3m-increasing-production-of-n95-masks/ , https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110794/witnesses/HHRG-116-AS00-Wstate-LordE-20200610.pdf

May 1, 2020 - Under the DPA and CARES Act, DOD in coordination with HHS, has signed a $20.1 million contract award with Moldex for increased production capacity by 5 million N95 masks per month; https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110794/witnesses/HHRG-116-AS00-Wstate-LordE-20200610.pdf

May 7, 2020 - 3M announced that it received two more U.S. Department of Defense contracts to expand US production of N95 respirator masks; https://www.massdevice.com/3m-wins-govt-contracts-to-further-expand-u-s-respirator-production/ , https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200507005711/en/3M-Awarded-Department-of-Defense-Contracts-to-Further-Expand-U.S.-Production-of-N95-Respirators

May 8, 2020 - FDA issued an EUA for the Duke Decontamination System to decontaminate compatible N95 or N95-equivalent respirators for reuse by health care personnel; https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-daily-roundup-may-8-2020

May 28, 2020 - FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization for the Stryker Sustainability Solutions (SSS) VHP N95 Respirator Decontamination System; https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-daily-roundup-may-28-2020

May 28, 2020 - Under the DPA, DOD in support of HHS signed a $2.2 million contract with Hollingsworth & Vose to increase US production of 27.5 million N95 ventilator filters and 3.1 million N95 respirators per month starting in August; https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2200654/dod-announces-defense-production-act-title-3-covid-19-ppe-project-22-million-in/

June 19, 2020 - Under the DPA, DOD in coordination with HHS signed a $13.5 million contract with Lydall, Inc. to increase domestic capacity of meltblown filtration media, a key component in N95 masks; https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2245825/dod-awards-135-million-contract-to-lydall-inc-to-increase-domestic-production-o/

July 13, 2020 - Under the DPA, DOD in coordination with HHS awarded Renco Corp. a NTE $22.4 million contract with Lydall, Inc. to increase domestic production capacity of Nitrile beutadine rubber gloves; https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/2272447/

July 23, 2020 - Under the DPA, DOD in coordination with HHS awarded Pall Corporation a NTE $4.9 million contract to increase domestic production capacity of ventilator filters; https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2286217/dod-awards-49-million-contract-to-pall-corporation-to-increase-industrial-base/

July 25, 2020 - Under the DPA, DOD in coordination with HHS signed a $2.75 million contract with NPS to increase domestic capacity of meltblown filtration media, a key component in N95 masks; https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2288304/dod-awards-275-million-contract-to-nps-to-increase-domestic-production-of-meltb/

August 25, 2020 - HHSannounced the release of 1.5 million N95 respirators from the Strategic National Stockpile distribution to approximately 3,336 US nursing home facilities; https://www.massdevice.com/hhs-to-release-1-5m-n95-respirators-to-nursing-homes/ , https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2020-08-26-nursing-homes-receive-n95-respirators-stockpile

Did Trump Take Covid-19 Seriously in Early 2020 - Trump Actions, Democrats' Undermining

This is a parallel chronology from January through March 2020 of Trump Administration actions in the context of things Democrat officials - local and national - did and said. Included are a few items that give the context of what was known when. These news stories demonstrate that while the Trump Administration was taking serious and effective actions against Covid-19, Democrat officials were attacking Trump for those actions, undermining his actions, and minimizing the risk of Covid-19. As with other articles I wrote in summer 2020, I have checked all links, replacing and/or adding as I felt necessary.

December 31, 2019 - WHO found a translation of a Chinese news report on ProMED about the outbreak in Wuhan; WHO's China office found a Wuhan Municipal Health Commission media statement about the outbreak in Wuhan; https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/29-06-2020-covidtimeline

January 4, 2020 - CDC Director Robert Redfield offers to send technical experts to China: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/03/how-much-pressure-did-trump-put-china-access-concerning-coronavirus/ (behind paywall); https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2020/01/28/cdc-offers-china-help-as-coronavirus-outbreak-grows-according-to-report/#5b15af734ee4 ; https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/r/r46354

January 6, 2020 - CDC issued a Level 1 travel notice for Wuhan, China; https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/r/r46354

January 8, 2020 - CDC alert to clinicians to ask patients with "severe respiratory illness" whether they had traveled to Wuhan; https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00424.asp (broken link)

January 11 and 12, 2020 - Covid-19 coronavirus DNA sequence communicated to WHO; https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/29-06-2020-covidtimeline

January 15, 2020 - Nancy Pelosi signed impeachment articles and doled out impeachment pens; https://apnews.com/3cd46ae3f694b21c0cf83af3f0c4f1c7

January 17, 2020 - The US started screening arriving passengers from China; JFK, SFO, LAX https://www.businessinsider.com/new-disease-virus-china-us-airports-screening-cdc-2020-1 ; O'Hare and Hartsfield-Jackson ; January 22, 2020 - https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/01/21/us-screenings-coronavirus-expanded-airports-atlanta-chicago/ (paywall), https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/ohare-screening-wuhan-coronavirus-six-die-hundreds-sickened-asia/ , https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/covid19.html

January 20, 2020 - Dr. Fauci announces the National Institutes of Health working developing a vaccine for coronavirus; https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/20/health/coronavirus-nih-vaccine-development/index.html

January 20, 2020 - CDC activated its emergency operations center; https://emergency.cdc.gov/recentincidents/index.asp?cid=EPR-homepage

January 20, 2020 - First acknowledgement by China and WHO of human-human transmission of coronavirus; https://abcnews.go.com/Health/human-human-transmission-coronavirus-reported-china/story?id=68403105

January 20, 2020 - First confirmed coronavirus case in the US announced; https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/covid19.html

January 22, 2020 - Pharmaceuticals company Moderna working with US government to develop vaccine; https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/22/moderna-is-working-on-a-vaccine-for-chinas-deadly-coronavirus.html , https://news.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2020/Moderna-Announces-Funding-Award-from-CEPI-to-Accelerate-Development-of-Messenger-RNA-mRNA-Vaccine-Against-Novel-Coronavirus/default.aspx

January 26, 2020 - While warning that the coronavirus would come to NYC, New York City Health Commisioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot advised people, "We are encouraging New Yorkers to go about their everyday lives and suggest practicing everyday precautions that we do through the flu season," and, "We are very clear: We wish New Yorkers a Happy Lunar New Year and we encourage people to spend time with their families and go about their celebration"; https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/27/nyregion/new-york-city-coronavirus.html (behind paywall), https://ijr.com/flashback-de-blasio-ny-commissioner-coronavirus/

January 27, 2020 - US CDC issues highest-level travel health notice, Level 3, recommending that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to China; State Department raises its own travel advisory for all of China to Level 3 of 4, urging U.S. citizens to “reconsider travel”, while retaining its Level 4 travel advisory for Hubei Province; https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/travel-alert-level-4-do-not-travel-to-hubei/ , https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2020/01/24/coronavirus-outbreak-leads-state-department-issue-level-4-advisory/4562349002/ , https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/covid19.html

January 29, 2020 - White House announced the formation of the Coronavirus Task Force; https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/480627-white-house-announces-task-force-to-monitor-coronavirus , https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-launches-coronavirus-task-force

January 31, 2020 - In reference to Lunar New Year celebration activities, Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Director, said, "There is no need to panic and there is no need for people to cancel their activities."; https://mynewsla.com/hollywood/2020/01/28/health-official-says-coronavirus-is-no-need-for-panic-in-los-angeles-county/

January 31, 2020 - HHS Secretary Azar declared a public health emergency; https://abcnews.go.com/Health/delta-suspends-us-flights-china-amid-coronavirus/story?id=68666037 , https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/r/r46354

January 31, 2020 - State Department raised the travel advisory for China to Level 4, do not travel; https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2020/01/31/coronavirus-china-flight-ban-delta-cuts-all-flights-white-house/4620989002/

January 31, 2020 - People entering the US from China forbidden; Announced January 31, effective February 2; https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/02/us/coronavirus-us-travel-restrictions/index.html , https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-virus-outbreak-9e22f8aabe2f454593b9f9b4c67eb31f , https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/r/r46354 . This effectively ended flights from and to China, for obvious reasons.

January 31, 2020 - Biden referred to "Donald Trump’s record of hysteria and xenophobia - hysterical xenophobia - and fearmongering" while criticizing Trump's China travel restrictions; https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/481028-biden-slams-trump-for-cutting-health-programs-before-coronavirus-outbreak ; https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/28/biden-xenophobia-travel-bans-chronology/

February 1, 2020 - The day after Trump announced the China travel shutdown Joe Biden Tweeted, "Donald Trump’s record of hysteria, xenophobia, and fear-mongering"; https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1223727977361338370?s=20

February 2, 2020 - NYC Health Commissioner Dave A. Chokshi encouraged New Yorkers, "As we gear up to celebrate the #LunarNewYear in NYC,... there is no reason for anyone to change their holiday plans, avoid the subway, or certain parts of the city because of #coronavirus; https://twitter.com/NYCHealthCommr/status/1224043155852537863

February 4, 2020 - Rep. Ami Bera claimed Trump's China travel restrictions would "create prejudices" and cause people to "harbor anxieties toward" Chinese people; https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2020/02/04/coronavirus-quarantine-travel-ban-could-backfire-experts-fear-1258757

February 5, 2020 - First House of Representatives hearing about Covid-19; https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/05/watch-us-house-panel-holds-hearing-on-the-coronavirus-outbreak.html

February 5, 2020 - Rep. Eliot Engel claimed Trump's China travel restrictions would "stoke" "discriminatory" and "racist" responses; https://www.factcheck.org/2020/03/the-facts-on-trumps-travel-restrictions/ (Factcheck weasels what he said, but Engel said it in a committee meeting about Covid less than a week after Trump's travel ban went into effect; context matters)

February 7, 2020 - NYC Health Commisioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot advised people, "So we’re telling New Yorkers, go about your lives, take the subway, go out, enjoy life, but practice everyday precautions"; https://news.grabien.com/story-flashback-nyc-health-commissioner-urged-new-yorkers-gather-p (the link includes context of her advice and video of her comments)

February 9, 2020 - NYC Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot encouraged New Yorkers, "I want to remind everyone to enjoy the (Lunar New Year) parade and not change any plans due to misinformation spreading about #coronavirus."; https://twitter.com/NYCHealthCommr/status/1226508570646269954

February 11, 2020 - HHS expands partnership with Janssen Research & Development for vaccine development; https://homelandprepnews.com/stories/44272-hhs-expands-partnership-with-janssen-research-development-for-research-share-into-covid-19-vaccine/ , https://www.jnj.com/johnson-johnson-announces-collaboration-with-u-s-department-of-health-human-services-to-accelerate-development-of-a-potential-novel-coronavirus-vaccine

February 18, 2020 - HHS to work with Sanofi Pasteur to develop coronavirus vaccine and treatment; https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/18/sanofi-announces-it-will-work-with-hhs-to-develop-coronavirus-vaccine/ , https://www.news.sanofi.us/2020-02-18-Sanofi-joins-forces-with-U-S-Department-of-Health-and-Human-Services-to-advance-a-novel-coronavirus-vaccine

February 24, 2020 - Nancy Pelosi invited Californians to "come to Chinatown"; https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/02/24/coronavirus-speaker-house-nancy-pelosi-tours-san-franciscos-chinatown/

February 25, 2020 - An NIH clinical trial of Remdesivir begun; at University of Nebraska Medical Center, https://www.unmc.edu/newsroom/2020/02/25/nih-clinical-trial-of-remdesivir-to-treat-covid-19-begins/ , https://www.ketv.com/article/clinical-trials-for-first-drug-to-treat-coronavirus-begin-at-university-of-nebraska-medical-center-covid/31099043

February 26, 2020 - Nancy Pelosi referred to Trump's China travel shut down as, "scare tactics about people coming back to our country"; https://twitter.com/ABCPolitics/status/1232717882020245504

February 29, 2020 - Level 4 travel advisory to Italy, South Korea; https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2020/02/29/coronavirus-trump-adds-travel-restrictions-italy-south-korea/4914822002/

February 29, 2020 - Iran travel ban announced; https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/29/trump-administration-expands-coronavirus-travel-ban-to-include-iran/

March 4, 2020 - In a press conference, NYC Health Commisioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot advised "So, there's no indication that being in a car, being in the subways with someone who's potentially sick is a risk factor ..."; https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/118-20/transcript-mayor-de-blasio-new-yorkers-city-s-covid-19-preparedness (10 months later, a family member and I, separately, were infected during car rides; whether ignorance or political game-playing her comment endangered New Yorkers she was paid to protect)

March 5, 2020 - City of New York Mayor de Blasio encouraged residents to "get out on the town"; https://twitter.com/BilldeBlasio/status/1234648718714036229

March 5, 2020 - Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Public Health Department, said, "The public can continue to enjoy all that L.A. County has to offer, including the Los Angeles Marathon"; http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubhpdetail.cfm?prid=2251 (in fairness, it would eventually be realized that running events, with the corralling that was/is common, is relatively low risk; however, Ferrer's comment, "all that L.A. County has to offer" included riskier contexts)

March 11, 2020 - Trump suspended travel from Europe; https://news.yahoo.com/trump-suspends-travel-from-europe-for-30-days-as-coronavirus-cases-continue-to-grow-014314635.html

March 13, 2020 - Trump declared National Emergency; https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51882381 ; https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/government-coronavirus-response-live-updates-trump-declares-national/story?id=69580277

March 14, 2020 - European travel ban extended to include the UK and Ireland; https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/14/white-house-adds-uk-ireland-to-travel-ban-129470

March 16, 2020 - Testing begins of Moderna's experimental coronavirus vaccine; at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, https://www.kpwashingtonresearch.org/news-and-events/recent-news/news-2020/kaiser-permanente-launches-coronavirus-vaccine-study-seattle ; https://investors.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2020/Moderna-Announces-First-Participant-Dosed-in-NIH-led-Phase-1-Study-of-mRNA-Vaccine-mRNA-1273-Against-Novel-Coronavirus/default.aspx

March 19, 2020 - State Department global level 4 health advisory, avoid all international travel; https://jm.usembassy.gov/u-s-government-issues-a-global-level-4-health-advisory/ , https://www.nafsa.org/regulatory-information/department-state-covid-19-global-health-advisory , https://www.khou.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/do-not-travel-abroad-what-the-state-departments-advisory-means-for-travelers/285-9530f93f-9869-451e-905e-6aec20f4e94f

Trump Did Nothing for Two Months? - February 2020

 I wrote what follows in summer 2020. It's not exhaustive, and I thought the its usefulness passed by early 2021. Consequently, I had not checked for broken links until recently, when I learned that a number of CDC and White House articles had been deleted or archived. Also recently, I have learned that the "Trump Did Nothing" myth is still believed and circulating. I light of this, I have checked all the links for the events I cited, replaced all but one broken link, and added a few to some events for good measure.

I'm not campaigning for Trump, just providing facts to counter a partisan myth.

Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Lisa Roberts claimed: "Trump wasted more than two months of precious time downplaying the threat of this crisis ...", https://www.mainedems.org/media/new-trump-wasted-two-months-coronavirus-response-does-senator-collins-still-think-he-did-lot . While some of the criticism claiming two months wasted focuses on masks, other PPE, and ventilators - items hospitals should have, and of which city, county, and state health commissions should have emergency supplies stockpiled, Roberts' claim is far more broad. She claimed that two months - January and February - were "wasted". The specific issue of masks, other PPE, and ventilators will be addressed elsewhere. The proper focus at first was on things that are the immediate responsibilities of the US government: dealings with foreign nations and matters handled by various Federal agencies such as the FDA, CDC, and NIH. So, what of the general, "Trump wasted two months," claim? What did Trump do in January with regard to what came to be called Covid-19?

First, the context in which Trump and his Administration were acting in January, 2020:

* Until January 20, 2020, China and the "scientists" at the World Health Organization assured the world that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission of Covid-19, https://www.who.int/csr/don/14-january-2020-novel-coronavirus-thailand-ex-china/en/ , http://wjw.wuhan.gov.cn/front/web/showDetail/2020012009077 (Chinese language), https://abcnews.go.com/Health/human-human-transmission-coronavirus-reported-china/story?id=68403105 ;

* The first US case of Covid-19 was confirmed on January 20, 2020, and by February 29th a total of 68 cases had been confirmed in the US, https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/ , "Total Coronavirus Cases in the United States" graph.

Here are some of the actions of the Trump Administration in February:

February 3, 2020 - CDC had a team ready to travel to China; https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-who-mission-idUSKBN1ZX2BV

February 4, 2020 - HHS, Regeneron Collaborate to Develop 2019-nCoV Treatment; https://investor.regeneron.com/news-releases/news-release-details/regeneron-announces-expanded-collaboration-hhs-develop-antibody

February 6, 2020 - Shipping of CDC 2019 coronavirus test kits begins; https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/covid19.html

February 11, 2020 - HHS expands partnership with Janssen Research & Development for vaccine development; https://homelandprepnews.com/stories/44272-hhs-expands-partnership-with-janssen-research-development-for-research-share-into-covid-19-vaccine/ , https://www.jnj.com/johnson-johnson-announces-collaboration-with-u-s-department-of-health-human-services-to-accelerate-development-of-a-potential-novel-coronavirus-vaccine

February 18, 2020 - HHS to work with Sanofi Pasteur to develop coronavirus vaccine and treatment; https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/18/sanofi-announces-it-will-work-with-hhs-to-develop-coronavirus-vaccine/ , https://www.news.sanofi.us/2020-02-18-Sanofi-joins-forces-with-U-S-Department-of-Health-and-Human-Services-to-advance-a-novel-coronavirus-vaccine

February 25, 2020 - An NIH clinical trial of Remdesivir begun; at University of Nebraska Medical Center, https://www.unmc.edu/newsroom/2020/02/25/nih-clinical-trial-of-remdesivir-to-treat-covid-19-begins/ , https://www.ketv.com/article/clinical-trials-for-first-drug-to-treat-coronavirus-begin-at-university-of-nebraska-medical-center-covid/31099043

February 29, 2020 - Testing labs allowed to use tests whose FDA Emergency Use Authorization requests are still pending; https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-issues-new-policy-help-expedite-availability-diagnostics

February 29, 2020 - Level 4 travel advisory to Italy, South Korea; https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2020/02/29/coronavirus-trump-adds-travel-restrictions-italy-south-korea/4914822002/

February 29, 2020 - Iran travel ban announced; https://www.statnews.com/2020/02/29/trump-administration-expands-coronavirus-travel-ban-to-include-iran/

Among other things, these actions in January and February 2020 led to two of the vaccines that received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), two monoclonal antibody treatments that received EUA, and an antiviral drug being approved for treating Covid.

During these two months Trump and his administration also set up the organizational structure and legal groundwork for all that was done in the 11 months following February 2020. As other posts in this blog show, "all that was done" was a lot.

Trump Did Nothing for Two Months? - January 2020

 I wrote what follows in summer 2020. It's not exhaustive, and I thought the its usefulness passed by early 2021. Consequently, I had not checked for broken links until recently, when I learned that a number of CDC and White House articles had been deleted or archived. Also recently, I have learned that the "Trump Did Nothing" myth is still believed and circulating. I light of this, I have checked all the links for the events I cited, replaced all but one broken link, and added a few to some events for good measure.

I'm not campaigning for Trump, just providing facts to counter a partisan myth.

Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Lisa Roberts claimed: "Trump wasted more than two months of precious time downplaying the threat of this crisis ...", https://www.mainedems.org/media/new-trump-wasted-two-months-coronavirus-response-does-senator-collins-still-think-he-did-lot . While some of the criticism claiming two months wasted focuses on masks, other PPE, and ventilators - items hospitals should have, and of which city, county, and state health commissions should have emergency supplies stockpiled, Roberts' claim is far more broad. She claimed that two months - January and February - were "wasted". The specific issue of masks, other PPE, and ventilators will be addressed elsewhere. The proper focus at first was on things that are the immediate responsibilities of the US government: dealings with foreign nations and matters handled by various Federal agencies such as the FDA, CDC, and NIH. So, what of the general, "Trump wasted two months," claim? What did Trump do in January with regard to what came to be called Covid-19?

First, the context in which Trump and his Administration were acting in January, 2020:

* Until January 20, 2020, China and the "scientists" at the World Health Organization assured the world that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission of Covid-19, https://www.who.int/csr/don/14-january-2020-novel-coronavirus-thailand-ex-china/en/ , http://wjw.wuhan.gov.cn/front/web/showDetail/2020012009077 (Chinese language), https://abcnews.go.com/Health/human-human-transmission-coronavirus-reported-china/story?id=68403105 ;

* The first US case of Covid-19 was confirmed on January 20, 2020, and by February 15th a total of 15 cases had been confirmed in the US, https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/ , "Total Coronavirus Cases in the United States" graph.

Here are some of the actions of the Trump Administration in January:

January 4, 6, 28, 2020 - CDC Director Robert Redfield offers to send technical experts to China: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/03/how-much-pressure-did-trump-put-china-access-concerning-coronavirus/ (behind paywall); https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2020/01/28/cdc-offers-china-help-as-coronavirus-outbreak-grows-according-to-report/#5b15af734ee4 ; https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/r/r46354

January 6, 2020 - CDC issued a Level 1 travel notice for Wuhan, China; https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/r/r46354

January 7, 2020 - CDC established a coronavirus incident management system; https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6905e1.htm

January 8, 2020 - CDC alert to clinicians to ask patients with "severe respiratory illness" whether they had traveled to Wuhan; https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00424.asp (broken)

January 17, 2020 - The US started screening arriving passengers from China; JFK, SFO, LAX https://www.businessinsider.com/new-disease-virus-china-us-airports-screening-cdc-2020-1 ; O'Hare and Hartsfield-Jackson ; January 22, 2020 - https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/01/21/us-screenings-coronavirus-expanded-airports-atlanta-chicago/ (paywall), https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/ohare-screening-wuhan-coronavirus-six-die-hundreds-sickened-asia/ , https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/covid19.html

January 20, 2020 - CDC activated its emergency operations center; https://emergency.cdc.gov/recentincidents/recentincidents_2020.asp

January 22, 2020 - Pharmaceuticals company Moderna working with US government to develop vaccine; https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/22/moderna-is-working-on-a-vaccine-for-chinas-deadly-coronavirus.html , https://news.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2020/Moderna-Announces-Funding-Award-from-CEPI-to-Accelerate-Development-of-Messenger-RNA-mRNA-Vaccine-Against-Novel-Coronavirus/default.aspx

January 23, 2020 - CDC sought “special emergency authorization” from FDA to allow states to use its coronavirus test; https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-cdc-idUSKBN1ZM2XS

January 27, 2020 - US CDC issues highest-level travel health notice, Level 3, recommending that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to China; State Department raises its own travel advisory for all of China to Level 3 of 4, urging U.S. citizens to “reconsider travel”, while retaining its Level 4 travel advisory for Hubei Province; https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/travel-alert-level-4-do-not-travel-to-hubei/ , https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2020/01/24/coronavirus-outbreak-leads-state-department-issue-level-4-advisory/4562349002/ , https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/covid19.html

January 28, 2020 - AbCellera is mobilizing its pandemic response platform against the outbreak of Covid-19; Since 2018, under the DARPA Pandemic Prevention Platform (P3) program, AbCellera has been leading a team of partners to establish a platform for pandemic response capable of developing field-ready medical countermeasures within 60 days of isolation of an unknown viral pathogen; https://www.abcellera.com/news/2020-01-abcellera-mobilizing-a-response-to-novel-coronavirus

January 29, 2020 - White House announced the formation of the Coronavirus Task Force; https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/480627-white-house-announces-task-force-to-monitor-coronavirus , https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-launches-coronavirus-task-force

January 30, 2020 - Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the Center for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said, "We are preparing as if this was the next pandemic"; https://abcnews.go.com/Health/delta-suspends-us-flights-china-amid-coronavirus/story?id=68666037 , https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/84739

January 31, 2020 - HHS Secretary Azar declared a public health emergency; https://abcnews.go.com/Health/delta-suspends-us-flights-china-amid-coronavirus/story?id=68666037 , https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/r/r46354

January 31, 2020 - State Department raised the travel advisory for China to Level 4, do not travel; https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2020/01/31/coronavirus-china-flight-ban-delta-cuts-all-flights-white-house/4620989002/

January 31, 2020 - People entering the US from China forbidden; Announced January 31, effective February 2; https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/02/us/coronavirus-us-travel-restrictions/index.html , https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-virus-outbreak-9e22f8aabe2f454593b9f9b4c67eb31f , https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/r/r46354

Among other things, these actions in January and February 2020 led to two of the vaccines that received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), two monoclonal antibody treatments that received EUA, and an antiviral drug being approved for treating Covid.

During these two months Trump and his administration also set up the organizational structure and legal groundwork for all that was done in the 11 months following February 2020. As other posts in this blog show, "all that was done" was a lot.

Things I've Learned In Walking/Running, Part 6

Why Do I Walk/Run? I ask myself this during every half marathon, along about mile 11 or 12: “Why am I doing this to myself?!” (Rimshot! Crash!)

In my profile on RaceRaves.com (a site for reviewing races) I say that the reason I run is, “To show me I (still) can.” I'm not getting any younger (funny how that works). Where I start, going into my later few years, could alter when those years start and how those years might progress. I'm hoping that becoming healthier now will delay those last few years. That would mean more time with my family, a good for me and (hopefully) a good for them. I'm also hoping that the more I'm able to do now, the more I'll be able to do when I do start to decline (i.e. delaying having to use a walker or a wheelchair … maybe even to never).

Blech! That was DEPRESSING! I've discovered, along the way, other good things that encourage me to keep going and working to improve.

My preferred venue for races and daily workout walk/runs is park trails. Generally, the scenery is a whole lot more interesting and beautiful that a suburban neighborhood or business district. Many trails are amazingly beautiful!

I've also found that the running community has many folks who are very encouraging and friendly. One might only get glimpses of this during workouts “on the trail”, but it's easy to see during races, especially small-medium-sized races, especially before starting and after finishing. Frankly, the prospect of meeting some really nice people in the finish area – and, frankly, the goodies – helps keep me going in that last mile or so when I'm pretty well spent and questioning my sanity.

Things I've Learned In Walking/Running, Part 5

What to Expect of a Race Organizer … this can get a bit subjective, since personal tastes, experiences, and the nature of the organizer shape expectations, but I would summarize my answer to my question very simply: a great race experience, from signing up through leaving after the race is over.

In this day of the Internet, a race should have reasonably complete information available online in a timely fashion. Things like location, date, course map, and, except for “flat” courses, course profiles are essential for a prospective participant to know a race exists and whether it would be interesting and suitable.

Registration should be easy – no complications, no cul-de-sac gotchas. There are several companies that handle registrations and such for organizers, whose processes are very smooth. The registration site should generate an immediate confirmation email.

Information is critical. Besides basics like venue location, date, and times, an organizer's website should give details about parking, entry fees, start/finish area location, timing, T-shirts, finisher's medals, special awards, and - much more importantly – course details (map, elevation profile, aid station locations). In other words, a race participant should have a reasonable mental picture of how to get there, where to find the start area, and what to expect their race day will be like.

Production details should be organized and – from the runners' perspective – smooth. If problems arise, they should be handled as best and quickly as possible. Check-in should be smooth and quick, whether on days before the race or on race day. Restroom and porta-cans should be sufficient to preclude long waits.

The course should be clearly marked, with monitors to direct people, and watch for runners who are injured or in trouble. Aid stations, minimally, should have water, sports drink for longer (>5K) distances, and some rudimentary first aid.

The finish area should be welcoming, with a smooth flow to direct recent finishers out of the way of those coming behind them. Handing out finisher's medals should be quick and congratulatory. There should be snacks and drinks nearby that are suitable for recovery. Aid stations and the finish area should be well supplied, even for the very last finishers. If race T-shirts are given out at the finish, even very late finishers should receive the size they specified when they registered (being slower, my size being unavailable is a pet peeve!).

Race T-shirt practices vary,both as to type and when given out. Some organizers give tech T-shirts for all distances. A few (usually charities) give cotton T-shirts for all distances. Some give tech Ts for half marathon and longer distances, and cotton for 5K and 10K racers (with an option to pay to upgrade to tech). Some organizers give out T-shirts before the race, some to finishers. I like the latter less, because I've twice found on finishing that my size was no longer available. Both races were with the same organizer, who had had a larger than expected number of late registrants (twice!). Because of this and an unsatisfactory experience attempting to resolve the problem, I avoid that organizer's races.

Like race T-shirts, finisher's medals are tangible mementos of the races. A few small charity races do not give out medals; for that purpose and context, I think that is fine. Some somewhat larger charity races give out medals that are semi-custom off-the-shelf awards company medals. Large charity races and race organizer businesses usually give out custom-designed medals (it is becoming common for the ribbons to be custom-designed as well).

I adjust my expectations of a particular race's “swag” according to the nature of the organizer and size. Generally, I expect simpler from a smallish charity race, and nicer from a larger organizer business.

In “chip” timed races preliminary results should be posted online quickly, and racers notified by email. Within 24 hours is very common, and I've seen some races posting on race day evening. There should be a way for racers with a concern to have it addressed.

The above are all nutsy-boltsy tangible things. A large part of an enjoyable race experience is the people. Friendly and helpful staff and volunteers are critical. Less easy to control, friendly and encouraging racers are also important. Personally this is a factor that has inclined me to prefer small-medium sized races, and has brought me back race after race to several local organizers who do well with the people factor.

“In Control” - Delusion and Reality

Sometimes we humans really delude ourselves. Some imagine they are in control of their lives. And what can be said about Christians who imagine that if they say just the right things, do the right things, and have just the right faith, God MUST do what they ask/want?

Hello! It's a huge universe! There are some 7 billion sinners living and doing things in this world. Also, there are weather, earthquakes, volcanoes, and zombies, all doing their thing

No creature can trap their Creator into a corner. OK? Christians can act faithfully, intelligently, and diligently, but cannot control what other sinners may do or do to them. Nor control what God brings into or allows in their lives. That's part of what it means to have faith in and trust God. Living with unknowns and trusting God for whatever came and will come. In God's hand even pain is a tool to shape us into better than we could ever imagine ourselves to be.

Things I've Learned In Walking/Running, Part 4

Where to go for workouts and preparing for races? One could, of course, join a gym and use a treadmill. A gym can be useful, since it's good in any weather. But before joining a gym, I suggest getting in the habit of working out for “free”. Places I've done this …

Even before my first race I had been walking in my neighborhood. I used routes that crossed as few major intersections as possible, stayed on sidewalks where possible, and was very careful of traffic.

Near where I live are a park and a community center that have large fields with running trails that circle their fields.

Not too far from where I live is a community center that used to be a high school. The football field has been maintained for various sports practices and events, and has an oval track around it. The bleachers are also maintained, and I've used those for stair climbing exercise.

Also near my home is a fairly long suburban greenway trail that traverses sections of several cities and climbs up to the top of a dam in some nearby mountains. I use this trail a lot, because of its varied terrain. The several miles that climb up to the dam are fairly steep, and are good preparation for hilly trail races.

Things I've Learned In Walking/Running, Part 3

What things do you need? Well, I'm laying out my stuff for a race this coming weekend, so I'll go over that.

I prefer tech type T-shirts for races and workouts. These wick moisture (sweat) away from the body, aiding in cooling and reducing chafing. One can buy such T-shirts, but I generally use the T-shirt for the upcoming or a previous race. Among the shirts I have are several that are long-sleeved. I only use these for really chilly weather. Generally, where I live, by the end of the first mile or so I'm plenty warm.

I usually wear shorts, though for chilly weather I do wear long pants. Either way, I go for loose-fitting and comfortable, and pockets.

Because of my hairstyle – a lack thereof – I wear a cap to prevent sunburn. I've used caps from Disney, and I currently use a tech type from a race. Both work fine. Both are also hand-washable, nice when they get dusty and salt-stained from sweat.

One area that is a little difficult for me is eye protection (from UV light). There are plenty of sunglasses out there that block UV and wrap around to protect against UV coming from one's side. But because I wear glasses for distance vision I can't use these, and use clip-on sunglasses that block most UV, but don't wrap around. It's something I need to improve.

I wear calf compression sleeves. I bought a set after getting calf muscle spasms in two half marathons. I wore them in the next half I did, and didn't have any spasms. I forgot them in the half after that, and between the muscle spasms and the heat, I dropped out of the race at mile 10. It was my only DNF since my first 5K in 2011! Lesson. Learned.

I wear compression running socks to prevent blisters. I bought them after getting a blister in a workout. Since then I've gotten a blister once, due to debris inside one of the socks; I check for that now. I've used three brands. Champion brand are of mediocre durability in my experience, but their price is so low that they may be a good value. I have Balega woolen socks, but haven't used them often enough to comment on their durability. I have Injinji toe socks, and I am most happy with these for comfort and durability. For 10Ks and half marathons, if I use the Balegas or Champions, I also use Body Glide lubricant between my toes, so that a blister wont develop from my toes rubbing against each other.

In choosing calf sleeves or running socks, don't just grab a familiar brand. They may be OK, but Nike's running socks are almost double the price of Balegas or Injinji. Ask running friends or workers at a store for runners for recommendations and how they use what they recommend.

Probably the most emblematic icon of running is shoes. There are a BUNCH of brands “out there”, and a lot of them are excellent. Ultimately, it comes down to you – how are you going to use them and where, durability, and fitting your feet. You may find several brands and models work for you, or you may find you have to stick to one company's products. I've used Nike quite a bit, and I have a pair of Brooks shoes that have done well for me. Living near a Nike outlet store that has some excellent prices on really good shoes on their clearance rack makes Nike my starting point. One thing I've learned, and not the smart way, is that trail shoes soles wear pretty quickly if used on pavement – street, sidewalk, or paved trail. Also, even excellent road shoes may not be adequate for a challenging trail. Choose smart – don't be cheap and don't throw money at your feet.

Running accessories – necessary and pleasant things. Get. A. Water. Bottle. You may eventually get one of those vest type bladders, but start with a water bottle. Many races have well spaced aid stations, but carrying your own is a good idea (some trail races use somewhat remote trails and have fewer aid stations, making carrying water or sports drink a necessity). Water or sports drink … I've done both, usually using sports drink for more challenging races. Different brands vary, but sports drinks with sugar are designed to give an energy boost and replenish electrolytes that are lost through sweat. Another product that does this is gel packets, e.g. GU. Be careful in using the latter, don't take more than one every half to full hour. They are much more concentrated than sports drink and could cause problems. I use these, maybe 2 or 3 during a race, and always with a swig of water. They. Are. Very. Sweet (literally). I use snack and sandwich sized baggies that zip closed. I keep my ID in a snack bag, the gel packets in a sandwich bag, and I carry an empty baggie for my used gel packets and other trail trash. If it might rain I keep my cell phone in a baggie. In the event of rain or mud, I bring a change of clothes and shoes and a bath or beach towel. Like many runners, I listen to music. While many use earbuds that plug into their phone or MP3 player, I use Bluetooth earbuds. I use Pandora on my cell phone. Some trail races' courses don't have cell reception, so no music on those races.

Things I've Learned In Walking/Running, Part 2

This post is going to be a little more nutsy-boltsy. In choosing, planning, and running a race, pay attention to basic stuff (put more bluntly, be smart, not stupid).

Know what you're getting into. Most race organizers – whether of just one annual race or of a couple dozen races a year – have in their online information for a race a course map and an elevation profile. Another valuable online tool is Google Maps Satellite View feature. Sun and heat are not a runner's friend, but shade can mitigate their effects. Use Satellite View to look over the course, where and how much of it is shaded. Use these tools! Use them to pick races and distances suitable for you. Use them to prepare properly.

Hot, cold, and wet weather are not a runner's friend, but they are part of running reality. Be aware of a race location's seasonal weather patterns, and use online tools such as AccuWeather's weather forecasts. The point isn't so much avoidance – by the time you know rain is probable, you've already registered – but planning. Dress appropriately for cold weather. Bring extra snacks and hydration for hot. Bring extra clothes and shoes for wet weather and/or mud. Except in the heaviest cloud cover, use sunscreen.

Be realistic in challenging yourself. Learn what your abilities are on your neighborhood streets, a community track, or a local trail. Pick a race appropriate for your abilities, plan carefully, and be careful in how aggressively you walk or run it.

Things I've Learned In Walking/Running, Part 1

Yeah, I'm going to do this as a series of posts. If I tried making it one long post it would be wa-a-a-a-a-aaaaay too long and put to sleep anyone who tried to read it. Much of it will be pretty “basic”, stuff I wish I'd been told (or had had sufficient sense to ask) when I was just starting.

Everyone starts somewhere; where we go is mostly our choice. My first race in 2011 was a 5K, with a finish time of 49:30. It's not fast, but it was what I could do at that time. My goals that morning were to finish, with a time under an hour, so I was very happy. Fast-forwarding some 4 years, I did my second 5K (weird, I know). My finish time was 42:31, nearly 7 minutes faster. Though I took rather circuitous and indirect route, I did the work to improve.

Whether you're a speedster or a reforming couch potato, you are where you start. That, not some other person's abilities, is basis for gauging progress. If you're the reforming couch potato, don't be ashamed of it. You're already making progress, because you've started. If you're the speedster, don't be particularly proud of that. You may become a world-class runner, but that isn't you, yet.

Growth can be in multiple directions. You can go faster. You can go longer. You can take on more difficult terrain. The big thing is to start, and you don't have to choose just one growth direction. For me, 2014 and 2015 were years of going longer (specifically, more races than the previous year) and on more difficult terrain. On the other hand, my speed did suffer some in “flat” half marathons (though an injury contributed some to that).

In whatever endeavor, deciding to start is the biggest decision. Choosing to grow, to improve, is the second-biggest decision.

My Walking/Running – Experiences and Goals – A Quick Summary

My son persuaded me to do the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 5K in 2011. Prior to that I hadn't done anything even slightly athletic since doing some recreational volleyball in 1983 or 1984. In 2012 I walked the 408K – an 8K race named for the 408 area code – the Rock 'N' Roll San Jose Half Marathon, and the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 10K. In 2013 I did those same races, plus the Rock 'N' Roll San Francisco Half Marathon. Then in 2014 the ball really got rolling. I did the 408K, a different Turkey Trot 10K, and finished 9 half marathons, a couple of them quite hilly, plus having to drop out of a tenth half, at mile 10. In 2015 I finished one half marathon a month, plus four 10Ks and a 5K.

What am I trying to do? Generally, be healthier and fitter. I've been balancing my walking/running with some weight training, for balanced increases in strength and endurance. Starting in late 2015 I've been working to increase the proportion of running, using 5K and 10K races to motivate me. At the same time, I've been working toward better endurance and being faster in hilly trail races, and have a (possibly) longer term goal of walking/running a full marathon. I'm intentionally including hilly trail 10Ks and half marathons in my plans for 2016, toward the former goal. For the latter goal I'm going to be working longer distance walks into my weekend workouts (>>3 hours!), and will be researching “walker-friendly” marathons.

Long Time, No Posts ...

Wow! It's only a very few months short of two years since I've posted anything in my blog. As might be expected, a lot has happened in my life in that time. My son has a wonderful wife. Walking/running in races and in work-outs between has become a significant part of my life. One of my daughters has moved to Asia more or less indefinitely. My wife fell and broke her fibula last summer, changing a lot of what we had planned (plans can wait; she's far more important).

Being a Christian is not any less the core of my life, but if I manage to persevere in posts here my walking/running experiences and goals and things I've learned will be more prominent. Being a Christian isn't a compartment in my life. Rather, the various things I do are compartments in my life, which is being a follower of Jesus.

Scandalous: Judgment or Grace

Which is more scandalous and remarkable?

That God judged and wiped out the world of Noah, Sodom & Gomorrah, and the Canaanites? Or that God gave them many years and even centuries in which to repent from their wickedness?

It was God's love and grace that He became human and gave Himself so that those who believe and rely on His redemption and grace would spend eternity with Him. It is a scandal of God's love and grace that He didn't wipe me off the face of the Earth the first time I sinned but am instead a beneficiary of His love and grace.

A Reason Why God Doesn't Show Himself? Maybe?

James 2:19 makes an interesting statement: You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. Satan and demons know for certain of God's existence, and are forced by that knowledge to believe in God. But it doesn't save them from their rebellion.

Were God to manifest Himself to humans so that His existence, majesty, power and love were undeniable, would that then make impossible salvation through faith in Jesus's death and resurrection?

Men and Women of Our Times?

I recently read http://danielsilliman.blogspot.de/2014/02/if-i-did-not-believe-god-loved-blackest.html, an article about racism among Pentecostals of a century ago. It gives a little general history of the Pentecostal movement, and of several notable men in its history. Particularly, it mentions a several men who affirmed the racial separation that was the norm of that era; not all were white.

Many years ago, now, I read an excellent biography of Martin Luther. Along with his accomplishments, it noted that, late in life, he also wrote and published some very ugly things about Jewish people. This was, at the time, new to me. I was raised in a Lutheran church, and his antisemitic writings were not taught. They might have remained ugly historical curiosities, but 4 centuries later, Adolph Hitler and other anti-Semites cited Luther's writings to bolster their credibility.

In both cases, it could, accurately, be said that they – Luther and racists/racialists among early Pentecostals – were “men of their times”. The writer of the article I linked above noted this idea … but went used over half of his article to give the histories of two white Pentecostal leaders who were not “men of their times”. They rose above their times, and they paid a price for it (not only with whites, BTW). One can only wonder what might have been – for them personally, the Pentecostal movement, and for the US – had many more Pentecostal leaders similarly and righteously refused to be “men of their times”.

I think this is the kind of thing Jesus had in mind when He prayed that believers not be “of the world”! Many Christians worry about and expend energy pointing out worldlinesses such as fashionable clothes, cosmetics, dancing, expensive cars and homes, music, gadgets, and such – and there certainly is room for concern. But aren't the compromises of being “men of their times” when the views and doings of “the times” are unrighteous far more “worldly” than the brand of clothing one wears or the the model of car one drives? Tossing out one's cosmetics or music collection is easy and cheap, not requiring any change of heart or loss of friends and social standing.

Now ... forget, for a moment, about the sins of men and women of the past. Don't point fingers at others' sins. Have the courage and faith to look in a mirror. Where do we (I!) now compromise with our society and culture over what God has said is right?

Rethinking Modern Church Practice, Part 2

I recently finished reading the Bible, Genesis through Revelation. One of the things that struck me was in 2 Timothy 2:2. Here, Paul instructs Timothy to train/appoint mature leaders who will, in turn, train and raise up the net generation of leaders in their congregations. Obviously, Paul was not committed to the idea that Jesus would return in his lifetime. Aside from that, note the leadership training process. Congregations were not to send of their brightest and best to a seminary tens or hundreds or thousands of miles away, and then receive as new leaders men or women who were chosen after brief acquaintance or appointed by some regional leader. Congregations were to train - in Scripture and in hands-on service (= ministry) - and develop their own leaders from within, and send out people to service elsewhere as the Holy Spirit led.

While there is significant value in learning the languages of Scripture and the teachings of Christians throughout history, I think much of value is sacrificed and lost in the farm-'em out model of leadership development. Churches, thereby, sidestep their responsibility to make disciples, leaving it to others. Potential leaders who cannot afford seminary (or whose gifts do not fit in a seminary) do not become what they could be. Leaders being developed in seminaries do not have the accountability they need and would get from a church whose members know them well. And churches select, or have imposed on them, leaders they don;'t know and who do not know them. Much vulnerability can come from that lack of knowledge, from incompatibilities and understandings to fraud and various sorts of abuse.

Rethinking Modern Church Practice, Part 1 (of ??)

One of the ideas I've long nursed came up recently in the discussions I was having regarding speaking in tongues and other spiritual gifts. While there is no detailed instruction or description in the New Testament of the early church's "worship services" Paul does give some very interesting information about what was "normal" at the very beginning of the church:

When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. 1 Corinthians 14:26

That certainly sounds like pretty much no "worship service" I've ever seen! Paul's picture is of a meeting where - potentially and sometimes literally - contributed something to the overall worship and  building up of the assembled Body. Modern "worship services" are like a hybrid concert, stage production, and lecture. While this modern (and it is centuries old) performer--participative-audience model is a more organized and efficient for preplanned worship and teaching in a large group, it channels limits the work of the Holy Spirit. In fully scripted (= liturgical) churches, the Holy Spirit could almost go on a years long sabbatical, unnoticed.

It also severely limits the expression and variety of gifts that can be used in a gathering. Looking over the lists of spiritual gifts listed in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4,  some would be impractical or extremely difficult to express and oversee in the performer-audience worship service model. And those that do fit are limited to particular circumstances (e.g. "worship time", "offering time", "sermon time") and particular people (e.g. the worship leaders, the pastor or guest speaker).

All in all, the modern performer-audience worship service model does not fit Paul's "each one has a" and "(l)et all things be done". Does anyone sincerely believe we modern Christians are smarter than what Paul described and the Holy Spirit developed? Have we modern Christians improved on the early church? Or lost/discarded something extremely valuable? And have we done so for so long that we wouldn't recognize our loss or what Paul wrote of as normal?