Category Archives: Mere Opinion

Thoughts, often reaction, off-the-cuff and perhaps short on research

Safely Enjoying Your Covid Summer in Minnesota

by James J Heaney Posted on 22 June 2020

Everything about this picture seems great, except that we don’t have gorgeous ocean beaches in Minnesota. In Minnesota, covid is slowing down. This is not true everywhere. If the virus gets opportunities and good luck or both, it may not … Continue reading →

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The Treason of the Epidemiologists

by James J Heaney Posted on 13 June 2020

I did not come up with this title. Jonah Goldberg did: We spent the last couple of months being hectored by public health experts and earnestly righteous media personalities who insisted that easing lockdown policies was immoral, that refusing to … Continue reading →

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Covid Isn’t Killing Minnesotans Like It “Should”

by James J Heaney Posted on 1 June 2020

I know we’ve all been distracted by the riots (I know I have), but a lot more people died of covid-19 during the riots than were killed in the rioting. The new coronavirus remains our state’s biggest problem (albeit no … Continue reading →

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Third-Degree Murder Appropriate for Chauvin

by James J Heaney Posted on 29 May 2020

Derek Chauvin, who killed George Floyd earlier this week, has been taken into custody and has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. My social media feeds immediately erupted with anger that the murder charge is third-degree rather than … Continue reading →

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Minnesota Surrenders

by James J Heaney Posted on 21 May 2020

America does not always *admit* that it’s surrendering. In mid-April, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said this: “The plan to re-open is very, very clear: Test, trace, isolate and then open back up, and continue this until we get a vaccine.” … Continue reading →

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A Covid Drama in Two Acts

by James J Heaney Posted on 18 May 2020

Shot: R.R. Reno, “Phobos and Deimos,” First Things, June 2020. Chaser: David A Graham, “The Class War Over Social Distancing,” The Atlantic, 15 May 2020. This has been your occasional reminder — helpful to all of us, no doubt — … Continue reading →

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Something Something Post-Truth Society Etc., OR: Sen. Scott Jensen’s Shameful Slander

by James J Heaney Posted on 17 May 2020

A good friend of mine sent me an article this morning asking for my opinion on it. The article, from DeplorableHouseWives.news, is called “Walz Relies on Students to Determine Minnesota Lock Down Model and Wrecks the Economy.” Feel free to … Continue reading →

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Weighing the Lockdowns

by James J Heaney Posted on 17 May 2020

I wrote this post on a discussion forum back April 12th, but I never published it here. Even with the stay-at-home orders ending nationwide, I still get plenty of questions about how I stack up their benefits — lots of … Continue reading →

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Expected Daily Covid Deaths in Minnesota (May)

by James J Heaney Posted on 16 May 2020

Version 3 of the Minnesota Model was released a few days ago. The model immediately drew skeptical reactions for its prediction that Minnesota would have roughly 1,440 deaths by the end of May: [S]ome say the numbers just aren’t plausible… … Continue reading →

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