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Things I Learnt in 2020

drobinin.com

41–50 of 70 posts

Re: Things I Learnt in 2020

#41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Most epidemiologists are bureaucrats not scientists. They don’t do research and probably can’t ... Please reference the definition quoted and provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Regarding the rest of your post, you are certainly entitled to your opinion. And I am entitled to disagree.

A public health professional who does health policy and community outreach is a bureaucrat, not a scientist. The subset of epidemiologists who do research are scientists, whether they have a Ph.D. or somehow got into it without ever having graduated high school. Some of the bureaucrats are also scientists but most aren’t.

> A public health professional who does health policy and community outreach is a bureaucrat, not a scientist.

Who are epidemiologists?

When disease outbreaks or other threats emerge, epidemiologists are on the scene to investigate. Often called "Disease Detectives", epidemiologists search for the cause of disease, identify people who are at risk, determine how to control or stop the spread or prevent it from happening again. Physicians, veterinarians, scientists, and other health professionals often train to be "Disease Detectives".

source: https://www.cdc.gov/careerpaths/k12teacherroadmap/epidemiolo...

See also: Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) (https://www.cdc.gov/eis/index.html)

What EIS Officers Do

EIS officers serve on the front lines of public health, protecting Americans and the global community, while training under the guidance of seasoned mentors. When disease outbreaks or other public health threats emerge, EIS officers investigate, identify the cause, rapidly implement control measures, and collect evidence to recommend preventive actions.

source: https://www.cdc.gov/eis/what-eis-officers-do/index.html

Re: Things I Learnt in 2020

#42

I went into the article expecting it be full of usual banal platitudes, but it's a cute little list of random stuff. I was also pleasantly surprised to see 'ek number' on the list though.

Same, I did not expect that at all. Funnily enough, I haven't heard it used much outside North India so I didn't think it was as popular.

Other replies say it's a common phrase in Maharashtra too, TIL.

Re: Things I Learnt in 2020

#43
Nice! Really interesting facts, it was addictive to read :)

I wonder how you stored this information, did you already prepare a draft? Do you use a "Google Docs"? Or do you have a more fancy way to store these ideas? I find it interesting

Re: Things I Learnt in 2020

#44
post #17

Some extra interesting stuff: [Pie Barm] One of the things I miss most about living in the UK is its breakfast sandwiches from manchester. Usually some mix of sausage, egg, bacon, beans on a big white barm/bap. Can't seem to get anywhere near as good sandwiches here in Canada. [1] [Erstwhile] There word ere is still used almost the same as its Aer root word [2] [Ogden's Basic English] XKCD had a play on this [3] usin…

Bacon and sausage are quite different outside the UK too as I found out in Australia and North America. Still you can't meet a decent American/Canadian breakfast with a stack of pancakes, a bit less portable though!

Re: Things I Learnt in 2020

#46
post #25

Re "broon sauce" i.e. brown sauce: > The recipe is a mystery, and every chippy mixes their own. However now I know the secret: Just dilute down some yourself. Add vinegar to brown sauce I had the same self-referential discussion with a chippie in Scotland. "So what exactly is in brown sauce?" "Dunno mate, it's just got brown sauce in it." - Re Roman numerals as multipliers: I think this must be a recent invention (th…

As if vinager is a singular product. Vinagars are very diverse. I wouldn't recommend a layperson to add natural vinager to a brown sauce, you're probably ruining it. I would recommend to use a brown vinagar, but without further explanation we are then back at the start of the question.

Re: Things I Learnt in 2020

#47
post #46
post #25

Re "broon sauce" i.e. brown sauce: > The recipe is a mystery, and every chippy mixes their own. However now I know the secret: Just dilute down some yourself. Add vinegar to brown sauce I had the same self-referential discussion with a chippie in Scotland. "So what exactly is in brown sauce?" "Dunno mate, it's just got brown sauce in it." - Re Roman numerals as multipliers: I think this must be a recent invention (th…

As if vinager is a singular product. Vinagars are very diverse. I wouldn't recommend a layperson to add natural vinager to a brown sauce, you're probably ruining it. I would recommend to use a brown vinagar, but without further explanation we are then back at the start of the question.

Given that malt vinegar is the usual chippy condiment, I'd expect it to be that. Or the cheapest possible "non-brewed condiment".

Re: Things I Learnt in 2020

#48
post #47
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As if vinager is a singular product. Vinagars are very diverse. I wouldn't recommend a layperson to add natural vinager to a brown sauce, you're probably ruining it. I would recommend to use a brown vinagar, but without further explanation we are then back at the start of the question.

Given that malt vinegar is the usual chippy condiment, I'd expect it to be that. Or the cheapest possible "non-brewed condiment".

Around here malt vinegar is certainly not what people expect when you say 'vinegar'.

Re: Things I Learnt in 2020

#49

I went into the article expecting it be full of usual banal platitudes, but it's a cute little list of random stuff. I was also pleasantly surprised to see 'ek number' on the list though.

As an Indian who's lived almost 4 decades in India, I have never heard of "ek number" as the response to a joke, or even ever used in the stated context of the joke being rated no 1. The closest I can think of is the phrase being directed at the joker, not the joke; a sort of "Oh, you're a first rate a-hole for cracking that joke". It's a terminated "Ek number ka ... (haraami?)", which is the only form I've ever hear…

There is a great,devotional Sufi song which goes "Ali da pehla number", which translates to "Ali is at number one" meaning "Ali is the greatest". I think the song is in the Sindhi language. Also in Mumbai slang, "Do number" means shady. As in, "do number ka dhanda" i.e. illegal business. "Do" rhyming with the English "go" means two.

Re: Things I Learnt in 2020

#50
post #25

Re "broon sauce" i.e. brown sauce: > The recipe is a mystery, and every chippy mixes their own. However now I know the secret: Just dilute down some yourself. Add vinegar to brown sauce I had the same self-referential discussion with a chippie in Scotland. "So what exactly is in brown sauce?" "Dunno mate, it's just got brown sauce in it." - Re Roman numerals as multipliers: I think this must be a recent invention (th…

The leveled up version is trying to figure out what exactly the local kebab shop is doing to their salad. It's sitting there in some clear liquid, but what is that liquid?! Vinegar for sure, lemon juice probably, but what else?!
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