May 17, 2021

Does anyone remember when cigarette vaping was supposed to

Cause a mysterious lung ailment. That was of course in the before times and that flurry of news articles and local government overreaction has disappeared as fast as it came.

I have always wondered could that mystery disease had been an early form of Covid?

May 17, 2021

I'll Take 'White Supremacist Hand Gestures' for $1,000

How hundreds of “Jeopardy!” contestants talked themselves into a baseless conspiracy theory — and won’t be talked out of it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/16/business/media/jeopardy-hand-gesture-maga-conspiracy.html

It is an ironclad rule of the private Facebook group of past “Jeopardy!” contestants that nobody post about that night’s episode before 11 p.m. Eastern time, to avoid spoiling the show for West Coast viewers.

So the moderators of the group waited until 11 p.m. sharp on April 27 to reassure the roughly 2,800 fellow members that they had the crisis in hand. They had seen a contestant on that night’s show, a big white guy with a red tie, Kelly Donohue, make an odd gesture with three fingers of his right hand. “Based on the evidence we’ve seen being bandied about elsewhere, there is a real possibility he was giving either a white power or a Three Percenter hand gesture,” wrote one moderator, a middle-school teacher who was on the show about five years ago, according to screenshots provided by another group member. And though “we can’t know his intent,” he continued, “we’re not here to provide safe harbor for white supremacists.”

They weren’t the only ones who noticed the gesture. About 50 viewers had tweeted about it, suggesting variously that it was a symbol of the Ku Klux Klan or of QAnon. And “Jeopardy!” contestants searching Mr. Donohue’s personal Facebook page saw what they considered other, damning evidence, including a picture of Mr. Donohue in a red MAGA hat. One leading member of the group wrote up a public letter. Another emailed the Anti-Defamation League to report the incident.

I should stress again that these are smart people, who were in general more polite than the journalists who reluctantly take my calls most weeks. And that, I think, is the point here. The contestants’ investigations of Mr. Donohue had all the signal traits of a normal social media hunt gone awry — largely, that you assume your conclusion and go looking for evidence. And they followed the deep partisan grooves of contemporary politics, in which liberals believed the absolute worst of a Trump supporter. But they also contained a thread of real conspiracy thinking — not just that racism is a source of Trumpian politics, but that apparently ordinary people are communicating through secret signals. It reflects a depth of alienation among Americans, in which our warring tribes squint through the fog at one another for mysterious and abstruse signs of malice.




A group of by self selected definition smart people are taken in my a baseless conspiracy theory that doesn;t hold up to a minute's reflection. Really shows the power of social media tuning even the smartest among us into idiots.

May 17, 2021

New Zealand to cut 'low-skill' immigration and refocus on wealthy

New Zealand has become an increasingly appealing destination for those seeking a haven – from Covid-19, economic recession or chaotic international politics. In recent years, the country gained a reputation for “billionaires’ boltholes”, as mega-rich speculators including Peter Thiel bought up remote properties in scenic, isolated regions.

But in a post-Covid world, the emigration dream will be less accessible – at least for those who don’t fall into the mega-rich category. On Monday, the New Zealand government announced it would be narrowing pathways for those hoping to migrate and work in the country, particularly those it classed as “low-skill” and low-wage workers. It simultaneously announced new measures to attract rich investors.

“When our borders fully open again, we can’t afford to simply turn on the tap to the previous immigration settings,” the tourism minister, Stuart Nash, said in a speech on Monday evening, which signalled sweeping changes ahead for immigration.

High levels of migration have contributed to 30% of New Zealand’s total population growth since the early 1990s, Nash said. New Zealand’s dependency on temporary workers – the highest in the OECD – “means businesses have been able to rely on lower-skilled labour and suppress wages rather than investing capital in productivity-enhancing plant and machinery, or employing and upskilling New Zealanders into work”, he said.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/17/new-zealand-to-cut-low-skill-immigration-and-refocus-on-wealthy

Interesting take from a liberal and progressive New Zealand.

May 16, 2021

How do we reach woman and minorities about the importance of vaccination?

It isn't just Trumpsters and Facebook moms.

From the Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/15/mask-free-guidance-coronavirus-new-york

Melitza Roman, owner of Stiletto Goddess Nail Salon in the Bronx borough of New York City, said that for the time being, she would require masks even if the state loosened restrictions.

“We’ll just feel a little bit more comfortable if everyone wears their masks,” Roman said, adding, “We have elderly people who come get their nails done.”

Outside of work, Roman said of face coverings: “For me, personally, if I’m not required to wear the mask, I won’t wear it.” Roman said this would be her approach “unless I’m in a place where I really don’t know everyone”.


Roman is not vaccinated, expressing concern that it was “too soon for something to be out and ready”, but feels confident having always followed safety precautions.


I am going to go out on a limb and suggest Melitza Roman of the Bronx is not a big Trump supporter. But she is in the majority of BIPOC adults and other vulnerable populations who have not been vaccinated for various reasons from distrust of the government (Tuskegee Syphilis Study), to feeling they don't have the time, to the assumption this is an old person's disease. The numbers between white and minority vaccine rates are shocking. We need to address this issue before another wave devastates teh minority community.

May 15, 2021

With Walmart and Costco and Publix eliminating mask mandates

Along with most states outside of New York and New Jersey Does anyone really expect any non-medical or airline related businesses to enforce a mask police after Memorial Day weekend?

And how long do you think the few remaining states will hold out?

May 13, 2021

Am I the only one looking forward to not having to wear a mask.

I understand this somehow became a political issue due to the anti science nut jobs. But wearing a mask is not a sign of virtue. It is a sign that there is an active health threat in the area and you are not protected from it.

If that is no longer the case, why wear the mask? And what is with all these articles from people stating how they love the mask because they don't need to wear makeup or smile at people. You know they sell burkas if you are interested in that route.

The Trump looneys turned not wearing a mask into some ridiculous political theater. I hope we are not deciding to turn wearing a mask where none is needed into our own version of virtue signaling political theater.

May 10, 2021

Clang, Clang, Clang Went Josh Hawley! - A Randy Rainbow Song Parody

Funny Stuff as always and good production.

May 5, 2021

Brutal Attacks on Asians continue in San Francisco. Man with Stroller brutally beaten

in broad daylight. Two women stabbed. in separate incident

We need better police presence and a better community response. These attacks on innocent Americans in the middle of the day at random need to stop. We need to stop excusing them due to mental illness or Trump inspired racism. We also need to pressure communities to work with the police to help keep our streets safe from random assaults.

May 5, 2021

Why do Americans die earlier than Europeans?

The ‘mortality penalty’ that the US pays every year is equivalent to the number of Americans who died of Covid in 2020


https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/may/04/why-do-americans-die-earlier-than-europeans?utm_term=274d31ea257b0b6d0bb841d22a12847c&utm_campaign=BestOfGuardianOpinionUS&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=opinionus_email

30-year-old American is three times more likely to die at that age than his or her European peers. In fact, Americans do worse at just about every age. To make matters more grim, the American disadvantage is growing over time.


In 2017, for example, higher American mortality translated into roughly 401,000 excess deaths – deaths that would not have occurred if the US had Europe’s lower age-specific death rates. Pre-pandemic, that 401,000 is about 12% of all American deaths. The percentage is even higher below age 85, where one in four Americans die simply because they do not live in Europe.

There have been many efforts to account for the US mortality disadvantage. There is no single answer, but three factors stand out. First, death rates from drug overdose are much higher in the US than in Europe and have risen sharply in the 21st century. Second is the rapid rise in the proportion of American adults who are obese. In 2016, 40% of American adults were obese, a larger proportion than in Europe. Higher levels of obesity in the US may account for 55% of its shortfall in life expectancy relative to other rich countries. Third, the US stands out among wealthy countries for not offering universal healthcare insurance. One analysis suggests that the absence of universal healthcare resulted in 45,000 excess deaths at ages 18-64 in 2005. That number represents about a quarter of excess deaths in that age range.

May 1, 2021

Would you actually live in a city or town that defunded or abolished the police.

Congressional Democrats want to make it easier to identify and prosecute police misconduct; Joe Biden wants to give police departments $300 million. But efforts to solve police violence through liberal reforms like these have failed for nearly a century.

Enough. We can’t reform the police. The only way to diminish police violence is to reduce contact between the public and the police.

I’ve been advocating the abolition of the police for years. Regardless of your view on police power — whether you want to get rid of the police or simply to make them less violent — here’s an immediate demand we can all make: Cut the number of police in half and cut their budget in half. Fewer police officers equals fewer opportunities for them to brutalize and kill people. The idea is gaining traction in Minneapolis, Dallas, Los Angeles and other cities.




https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/opinion/sunday/floyd-abolish-defund-police.html


I get the feeling that many people who want to abolish the police would not actually be willing to live in the areas where this would take place. It seems like an easy thing to espouse when living in your low crime diverse suburb.

Less an obvious choice if you already live in a place scarred by criminal elements.