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I have studied the bible and read it several times as well as researched Christian theologists' views on it. As per your statement, there is value is many, not all, of the concepts proposed in it. Fundamentalists do a great disservice when they say and teach that the Bible is the only perfect unalterable word of God. This sets them and their churches up for ridicule as this is easily disproven. This does not faze the true believers one whit. The consensus among rational theologians is that about a third of both the old and new Testaments is provably wrong, and about another third is questionable. That leaves about a third that has significant credibility. Even the "four pillars" of Christianity -the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John do not escape scrutiny and criticism. First off, there is significant evidence that Yeshua Ben-Yusof existed, much as described in the gospels along with the activities reported. But the Christian movement was fraught with divisions and conflict right from Day One. Much of what He taught has been edited, altered and deleted according to the dictates of the authorities of the churches and states of the time. Of all the teaching of the Last Adam, the value of His ministry is best described in "Do unto others as you would have done to you".

On CBC radio Saturday afternoon, they presented an in-depth report on how Take Back Alberta infiltrated, influenced and finally now dominates the Alberta Conservative party. It involved a form of gerrymandering delegate selections as well as opening polling places late and closing them early to ensure that the "right" delegates went to the conventions and promoted the desired policies. It was a chilling parallel to what the Qanon has done to the GOP in the US and doubtless there was tactical advise that flowed across the border. Somehow the leadership of the Alberta Cons have either been blissfully unconcerned or neutered while their party was suborned.

Not ringing endorsements.

I'm sure we will be fine, but.....

There are credible reports that the "Free Russia" partisans who have been waging guerrilla warfare against mostly Russian infrastructure targets until now have amassed large enough numbers to change tactics. Along with Russian soldiers who have abandoned their units, they are in the process of seizing control of the Russian oblast (province) of Belgorod which lies on the northeastern border of Ukraine. The Russian soldiers apparently brought a lot of weaponry including armoured vehicles and Putin is having to divert military resources there. Many of both the deserters and loyal soldiers have come from Bakhmut and further reports indicate that the Ukrainian army is now moving back into Bakhmut, even though there is hardly a wall still standing in the city which formerly had 70,000 inhabitants.

"Hell hath no fury.."

Russian Deputy Minister Dies Suddenly After Slamming ‘Fascist Invasion’ of Ukraine A senior Russian lawmaker who was reportedly critical of the invasion of Ukraine died over the weekend, the Russian government confirmed, in the latest unexpected fatality of a prominent figure since the war began. In a statement, Russia’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education confirmed that Deputy Science Minister Pyotr Kucherenko died on Saturday. The ministry said he “became ill” while on board a plane carrying Russian delegates home after a business trip to Cuba. The flight made an emergency landing in southern Russia but doctors couldn’t save him, the ministry added.

Damn. I thought the Bombers still retained his rights in the CFL.

The whole purpose for an elected government is for it to mediate between all the competing and dynamic interests of society to ensure domestic tranquillity and a balance that allows for a good quality of economic and social life. As soon as you institute laws like banning homicide and violence, for two small examples, you are, by definition, interfering. The degree and scope of government intervention is the part where argument comes.

King Charles Reportedly Strikes Deal With Queen’s Dresser to Keep Quiet . What price keeping quiet? How about a nice house of your choice? The Mail on Sunday reports that Queen Elizabeth’s former dresser Angela Kelly has been presented with a new grace-and-favor home in the north of England—after she was forced out of her Windsor digs—on agreement that she won’t reveal any more royal secrets. The Mail says a senior Palace aide acting for King Charles presented Kelly with a new non-disclosure agreement to sign as part of the deal. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II sits next to Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and Caroline Rush, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council, and royal dressmaker Angela Kelly as they view Richard Quinn's runway show before presenting him with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design as she visits London Fashion Week, in London, Britain February 20, 2018. A source told the Mail that the agreement was essentially a “gagging order,” preventing Kelly from using the words “king” and “palace” for commercial purposes. Kelly was expected to write a third book about her royal role, but the Mail says the agreement may impinge on, if not outright, torpedo that. Charles, the paper says, wanted to both honor his late mother’s wishes by providing Kelly with a home, while stopping the leak of any more royal dish.

Education is the enemy of the GOP.

HYGIENE TIP OF THE DAY:

Fani Willis Signals August Georgia Indictment For Trump’s Crew In a new letter, Fulton County, Georgia DA Fani Willis signaled an August timeline for indictments of Trump’s gang that tried to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis hinted that she might seek indictments in early to mid-August in her long-running inquiry of former President Donald Trump and his allies. The timetable was disclosed in a Thursday letter to Ural Glanville, Fulton Superior Court’s chief judge, and 20 other county officials. Willis listed 10 days between July 31 and August 18 in which she plans to direct a large percentage of her staff to work remotely. “This remote work will reduce the number of Fulton County District Attorney’s office staff in the Fulton County Courthouse and Government Center by approximately 70%,” Willis noted, adding that only her leadership team, armed investigators and a couple of other teams will be working in the building those days. The Georgia indictments will come in the same month as the first 2024 Republican primary debate. Donald Trump has already threatened to skip the debate which will be hosted by Fox News in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

And I want a Ferrari.

Long-sought universal flu vaccine: mRNA-based candidate enters clinical trial. The phase I trial will test safety and efficacy in a small number of people. An mRNA-based flu vaccine designed to offer long-lasting protection against a broad range of influenza viruses is now in a phase I clinical trial, the National Institutes of Health announced this week. The trial brings the remarkable success of the mRNA vaccine platform to the long-standing efforts to develop a universal flu vaccine. Currently, health systems around the globe battle the seasonal scourge with shots that have to be reformulated each year to match circulating strains. This reformulation happens months before typical transmission, providing manufacturers time to produce doses at scale but also giving the strain in circulation chances to shift unexpectedly. If the year's shot is a poor match for the strains that circulate in a given season, efficacy against infection can be abysmal. Still, even when the shot is well-matched, people will need another shot next year. "A universal influenza vaccine would be a major public health achievement and could eliminate the need for both annual development of seasonal influenza vaccines, as well as the need for patients to get a flu shot each year," Hugh Auchincloss, acting director of the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a news release. "Moreover, some strains of influenza virus have significant pandemic potential. A universal flu vaccine could serve as an important line of defense against the spread of a future flu pandemic." A successful design has been elusive. Flu vaccines often generate immune responses to fast-evolving bits of proteins on the outside of flu virus particles, hemagglutinin (Ha or H) and neuraminidase (Na or N). These proteins are responsible for helping the virus break into and out of human cells, respectively, during an infection. Both proteins look a little like lollipops stuck to the outside of the virus particle, with their tops evolving and being prime targets for potent antibodies against the virus. For the universal vaccine design, NIH researchers have targeted not the tops of these proteins but a portion of the Ha protein's stem—a highly conserved part of the protein that doesn't evolve as quickly. Human antibodies that target this conserved region will likely target Ha proteins from a range of different flu strains in the same class. And, because this section doesn't evolve as quickly, the vaccine could induce long-term immunity. With this design, the mRNA-based vaccine will include a snippet of genetic code in the form of mRNA that gives human cells the blueprints for this conserved stem region. From there, the immune system can learn to target it. There's already data to suggest this target could work. Before NIH researchers used an mRNA-based design, they developed a similar HA-stem targeting vaccine that appeared safe and effective in a phase I trial. The vaccine uses stabilized protein fragments of the Ha stem stuck to a nanoparticle. Last month, NIH researchers published results showing that this nanoparticle vaccine induced cross-reacting neutralizing antibodies against influenza viruses in the same virus group (H1). And those neutralizing antibodies stuck around for more than a year after vaccination. The vaccine candidate has advanced to a second trial. The researchers are hopeful that having multiple platforms in the works will increase their chances of getting a successful vaccine. For now, the mRNA-based vaccine is starting with a small trial of just 50 people recruited through partners at Duke University. Three groups of 10 volunteers will get different vaccine doses to find the optimal dose. Once that's found, 10 more will be vaccinated, and their responses will be compared to a 10-person control group that will be given a standard annual flu vaccine. https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/05/experimental-universal-flu-vaccine-with-an-mrna-based-design-enters-trial/

Like the Bible?

As well as a very brief movie career (Ice Station Zebra).

No doubt she is self-serving but maybe, just maybe, some light is creeping into the GOP that they are beginning to realize that Trump and his sycophants will lead them into obscurity. All journeys begin with a single step.

The alternative is to accept that we are already approaching the precipice at a gallop with no chance of stopping. My background as a sociology major (back in the stoned age) leads me to believe that history does show that people are capable of great growth and selflessness, particularly if a leader presents an ideal.

Any federal government could, in theory, force interest rates down by fiat. The problem with that currently would be that capital would flee to any country with significantly higher interest rates and the economy would flatline due to inabilities to borrow for mortgages and so forth. The answer tot hat which will never happen is for a capital transfer tax but that would have to be initiated by most, if not all G7 countries.

(Finally, A Break in the Trump-GOP wall) 'You pay the price': Nikki Haley denounces Jan. 6 during Iowa visit Republican 2024 hopeful and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley made an opposing view against former President Donald Trump clear Thursday by denouncing the Jan. 6 insurrection, NBC News reports. During CNN's town hall with the former president earlier this month, Trump continued to push the 2020 election fraud lies that ultimately led to the attack, and vowed to pardon rioters found guilty. According to NBC, the former governor was asked during an Ankeny, Iowa town hall event about "how she could ensure a 'fair and speedy' trial for those charged over their alleged actions on Jan. 6." Haley replied, "It was not a beautiful day, it was a terrible day, and we don't ever want that to happen again. I don't know enough about each individual [rioter] but that's my rule: If you break the law, you pay the price. And so I think that's the way we need to look at it." NBC notes soon after the insurrection took place "Haley said the former president's 'actions since Election Day will be judged harshly by history,' telling "Politico in January 2021 'he went down a path he shouldn’t have, and we shouldn't have followed him, and we shouldn't have listened to him. And we can’t let that ever happen again." https://www.alternet.org/you-pay-the-price-nikki-haley-denounces-jan-6-during-iowa-visit/

My favourites:

PP has nothing to offer except feigned outrage and that will wear thin in time. And yes, he has no concept about the division of powers in government.

Personal hygiene products are finally being able to sold over the counter in Regina.