The following is a video for my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It’s both a tribute and an exploration of Final Fantasy X, the first video game I played that was a genuinely emotional experience. Having played video games all my life, there aren’t many games that have had such a profound impact on me. This is one of them and I still feel the extent of that impact today.
My Tribute To Final Fantasy X: My First Emotional Video Game Experience
Filed under Jack's World, video games, YouTube
The First CRISPR Patients Are Living Better: Why That Matters After 2020
It’s been a while since I’ve talked about CRISPR, biotechnology, and the prospect of ordinary people enhancing their biology in ways straight out of a comic book. In my defense, this past year has created plenty of distractions. Some have been so bad that my usual optimism of the future has been seriously damaged.
While my spirit is wounded, I still have hope that science and technology will continue to progress. If anything, it’ll progress with more urgency after this year. A great many fields are bound to get more attention and investment after the damage done by a global pandemic.
We can’t agree on much, but we can at least agree on this. Pandemics are bad for business, bad for people, bad for politics, and just objectively awful for everyone all around, no matter what their station is in life.
There’s a lot of incentive to ensure something like this never happens again is what I’m saying. While we’re still a long way from ending pandemics entirely, we already have tools that can help in that effort. One is CRISPR, a promising tool I’ve talked about in the past. While it wasn’t in a position to help us during this pandemic, research into refining it hasn’t stopped.
Despite all the awful health news of this past year, some new research has brought us some promising results on the CRISPR front. In terms of actually treading real people who have real conditions, those results are in and they give us reason to hope.
One such effort involved using CRISPR to help treat people with Sickle Cell Disease, a genetic condition that hinders the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen. It affects over 4 million people worldwide and often leads to significant complications that can be fatal.
Since CRISPR is all about tweaking genetics, it’s a perfect mechanism with which to develop new therapies. Multiple patients have undergone experimental treatments that utilize this technology. In a report form NPR, the results are exceeding expectations for all the right reasons.
NPR: First Patients To Get CRISPR Gene-Editing Treatment Continue To Thrive
At a recent meeting of the American Society for Hematology, researchers reported the latest results from the first 10 patients treated via the technique in a research study, including Gray, two other sickle cell patients and seven patients with a related blood disorder, beta thalassemia. The patients now have been followed for between three and 18 months.
All the patients appear to have responded well. The only side effects have been from the intense chemotherapy they’ve had to undergo before getting the billions of edited cells infused into their bodies.
The New England Journal of Medicine published online this month the first peer-reviewed research paper from the study, focusing on Gray and the first beta thalassemia patient who was treated.
“I’m very excited to see these results,” says Jennifer Doudna of the University of California, Berkeley, who shared the Nobel Prize this year for her role in the development of CRISPR. “Patients appear to be cured of their disease, which is simply remarkable.”
Make no mistake. This is objectively good news and not just for people suffering from sickle cell disease.
Whenever new medical advances emerge, there’s often a wide gap between developing new treatments and actually implementing them in a way that makes them as commonplace as getting a prescription. The human body is complex. Every individual’s health is different. Taking a treatment from the lab to a patient is among the biggest challenge in medical research.
This news makes it official. CRISPR has made that leap. The possible treatments aren’t just possibilities anymore. There are real people walking this planet who have received this treatment and are benefiting because of it. Victoria Gray, as referenced in the article, is just one of them.
That’s another critical threshold in the development of new technology. When it goes beyond just managing a condition to helping people thrive, then it becomes more than just a breakthrough. It becomes an opportunity.
It sends a message to doctors, researchers, and biotech companies that this technology works. Some of those amazing possibilities that people like to envision aren’t just dreams anymore. They’re manifesting before our eyes. This is just one part of it. If it works for people with Sickle Cell Disease, what other conditions could it treat?
I doubt I’m the first to ask that question. As I write this, there are people far smarter and more qualified than me using CRISPR to develop a whole host of new treatments. After a year like 2020, everyone is more aware of their health. They’re also more aware of why science and medicine matter. It can do more than just save our lives. It can help us thrive.
We learned many hard lessons in 2020, especially when it comes to our health. Let’s not forget those lessons as we look to the future. This technology is just one of many that could help us prosper in ways not possible in previous years. We cheered those who developed the COVID-19 vaccine. Let’s start cheering those working on new treatments with CRISPR.
Filed under biotechnology, CRISPR, futurism, health, technology
Vaccine Update: Making Sense Of The (Critical) Data On The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
Last year did a lot to crush my usually optimistic outlook on the future. I experienced a level of cynicism I haven’t felt since high school, a time when I only ever assumed things would get worse and rarely made an effort to change that. It was bad. Global pandemics have that effect on people.
I still made it a point to note when positive things actually happened, especially when it came to news of the vaccine. That marked the ultimate turning point. A vaccine was always going to be our best weapon in terms of ending the pandemic, regardless of what the anti-vaxx crowd says. The fact that we now have two vaccines at our disposal is genuinely encouraging.
Yes, I know the distribution of these vaccines has been a mess, to say the least.
I also don’t deny that the emergence of new mutant strains of the virus could hinder their effectiveness.
Those are legitimate concerns. We should all be worried about how this will impact our ability to finally end this awful pandemic that has caused so much damage. At the same time, we should also be hopeful. Believe me, I’m trying.
That hope got another boost recently when it was announced that a third vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson had completed its final round of trials. Having a third weapon against this virus can only help. In addition, this one has the advantage of being a one-shot vaccine, as opposed to the two required by Moderna and Pfizer.
While that’s good news for those who hate needles, there is a trade-off. According to the research reported by the media, the vaccine is effective. However, the numbers aren’t quite as promising as what we got with the first two. This is what CNN reported.
Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 single-shot vaccine was shown to be 66% effective in preventing moderate and severe disease in a global Phase 3 trial, but 85% effective against severe disease, the company announced Friday.
The vaccine was 72% effective against moderate and severe disease in the US, the company said.
It’s a striking difference from vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, and it may give pause to people uncertain about which vaccine to get or when they can get one. The vaccines already on the market in the US are about 95% effective overall against symptomatic Covid-19, with perhaps even higher efficacy against severe cases.
But experts say the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will still be useful against the pandemic in the United States and around the world.
I know the numbers are the only thing that stands out in this piece. That seems to be the main sticking point for most reports about this virus.
Those numbers are still good. The 66% may not be as promising as the 90% promised by the other two, but that’s still more effective than a standard flu vaccine. On top of that, being a one-shot vaccine that can be easily stored in a typical refrigerator will help even more. It means more of this vaccine can get to people, especially in places with less-than-ideal health infrastructure.
This will definitely help in terms of ending or at least mitigating this pandemic. However, there’s one other critical point of data that’s worth highlighting with this vaccine. It’s in some of the reports, but it’s often difficult to discern, mostly because the media’s track record with reporting science is not that great.
For this vaccine, it’s boils down to certain degrees within the data. It’s true the Johnson & Johnson vaccine won’t give you the same protection you’d get from the other two. There’s a good chance that, even after getting this vaccine, you could still become very sick with COVID-19. However, and this is the key, it will help ensure that you don’t become severely ill and die.
That’s not just a sales pitch. According to the research, there were no hospitalizations or deaths among people in the vaccine arm. That may mean some did get sick. Some might have even spread it. However, they didn’t get so sick that they ended up in the hospital. They all survived.
To me, at least, that’s the most important result. Getting sick is one thing. Getting so sick that you die in a hospital bed is something else entirely. One is a bad flu. The other is debilitating illness. That alone makes this vaccine a critical tool in the effort to end this pandemic.
I admit that if I had a choice between the three, I would choose Moderna or Pfizer. I actually know someone who got the Pfizer vaccine and their experience gives me great assurance that it works as intended.
However, if those two were not available and all I could get was the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, I’d take it in a heartbeat. It could mean the difference between being sick and being deathly ill. In a pandemic, that’s the only difference that matters. To all the doctors, nurses, participants, and health care workers who were part of this effort, I sincerely thank you. A lot of lives will be saved because of this vaccine. That makes you true heroes in a world that badly needs them.
Filed under Current Events, health, technology
New Comic Book Day February 17, 2021: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week
Every week brings comic book fans like myself a fresh batch of glorious, colorful wonder. It’s one of the best things about being a comic book fan these days. So long as you have an internet connection, a Comixology account, and an uncracked computer screen, you can enjoy new comics every Wednesday like presents on Christmas morning.
It’s a beautiful thing, indeed. It makes Wednesdays the best days of the week that don’t involve football games.
However, not every New Comic Book Day is the same. Some are more eventful than others. Every week, I have a pretty good idea of what comics I’m most interested in. Some weeks don’t have much to offer. I still usually find something to justify waking up at 4:30 a.m. just to check out the latest books.
For certain weeks, however, are a lot more exciting. There are some books that I’ve been following for months, buying into the hype and embracing all the teasers. Sometimes, publishers try to market their book like the best thing since chocolate fudge. It doesn’t always pan out, but when those books deliver, it’s a beautiful thing. It turns Wednesday into the equivalent of two Christmas mornings and Halloween.
I’m not saying that this week is one of those extra-special New Comic Book Days for everyone. Peoples’ preferences are subjective. Not everyone is going to be excited by the same things. For me, personally, let’s just say I didn’t get much sleep last night, but some kinds of restlessness are worth it.
I hope others share that same joyous sentiment on this most eventful of New Comic Book Days. As always, here is my pull list and pick for the week. Enjoy!
My Pull List
Future State: The Next Batman #4
Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #2
My Pick Of The Week
X-Men Legends #1
Filed under Jack's Quick Pick Comic
A Post-Pandemic Valentine’s Day Prediction (That I Hope Is Wrong)
I’m sick of this pandemic. I know that’s a poor choice of words, but there’s no better way to say it.
I hate this goddamn virus. It has done so much damage to this world, killing so many people and causing so much suffering. I want it gone as much as everyone else.
Thankfully, the end is in sight. We now have two effective vaccines with which to end this pandemic. A third one is likely be approved very soon. This, along with other treatments, will help get this monster virus under control. It may not happen as fast as we hope, but it will happen.
I eagerly await the day when I can go to a movie theater, hang out at a bar, and not panic every time I forget my mask when I leave my house. Like many others, I find myself watching the trendline of the virus every day. I watched with the same dread as everyone when it went up towards the end of 2020. That was genuinely distressing.
Now, it’s trending downward. As more and more people get the vaccine, that trend is likely to continue and accelerate. Again, it won’t happen as fast as we want, but the data is encouraging. I sincerely hope that the worst of this pandemic is behind us.
That being said, I do have a prediction/suspicion about that trend. I’m not the best when it comes to predicting the future and I freely admit that every time I try. However, if ever there was an instance where my prediction turned out dead wrong, it’s this one.
That’s because I predict we’re going to have one last surge of COVID-19 cases before we can say the pandemic is over.
It probably won’t be nearly as big as the one we saw in late 2020. The vaccines will make certain of that. I still think we’ll see one last spike. Moreover, I think that spike will come as a direct result of Valentine’s Day.
I know those who are single, lonely, and/or not a romance fan like I am already despise this holiday. I personally have mixed feelings about it, being both single and a romance fan. At the same time, I don’t deny that some people take it seriously. Others just use it as an excuse to get frisky. It can be a beautiful thing most of the time.
There’s nothing wrong with getting extra romantic on Valentine’s Day when there’s not a pandemic going on. Unfortunately, this is not one of the times. It’s for that reason I believe the weeks following Valentine’s Day will see a surge that will frustrating everyone hoping the current trend continued downward.
Let’s face it. Being romantic on Valentine’s Day doesn’t exactly accommodate social distancing. Unless your fetish involves washing hands, it’ll probably create a few extra opportunities for the virus to spread. The same thing happened with the holidays in 2020. All the gatherings and get-togethers basically gave the virus a free ride to infect.
Valentine’s Day may not inspire as much traveling and gathering as Thanksgiving or Christmas, but it’s still an excuse for getting cozy and frisky with that special someone. Let’s face it. When you’re in love and/or horny, you’re not going to think straight. You may forget to wash your hands and cover your face for a while. Many will get away with it, but a few won’t.
Again, I sincerely hope I’m wrong about this. In the coming weeks, as more and more vaccinations occur, the end of this pandemic will draw closer. We’ll continue seeing those numbers drop. It’ll happen gradually, but it will happen. I don’t know when we’ll be able to officially declare this pandemic over, but that day will come sooner rather than later. I just worry that the various activities associated with Valentine’s Day may push that day back.
Filed under Current Events, health, romance
Happy President’s Day America! (Let’s Try To Appreciate That)
Hello, my fellow Americans.
As many of you know, it’s President’s Day. In most years, that’s just a day off from school or work, as well as a formal acknowledgement of America’s history. It’s our indirect way of appreciating the ideals of American democracy and the people who made it possible.
However, this isn’t most years. Hell, last year wasn’t most years and not just because of a historic pandemic. The events of January 6 at the Capitol didn’t help much, either.
Many others have already said it, but it still holds true. America is very divided. That’s not an opinion. It’s backed up by real numbers. Half of Americans hate each other, based on their political ideology. There’s no respectful disagreements. There’s just a growing us-versus-them mentality and it’s incredibly toxic.
Since a new president was sworn in last month, there have been a lot of talk about unity and healing. That talk hasn’t resulted in much, in the grand scheme of things. Many Americans still hate each other. They also still refuse to accept that a President they didn’t like or vote for won the election.
How do we come back from that?
How do we heal from that?
How do we ever get to a point where we can just get along again?
I honestly don’t know. I wish I did. I really do. As a proud American who loves his country as much as any patriotic American, I want to see us do better. I want to see us transcend our flaws, of which there are many, and become more akin to the vision that our founders set out to create.
I don’t expect it to start today. I don’t expect it to start tomorrow, either. However, I believe in making the effort.
Maybe today is a day when we can all start trying. Even if you didn’t vote for the current President, don’t let that stop you from making America the best it can possibly be. Look forward to the future and not to the past. See your fellow Americans as fellow Americans and not an insurgent army.
I know that’s asking a lot. I also understand there are some people who truly cannot be reached. They will not be satisfied until America, as we know it, is destroyed and rebuilt in their own perverse image. Those people are an extreme minority, but they often talk the loudest and resort to violence most readily.
Let’s not let them derail the vision for a better America.
Let’s not let them keep us divided.
We’re Americans. We are lucky beyond measure to be born in this great land. In our country, a President is not a King, but they are those tasked with carrying America forward. They’ll continue to do their part. That’s why we elected them. Now, on this President’s Day, let’s do ours.
Filed under Current Events, political correctness, politics
Jack Fisher’s Sexy Sunday Thoughts: Valentine’s Day 2021 Edition
Sometimes, the calendar doesn’t always work out favorably. When Christmas is on a Tuesday and Halloween is on a Monday, it really hinders your ability to make the most of it. Every now and then, by either math or fluke, the calendar works out just perfectly. I’d say a year in which Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday is as good a timing as you can hope for.
I say that as someone who hasn’t always enjoyed Valentine’s Day. Yes, I love romance and I’m not ashamed of that, but Valentine’s Day is hard to celebrate when you’re single. Now, I have a better excuse than usual for being single this time. We’re still in the midst of a pandemic. It’s not exactly easy to get out there and date when we’ve been in quarantine for months on end.
Valid or not, it’s still an excuse and they don’t make Valentine’s Day feel less lonely. At the same time, it gives those lucky enough to have that special someone make the most of this day. It’s Valentine’s Day and it’s Sunday. You’ve got an entire day to celebrate your romance. Take full advantage of that.
Even if you can’t go out as much as usual, find a way to be romantic. Make a nice dinner for one another. Watch a movie that gets your shared passions going in all the right ways. Share an activity, even the non-sexy type, that you enjoy doing together. Every couple is different. Use this day to celebrate that. Love is a beautiful thing and it is worth celebrating.
To those lucky couples, I wish you a happy Valentine’s Day. To those who are still single like me, I say hang in there. Love is worth being patient for. To help bolster your Valentine’s Day spirit, here are some of special Sexy Sunday Thoughts. Enjoy!
“There’s a good chance you’ve walked by someone who has pictured you naked.”
“To some extent, being really horny is like being hypnotized by your genitals.”
“A kink that leaves no scars or marks is barely a kink.”
“If pity sex weren’t a think, cowards would’ve gone extinct by now.”
“A true friend is someone you don’t mind telling about your porno stash.”
“Fear will keep you in line, but horniness will keep you motivated.”
“Making love without setting the mood is like eating a gourmet meal over the kitchen sink.”
Filed under Sexy Sunday Thoughts
A Note To Investors/Enthusiasts Of Dogecoin
We live in a strange time. I know you could say that about almost any point in history, but let’s face it. The past year has been more eventful than most. The past few months have been even more eventful if you’re an investor or follow economic news. We recently learned that a multi-billion dollar hedge fund is no match for a bunch of shit-posters on Reddit.
I’m not gonna lie. That story still puts a smile on my face. Last year sucked, but when a bunch of shit-posters on Reddit tank a predatory hedge fund, the world is an objectively better place.
As much fun as that is, there are some other stories related to investing that are worth noting. On top of the craziness caused by r/WallStreetBets, it has been just as chaotic for investors of cryptocurrencies. When the financial world is in chaos, cryptocurrencies that thumb their nose at old economic institutions tend to thrive.
Now, full disclosure, I do own Bitcoins. That’s the only cryptocurrency I own and I don’t own much. I’m not a bold investor. I buy index funds and ETFs. I would not fit in on r/WallStreetBets, nor would I be a good evangelist for Bitcoin.
For that same reason, I’d like to send a special note to those currently caught up in the Dogecoin craze. If you don’t know what Dogecoin is, then that’s understandable. It is a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, but it’s unique in a few very particular ways.
Most notably, Dogecoin is often treated as a joke. That’s because it started off as one.
That’s not my opinion. That’s literally part of its origin. Its creators, Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer, were legitimately surprised when people started using it. I guess they didn’t get the joke.
That doesn’t mean Dogecoin has absolutely nothing going for it. It is a functioning cryptocurrency that uses some of the same technology as Bitcoin. Its most notable difference is that, unlike Bitcoin, there’s no limit to how many Dogecoins can be mined. Whereas Bitcoin can only ever have 21 million, Dogecoins can be mined indefinitely.
It may seem like a small difference, but that difference matters if you understand the basics of scarcity in economics. Most people understand it on some levels. If you can make an infinite amount of something, then it’s not going to have much value. If something is incredibly finite and difficult to obtain, like gold or Bitcoins, it’s going to have more value.
It’s that concept that I’d like to convey to those cheering on Dogecoin. Thanks to the recent upheavals from r/WallStreetBets, Dogecoin has been surging more than most currencies and even people like Elon Musk are cheering it on.
That’s not unusual. Sometimes, certain assets get propped up for a brief period. That has happened a lot with cryptocurrencies over the past decade. However, with Dogecoin, it’s a lot more style than substance.
Whereas Bitcoin gains value as it becomes more accepted in various sectors of the economy, Dogecoin gains value because people are just cheering it on. One has long-term sustainability. The other ends as soon as people get bored or find something else to cheer on.
Today, it’s Dogecoin.
Tomorrow, it could be JackCoin, a cryptocurrency made exclusively for people named Jack.
Is that the dumbest idea in the history of finance? I don’t know, but entire economies have gone bust for dumb things before.
Again, I’m not an investment expert. I’m not giving investment advice to anyone. However, to those thinking about getting in on the Dogecoin craze, I offer one important message.
You can win with style over substance in a lot of things, but not when it comes to money. At some point, a product has to demonstrate its value. You can only prop it up for so long before basic economic forces take over. It’s not fair and it’s not rational, but that’s how economics work.
Dogecoin will find that out at some point. Investors may have to find out the hard way.
Filed under Bitcoin, Current Events, rants
A Quick (And Critical) Lesson On Tolerance And “Cancel Culture”
There are certain topics that I find difficult to talk about, but I’ll still make the effort because they’re worth discussing. That’s why I’ll write something about abortion or religion every now and then. These are serious, emotionally charged issues. There’s merit to discussing them.
Then, there’s “cancel culture.”
I’m sorry, but I’ve yet to see a single discussion about “cancel culture” that has ever been productive. Some say it’s a threat to free speech and western values. Some say it’s not really a thing. I say both are wrong and both aren’t helping by making sub-par arguments.
Every few months or so, it starts trending and for bullshit reasons. Usually, what some bemoan as “cancel culture” depends heavily on their political affiliation. A conservative won’t see Colin Kaepernick being shut out of the NFL as cancel culture, but they’ll whine endlessly about Rosanne Barr getting fired from her show.
Conversely, a liberal will cheer when Lou Dobbs gets fired, but will make endless excuses for liberal celebrities who say objectively dumb shit. It always seems to boil down whether you’re politics align with whoever or whatever is canceled. It’s arbitrary, it’s petty, and it’s absurd. I really don’t have any other way to describe it.
Now, I could rant for hours about bullshit “cancel culture” arguments. However, I’d rather do something more productive with my time. I’d also prefer not to add to the whining. The only reason I’m bringing this up is because that’s all anyone has been doing since the story about Gina Carano broke.
If you’re not up to speed, consider yourself lucky. I won’t recount the details. The long and short of it is she got fired by Disney for some stupid tweets that mentioned the holocaust. Now, I won’t give my opinion on the contents of these tweets. Again, that’s not a productive use of my time or anyone’s time, for that matter.
However, I don’t want to bring this topic up just to rant about it. Instead, I’d like to use the ongoing whining about “cancel culture” to offer some perspective about what it is, what it isn’t, and why it matters. I could try to put it into words. Thankfully, people far smarter and more talented than me already have.
The following image that I found on Twitter sums it up nicely.
If that doesn’t get the point across, please see this helpful little image detailing the paradox of tolerance by Karl Popper.
In short, being tolerant is a good thing. Protecting free speech is a good thing. However, there are lines, limits, and context. Failing to understand them will only cause more outrage and whining. The world already has too much of that. Let’s not add to it.
Jack’s World: My Theory About “WandaVision” And Mutants In The MCU
I had a plan in place for my next video for my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It was a good plan. Then, I saw Episode 5 of “WandaVision” and I just had to change it. If you’ve been following this show, you probably know why. There have been a lot of strong reactions to it, as well as new fan theories.
Now, I was going to wait until the end in order to formulate my own theories and do a proper review. I just can’t wait that long. I’m sorry. I’m weak, in that respect. This video was a bit rushed, but it’s my own quick reaction to what’s been going on in “WandaVision” and the possible implications for mutants in the MCU. Enjoy!
Filed under Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, movies, superhero comics, superhero movies, X-men, YouTube
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