Wideleft

Coming to Netflix tomorrow! She is hilarious!

And like many ambassadors, largely evaded consequences for his actions.

This Josh Guenter? "Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson has booted a Tory MLA from his job as legislative assistant for the health minister over his continued disagreement about COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Josh Guenter, the MLA for Borderland in southern Manitoba, went to a trucker protest at the Manitoba-U.S. border on Highway 75 over the weekend and took to social media to say he supports the group fighting mandatory vaccines for truckers. "Spent some time today with family, friends and scores of peaceful, freedom-loving Canadians in the freedom convoy," he wrote in a Facebook post." https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/josh-guenter-mla-borderlands-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-trucker-convoy-1.6334431 New cabinet minister James Teitsma: A Progressive Conservative MLA travelled outside the province in December while his government is urging people to stay in their homes. Radisson MLA James Teitsma went to Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia with members of his immediate household using their personal vehicle from Dec. 21-30, the PC caucus confirmed Monday. His office said he was on a family vacation with members of his household, and they stayed in rental accommodations and did not gather or socialize with anyone outside their immediate household. Manitobans are legally allowed to travel outside the province, but the government has strongly advised against it. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-tory-mla-tra-james-teitsma-travelled-abroad-1.5860999 New Cabinet Minister Janice Morley-LeComte: A Winnipeg restaurant owner says MLA Janice Morley-Lecomte tried to get lunch in her café on Friday without showing adequate proof of vaccination, which has been a requirement in Manitoba for months. Wendy May said when her staff at the Oakwood Café in south Osborne asked the PC MLA for her vaccine card, she instead produced a printed-out piece of paper. While that paper appeared to show Morley-Lecomte's vaccination record, it didn't have a QR code to scan to verify it was real, May said. Restaurants across Manitoba have been required to check for proof of vaccination for dine-in customers since September. The government's website says the Manitoba Immunization Card and the Pan-Canadian Proof of Vaccination Credential — both of which have scannable codes — are acceptable forms. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/janice-morley-lecomte-manitoba-mla-restaurant-vaccine-card-1.6257442

WINNIPEG — Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson has made changes to her cabinet. She is demoting three ministers who recently announced they will not be running in the next election — Cameron Friesen in finance, Reg Helwer in government services, and Alan Lagimodiere in Indigenous reconciliation. Four backbenchers, all from Winnipeg, are being promoted to cabinet — Obby Khan, Kevin Klein, Janice Morley-Lecomte and James Teitsma. Some ministers are changing portfolios. Cliff Cullen moves from economic development to finance, while Eileen Clarke moves from municipal relations to Indigenous reconciliation. Stefanson said in early January she would shuffle her cabinet, after four ministers announced they would not be running again in the election slated for Oct. 3. Last week, Friesen announced he was leaving his finance portfolio and would soon resign his legislature seat to try for a seat in the House of Commons. The shuffle comes as the governing Progressive Conservatives have lagged behind the Opposition New Democrats in opinion polls for two years. The drop started during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic as hospitals began to struggle to deal with rising patient counts and surgeries were postponed. In 2021, dozens of intensive care patients were flown to other provinces in a bid to free up beds. Stefanson has also recently shaken up her staff as well. She changed her chief of staff and replaced her communications director. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2023 The Canadian Press The highest level of education mentioned in our new Minister of Advanced Education's bio: About Sarah Guillemard Sarah is a community activist and long-time Fort Richmond resident. A graduate of Fort Richmond Collegiate,

Peter Young is also an a-hole off the ice.

Or they could spend their tax revenue on programs that they're responsible for. How exactly can a Manitoba government not spend all their budgeted highways funds?

The PC Government mandated hydro layoffs (and were later found violating the collective agreement) and dissolved Manitoba Hydro International - a subsidiary that was profitable so I wouldn't put the blame entirely on the NDP. Based on Hydro's reduced rate hike, I also don't think the situation is as bad as the Cons say. The Wall report was a travesty.

I like Bailey as much as the next Bomber fan, but I don't think he has the skillset to be a feature receiver. I'd be happy to be wrong, though.

And the height of cynicism to name it the carbon relief program - a not so subtle finger of blame pointing to the feds.

Meanwhile, sexual assault victims are being turned away at HSC due to staffing issues. People who have been sexually assaulted aren't receiving adequate care because the department tasked with treating them is understaffed and hasn't yet received funding promised by the province nine months ago, the Manitoba Nurses Union says. Darlene Jackson, the president of the union, says a full-time provincial co-ordinator of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program hasn't been hired, and there haven't been any education opportunities to be able to train new forensic nurses. "The program has been held together by a small group of extremely dedicated nurses. Currently SANE nurses cover the phones when no one is scheduled, they may work up to 24 hours in a row and many of them hold a position elsewhere in the system," Jackson said at a news conference Wednesday. "With the gaps in scheduling, extremely vulnerable patients have been told to go home and wait, to do their best to preserve the evidence ... This is outrageous." Jackson said nurses have reported having to send people home, to stay in the same clothes and not to shower before returning at a later date. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-nurses-union-sexual-assault-nurse-examiner-1.6725459

COVID-19 misinformation cost at least 2,800 lives and $300M, new report says Report examines how vaccine hesitancy affected COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths Darren Major · CBC News · Posted: Jan 26, 2023 5:00 AM CST | Last Updated: 10 hours ago The spread of COVID-19 misinformation in Canada cost at least 2,800 lives and $300 million in hospital expenses over nine months of the pandemic, according to estimates in a new report out Thursday. The report — released by the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA), an independent research organization that receives federal funding — examined how misinformation affected COVID infections, hospitalizations and deaths between March and November of 2021. The authors suggest that misinformation contributed to vaccine hesitancy for 2.3 million Canadians. Had more people been willing to roll up their sleeves when a vaccine was first available to them, Canada could have seen roughly 200,000 fewer COVID cases and 13,000 fewer hospitalizations, the report says. Alex Himelfarb, chair of the expert panel that wrote the report, said that its estimates are very conservative because it only examined a nine-month period of the pandemic. "It's pretty clear that tens of thousands of hospitalizations did occur because of misinformation," Himelfarb told reporters. "We are confident that those are conservative estimates." Himelfarb also said the $300 million estimate covers only hospital costs — the study didn't include indirect costs associated with factors such as delayed elective surgeries and lost wages. A number of studies have found that getting vaccinated can reduce the risk of COVID infection and hospitalization. But only 80 per cent of Canadians have been fully vaccinated, according to the latest data from Health Canada. The CCA report defines two groups of vaccine-hesitant individuals: those who were reluctant to get a shot and those who refused. It says that reluctant individuals expressed concerns about vaccines in general and questioned the speed with which COVID vaccines were developed. Vaccine refusers, on the other hand, were more likely to believe that the pandemic is a hoax or greatly exaggerated, the report says. Beyond the health impacts, misinformation is depriving people of their right to be informed, said Stephan Lewandowsky, a professor at the University of Bristol's School of Psychological Science in the U.K. and one of the report's authors. "In a democracy, the public should be able to understand the risks we're facing … and act on that basis," he said. "But if you're drenched in misinformation … then you're distorting the public's ability — and you're denying people the right — to be informed about the risks they're facing." The report says misinformation relies on simple messages meant to evoke emotional reactions. It says misinformation is often presented as coming from a credible source, such as a scientific publication. Ideology can play a role: authors The authors also suggest that misinformation can be driven by someone's personal worldview, ideology or political identity. "Denial of collective action problems is going to be very [prevalent] among people who don't like collective action," Himelfarb said, noting that misinformation can flow into political messaging. "When misinformation becomes tied up with identity and ideology, political leaders will often look to misinformation as a means of building their coalition," he said. He did not point to any single politician. People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier, a vocal opponent of COVID-19 public health restrictions and vaccine passports, appeared to unify a portion of the electorate that views pandemic policies as government overreach when he finished with roughly five per cent of the vote in the 2021 election. Lewandowsky said social media can contribute to the spread of misinformation, but policies to counter such misinformation — such as requiring labels on inaccurate information — could help. Himelfarb said it's important to balance tackling misinformation with freedom of expression. "Finding that sweet spot is a challenge," he said. Lewandowsky said one way to strike a balance would be to make sure reliable information is more widely available and to give people tools to identify misinformation. "The people who do misinform us have a certain repertoire of rhetorical techniques … and we can identify those," he said. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cost-of-covid-19-misinformation-study-1.6726356

Interesting (don't hate me) info from a riderfans poster regarding FA signings last year: Last year 141 pending FAs extended with their old teams while 65 would sign with new teams after becoming free agents. 89 more either never signed anywhere or were picked up well after free agency opened up. Of the 141 who did stay put 20 signed before the end of December, 65 signed between Jan 1 and the opening of the legal tampering window, 49 extended during the tampering window including the first day of free agency. 6 more opted to re-sign with their old teams in the 2 weeks following becoming free agents. We are still 11 days away from the tampering window opening. Last year 80 of the 141 or 56.7% signed in the period from 11 days before the tampering window opening and the start of free agency. There were some very big names amongst those 80.

Bomber Roster – Player Status for 2023: Quarterback Zach Collaros (A) – Under Contract Dru Brown (A) – Under Contract Dakota Prukop (A) – Unsigned Free Agent Running Back Brady Oliveira – (N) – Under Contract Johnny Augustine (N) – Under Contract Fullback Konner Burtenshaw (N) – Under Contract Mike Miller (N) – Re-signed Receiver Carlton Agudosi (A) – Under Contract Tavaris Harrison (A) – Under Contract Jaivon Heiligh (A) – Under Contract Brendan O’Leary-Orange (N) – Under Contract Drew Wolitarsky (N) – Under Contract Dalton Shoen (A) – Under Contract but in NFL Window Rasheed Bailey (A) – Unsigned Free Agent Nic Demski (N) – Unsigned Free Agent Greg Ellingson (A) – Unsigned Free Agent Janarion Grant (A) – Unsigned Free Agent Timothy Knuettel (G) – Unsigned Free Agent Greg McCrae (A) – Unsigned Free Agent Luke McMillan (N) – Unsigned Free Agent Offensive line Liam Dobson (N) – Under Contract Geoff Gray (N) – Under Contract Chris Kolankowski (N) - Under Contract Tomoya Machino (G) - Under Contract Drew Richmond (A) – Under Contract Stanley Bryant (A) Re-signed Jermarcus Hardrick (A) Re-signed Patrick Neufeld (N) Re-signed Tui Eli (N) - Signed 3 Years Michael Couture (N) – Unsigned Free Agent Eric Lofton (A) – Unsigned Free Agent Tyler Witt (A) – Unsigned Free Agent Defensive line Thiadric Hansen (G) – Under Contract Cole Adamson (N) – Under Contract Cameron Lawson (N) – Under Contract Ricky Walker (A) – Under Contract Jackson Jeffcoat (A) Re-signed Willie Jefferson (A) Re-signed Jake Thomas (N) Re-Signed Keion Adams (A) – Unsigned Free Agent Casey Sayles (A) – Unsigned Free Agent Linebacker Tanner Cadwallader (N) – Under Contract Malik Clements (A) - Under Contract Brian Cole (A) - Under Contract Adam Bighill (A) Re-signed Kyrie Wilson (A) Re-signed Shayne Gauthier (N) – Re-signed Jesse Briggs (N) – Unsigned Free Agent Les Maruo (G) – Unsigned Free Agent DeJuan Cooper (A) – Unsigned Free Agent Defensive back Brandon Alexander (A) – Under Contract Karon Delince (A) – Under Contract Nick Hallet (N) – Under Contract Noah Hallet (N) – Under Contract Evan Holm (A) – Under Contract Demerio Houston (A) – Under Contract Redha Kramdi (N) – Under Contract Deatrick Nichols (A) – Under Contract Jamal Parker (A) – Under Contract Desmond Lawrence (A) Re-signed Winston Rose (A) Re-signed Alden Darby (A) – Unsigned Free Agent Mercy Maston (A) – Unsigned Free Agent Nick Taylor (A) – Unsigned Free Agent Souleymane Karamoko (G) – Unsigned Free Agent Cedric Lavigne (N) – Unsigned Free Agent Donald Rutledge Jr. (A) Left for USFL Tyrell Ford (N) – Signed in NFL Kicker Mark Liegghio – (N) Under Contract Ali Mourtada (A) – Unsigned Free Agent Long snapper Mike Benson (N) Re-Signed

Took forever to get direct L.A. flights to and from Winnipeg. That was definitely a hinderance to expansion.

Dog steps on trigger of rifle, shoots man dead, Kansas sheriff says By Jennifer Hassan January 25, 2023 at 10:09 a.m. EST A dog stepped on a loaded rifle, fatally shooting a passenger in his owner’s car during a hunting trip in Geuda Springs, Kan., sheriff’s deputies said. Joseph Austin Smith, 30, of Wichita was sitting in the front passenger seat of a pickup truck when he was shot in the back, the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “The back seat contained hunting gear and a rifle,” the statement said. “A canine belonging to the owner of the pickup stepped on the rifle causing the weapon to discharge. The fired round struck the passenger who died of his injuries on scene.” The sheriff’s office added that it considers the shooting an accident and has closed the case. Responders were dispatched to the scene shortly before 9:50 a.m. Saturday after receiving a 911 call, the sheriff’s office said. The authorities did not say who placed the 911 call or disclose the name of the person who owns the dog or vehicle. It was not immediately clear what happened to the dog. A GoFundMe page created by a group of people identified as Smith’s colleagues at Browns Plumbing Services in Wichita remembered him to be “kind, funny, smart, and very loving.” The campaign has raised more than $10,000 as of Wednesday morning. GoFundMe confirmed the validity of the fundraising page. Browns Plumbing Services did not immediately respond to a Washington Post request Wednesday morning for comment. Your cat could burn your house down, Korean officials warn after 107 fires sparked by felines Saturday’s shooting is not the first involving a dog and a loaded weapon. Many people across the United States have been injured or fatally shot by canines discharging firearms in recent years, intensifying calls for better gun control and safety measures. Although federal data indicates that the vast majority of gun deaths in the United States are suicides or homicides, the latest data shows that more than 500 people were killed unintentionally with guns in 2020, according to the Pew Research Center. Firearm purchases rose to record levels in the United States in the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, with more than 43 million guns estimated to have been purchased in that period, The Washington Post reported in July. In 2004, a shepherd-mix puppy in Florida discharged a gun, striking a man in the wrist, NBC News reported. At the time of the shooting, Jerry Allen Bradford had been preparing to shoot seven puppies because he was unable to find them a home, NBC News reported, citing the local sheriff’s office. In 2015, a Labrador retriever named Trigger accidentally shot a woman in the foot in Indiana, the Guardian reported. The woman’s loaded shotgun had been left on the ground with the safety off, causing her to be shot at close range and requiring medical treatment to her foot and toes. “When you have a country with as many people, guns and dogs as we do, this type of thing is going to happen from time to time,” an analysis in The Post said that year. In 2018, a pit bull-Labrador named Balew accidentally shot his owner when the pair were playing inside a house in Iowa. The dog’s owner, Richard Remme, told officials he was sitting on the sofa when he pushed the dog off his lap. Balew jumped up, disabling the safety on the gun in his holster and pressing the trigger. Remme, who was injured in the leg, said that Balew — whom his owner described as “a big wuss” — cried after the shooting because he thought he did something wrong, the Guardian reported. A hunting trip ended in bloodshed in New Mexico in 2018 when a 120-pound Rottweiler mix named Charlie caught a paw in the trigger of a gun while sitting in the back of his owner’s vehicle. Tex Harold Gilligan told ABC News that he was driving at the time he was shot and initially thought he had been hit by a sniper in the desert. Gilligan was hospitalized with lung damage and broken bones but later defended his furry friend. “He didn’t mean to do it. He’s a good dog,” he said. Most reports of dogs injuring humans with firearms have been documented in the United States, but such incidents also have occurred in other countries. In November, a 32-year-old Turkish man from the city of Samsun was shot dead by a dog during a hunting trip. Ozgur Gevrekogulu was packing equipment into his vehicle when his dog stepped on the trigger of a shotgun, discharging a blast into the man’s abdomen, the Middle East Eye reported, citing local media. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/01/25/dog-shoots-man-kansas-hunting-trip/

And the first 3 seasons of Fargo... Under the Banner of Heaven was also very good.

Haven't noticed anyone talking about The Last of Us. It's really, really good. I never played the game, but those who have are quite pleased with how similar it looks (shot for shot, sometimes). Not a big surprise since it's the same director as Chernobyl, which was astonishingly detailed. Pedro Pascal does rule.

Tantoo Cardinal is a solid actress and it's frustrating to see her look so amateurish here. That being said, there are oodles of tax credits to offset production costs in Canada if your cast and crew are Canadian.

Also watching Three Pines. It's good enough, agree it leaves me wanting for more. Would love to visit that part of Quebec one day - so scenic.

Tell me more. How do you go about properly air-frying steak? It's about to get too cold to BBQ.

This is a chicken and egg argument, but I do think that it's fair to say that Fox introduces some pretty horrible propaganda as well. Looking at you, Tucker.

Harsh. I personally blame Putin.

I like that you asked about information rather than news, because there is a difference. My information sources are wide and varied. I subscribe to the Winnipeg Free Press and Washington Post. I read articles from The Guardian, ProPublica (for long-form journalism), NPR and CBC online and whichever other reliable sources twitter points me to. I watch as many documentaries and shows about history as I can. I also watch shows like Finding Your Roots that aren't documentaries, but are really helpful in illustrating history from a personal perspective. I'm a sucker for Nova, Nature, American Experience and Frontline on PBS. Since I've started working from home, I flip between CBC NewsWorld and MSNBC depending on the time of day if I want to catch up on the news in a different way. I'll watch the National if something big is happening. I watch CBC news at 6 less regularly than I used to - I used to catch it every day. I have a Sirius subscription and spend most of my time in the car listening to NPR and CBC Radio One. I read non-fiction exclusively - currently reading The Far Land, which is not only about the Mutiny on the Bounty, but what has happened to Pitcairn Island and mutineer descendants since they landed. The Future Is Now: Solving the Climate Crisis With Today's Technologies is below that on the stack with Too Dumb For Democracy below that. I will read any magazine in any waiting room if it has an interesting article. It's like a thirst for me.

Was your initial response a little rude? Sure was. Do we sometimes need to be harsh with people minimizing a deadly health crisis or spreading misinformation about it?

So given a proper governmental COVID response that was guided by experts, not only did New Zealand protect its citizens from COVID, but other "excess mortal deaths".