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From CBC news: Alberta again leads (?) the country in per capita COVID infections.

She who must be obeyed and I got our Pfizer shots 4 weeks ago as of today. Both of us had no initial reactions but about 24 hours later, I got a bit of the chills and fatigue (got me out of some work) and waifu had a bit more of a severe reaction, but she is diabetic. Anyhoo....we both survived and were able to go back to licking doorknobs.

That works only if your innoculator is radioactive. You'd think people would have learned this by now. Geez.

There is a rumour that they will be filming a musical about the life of Ghandi- "Hello Delhi". Okay, I am starting that rumour.

If you read my comments, I did not state that these attitudes were held by the entire police forces- only some. I base my comments on the comments of relatives in the police forces, and experiences in the work I have been engaged in. The mindsets of officers who have been traumatized is such is that if they seek help, they are often treated as somehow inferior and damaged beyond repair. Many will leave the service. There is a powerful group ethic to cover for fellow officers who have stepped over the line.

The Carmat artificial heart is now fully approved to use for the general public in the EU, and even paid for by France's public healthcare 7,596 points · 537 comments

America has never really healed from the many decades of slavery. The country continues to fracture along the same lines that the Macon-Dixon divide delineated and the resentment of having to give up slaves has mutated into what it is now. American police forces are populated with ex-military who have undiagnosed and untreated PTSS with the mentality that all problems can be resolved with enough force. Here in Canada, many police divide the people they serve into those who are slavishly supportive and anyone who questions or resists being tagged as "__ holes", worthy of nothing but contempt. Bullies target those who they see as most vulnerable and least likely to fight back, and those are non-white and non-binary in sexuality.

A Capitol Cop Allegedly Told Other Officers to Go After Only ‘Anti-Trump’ Rioters on Jan. 6 A member of the Capitol Police is under investigation for allegedly radioing fellow officers and directing them to only go after “anti-Trump” rioters on Jan. 6, the day a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol building, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) revealed Wednesday. Lofgren was summarizing an internal investigation as she questioned Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton over the Jan. 6 attempted insurrection. The officer radioed “all outside units’ attention” to tell them they were “only looking for any anti-Trump” demonstrators and that they should not be “looking for any pro-Trump in the crowd. -Reuters

Judge Emmet Sullivan cites Donald Trump's 'continued' election lies as reason not to release rioter Federal Judge Emmet Sullivan this week cited former President Donald Trump's recent statements about the 2020 election as a reason not to allow the release of a man who allegedly took part in the failed insurrection of Jan. 6. In a 39-page opinion filed on Tuesday, Sullivan explained why he was denying the release of Jack Wade Whitton, who is charged with eight felonies and misdemeanors relating to the Jan. 6 events. Whitton is accused of "brutally" assaulting officers who were guarding the U.S. Capitol. "[T]he Court concludes that clear and convincing evidence supports a finding that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the safety of the community," Sullivan explains in the opinion. "Accordingly, the Court orders that Mr. Whitton be detained pending trial." Sullivan goes on to cite recent statements made by Trump to bolster his point. "Former President Donald J. Trump continues to make forceful public comments about the 'stolen election,' chastising individuals who did not reject the supposedly illegitimate results that put the current administration in place," the opinion states, noting that Trump had issued an April 4 statement about a "rigged" presidential election. Sullivan adds: "As was true in Mr. [Jeffrey Sabol's] case, such comments reflect the continued threat posed by individuals like Mr. Whitton, who has demonstrated that he is willing and able to engage in extreme and terrifying levels of violence against law enforcement with a chilling disregard for the rule of law and the lives of law enforcement, seemingly based on mistaken beliefs about the illegitimacy of the current administration. In this regard, Mr. Whitton, like Mr. Sabol, is distinguishable from other Capitol Riot defendants who displayed a dangerous distain for democracy and the rule of law on January 6, 2021, but who did not engage in violence... or who did not direct their 'forceful conduct' toward inflicting injury." "Accordingly, the government's motion for revocation of Magistrate Judge Cannon's release order is GRANTED. Mr. Whitton shall be detained pending trial," the opinion concludes.

There are reports that there is a new variant coming out of India that is more virulent than the others. It just keeps getting better and better.

Justice Department Announces Sweeping Minneapolis Police Probe WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is opening a sweeping investigation into policing practices in Minneapolis after a former officer was convicted in the killing of George Floyd there, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Wednesday. The decision comes a day after former officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death last May, setting off a wave of relief across the country. The death prompted months of mass protests against policing and the treatment of Black people in the U.S. The Justice Department was already investigating whether Chauvin and the other officers involved in Floyd’s death violated his civil rights. “Yesterday’s verdict in the state criminal trial does not address potentially systemic policing issues in Minneapolis,” Garland said. The new investigation is known as a “pattern or practice” — examining whether there is a pattern or practice of unconstitutional or unlawful policing — and will be a more sweeping probe of the entire police department and may result in major changes to policing there. It will examine the use of force by police officers, including force used during protests, and whether the department engages in discriminatory practices. It will also look into the department’s handling of misconduct allegations and its treatment of people with behavioral health issues and will assess the department’s current systems of accountability, Garland said. Justice Department Announces Sweeping Minneapolis Police Probe | HuffPost

At this point having even a shortened season would be great to look forward to.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons will doubtless call him in for a chat, They do not take this sort of thing lightly. Doctors can be idiots as well. You may recall that three medical doctors administered cyanide Kool-aid to even their families in Jonestown and there is a doctor in Arizona who believes the demons are inseminating women.

In the 1960's the tobacco companies hybridized the tobacco to produce a strain which is 3-5 times more saturated with nicotine than before. They also introduced ammonia compounds into cigarettes to allow much quicker passage through the alvioli walls in lungs so as to accelerate the effect and by simple behavioural modification, become more physically addictive. It may work in New Zealand because of their relative isolation and culture, but if the governments tried to ban tobacco here, it would simply go underground much as pot did. If the price of licit tobacco rises to high, the same happens. Education appears to be the only viable course. One study showed that the most effective ways to combat smoking was to a) require all cigarette companies to use identical packaging in drab colours and b) institute a "registered addict" program whereby only individuals who had registered themselves as nicotine addicts would be allowed to purchase tobacco products. You can imagine the reactions among the same individuals who are having melt-downs over COVID inoculations.

Nugent flew with South Dakota governor Christi Noem in a private jet while he was ill. We can only hope that he shared more than political views with her. Canada Puts Up Neighborhood COVID Checkpoints to Stop People Leaving Home “It came as a complete surprise,” Liberal leader Shirley Bond said, according to the Vancouver Sun. “The premier has had months to deal with the issue and consider potential travel restrictions. First, it was on the table, then it was off the table, there was a legal opinion, can’t do it, we’re not like other jurisdictions. Then today an announcement with zero details. People don’t know whether they can drive to work on Friday morning.” Horgan said the measure will allow travel by those who can prove essential travel reasons, including work, but that all claims will be thoroughly validated and checkpoints will be set up throughout the province. He said they will also contact the ferry operators to various British Columbia islands and ask them to contact anyone with a booking to ensure their travel is essential. He said he would also work with the travel industry to make sure no bookings for tourism purposes are taken until the ban is lifted. “They will be random and there will be a fine if you were traveling outside of your area without legitimate reasons,” Horgan said, adding that he is aware of concerns over how this may disproportionately target Black and Indigenous communities. Canada Puts Up Neighborhood COVID Checkpoints to Stop People Leaving Home (thedailybeast.com)

"Don't register to vote": FL sheriff, standing beside Ron DeSantis, says don't "vote the stupid way" "Welcome to Florida. But don't register to vote and vote the stupid way you did up north," warned Grady Judd During a Monday signing ceremony for Florida's new anti-riot bill (HB 1) backed by law enforcement all throughout the state, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd appeared alongside Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to remind Floridians of how the new legislation –– which grants civil immunity to motorists who crash into protesters –– will preserve the state they "know and love." "There's a reason that this place is fun," the sheriff explained, holding up what appeared to be stock photos of multiracial families basking in the sunlight of Florida's beaches. "There's a reason why we have a 49-year-low crime rate. And the same people that don't think we should have an anti-rioting bill, or a rioting bill, are the same ones that think we ought to let more people out of prison." He continued, "We're a special place, and there are millions and millions of people who like to come here. And quite frankly, we like to have them here. We only want to share one thing as you move in hundreds a day. Welcome to Florida, but don't register to vote and vote the stupid way you did up north, or you'll get what they got." "Don't register to vote": FL sheriff, standing beside Ron DeSantis, says don't "vote the stupid way" | Salon.com

Revealed: Trump's DHS IG blocked a probe into the assault on Lafayette Sq. protest The Department of Homeland Security's inspector general blocked an investigation into the role of the Secret Service in clearing Black Lives Matter protesters from Lafayette Square ahead of former President Donald Trump's controversial photo-op last June, according to internal documents obtained by the Project on Government Oversight. Joseph Cuffari, a former adviser to Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey who was appointed by Trump in 2019, rejected career staffers' recommendation to investigate the Secret Service's involvement in the June 1, 2020, incident, when federal law enforcement used tear gas to forcibly clear peaceful protesters in front of the White House so Trump could take a photo holding up a Bible in front of a church that had been damaged by fire during an earlier protest. Department investigators argued that the probe was "essential" in upholding the duty of the office, according to The Washington Post, which first reported the documents. The documents show that investigators pushed to probe whether the Secret Service violated its use-of-force policies in the clearing, noting that hundreds of protesters were hit with rubber bullets and chemical irritants. Cuffari shot down the proposed investigation a week later, suggesting that the Secret Service could review the episode themselves and taking investigators "aback," according to the report. Revealed: Trump's DHS IG blocked a probe into the assault on Lafayette Sq. protest - Alternet.org

He probably always was but was afraid to come out until it became fashionable.

Here's the insane amount Republican orgs spent buying GOP books to pad best-seller lists last election cycle The problem with having a base that isn't particularly interested in reading anything more than a headline is that it is hard to sell books to those folks. You couple that with holding and promoting wildly unpopular positions on health care, foreign policy, economics, race, and justice, and a proclivity to act morally hypocritical and you are creating the kinds of conditions most book publishers would shy away from. Add to that most of the things you say are factually incorrect, a potential lawsuit in the waiting for a publisher, and it is a wonder how any of these conservative jokes get publishing deals in the first place. However, the conservative oligarchy-bubble has figured a way around promoting an unpopular product—buy the perception that it isn't popular. For some time news outlets have reported on the self-dealing, bulk-book buying tendencies of campaigns and Republican committees, that help propel books by people from people like Sens. Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz, and Tom Cotton, Rep. Dan Crenshaw, and cosmic embarrassment Donald Trump Jr., access to national best-seller lists. Being on a best-seller list—especially from one of the Republican proclaimed fake news sites like the Washington Post or the New York Times, can boost your sales further being the premiere advertisement for literature and nonfiction in the United States. The Washington Post did a report on the shady-quality of this practice, pointing out that "Four party-affiliated organizations, including the Republican National Committee, collectively spent more than $1 million during the past election cycle mass-purchasing books written by GOP candidates, elected officials and personalities, according to Federal Election Commission expenditure reports." The practice is not simply deceitful in promoting a false sense of popularity for unpopular ideas, but because authors of books make serious money if they can get on best-seller lists off of royalties from hundreds of thousands of dollars in book sales. One of the more well-publicized self-dealings in recent months was Texas's answer to intelligence, Rep. Dan Crenshaw, whose book got a $400,000 boost in sales from the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). The NRCC defended its purchase of Crenshaw's book, saying that it had fundraised no less than three times the amount off of the book (signed copies, etc.), making it a legitimate purchase. But the Republican former Navy SEAL, who holds an elected office based almost entirely on the truly twisted Republican gerrymandering of a Texas district, was able to point to his best-seller status as proof of the popularity of his opinions. Here's the insane amount Republican orgs spent buying GOP books to pad best-seller lists last election cycle - Alternet.org

This will be appealed forever.

The taxes on tobacco do not come close to covering the costs of treating the preventable cancers associated with smoking. I suspect that the forthcoming bans on tobacco and tobacco products has as much to do with the governments taking an overt stand against a known health hazard.

Trump Dreams Up Nefarious Plot That Pfizer and FDA Are Behind J&J Pause During his first on-camera interview since leaving office three months ago, former President Donald Trump did what he does best on Monday night: make unsubstantiated claims and provide little to no evidence to back them up. Speaking to Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Trump suggested that federal health agencies recommended a pause of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because the Food and Drug Administration is in bed with Pfizer, the manufacturer of one of the other federally approved COVID-19 vaccines. And that is the reason why Trump won’t “do a commercial” promoting the efficacy and safety of the shots. Trump Dreams Up Nefarious Plot That Pfizer and FDA Are Behind Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Pause (thedailybeast.com)

A good man left over from the era when dignity and ethics mattered in American politics.

Oath Keepers leader reveals militia are being trained by police in '60 Minutes' interview In an interview with "60 Minutes" Sunday evening, Oath Keepers leader Jim Arroyo revealed that active-duty law enforcement is part of their movement and helping with militia training. "Our guys are very experienced. We have active-duty law enforcement in our organization that are helping to train us. We can blend in with our law enforcement," he said. Javed Ali, Towsley Policymaker in Residence at the Gerald Ford School of Public Policy, formerly served as a former NSC senior director and was a counterterrorism official at the FBI under the Trump administration. Speaking to CBS News, he explained that the Oath Keepers is "unique." "Beyond the fact that they are a formal group with chapters all over the country, is that a large percentage have tactical training and operational experience in either the military or law enforcement," the domestic terrorism expert said. "That at least gives them a capability that a lot of other people in this far-right space don't have." In August 2020, Michael German is a former FBI special agent who penned several reports on U.S. law enforcement failing to control the right-wing terrorists in their ranks. According to his findings, law enforcement officials are increasingly tied to racist militant activities in more than a dozen states since 2000. Updated research has revealed things are much worse. His report explained that over the years, police had grown increasingly linked to militias and white supremacist groups in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia. Oath Keepers leader reveals militia are being trained by police in '60 Minutes' interview - Alternet.org