Why the sudden attack on alchohol?

So by now I'm sure you've heard that the research is in, and alcohol leads to cancer.  I first saw it announced last year, and since then almost every other week I've seen news stories about how more and more research is drawing a thick, straight line between drinking and cancer.  So much so that, as this story says:

"There really isn’t a safe level of drinking when it comes to cancer risk."

You see that?  There just isn't a safe amount of drinking where cancer is concerned.  This isn't the usual 'research says a glass of wine is good for you/research says a glass of wine is bad for you' that we're used to hearing.  No.  This is a growing, concerted, coordinated assault on alcohol in general.

So I ask myself - why?  Yes, cancer seems to be on the rise, though you never know. I've heard it is on the rise one day, then I'm told it isn't on another.  I do know many things are getting worse - food allergies and Alzheimer's/dementia are said to be increasing and at younger and younger ages.  That much I can see and don't need research to point out the obvious. 

But for some reason, the press and medical establishment have gone pit bull on alcohol. Which is strange.  Because the processing of alcohol in some parts of the world, and perhaps even here in the States, is one of the few things left whereby traditional, more natural and less synthetic and artificially created chemical processes and preservatives are used.  Why in an age of most foods being injected with endless chemicals or pesticides or processed in ways hell and gone from natural, it's wine and beer that is the target has me scratching my head.

I brought this up in response to yet another story about the dangers of all alcohol, and received a puzzling answer.  I was told in the US it's often not the case that alcohol is processed naturally today. I was told we use as much artificial and manufactured chemicals in processing drinks today as with any other food group.  But to me, that seems like the problem is the artificial processing, not the alcohol. 

Yet the stories keep rolling out.  Every other week or more frequently.  So I ask, why?  Especially since it's impossible for me to think that if alcohol, something that has been consumed for thousands of years, is suddenly a problem, the rest of what we're eating and drinking should be off the scale and met with even greater warnings.  Yet little is being said there, despite a year long wave of broadsides against alcohol and alcohol alone. 

I should note that, at the end of the above story, it does say there are many, many issues in the research that need addressed, and much that is not known.  That's something I guess.  It's just that since last year, this more than anything has become a major point across the news media and in the medical fields, and I can't help but wonder why.  

Let it be known, BTW, that I'm not being paid by beer or wine companies here.  Nor am I encouraging people to drink.  It's just that in our modern age of post-truth and post-integrity, when something like this comes out of the blue when it seems so out of joint with everything else going on, it makes me wonder what is up.  What are they up to, and why. 

Anyone know anything about Creative Minority Report?

Apparently it hasn't been reachable for several days.  I don't personally know much about it.  But a reader was curious since he wasn't able to reach the site.  I tried and couldn't either.  So any info would be appreciated. 

A question from a statistics amatuer

So the news exploded today that the unvaccinated are 11 x more likely to die of Covid than the vaccinated.  It was met with multiple stories of medical pros beseeching everyone to become vaccinated.

Yet I remember a few months ago, and they said that between 97% and 98% of all who died of Covid were unvaccinated.  

Now I can do arithmetic in my head as well as anyone.  I'm actually quite good at it.  But my math and stats skills drop from there.  To my amateur eyes, however, that seems to be a big difference.  It seems as if the effectiveness has dropped. 

From my vantage point, the earlier stats that would be like saying only about 1 or 2 out of every 100 people who die of Covid are vaccinated.  But now, for every 11 unvaccinated who die, there is 1 vaccinated who dies. Which is a lot more than the old 1 or 2% who are vaccinated who are dying.  It's more like around 9 or 10 vaccinated who die for every 100.  Which, if I'm not missing something, is significant. 

Am I reading this right?  Am I reading the numbers correctly?  Are they presenting them in such a way that isn't the best way and that's why I'm confused?  Or am I just a Charlie Brown when it comes to this? Any help from numbers-pros is appreciated. 

Can you Google me?

Just curious.  I'm unable to reach my site by Google.  If I Google "Daffey Thoughts", it takes me to my old defunct page at Patheo.  I noticed that pageviews and visits have dropped like a rock in a day.  Just curious.  Even with me backing off blogging, I still - by virtue of existing on the Internet - will get a fairly consistent daily traffic.  But in the last day it's down to nothing.

So just curious if anyone else can Google and find me.  Various posts and pieces I've written will come up, but I've not seen the main page. 

A little help needed

On my blog, I can see where traffic is coming from.  At least the top ten or twenty sites on a given day.  So if a bunch of people suddenly come over from a given website, I can see it.  If it's one I don't recognize, I click on the link and it takes me to the location.  Sometimes it's some goofy generic place.  But sometimes it's a legit site.

All of a sudden, I'm getting traffic flow from a site that is, well, adult oriented.  That means traffic is coming from there.  It's an intro page (If you are over 18, click here), so I haven't gone in to see why my blog is sending traffic here.

If anyone could help by telling me how to block traffic from this site, or somehow get it cut off from sending things here, I'd appreciate it.  Not only because I don't want the substance of the site coming here, but because I can't help but guess there is more to it than just readers at an adult site suddenly interested in my ramblings about the latest issues or my obsession with fall.

Thanks.  Feel free to email me with suggestions.

BTW, it seems to come over under a variety of names, but they all go to the same location.

A quick question about CBS and Tesla

Are they married?  Having an affair?  Worship each other as gods? I ask this because, as a general rule, CBS This Morning is the show we watch while getting ready in the morning.  For a couple months now, I don't think we've gone more than a couple days at a time without CBS having something about Tesla or Tesla's CEO Elon Musk.  Not just stories, but full blown specials focused on him and his company.  I mean, even in stories where I didn't think it would go there, they manage to somehow talk about Tesla or Mr. Musk, and almost always in the most positive manner.  Even when the story is negative, like Tesla laying off thousands of workers, they still find ways to praise and adore Tesla and Musk.  Am I missing something?