Tracker

And he is not without followers. I cannot recall where I first heard this, but "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large numbers".

Anti-Vax Leader Traveling Country With Guns, Flamethrower, and Fake Badge in Quest to Arrest Dem Governors Anti-COVID-19 vaccine “Vaccine Police” organization leader Christopher Key, who has proudly claimed he would soon arrest Democrat Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards over vaccine mandates, has set off on a cross-country road trip with a fake badge and high capacity firearms. In a series of Telegram messages posted over the past week, Key has visited countless state offices and harassed officials over vaccines, masks, and mandates. In a phone conversation with The Daily Beast this past week, Key stated that he has been traveling the country “serving” people with packets of information he believes supports his conspiracy theory that COVID-19 vaccines are “bioweapons.” But it’s not only firearms Key has shown off, he also appears to have access to a flamethrower. “All those bioweapons that we have, that are not vaccines, they all need to be lined up, and they need to be exterminated,” Key said in a video posted in mid-December while brandishing a flamethrower. On Saturday night, when asked about the guns and if he intends to bring them along when conducting the planned arrests, Key told The Daily Beast he is “never about violence.” “I will do it [the citizen arrests] lawfully, and the sheriffs will be with me,” he added. Anti-Vax Leader Traveling Country With Guns, Flamethrower, and Fake Badge in Quest to Arrest Dem Governors (thedailybeast.com)

In 20 minutes, they won't remember to.

2022 DISASTER BINGO CARD (save for reference)

FITY

Betty's life stand as the only needed testament to her life and work. You may not know that she had her own show in the 50's that was cancelled because she insisted on bringing on Black performers. She also founded and funded several shelters for abused animals.

"Sick madness": The public reacts to the CDC's decision to cut COVID-19 self-isolation time in half The CEO of Delta may have influenced the CDC's decision to cut its recommended self-isolation period in half. Prior to this week, those who tested positive for COVID-19 were urged by government officials to isolate themselves for 10 days. That changed on Monday, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cut the quarantining recommendation in half, instead urging infected Americans to avoid interpersonal contact for five days. The reasoning behind these modifications are rooted in economics perhaps more than science. Dr. Anthony Fauci — director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of President Biden's chief science advisers — recently told CNN's Jim Acosta that "we want to get people back to the jobs, particularly the essential jobs, to keep society running smoothly." Meanwhile, immunologist and rapid tests expert Dr. Michael Mina, reacting to the CDC's new policies, told The New York Times that studies show wide variations in how long people will remain contagious after developing COVID-19. Some even wonder whether pressure from airline CEOs, who worry that long self-isolation periods hurt their bottom line, could have motivated the CDC. This school of thought connects the decision to a recent letter by Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian to the CDC. According to Reuters, Bastian argued that "with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, the 10-day isolation for those who are fully vaccinated may significantly impact our workforce and operations." The commentariat was livid at the implication that an airlines CEO was pushing to put lives at risk for the sake of profit. Steve DaSilva of Jalopnik observed that "Bastian seems to acknowledge the possibility that this could lead to higher transmission rates, noting that Delta could 'partner with CDC' to collect data from its planes. Because, after all, that's the way you want to collect data on a highly contagious disease: By throwing still-infected people into an enclosed tube with others and just seeing what happens." Similarly, Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants–CWA, said in a statement on Monday that "the CDC gave a medical explanation about why the agency has decided to reduce the quarantine requirements from 10 to five days, but the fact that it aligns with the number of days pushed by corporate America is less than reassuring." The CDC did not simply impose a blanket reduction in self-quarantining time for infected individuals. The agency added that the rule only applies to people who do not exhibit symptoms and are willing to wear a mask around others for at least five days after leaving isolation. The agency also revised its self-quarantining guidelines for people who have merely been exposed to the virus; partially vaccinated individuals are now asked to either isolate for five days and then wear a mask around others for another five days, or to wear a mask for all 10 days (if self-quarantining is not feasible). Even without directly mentioning the letter from the Delta CEO, many observers still felt the CDC's new policies are misguided. "It's been glaringly obvious many of the CDC's recommendations are tied to [political] and economic concerns, leaving the public confused/second guessing advice about masks, protocols, vaccines while the anti-science sect sticks to singular (and horribly incorrect) messaging," tweeted author Gregory Han. Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist at Harvard University, stated in a Twitter thread that the CDC's decision is a "crazy move" and "sick madness," concluding that "it will go down in the annals of the pandemic as a terrible horrible no good very bad politically/business-influenced decision that will endanger millions and squander public health trust!" Comedian Judah Friedlander quipped, "Congrats to the Airline CEOs on being appointed head of @CDCgov," while Scripps Research Executive Vice President Eric Topol tweeted, "The data that supports the new @CDCgov 5 day isolation period without a negative test" followed by an image showing a blank box.

ditchweed, ganja, whatever

Rheinbold was set up to fail. The talent on the team was poor and he had no experience as a head coach or GM, nor did he have any player pipeline to the US. Then he started bringing in players he had personal connections to but little talent. Nice guy, though.

The illness of addiction does not discriminate between good people or bad, male or female, young or old, or even race. It can take many forms- chemical or process addictions, and about half the people in Canada know someone on a first-name basis whose addiction is our of control. My own brother dies from his, even after repeated medical crises and warnings from his doctors. He was talented and intelligent but that made no difference in the end.

Best Wishes To All for the New Year-It Can Only Get Better

Pilots are routinely screened for ALL forms of intoxication, as are several other professions considered to be safety=sensitive. Yes, possession and use of THC/CBD is now legal, but legal sales account for only 15/% of usage. Insofar as my knowledge is concerned, my credentials and work history qualify me to comment.

An inevitable part of the journey is the end.

I suggest that your view is based on decades-old data, where pot was 3-4% potency but now the stuff is 19-25% potency and has caused a lot of trouble for many people. You say that the matter is between the person and employer- would you be comfortable boarding an plane where the pilot was stoned? Whether or not it is more problematic than alcohol or opioids is irrelevant- THC has to stand on its own merits or liabilities. There is a vast difference between casual, recreational use and problematic use. What causes a problem is a problem.

A potential employer might. Safety-sensitive jobs (and a receiver is not one) require zero levels of MASes but for occasional users, no big deal. For heavier users, the problems of short-term memory impairment, reduced night-vision adaptability, emotional blunting and even induced psychosis (like what happened to Seth Rogan at the Adele concert) are possibilities. And then one regular-strength joint plus one beer in 20 minutes produces the same effect as a six-pack in the same length of time.

The Edsel bombed due to bad timing. Ford's market research in 1955 indicated a good market for an upscale luxury sedan, but in the 3-4 years it took at that time to develop a brand new car, the American economy tanked, and so did the Edsel.

Which does not make him a reliable athlete.

It is interesting that small, tech-poor Cuba has independently developed a vaccine that is as good as and perhaps a bit better that the vaccines developed by the big pharmaceutical companies, but the Russian and Chinese versions are worse.

Same old story- a lying Tory. If this had not become public, Schuyler would still be in cabinet. The only surprise in all this is that the knives have remained sheathed for as long as they did. If the PCs were riding high in the polls, this would not be an issue- they have self-inflicted wounds and need to find a scapegoat.

Texas team applauded for giving what Big Pharma refuses: A patent-free vaccine to the world A small team of Texas researchers is being hailed for developing an unpatented Covid-19 vaccine to share with the world without personal profit, with some advocates asking, if they can do it, why can't Big Pharma? Dubbed "the World's Covid vaccine," the inoculation—formally called Cobervax—is an open-source alternative to Big Pharma's patent-protected vaccines. Instead of being produced for profit, this shot could ultimately be manufactured around the world and made cheaply available to all without governmental or private legal retribution. Common Dreams reported this week that Cobervax—developed jointly by Texas Children's Hospital, Houston's Baylor College, and the Indian pharmaceutical company Biological E. Limited—was authorized for emergency use in India amid a surge in infections driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant. Texas Children's Hospital says the new vaccine is at least 90% effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and 80% or more effective against its Delta variant. "We're not trying to make money," Peter Hotez, who led the Texas Children's Hospital team, told The Washington Post. "We just want to see people get vaccinated." Texas team applauded for giving what Big Pharma refuses: A patent-free vaccine to the world - Alternet.org

Retired army general urges the US military to prepare for a possible ‘coup’ attempt in 2024 In a sobering op-ed published by the Washington Post on December 17, three retired U.S. Army generals — Paul D. Eaton, Antonio M. Taguba and Steven M. Anderson — warned that that if Republicans make another coup attempt following the 2024 presidential election, there could be a “potential for lethal chaos inside our military, which would put all Americans at severe risk.” Eaton discussed his worries with National Public Radio’s Mary Louise Kelly in an interview aired in late December. Kelly reports, “As the anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol approaches, three retired U.S. generals have warned that another insurrection could occur after the 2024 presidential election, and the military could instigate it.” The retired generals, in their Post op-ed, wrote, “We are chilled to our bones at the thought of a coup succeeding next time.” And Eaton didn’t sound any less worried when he spoke to Kelly for NPR. Kelly asked Eaton how a “coup” could “play out in 2024,” to which he responded, “The real question is, does everybody understand who the duly elected president is? If that is not a clear-cut understanding, that can infect the rank and file or at any level in the U.S. military. And we saw it when 124 retired generals and admirals signed a letter contesting the 2020 election. We're concerned about that. And we're interested in seeing mitigating measures applied to make sure that our military is better prepared for a contested election, should that happen in 2024.” Eaton went on to say that in the military, there is “a lot of war-gaming” in order to prepare for various “scenarios” and “ferret out what might happen.” One possible scenario to be concerned about in 2024, Eaton told Kelly, is “a U.S. military compromised” — and the U.S., according to Eaton, is in trouble when “39% of the Republican Party” is “refusing to accept President Biden as president.” The retired general told Kelly, “We advocate that that particular scenario needs to be addressed in a future war game held well in advance of 2024…. I just don't want the doubt that has compromised or infected the greater population of the United States to infect our military.” Retired army general urges the US military to prepare for a possible ‘coup’ attempt in 2024 - Alternet.org

Makes me wonder how some people survived the Stone Age.

U.S. Children Hospitalized With COVID In Near-Record Numbers SEATTLE (AP) — The omicron-fueled surge that is sending COVID-19 cases rocketing in the U.S. is putting children in the hospital in close to record numbers, and experts lament that most of the youngsters are not vaccinated. “It’s just so heartbreaking,” said Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious-disease expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “It was hard enough last year, but now you know that you have a way to prevent all this.” During the week of Dec. 21-27, an average of 334 children 17 and under were admitted per day to hospitals with the coronavirus, a 58% increase from the week before, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The previous peak over the course of the pandemic was in early September, when child hospitalizations averaged 342 per day, the CDC said. On a more hopeful note, children continue to represent a small percentage of those being hospitalized with COVID-19: An average of over 9,400 people of all ages were admitted per day during the same week in December. And many doctors say the youngsters coming in now seem less sick than those seen during the delta surge over the summer. Two months after vaccinations were approved for 5- to 11-year-olds, about 14% are fully protected, CDC data shows. The rate is higher for 12- to 17-year-olds, at about 53%. In other COVID news, there is some light at the end of this seemingly-endless tunnel. Saskatchewan has been reporting massive increases in test-positive results, but over the past week, their pandemic-related hospitalizations are actually down a bit. They are now going to reporting only the COVID hospital admissions and deaths. In Israel, they are debating whether to offer a second booster to vulnerable people and possibly to healthcare, law enforcement and penal system workers. But it is consistent with the PC philosophy of crippling the healthcare system so as to pave the way for increasing privatization.

WHAT??????