the watcher

Heartbreaking

So 6 months ago or so my wife asked the Winkler Super Store manager why he was letting people in without masks and not dealing with them according to the rules. His answer was because if he called the Police they wouldn't come because the city council told them not to respond to those requests. Take that with a grain of salt because the guy is generally non compliant and it easily could have been BS. Or not. There were and are other buisnesses in town that rigidly enforce mask policy and I don't believe they have lost many customers. We among many, many others now limit our business in that community. I go when I have to and only to places that have at least attempted to follow the rules. Probably less than 1/4 of what we use to. On OB 68 Winklers mayor said Stanley was at %17. So when I think I need to go there I'll just remind myself that if I walk by 10 people not even 2 of them are vaccinated. F-ing awful.

What I have heard is the virus is never likely to be totally gone. So they are expecting to have outbreaks in areas where there are low vaccination rates in the future. I would imagine that will bleed out into rest of the province a certain amount

Winnipeg health - 791,000 Southern Health - 211,000 Prairie Mountain -172,000 Inter Lake Health-133,000 Northern Health- 77,000 So in theory Southern should have 1/3 to 1/4 of the cases. BUT, it should be way less than that because larger centers usually generate higher percentages by shear contact numbers. Last week I tried to get my shot 10 days early at a walk in due to a business situation. (Wasted the better part of 2 days and never got the shot ) But I was talking for 3 or 4 hours to a guy from Winkler. He works a one of the bigger factories there and said he figured only %25 of his co-workers had a shot. I got my 2nd yesterday by the way.

Your map and info is correct. I've been involved in farming all my life ( 63 years old ) and still am albeit in an alternative way. I just had a discussion with my neighbor who is the same age and we both agree we have never seen it like this before. There was zero runoff this year due to a lack of snow. I don't ever remember that. We have had 2 significant rains this year . The city of Morden which gets it's water from Lake Minniwasta is runnining out of water and desperately trying to pipe in Red river water. Its a really ugly situation. And yet , the draining of sloughs and wet lands, tile draining , the removal of trees and bush , the removal of old shelter belts, continues at a frantic pace. If farmers can't get a permit to do this they just ignore the rules and do it anyway. The only time there are issues are if it directly effects a neighbor and causes friction. The fines for doing this illegally are an absolute joke. Its hundreds of dollars where as the land cleared or drained can be worth 5 to 10,000 an acre. The permits to do it legally are often affected by who you know or who you are. The extent ? I could easily come up with 20 examples of drained wetlands or bushes removed in the last couple of years within a 15 minute drive from my place on the escarpment. There is very little movement to stop this. There's not alot of push from those of us living out here to stop it. And frankly those in the city have no clue that's it's happening right on their doorstep or that it's even going on at all. Once a bush or wetland is gone, there is no evidence it was there. As far as tile draining it's really hard to see unless you know what to look for.

Lots of credit and kudos to the Minnesota department of justice, the judge, jury, and prosecuting team. They did it right and he got what he deserved. He can spend the next 22 years terrified of who is around the next corner or coming up behind him.

My son works at a care home here in Rural MB and says there are a several workers that aren't vaccinated . It drives him nuts. Absolute stupidity.

Its got all the hallmarks of a fascist take over. History tells us, or perhaps screams that's bad news for their neighbors. The effects of climate change will elevate this. I dont always agree with Jared Diamond but believe he is right that enviromental issues often cause unrest/ collapse/ violence......At the best of times they have been a self absorbed nation who can't recognise or admit their faults. They will be seeking bad guys cause it ain't their fault, right ?

I'd love to see them make it mandatory for care home, hospital and homecare workers. I imagine there would be challenges to that but the idea of unvaccinated staff disturbs and perturbs me.

Shortly after Trump was elected I remember telling my sister that the big problem wouldn't be what Trump did but rather what it/ he allowed other people to do. What social morals his followers felt they were free to disregard. What deep seated prejudices and hatreds they would feel free to promote. Q anon , the Capitol attack, are good examples. Now we see it has moved fully into their political system and has totally taken over the Republican party. And like it or not they represent about half that country. So half of the USA is just fine with this. Its telling that their latest boogieman is Antifa and we can't forget that stands for Anti-Fascist . I have reminded several people that my Uncle was Antifa when he died in his bomber in 1944.

66 million in a space the size of a prairie province so even more so.

It's insanity. The fact that it's being allowed just shows how far down the fascist rabbit hole they have already gone. I've said it before and I'll say it again , the USA is pooched. The only questions in my mind are how ugly it gets and how bad will it be for Canada being their next door neighbor.

I have an acquaintance/ friend who is a very nice woman. Hard worker, hard life ,maybe late 60s, beautiful singer and very religious. She's not pushy with it but it's a pretty hard core church, prayer warriors ,Jesus heals all that kind of jazz. We've had some great talks about religion as I have always had an interest in religion and the history of religions and am fairly well read on it. As I said just a nice person. Well we found out last week she has Covid and Stars flew her from our local hospital to go into a ICU. I hope she makes it . Explain what that has to do with Jesus.

I don't think Democrats understand WHAT they are dealing with. Trump was never the cause of their problems, he is a symptom. He's the bad lungs of Covid that can kill you but there's a virus that's really the cause. They are a society that doesn't care for each other or for common decency . A society that accepts the shooting deaths of children in the name of personal rights. That jails more people( mostly people ofcolour) than any other western country yet allowed rich white people to destroy the economy with a known scam in 2008 with no punishment. A rich country that is 32nd to 35th in life expectancy. I could go on but these issues haven't sprung up with Trump. He just embraced the scummy dirty part of that country openly and more than any other leader. The only politician that really embraced real change in that country was Bernie Sanders . But the Democrats wouldn't accept him or support real change. I truly believe they are pooched.

One of my thoughts is all the fake recounts are to serve one purpose. Its so when the next election is held the system that that stopped Trump from turning over the will of the people won't be there or can be circumvented. Its just part of the preparation for next time. Just like the gerrymandering and new voting rules. Its all to keep people in power who can't get legitimately elected. Edit: And to get people mentally ready to accept that when it happens.

In light of that idiocy perhaps a decade is being over generous. Its an interview from an Ideas show but I'm not sure from when. My views on the USA pretty much line up with Chris Hedge's.

I'm really curious to see the next provincial poll . The Pcs numbers were in freefall in the last one and it seems to me they have really crashed and burned since. I imagine they will leave the next election as long as they can. So another 2 and a half years ? You can stir up alot of **** in 2 1/2 years. Or tear down alot of **** might be more accurate.

It's not just a PC thing. Chretien 2 million to his buddy to open a golf course. And others. And Trudeau the 1st was probably the King of patronage payments especially as he left office.

I'm glad they have opened it enough to see some family outdoors. I'll take it.

One rule that pissed alot of people ( you can substitute the word ME there ) off previously was the patio rule. It was OK to go to a restaurant or bar patio and visit but not your own patio. So a public patio where people drink ( and we all know how booze and following rules go ) is safe but seeing families and close friends safely ,outdoors at home wasn't. It made no sense.

The Delta variant is definitely a scary one. Now combine that with what I am seeing recently and it's even more concerning. What I am seeing is that people who have tried to follow the rules, understand the dangers, wear masks, want to be part of the solution , are reaching the end of their rope. So many people , including family members have said to me " enough ", I've had it ", " I need to see my family", " I can't take it ". I am seeing REAL anger at those who won't vaccinate or wear masks. Some real hard F them attitudes. This is probably why I was real happy to see some movement to vaccination passports. I think the Gov. has to be real careful here. I don't advocate for opening things to wide open but I think they need to make some movement. And for heavens sake , don't prioritise business in that movement. Make it family or close friends. I think we ( I include myself ) need more social interaction or there is a danger in losing the crowd so to speak.

I think that as time passes it would be used more and more. Maybe for sporting events, festivals, concerts.....

I guess there was still a couple of people who weren't pissed off at Palister and company yet. This should cover it.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jun/05/american-democracy-threat-republicans-donald-trump-voter-suppression A good article on the precipice upon which America sits.

I have a year old grandchild that my wife and I have never held. Sucks bug time. The Incas had rules where if a common person stole they were punished but if a elite class ( read leader ) stole they were executed. They were expected to be above that as a leader. Made sense didn't it.