Weekend Open Thread
[guest post by Dana]
Let’s go!
First news item
White House responds to new variant:
This morning I was briefed by my chief medical advisor, Dr. Tony Fauci, and the members of our COVID response team, about the Omicron variant, which is spreading through Southern Africa. As a precautionary measure until we have more information, I am ordering additional air travel restrictions from South Africa and seven other countries. These new restrictions will take effect on November 29. As we move forward, we will continue to be guided by what the science and my medical team advises.
Besides South Africa, the other countries impacted include Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Malawi. The variant, identified this week, was found in Bostwana, Hong Kong, and South Africa. Why it’s of such great concern for the world has to do with a rapid increase in test positivity rates:
In South Africa it has been detected in Guateng province – positivity rates in Tshwane (part of Guateng) have increased massively in the last 3 weeks from less than 1% to over 30%.
Here is an informative thread about this latest variant.
Related: According to the Africa CDC, just 6% of Africa’s population is fully vaccinated.
Yes, certain letters were specifically avoided when naming the Omicron variant:
A WHO source confirmed the letters Nu and Xi of the Greek alphabet had been deliberately avoided. Nu had been skipped to avoid confusion with the word "new" and Xi had been skipped to "avoid stigmatising a region", they said.
All pandemics inherently political!
— Paul Nuki (@PaulNuki) November 26, 2021
South Africa responds to the travel restrictions:
The South African Government has noted the announcements by several countries to institute temporary travel restrictions on South Africa and other countries in our region.
This follows the detection of the new Omicron variant.
South Africa aligns itself with the World Health Organisation’s position on the latest travel bans.
The World Health Organisation has pleaded with world leaders not to engage in knee-jerk reactions and has cautioned against the imposition of travel restrictions.
Dr Michael Ryan (WHO Head of Emergencies) has stressed the importance of waiting to see what the data will show.
“We’ve seen in the past, the minute there’s any kind of mention of any kind of variation and everyone is closing borders and restricting travel. It’s really important that we remain open, and stay focused,” Ryan said.
We also note that new variants have been detected in other countries. Each of those cases have had no recent links with Southern Africa. It’s worth noting that the reaction to those countries is starkly different to cases in Southern Africa.
Second news item
Activists are calling on 82 major apparel and retail companies around the world to commit to sourcing cotton outside of China. In a letter to “apparel industry leaders,” the Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region cited a study that ties international cotton sales to accusations of brutal treatment of China’s Muslim minority…
In 2020, the United States banned the import of certain Xinjiang products, including cotton, over concerns about forced labor in the region…
Insider reached out to all 82 companies who received the letter on November 22. The brands that received the letter included retail and e-commerce giants like Amazon, Carrefour, Costco, Home Depot, Ikea, Jo Ann Stores, Kmart, Kohl’s, L.L. Bean, Macy’s, Patagonia, Sears, Target, Walmart, and Wayfair. Most of the recipients were apparel brands, including American Eagle Outfitters, Brooks Brothers, Chico’s, Duluth Trading, Eddie Bauer, Forever 21, Gap Inc., Guess, Hanes, Hugo Boss, Land’s End, Levi Strauss, Lilly Pulitzer, Lucky Brand, Madewell, Marco Polo, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Uniqlo, and Vineyard Vines.
Most did not immediately reply. JCPenney declined to comment.
Related:
Republican members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi to stop delaying a House vote on legislation dealing with Beijing’s genocide of Uyghurs and crimes against humanity targeting other minority groups in a letter today:
We urge you to stop delaying floor consideration of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). As you know, the House bill passed the Foreign Affairs Committee on April 21, and the Senate bill was received in the House on July 16. Both passed without any opposition….
…
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act would impose a near-ban on certain products coming from the Xinjiang region, under the presumption that they were produced using forced labor. While the bill would not by any means convince the Chinese Communist Party to end its campaign to destroy Uyghurs and other Turkic minority peoples, it would help prevent Americans from being complicit in the abuses.
Third news item
Challenges to come if Trump runs again:
DEADLINE: If Trump runs again, what do you think reporters should keep in mind in covering him just given what happened on January 6?
JONATHAN KARL: I think it’ll be one of the greatest, maybe the greatest challenge ever facing campaign reporters. How do you cover a candidate who is effectively anti-democratic? How do you cover a candidate who is running both against whoever the Democratic candidate is but also running against the very democratic system that makes all of this possible? I think it’s tremendously challenging, because you know that — especially now, more than ever — that he is just saying things that are not true, that are designed to misinform, that are designed to erode credibility and belief in our electoral system. And it’s actually dangerous. So how do you cover a debate? How do you cover a speech? How do you sit down for long live interviews with him as a candidate? I think these are really difficult questions because he is obviously not a typical candidate. He’s never been a typical candidate, but now he has been demonstrated to be a candidate that is trying to destroy the very system that makes this election possible. And yet we cover campaigns. That’s what we do. It is a very difficult, precarious situation, and I don’t know how it is going to play out, to be honest.
Fourth news item
Ah:
Among the most important tools in a politician’s toolbox is the ability to dodge an unflattering question. In an interview segment released Monday, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) offered a textbook case study in how not to do it.
In the interview, Axios’s Jonathan Swan pressed Tlaib on the BREATHE Act, a bill authored by the social-justice coalition Movement for Black Lives and backed by Tlaib and fellow “Squad” member Ayanna Pressley, among others. Swan noted that the proposal would empty federal prisons—home to about 12 percent of prisoners nationwide—within a decade of passage.
Tlaib denied this (“Everyone’s like, ‘Oh my God, we’re going to just release everybody’”), but the bill’s text clearly instructs the federal Bureau of Prisons to cut the prison population in half within five years and attain “complete decarceration” within 10, in addition to “physically closing all federal prisons.” Pressed further, Tlaib hemmed and hawed, insisting that the real problem was providing mental health and drug addiction care, while never quite coming out against freeing thousands of drug traffickers, weapons offenders, and other serious criminals in federal detention.
Make sure to read the report in its entirety at the link above.
Fifth news item
On this issue, Mr. Monk – a Black man from one of America’s most liberal cities – agrees with his white Republican governor. In October, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced $150 million to “refund the police.” Around two-thirds of the money would go to police aid and salary. Another one-third would fund accountability programs, neighborhood safety, and victim services.
The plan almost certainly won’t pass the state’s heavily Democratic General Assembly. But, oddly enough, it communicates some consensus. A year after widespread calls to defund or abolish the police, those options are increasingly unpopular. In Maryland, the legislature, governor, and citizens in high-crime areas like Baltimore mostly agree that law enforcement can be reformed, and needs to be.
That’s true across the country, says University of Nebraska Omaha Professor Emeritus Sam Walker. Police reform and police spending aren’t part of a zero-sum game.
“If Governor Hogan is talking about refunding police, then money becomes the leverage for doing things differently, and I think that’s an important strategic lever to change things,” says Dr. Walker. “I don’t think you have to go through the defund part to say that we want to create a modern and progressive police department that’s going to handle routine problems in a better way.”
Sixth news item
A shareholder advocacy organization filed a lawsuit this week challenging a state law that mandates public corporations headquartered in California to appoint people of color or LGBTQ leaders to their boards of directors. The National Center for Public Policy Research filed the complaint on Tuesday, claiming “the diversity quotas injure Plaintiff’s right to vote for the candidate of its choice, free of a government-imposed race, sex, and sexual orientation quotas,” according to the lawsuit filed in the District Court for the Eastern District of California.
…
Daniel Ortner, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation, said he aims for the courts to declare both diversity laws unconstitutional. “The state of California is intruding into corporate affairs to impose quotas based on race and sex and they don’t have a good justification for doing so,” he said. “Companies are already diversifying, without the need of the state of California forcing the matter. And doing so through a quota, in particular, is discriminatory and unlawful.”
Seventh news item
The Dutch government made a public apology Saturday for a now discredited and scrapped law that required transgender people to undergo surgery and sterilization if they wanted to change their gender on their birth certificate.
“Nobody should have experienced what you have experienced. I am truly sorry that it happened,” said Dutch Minister for Education, Culture and Science Ingrid van Engelshoven in an emotional speech at a ceremony in the historic Knights Hall in the Dutch parliamentary complex.
The law was in place for nearly 30 years until being scrapped in 2014.
“For decades, people underwent medical procedures that they did not want at all. But they knew they had no other choice,” Van Engelshoven said. “Others have waited because of this law; they were forced to postpone becoming themselves for years.”
She said that “standards about what a body should look like do not belong in a law and a law should never force people to undergo an operation. And today I make our deeply sincere apologies for this on behalf of the full Cabinet.”
Eighth news item
Eh, charm and good looks are almost always a winning hand:
Matthew McConaughey would defeat either incumbent GOP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott or Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke in a head-on race if he ran for governor in 2022, a new poll suggests.
In the scenario of a one-on-one showdown, the Oscar-winning actor was preferred by voters over both Abbott and O’Rourke, according to results from a new poll by the Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas Tyler.
However, in a three-way race, Abbott edges out the other two.
Ninth news item
Neither one of these is the best and the brightest, and both are inclined to show their bigoted underpants. As you recall, Rep. Ilhan Omar has made her share of anti-Semitic slurs – and then been compelled (by Pelosi) to apologize. This slur by Rep. Lauren Boebert is a direct and personal attack on Rep. Omar, as well as smearing the Muslim community at large:
Over the Thanksgiving break, Lauren Boebert said she was recently in a Capitol elevator with Ilhan Omar when a fretful Capitol police officer ran up.
Lauren Boebert said: “Well, she doesn’t have a backpack. We should be fine.”
Boebert then called Ilhan Omar, “jihad squad.” pic.twitter.com/Y7f0nFbnud
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) November 25, 2021
She later tweeted a non-apology (at which politicians excel):
I apologize to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar. I have reached out to her office to speak with her directly. There are plenty of policy differences to focus on without this unnecessary distraction.
— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) November 26, 2021
P.S. I am reading that Boebert was joking when she made the comment. Sure… Just like Omar was joking about the Benjamins… They both play to the cheap seats of their narrow-minded, bigoted bases. I want nothing to do with either of them or their fans.
Have a great weekend.
–Dana
Hello.
Dana (174549) — 11/27/2021 @ 10:31 amhttps://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/11/26/florida-reports-lowest-coronavirus-cases-capita-blue-states-surge/
It’s almost like the policies government puts in place don’t seem to effect the virus, but instead dictate other results.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/27/2021 @ 10:46 amFauci said that although no case has been detected in the U.S., it wouldn’t surprise him to find out that the variant is already here:
I think it’s likely that it’s already here too. Why wouldn’t it be? But, given that it’s so new and so little is known about it, is New York’s governor jumping the gun by declaring a disaster emergency, which would allow the limiting of elective surgeries in preparation for a possible surge of Omicron?
Dana (174549) — 11/27/2021 @ 10:47 amOn CNN, a doctor stated that with measles, the rate of an infected individual infecting others is 1:17. However, they suspect that the Omicron, that level of transmissibility will increase to 1:50. Because the rate of transmissibility is, at this point in time, considered to be significantly higher than previous variants, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be more dangerous of an infection.
Dana (174549) — 11/27/2021 @ 11:17 amIf only the world had banned all travel from China in January 2020.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/27/2021 @ 11:22 amWhich states have done well, and which states badly, against COVID?
You can find the basic statistics in this table. The most important is the deaths per million.
Of our two most populous states, California (1,882) has done better than Texas (2,553). (Texas is likely to pass California soon in total deaths, in spite of having more than 10 million fewer people.)
Our two next most populous states, Florida (2,847 and New York (2,978) have both done worse than the national average (2,414). If you look at the two individually, you will see that New York got hit hard early, and that Florida had a spectacular increase in deaths during the delta wave.
Looking at the bottom of the table, we find three standouts: Maine (969), Hawaii (717), and Vermont (651). (The colder weather in Maine and Vermont is leading — as I have predicted — to increases in those states, but I think they will end with far fewer deaths per million than states like Florida, Texas, and South Dakota.)
But, don’t take my word for it; look for yourself. It isn’t a difficult table to read. And you can click on individual states to look for the timing in each state.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/27/2021 @ 11:22 amForced labor in cotton growing? Now, where have I heard of that before? Aren’t there already laws that prohibit the import of slave-produced goods?
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/27/2021 @ 11:24 am#5 Kevin, or at least quarantined those who returning from China. I believe the original wave in New York came, indirectly, from China, by way of Europe, but I think we still would have been better off with a fast quarantine.
(AIUI, we have facilities for quarantines for dangerous diseases; we just didn’t use them.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/27/2021 @ 11:29 amJonathan Karl on Trump: What makes him believe this is a unique situation? We have had anti-democratic leaders before. Huey Long. Boss Tweed. The Robber Barons of the Gilded Age. How did they cover those folks?
☐ Bravely
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/27/2021 @ 11:31 am☐ Carefully
☒ Sychophantically
I am convinced the original wave was sourced at CES, 2nd week of January 2020, in Las Vegas
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/27/2021 @ 11:32 amhttps://nypost.com/2021/11/25/indiana-school-administrator-on-leave-after-viral-crt-video/
Banned from going to school and his work is restricted.
Anyone still going to pretend that CRT isn’t indoctrination that’s taking place in our schools?
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/27/2021 @ 11:32 amhttps://fortune.com/2021/11/25/us-inflation-among-highest-in-world-biden-turkey-supply-chain/
Shocking. How could this be?
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/27/2021 @ 11:41 amBut, don’t take my word for it; look for yourself.
Hawaii isolated itself, as it could. For the most part, Covid statistics do not submit to easy analysis; there are multiple factors.
Mask protocol
Vaccine uptake
Density
Government orders
People’s trust in government
Being a travel source
Being a travel destination
Having large hub airports
Having many airports
Being a southern land border state
Having large sovereign reservation populations
and so forth. It is not reasonable to assert any simple relationship to any one of these. For every California there is a New York. For every Alaska there’s a Mississippi.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/27/2021 @ 11:43 amAnyone still going to pretend that CRT isn’t indoctrination that’s taking place in our schools?
Punishing whistleblowers is pretty stupid.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/27/2021 @ 11:45 amhttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10247301/School-CANCELS-event-ISIS-survivor-Nadia-Murad-saying-visit-offensive-Muslims.html
Speaking of whistleblowers…
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/27/2021 @ 11:46 amThe reason we have inflation is that Biden things inflation is a good thing for his base. Debts at fixed interest diminish. The wealthy become less wealthy. Tax income goes up before indexing and SS outflow goes down before indexing.
Biden is driving this by massive deficit spending, threatening future oil supplies and putting a $20/hour floor under wages for the first 8 months of his term.
And I though 4 years of Trump was bad. This is going to be terrible.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/27/2021 @ 11:52 amAs far as Boebert of Omar, I am reminded of a line in The West Wing to the effect of “This is a job so stupid we need to give it to Congress.”
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/27/2021 @ 11:59 amOmar is a horrible person and being a racist is only a part. So is Tlaib. There’s no equivalence between either of them and Boebert.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/27/2021 @ 12:05 pmRather some group of people who run his administration. Biden is not thinking about this stuff. DCSCA was right about his mental capacity.
We are finding a lot of ways to enfeeble our own nation. Far fewer people are contributing, working (with such a long list of reasons why they shouldn’t work). Our dollar. Anything saved and built.
Biden’s energy policy is crazy. He’s doing all he can to limit production, but to make us feel better he’s going to tap the strategic oil reserves. It’s like leaving a sprinkle in the donut box to keep your diet.
Dustin (150498) — 11/27/2021 @ 12:06 pm#13 Kevin – Well, sure. And I can name other factors you missed. Nonetheless, it is reasonably clear by now that states that followed better policies have — on the average — had better outcomes, so far.
And it also seems reasonably clear to me that rural states have an advantage over more densely populated states.
Do you disagree with those two conclusions? If so, could you give statistical evidence for rejecting them?
(By “reasonably clear”, I mean that I would give probability estimates of 90 percent or more to both conclusions.)
Incidentally, it seems likely, judging by the timing, that Mexico got the disease from us, rather than the other way around.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/27/2021 @ 12:18 pm“There’s no equivalence between either of them and Boebert.”
Representative QAnon is an inspiration to us all.
“He’s doing all he can to limit production, but to make us feel better he’s going to tap the strategic oil reserves. ”
What is he doing?
Davethulhu (67c626) — 11/27/2021 @ 12:37 pmBy the way, Vermont also closed borders.
In spite of the cost to its tourist trade.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/27/2021 @ 12:44 pmDana – As to your third item, I have thought for some time that Trump is, at heart, a monarchist, that he believes in inheritance, far more than elections. (And, after all, he inherited his position.)
That explains some oddities, such as how well he gets along with others who inherited their positions, for example, the king of Saudi Arabia, Queen Elizabeth II, Kim Jong-un. The three are wildly different, but he seems to have had good meetings with all of them.
It also explains why he believes his children ought to inherit power, as well as money.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/27/2021 @ 1:25 pmHow does a corrupt media defending a corrupt political/electorial system cover a corrupt politician? Pot calling the kettle black! Trump yelling the emperor (are corrupt political system) has no cloths. A system that benefits the wealthy at the expense of the rest of us complains about trump and fears is populist base. Even the minorities are fed up with the media crying wolf as it defends the corrupt democratic corporate establishment.
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Another great American Company.
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https://www.goruck.com
https://westernaloha.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIo9j_ycW59AIVhMqGCh1UyQxyEAAYASAAEgLOePD_BwE
mg (8cbc69) — 11/27/2021 @ 2:02 pmWestern shirts made in El Paso. Now thats American.
Just wanted to share these Superb American products with all of you.
mg (8cbc69) — 11/27/2021 @ 2:08 pmLove these socks.
https://www.farmtofeet.com/pages/about-us
I’ve bought a couple of these spacepens for myself, and six or seven as presents for friends and family.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/27/2021 @ 2:18 pmhttps://www.bizpacreview.com/2021/11/27/strange-decision-to-skip-next-greek-letter-to-name-new-covid-variant-raises-eyebrows-1168268/
Stupid and corrupt is no way to go through life.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/27/2021 @ 2:50 pmThat’s a creative way to say “whatabout qanon”.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/27/2021 @ 3:15 pm@23 it’s as if the bushes never existed
JF (5d04c8) — 11/27/2021 @ 3:31 pm“That’s a creative way to say “whatabout qanon”.”
You were literally comparing Boebert with Talib and Omar. Boebert is a QAnon advocate. An election truther. A 1/6 supporter.
She’s plenty awful.
Davethulhu (67c626) — 11/27/2021 @ 3:48 pm@5 biden’s travel ban doesn’t take effect until monday, rendering it useless
there are travelers with omicron coming into the country as we speak
he did the same foot dragging with delta
JF (5d04c8) — 11/27/2021 @ 3:51 pmThis research looks promising, combining Benadryl and lactoferrin as a Covid treatment.
Paul Montagu (5de684) — 11/27/2021 @ 3:53 pm@33 boebert is a qanon advocate like omar is an incest advocate
and an election truther like cheney is a 1/6 truther
JF (5d04c8) — 11/27/2021 @ 3:58 pmFrom Paul Montagu’s link:
Wow.
Dana (174549) — 11/27/2021 @ 3:59 pmhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_killings_under_communist_regimes
A nice handy reminder of the mass murders done under communist regimes.
Wonder why someone is trying to get Wikipedia to delete the page.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/27/2021 @ 4:17 pmDave, good to point out that she’s nuts. Here’s a link to support your claim. Easy to find more with google if anyone wants to.
https://www.axios.com/qanon-nominees-congress-gop-8086ed21-b7d3-46af-9016-d132e65ba801.html
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/27/2021 @ 4:17 pmRIP Peter Ackroyd (66), Steven Sondheim (91), and Dave Frishberg (88).
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/27/2021 @ 4:20 pmPaul,
I hope his testing pans out. If that works as a therapeutic, it would be fantastic.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/27/2021 @ 4:27 pmCourt Can Order Vaccination of Children When Divorced Parents Disagree
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/27/2021 @ 4:34 pmFrom Burch v. Lipscomb, decided [November 19, 2021] by the Kentucky Court of Appeals (Judge Glenn Acree, joined by Judges Susanne Cetrulo and Jeff Taylor):
“Wonder why someone is trying to get Wikipedia to delete the page.”
Wonder no longer! There’s a link to the reasons and discussion at the very top of the page. It’s very hard to miss.
Davethulhu (67c626) — 11/27/2021 @ 4:38 pmI have a comment on Cotton that keeps not getting caught in Moderation if one of mods has a chance to look for it. I’ve tried twice and the last one is the best one.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/27/2021 @ 4:43 pmJim & Kevin,
Regarding Covid it’s important to consider not just what rules were put in place but also how readily people complied with the rules. Given the number of factors involved (climate, geography, average age, population density, income, co-morbidities) it’s hard to model. Marketwatch has a summary of different impacts, the top level data is pretty horrific; counties that voted for Trump have a substantially higher death rate from Covid.
It will be interesting to see how the this winters flu season impacts that. FL and TX were. Recently hit with the Delta wave. MI is doing pretty badly right now so some of the difference might be gone by the spring.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/red-covid-coronavirus-deaths-are-highest-in-counties-with-the-largest-share-of-trump-voters-report-11632764116
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/27/2021 @ 4:53 pmInteresting article about vaccination rates. The number 1 predictor of whether someone is vaccinated or not is whether or not they have health insurance.
https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/poll-finding/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-september-2021/
I found the above article reading this thread about why that might be the case. The tl;dr is that “If people’s only experience with a for-profit medical system meant to find secret ways to cheat them, SURPRISE! Some people who’ve been burned will be wary of engaging with a suddenly free form of service!”
Also interesting: “Being Republican” is the top predictor of “refuses vaccination”
Davethulhu (67c626) — 11/27/2021 @ 4:58 pmWhile I’m on Covid.
Spectrum health released an infographic on the efficacy of vaccines.
Over 90% of people hospitalized for Covid 19 are unvaccinated.
Over 90% of people in the ICU for Covid 19 are unvaccinated.
Over 90% of people on ventilators for Codie 19 are unvaccinated.
The vaccine works. Everyone discouraging it (regardless of what phrasing they use) is giving you bad advice. Unless they’re your doctor and have knowledge of your personal medical information.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/27/2021 @ 4:59 pmSeven From Anti-Vax Doctors’ COVID Conference Fall Sick Within Days
To hear the fringe doctors who gathered at an equine facility for the Florida COVID Summit earlier this month, ivermectin is as effective against the virus in humans as it is against worms in horses.
“I have been on ivermectin for 16 months, my wife and I,” Dr. Bruce Boros declared at the end of the meeting at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala. “I have never felt healthier in my life.”
Two days later, the 71-year-old cardiologist fell ill with COVID-19, according to the organizer of the one-day gathering and two other people with direct knowledge.
The organizer, Dr. John Littell, further reported to The Daily Beast that six others among the 800 to 900 participants had also tested positive or developed COVID symptoms “within days of the conference.”
………
Boros remained seriously ill at his Key West home, according to people who know him but who asked not to be identified. Boros himself did not respond to phone messages and emails.
However Boros is faring, there remains the question of why he became seriously ill in the first place if ivermectin is the wonder drug the anti-vaccine crowd claims it is, rather than primarily a treatment for parasites and head lice in humans, as well as a horse dewormer. He had been taking the drug since the summer of last year for what he described as a personal research project.
……..
…….. Boros has remained so convinced of the drug’s value that he put his 97-year-old father, Carl Arfa, on it along with himself. His father, sensibly, then decided to get something proven to work against COVID: the vaccine.
“He had been brainwashed,” Boros said at the summit. He recalled, “He got it. He didn’t tell me. I was very upset. I wanted to give him a spanking. He got both jabs.”
Arfa caught the virus, which officials say is still spreading because so many people refused to get the vaccine. …….. The father finally lost his fight with the virus five days later, hours before Boros attended the summit.
……..
(Boros) was so lost in untruth that he suggested the vaccine had actually contributed to his father’s death.
“We’re seeing astronomical numbers of deaths in people that have been vaccinated, particularly the older people,” he said.
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:01 pm……..
Another one got caught in moderation
will retype
Spectrum health released data showing that over 90% people in the hospital, ICU or on a ventilator in their health system because of Covid 19 i unvaccinated.
https://twitter.com/leonhendrix/status/1463631605440950273?s=21
Except for your doctor, anyone discouraging the vaccine (regardless of what phrasing they use) is giving you bad advice.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:02 pm@46, Republican leadership (especially those in the media) have been discouraging vaccination since 2020. Even those that push it play footsie with anti-vax sentiment. What do you expect?
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:04 pmDavethulu,
the “wonder” was rhetorical. But I’m not surprised by your response.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:05 pmTime123 (9f42ee) — 11/27/2021 @ 4:17 pm
Your link has 2 fairly bland quotes from Boebert and you’re thinking that makes her nuts? On the other hand we’ve got Tlaib wanting to shutdown federal prisons and release the inmates.
Those aren’t comparable at all. Q is a bogey man. It’s a bad dream that keeps lefties up at night. Tlaib and Omar are actually dangerous.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:06 pm#45 “Regarding Covid it’s important to consider not just what rules were put in place but also how readily people complied with the rules.”
Time123 – Agreed. And yes, it is complex and difficult to predict. Here’s my favorite example: Suppose one person infects two of his visiting friends, who then go back to their home states. Friend 1 gives the virus to one other person; friend 2 is a “super spreader”, and gives it to 10. That initial difference, due to chance, might last for weeks in the two states.
But, I repeat, we can see some patterns and, if we want to be rational we should act on them, while searching for more and better information — wherever we can find it. (That marketwatch article is a good example.)
And I think we can be at least 90 percent certain that the policies followed by, for example, Rick Scott in Vermont are better than the policies followed by Ron DeSantis in Florida. At least.
Would you agree?
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:06 pmTime123 (9f42ee) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:04 pm
Translation: I know R’s have encouraged vaccination but I’m going to read their mind and say they’re against it without giving any specifics because it’s obvious.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:12 pm“On the other hand we’ve got Tlaib wanting to shutdown federal prisons and release the inmates.”
Boebert wanted to overturn the election, she came closer to her objective than Tlaib has come to shutting down federal prisons.
Davethulhu (67c626) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:16 pmTime123,
I released your comment. It went to the spam folder, for some reason.
Dana (174549) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:24 pmhttps://amac.us/15-republican-governors-launch-operation-open-road-to-fix-supply-chain-snarl/
mg (8cbc69) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:30 pmThe Brandon administration needs to get out of the away.
The top 10 GOP presidential candidates for 2024, ranked
………
10. Mike Pompeo: Few have made their designs on potentially running for president as obvious as Trump’s former secretary of state and CIA director. …….. The big question with Pompeo is just how compelling he actually is as a candidate.
9. Greg Abbott: The Texas governor is one of two big-state governors, along with Florida’s Ron DeSantis, who have gone to great lengths to establish their Trump-era-conservative bona fides — as opposed to more traditionally conservative ones. ……..
8. Chris Christie: There is precious little evidence that the GOP will turn against Trumpism anytime soon; anybody betting on that taking place by 2024 had better get some extremely favorable odds. But if there’s one national player who could drive that message, it might be former New Jersey governor Christie, who has spoken out more and more against the president he so helped in 2016. ………
7. Donald Trump Jr.: If the elder Trump doesn’t run and the GOP base continues to place such a high premium on owning the libs over governing chops, virtually nobody else on this list has shown such an ability to give it what it wants.…….
6. Ted Cruz: Speaking of making owning-the-libs and trolling your organizing principle, Cruz has taken quite the turn this year. ……. The question as ever with Cruz is whether anyone really likes him enough, and whether the Trump base would ever trust him after what he pulled at the 2016 convention.
5. Mike Pence: Pence’s chances to be a post-Trump favorite for the nomination took a serious shot in January….. He’s still a former vice president, but one who could sure use the type of party-wide turning of the page that Christie needs.
4. Tim Scott: Almost nobody has flown beneath the radar, while also earning plaudits for memorable moments, as well as the senator from South Carolina. ……. The drawback here is that the spotlight can be harsh, and Scott doesn’t have as much experience with it.
3. Nikki Haley: Haley is the biggest enigma on this list. She has both demonstrated a striking ability to navigate tough political waters — think the Confederate flag controversy in South Carolina when she was governor — while also seeming to have no idea how she truly intends to proceed.…… There’s something to be said for trying to be all things to all people, sure; but it’s been gobsmacking………
2. Ron DeSantis: If there’s no Trump, and there’s a desire for a Trumpism-without-Trump (and without another Trump) candidate, DeSantis is that guy right now — and it’s not very close…….
1. Donald Trump: If he runs, he’s the overwhelming favorite, and most or all of the above don’t run against him, because what’s the point? A strong majority of Republicans want him to run again, and about half say they would support him from the start. …….
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:30 pmThanks Dana. I wonder why? Regardless I hope the people interested in American Made goods take a look at the link. Their hoodie really is nice.
Time123 (0ef19f) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:32 pmJim, most powerful predictor of getting very ill from Covid is whether or not you’re vaccinated, I hope people act on that.
Time123 (0ef19f) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:34 pmThis is not a “bland” quote from a sitting member of Congress:
Dana (174549) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:34 pmFrosty, she’s nuts. Omar is nuts. Tlaib is nuts MTG is nuts and we need fewer like them in Congress.
The GOP anti-vax stuff has been discussed here previously. Check out some of the posts Patterico wrote if you’re fuzzy on it. He did a pretty good job on it. I could repeat all of that but I doubt there are many persuadable people at this point.
Time123 (0ef19f) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:38 pmWell, we can certainly hope that QAnon does not become even more a source of violence. But this story is not encouraging:
To be sure, she hasn’t been consistent in what she wants “duck hunters” to do. At first she was calling for them to kill anyone vaccinating children; now she wants the vaccinators rounded up, arrested, and then executed.
(It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Putin’s people have helped spread QAnon theories, or that a few people have already tried to act on them.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:39 pmRIP
Pence has the longest shot. The true believers won’t forgive him for not helping steal the election.
Time123 (0ef19f) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:41 pmWanted? There was no way Boebert was anywhere near getting whatever wish she had. Fortunately, that’s in the past.
Tlaib on the other hand has a bill with a really catchy name because she’s not grifting on the death of Floyd or anything. Unfortunately, Tlaib still has time in front of her to accomplish her goals. And people willing to run interference for her.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:52 pmDana (174549) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:34 pm
How far down that Twitter feed do I need to go to get to the seditious comments?
frosty (f27e97) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:56 pm#60 time123 – Again, agreed. But there are still many, many Americans who are not vaccinated — including some of my relatives — and we need to do our best to protect them, too.
Megan McArdle has some practical suggestions for ways we could do better, including this one:
(Some, of course, will be shocked at the idea we could learn from other nations.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/27/2021 @ 6:06 pm“Wanted? There was no way Boebert was anywhere near getting whatever wish she had. Fortunately, that’s in the past.”
She voted to overturn the election results.
Meanwhile, in the almost year and a half since the idea of the “BREATE Act” was raised, it has still not even been introduced to congress.
Davethulhu (67c626) — 11/27/2021 @ 6:16 pmJim Miller (edcec1) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:39 pm
It wouldn’t be an open thread without some red-baiting
frosty (f27e97) — 11/27/2021 @ 6:17 pmThese “duck hunters” are “soldiers” of Romana Didulo—a Canadian woman who has convinced thousands of QAnon adherents that she’s the secret ruler of Canada
Romana Didulo? I’m telling you, again, comrades, QAnon just has to be a huge practical joke. It cannot be anything else.
nk (1d9030) — 11/27/2021 @ 6:21 pmI expected nothing less from you…
Dana (174549) — 11/27/2021 @ 6:23 pmRed-baiting? Or just recounting well-known facts:
frosty – If you think those conclusions are false, provide some evidence, with links so we can all examine it.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/27/2021 @ 6:28 pm#70 nk – According to the article, she has “over 70,000 followers on Telegram”. Let us suppose that 10 percent believe what she is saying, and that ten percent of those decide they should act on those beliefs. That still leaves 70 people who might start trying to arrest, or even kill, vaccinators.
That’s enough so that the FBI and the Canadian Mounties should not treat her followers as a “joke”.
Even though it sounds like one.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/27/2021 @ 6:37 pmMeanwhile, in the almost year and a half since the idea of the “BREATE Act” was raised, it has still not even been introduced to congress.
Davethulhu (67c626) — 11/27/2021 @ 6:16 pm
Probably because no society with an ounce of self-preservation left would be dumb enough to empty all of its prisons without declaring the beginning of the Road War. Particularly when it came from the poison pen of an America-despising Marxist like Tlaib.
Factory Working Orphan (490897) — 11/27/2021 @ 6:51 pmDr. Fauci didn’t want them to take effect sooner. They do not apply to U.S. citizens or permanent residents (unlike the case in the UK where they apply to everyone) but they do apply to airline flights.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/27/2021 @ 6:53 pmDana (174549) — 11/27/2021 @ 6:23 pm
I read far enough to get to Cenk Uygur’s take. So we’re doing the whole thing where unfavorable political rhetoric is (flips through list) seditious.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/27/2021 @ 7:01 pmThis New York Times article, “Covid Efforts Hindered By Cuomo, Doctor Says”, leads to two conclusions: That “mainstream” reporters were badly fooled by the former New York governor, and that Cuomo made mistakes that cost lives, and have some parallels with the mistakes Trump was making at the same time.
I think the Times (and other news organizations) should look hard at how and why they were fooled — and I think those who believed Cuomo — or Trump — should look hard at how and why they were fooled.
(I assume the article is behind their paywall, but haven’t checked. It’s in the November 23rd issue, which you should be able to find in almost any library.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/27/2021 @ 7:16 pmJim Miller (edcec1) — 11/27/2021 @ 6:28 pm
Why would I disagree with you? That’d be like disagreeing with Adam Schiff when he said he had direct evidence regarding Russia.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/27/2021 @ 7:19 pmhttps://nypost.com/2021/11/27/omicron-variant-symptoms-unusual-but-mild-says-south-african-doctor/
That’s good PR in more ways than one for Xi. Natural viruses, as opposed to lab-grown bioweapons, do tend to mutate down.
nk (1d9030) — 11/27/2021 @ 7:29 pm@77 the times wasn’t fooled by cuomo, Jim Miller
cuomo developed a metoo problem, making all the interference the times ran for him on covid suddenly pointless
JF (5d04c8) — 11/27/2021 @ 7:37 pm#78 Or disagreeing with the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report, produced by a committee chaired by Republicans Richard Burr and Marco Rubio.
(Would someone kind person find the Monty Python “black knight” sketch for frosty?)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/27/2021 @ 7:40 pmLara Trump claims rising turkey prices is part of a left-wing plot to destroy Thanksgiving
…….
Trump appeared on Fox News’ “Hannity” show on Wednesday to talk about inflation. Other guests blamed the Biden administration for rising prices, and pointed to “the left.”
Trump noted the rising costs of many items, and pointed to turkey prices as part of a plot to “transform” the US.
She said: “So it might seem a little funny and a little ridiculous. ‘Oh, don’t have a turkey, then people won’t come over.’ Last year, remember, they didn’t want us to get together, so I guess we’re lucky they’re letting us have Thanksgiving this year.”
……..
“At really, the core of this, they want to divide Americans up,” she said.
She continued: “They don’t want us to have any common ground. They don’t want us to have any shared traditions like Thanksgiving.”
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/27/2021 @ 7:42 pm………
Video at link.
#80 JF – May I suggest you review Hanlon’s razor?
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/27/2021 @ 7:46 pmJM @77-
Apparently the NYT changed the article title (unpaywalled):
Doctor Who Swabbed Cuomo Describes a Health Department in Shambles
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/27/2021 @ 7:48 pm#84 Rip – Thanks. As you probably noticed, the replacement headline doesn’t blame Cuomo. I would say that, unless the body has been changed substantially, the new headline is less accurate.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/27/2021 @ 7:54 pm@82 yeah Rip, there’s no left wing plot to get rid of thanksgiving
she’s so crazy, she probably thinks there’s a left wing plot to get rid of columbus day
putin’s trolls have obviously gotten to her
JF (5d04c8) — 11/27/2021 @ 8:03 pmhttps://twitter.com/macfarlanenews?s=21
Scott MacFarlane has been doing some good reporting the Jan 6 cases for anyone that’s interested.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/27/2021 @ 8:04 pmPence has the longest shot. The true believers won’t forgive him for not helping steal the election.
Time123 (0ef19f) — 11/27/2021 @ 5:41 pm
I would say #9 and #2 are the only ones that have a chance if #1 doesn’t run. The rest would never have a chance in today’s Republican primary. The article gave honorable mentions to Rick Scott, Kristi L. Noem, Josh Hawley, Glenn Youngkin, Liz Cheney, Larry Hogan, and Tom Cotton, none of which have a national following.
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/27/2021 @ 8:15 pmAnti-vax Wayne County Republican is in ICU with COVID-19
………
William Hartmann, former vice-chairman of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers, has been on a ventilator since about Nov. 6, according to his sister Elizabeth Hartmann.
……..
Hartmann, who refused to certify the county’s election in November 2020 after Joe Biden won, downplayed the coronavirus in a February 2020 Facebook post and questioned “all the hullabaloo in the media about” COVID-19. He suggested it was “about the money.”
In the months since then, he has criticized the vaccine and compared government COVID-19 efforts to Nazi Germany.
……..
It’s unclear whether Hartmann is vaccinated, and in a recent Facebook post he falsely suggested it was a violation of his First and Fifth Amendment rights to be forced to divulge his vaccination status.
………
……… As of last week, Michigan leads the nation in COVID-19 cases.
Of the 1,423 COVID-19 hospitalizations between Oct. 7 and Nov. 5, 72% are unvaccinated residents, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. During the same time period, 76% of the 622 people who died have from COVID-19 were unvaccinated.
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/27/2021 @ 8:23 pm……….
Sad .
There absolutely is a left wing plot to get rid of Thanksgiving but that doesn’t mean that higher turkey prices as a left wing tactic to accomplish that goal is not turkey fodder mouthed by a turkey for turkeys.
nk (1d9030) — 11/27/2021 @ 8:32 pm@89 Rip, no covid update on kristy swanson?
we never saw a euphoric update from you, so i guess she pulled through
JF (5d04c8) — 11/27/2021 @ 8:33 pmCert. Denied In Challenge To Oregon’s Limits On Parochial Schools
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/27/2021 @ 8:36 pmThe U.S, Supreme Court …….denied review in Horizon Christian School v. Brown, (Docket No. 21-567, certiorari denied 11/15/2021). In the case, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in an Aug. 2 opinion (full text) affirmed the denial of a preliminary injunction against Oregon’s previous COVID-19 restrictions on in-person schooling. The suit was brought by parents of students who attend religious schools. ……
@89 Rip, no covid update on kristy swanson? ……
It’s been only 3 weeks since she was reported to be hospitalized with COVID, (I had to look her up who she was, not a fan of Buffy) so there is still time. …..
Seriously, I am not euphoric over anti-vax politicians or others who contract COVID, I consider it an avoidable tragedy. Vaccines may not prevent contracting the virus, but they can certainly reduce the need for hospitalization.
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/27/2021 @ 8:46 pmSupreme Court halts citizen-led grand juries to probe governor
The New Mexico Supreme Court has granted Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s request to halt at least three attempts to convene citizen-led grand juries for the purpose of investigating the governor’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
………
New Mexico is one of just a few states that allows for citizen grand jury proceedings, which under the state Constitution require a certain number of voter signatures be provided in order for a judge to convene such a grand jury.
………
The Supreme Court’s ruling to put the petitions for citizen-led grand juries on ice came the same week the court sided with a bipartisan group of legislators who challenged Lujan Grisham’s authority to unilaterally spend roughly $1.7 billion in federal relief funds.
Before that ruling, the state’s highest court had upheld the legality of Lujan Grisham’s pandemic-related actions in several other cases over the past two years, including a challenge over barring indoor restaurant dining.
………
In addition, the alleged crimes of “malfeasance in office, misfeasance in office, violation of oath of office and maladministration” are not backed up by evidence or supported by previous court rulings, the Governor’s Office argued.
“While the citizens filing the petitions may disagree with the governor’s approach to the pandemic, none of these allegations even remotely demonstrate that she has committed any crime,” (governor’s general counsel Holly) Agajanian said in the court filing. “To the contrary, every court that has heard a challenge to the governor’s pandemic response has upheld the measures as constitutional and proper.”
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/27/2021 @ 8:58 pm……….
@93 you were fascinated with buffy when she had covid, but forgot about her only cuz she recovered
Sad.
JF (5d04c8) — 11/27/2021 @ 9:00 pmhttps://thehill.com/hilltv/what-americas-thinking/583018-poll-harris-michelle-obama-lead-for-2024-if-biden-doesnt-run
Since we are posting polls about prospective presidential candidates, here’s who the left is favoring:
Sounds so appetizing, doesn’t it.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/27/2021 @ 9:18 pm“I would say #9 and #2 are the only ones that have a chance if #1 doesn’t run.”
I think Haley has positioned herself in the fertile middle where she’s not burned her Trumpista bridges while also not fully prostrating herself before the orange calf. She’s not knee-deep in Covid mask/unmask politics like #9 and #2….which probably makes her a bit more saleable to the nation at large and broader media. She has governor bona fides….got some UN international experience….and still has time to craft an engaging, coherent, right-of-center message. I suspect she will need either #9 or #2 on the ticket…..as I doubt a Mike Lee or a Ben Sasse draw enough enthusiasm and neither secures key battleground states or constituencies (Haley/DeSantis would even likely win over the cynical Dispatch crowd). It’s still a longshot for her to build viability in the Trump apocalypse….and I see no reason why the Donald would go gently into the night….absent a Big Mac Heart Attack….or the takeoff of Trump TV and the grift rising to new stratospheric heights. I still eagerly, though naively, wait for the pulse of the real GOP to restart and overtake the current walking dead cadaver…and actually push for something better than Trump. I hear embers starting to crackle….but it’s still too early to make much of it yet….I’m counting on people wanting new drama and not just re-runs of All in the Trump Family….hey, I can dream….
AJ_Liberty (3cb02f) — 11/27/2021 @ 9:39 pm@58.
10. Mike Pompeo: The significant weight loss suggests either an illness or a run for something. But not POTUS.
9. Greg Abbott: Bush killed any chance of a Texan as POTUS for the next 20 years. Can’t even keep the heat and lights on there.
8. Chris Christie: A health hazard. And there’s enough audio and video of this guy barking at New Jerseyites, BS-ing over Bridgegate and such- plus he had a chance to grab the brass ring a few cycles ago- and passed declaring he ‘wasn’t ready.’ Not any more ready now. And Trump knew how to use him and ice him out. No second chances.
7. Donald Trump Jr.: JFK Jr., who wasn’t much brighter, has a better chance– and he’s dead. No way.
6. Ted Cruz: Not a chance times 10 to the 23rd power. Aside from nobody liking him, he’s “a man whose allegiance is ruled by expedience.” Ask his wife and father. Or the bellhops in Cancun.
5. Mike Pence: A glass of water has a better chance.
4. Tim Scott: Potential- but a box already checked. A woman POTUS comes next.
3. Nikki Haley: She’s my gal. A smart filly who knows how to read the pack and when to break out and lead a run for the roses– and it’s not early on or in the first or second turn. She’s a good $2 bet for the #2 spot.
2. Ron DeSantis: Already Trump-Lite; too much press; way too soon. The media will tire of him before he actually tries a run. But he’ll angle for the #2 spot if The Donald launches.
1. Donald Trump: The showman will run. His best campaigners without even announcing so far: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Best piece of luck so far- Twitter cutting him off.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 11/27/2021 @ 11:19 pmNonetheless, it is reasonably clear by now that states that followed better policies have — on the average — had better outcomes, so far.
No, it is not. Not at all. It seems almost random. Post hoc, ergo procter hoc is a fallacy.
New Mexico did everything “right” on the Fauci scale, yet has had poor results because a sizable part of the population is the sovereign Navajo nation and they did not listen.
Alaska did very well even though not one person in Alaska gives a damn about what the government thinks. But being snowed in all winter slows the spread.
Divine the relationships you want, but it’s like finding canals on Mars.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/27/2021 @ 11:59 pmI like those space pens, Jim Miller. Thanks.
mg (8cbc69) — 11/28/2021 @ 2:21 amKevin, what did you think of The data from the market watch link?
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/28/2021 @ 2:22 amhttps://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2021/11/who_nu.html
The Indian Princess – what a great line.
mg (8cbc69) — 11/28/2021 @ 2:26 amhttps://redstate.com/scotthounsell/2021/11/27/people-are-still-trying-to-cancel-dave-chappelle-like-he-cares-n482656
mg (8cbc69) — 11/28/2021 @ 3:05 amAmerica at its best.
Dave/2024
https://townhall.com/columnists/derekhunter/2021/11/28/just-the-worst-people-n2599726
mg (8cbc69) — 11/28/2021 @ 3:08 amAmen.
1. Thomas Sowell
mg (8cbc69) — 11/28/2021 @ 3:10 am2. Clarence Thomas
3. Dave
that is all
The real question is, have all of the intelligence agencies affirmed it?
You’d have more luck with the Russia stuff if a) it wasn’t overused and b) the people pushing it weren’t so obviously ignoring anything China was doing. You’d have any luck with the qanon stuff if it wasn’t something that only comes up as a deflection.
We have to avoid Xi as a variant name because we can’t offend China but Russia is backing a dangerous conspiracy theory I only ever hear about when NeverTrump complains about it. That checks out and is something I’m really worried about.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/28/2021 @ 5:24 am7. Donald Trump Jr.: JFK Jr., who wasn’t much brighter, has a better chance– and he’s dead. No way
Not according to Qanon.
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/28/2021 @ 5:48 amRe: Darling Nikki:
She has flipped flopped like a dying fish so many times regarding Donald Trump that even he recognizes it.
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/28/2021 @ 6:02 amIn addition the most rabid MAGAWorld supporters don’t like Darling Nikki for replacing the SC flag and criticizing Trump. A sample.
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/28/2021 @ 6:17 amShorter frosty: “no, I have no response to the senate report.”
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/28/2021 @ 6:23 amThere was someone who had a name that was almost “Google”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Googie_Withers
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/28/2021 @ 6:49 am“She has flipped flopped like a dying fish”
Look at Trump’s approval ratings among the GOP and his continued unquestioned media support. Which of Trump’s fiercest critics has any nationwide traction? Liz Cheney will have a hard time keeping her seat, let alone mounting a plausible nationwide insurgency. Because you want Haley to be a consistent and an unambiguous critic….doesn’t mean that that is the wisest political decision….especially three years out. If the choice is Trump, a Trump wanna-be, someone who has at least sounded critical at times, or a fierce critic with zero support from the base….I think I know which direction seems the most promising. Yes, she’s too deferential…at this point…but the only other plausible option….again at this point….is to splinter off a 3rd party to siphon off 5% of the vote from Trump and assure another DEM term in the White House. That seems Pyrrhic. This is like turning a huge oil tanker….the steering movements will need to be small and patient. Haley would be a move in the right direction. She could appeal to Trump supporters who in the back of their minds want to avoid 4 more years of narcissistic drama. It’s early….step one is to survive the purge….
AJ_Liberty (3cb02f) — 11/28/2021 @ 6:51 amShe (Haley) could appeal to Trump supporters who in the back of their minds want to avoid 4 more years of narcissistic drama.
Those voters are few and far between. For the typical Trump rally goer “ narcissistic drama” is a feature, not a bug. They thrive on Trump adulation.
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/28/2021 @ 6:59 amShorter Time123: you’re a liar show me the evidence, is shown the evidence, wash rinse repeat, is shown more evidence, has no response.
If you believe that qanon is a big deal I think that’s just more evidence that it’s a media tool to deflect and distract.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/28/2021 @ 7:01 amQAnon Hero Michael Flynn Secretly Said QAnon Is ‘Total Nonsense’
Ya think?
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/28/2021 @ 7:09 amAJ, the reasons you list Haley as a good choice are reasons she’ll struggle in the primary.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/28/2021 @ 7:16 amFrosty, my response was that people could judge your evidence for themselves. I didn’t think it needed additional explanation.
Jim wasn’t talking about Qanon. Did you have a point to make about that?
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/28/2021 @ 7:19 am@115, you mean the people pushing that deranged conspiracy theory are knowingly conning MAGA rubes?!? What a shock. Next you’ll tell me they know their claims about Trump really winning the election are lies.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/28/2021 @ 7:21 am105, you might have to convince male Dana from the other Commonwealth, who insists on white property owning males for the highest office in land…and does justice Thomas even have a permanent address given his love of the RV life?
urbanleftbehind (8355ba) — 11/28/2021 @ 7:41 amTo be clear, I’m not saying all MAGA supporters are Rubes, but the subset sending money to Q adherents like Flynn are.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/28/2021 @ 7:47 amThey’re just realizing that about QAnon? I always thought it was a way to get good seats for a clear shot
urbanleftbehind (8355ba) — 11/28/2021 @ 7:47 amTime123 (9f42ee) — 11/28/2021 @ 7:21 am
Next I’ll be telling you again that BLM, and their enablers, know their claims are lies.
Jim made a comment about qanon and you’re claiming he wasn’t talking about qanon? I think I explained my point and you helped me make it.
You should stick with trying to convince us that the SUV that drove itself through a parade had nothing to do with BLM. I think there might be some people eager to agree with you.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/28/2021 @ 7:48 amHere’s another clothing brand that makes their cotton products in the United States. Their shirts run a little small.
https://www.allamericanclothing.com/pages/about-us
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/28/2021 @ 7:48 amI replied to you comment @106, which was in reply to Jin’s comment at 7:40 about the senate report on Russian interference. Does that clear the context up for you?
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/28/2021 @ 7:52 am“Those voters are few and far between”
I’m not so sure. I know enough Trump supporters and most detest the tweets and his ham-handedness. They like the combative attitude and message….and that’s why I don’t think Haley can or should go full anti-Trump. She’s setting up the following framing: he [Trump] can run if he wants, but I’m the better candidate…because I won’t make his mistakes….with the implication being that those mistakes caused him to lose to Joe Biden…..and then lose the Senate. Trump’s high negatives will always make him a risky candidate….will the GOP faithful countenance another existential loss?
AJ_Liberty (3cb02f) — 11/28/2021 @ 8:14 ammg – I should mention something I just learned about Fisher’s space pens: They vary their offerings to meet seasonal demand. So, right now, for instance, they are selling pens with dreidels and menorahs. In a week or so, I expect they will have more Christmas pens, and next May or June, graduation pens, and so on.
(And if you have a young relative who isn’t as good as he ought to be at writing thank-you letters, you could include some stationery with the pen. Think about that carefully, before you do it, of course.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/28/2021 @ 8:20 amFor those more interested in this subject than I am, here’s Lawfare’s extensive discussion of the report, “A Collusion Reading Diary: What Did the Senate Intelligence Committee Find?”
Tiny sample from the conclusion:
Reminder: There is a reason WikiLeaks is nicknamed “Russoleaks”. And it isn’t because they publish anything that would damage “Czar” Putin.
(For the record: I am far more interested in what “Czar” Putin and his gang are doing to undermine the United States now, than what happened in the 2016 campaign.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/28/2021 @ 8:38 amCan Haley both keep 90%+ of the base AND flip “her people”, which for sake of argument I’ll define as subcontinent Asian (not yellow, not MENA) from roughly 75 D/25 R in the 2020 election to 80 R/20 D? Thats probably the only number that might matter to the national GOP.
urbanleftbehind (c073c9) — 11/28/2021 @ 8:44 amNancy Mace says that people should get Covid instead of a vaccine because “natural immunity” is better.
IOW, getting Covid will immunize you from the dangers of … Covid. Which isn’t really that bad, but you should try to get the superior “natural” immunity instead of the inferior pharmaceutical immunity because … you really don’t want to get Covid?
Has anybody figured out the logic of the “natural immunity is better anyway” crowd? Do they think it’s more of an all-purpose immunity against any more dangerous variants? Like the ones that some people think the Democrats will release every October just to influence elections?
Radegunda (0d2e22) — 11/28/2021 @ 8:50 amCanuckistan has its own version of Lizzie Warren.
She didn’t try to pull a Rachel Dolezal and say that she identifies as a Native American.
Paul Montagu (5de684) — 11/28/2021 @ 8:54 amNot really. I think the chain is:
@106 -> @81 -> @78 -> @72 -> @69 -> @63
@63 is Jim commenting on qanon. Why are you claiming Jim wasn’t talking about qanon?
frosty (f27e97) — 11/28/2021 @ 9:00 amWhile I am mentioning presents, I should add that most serious American adults could find a book they like by John McWhorter.
I have two of his books, “Losing the Race” and “Our Magnificent Bastard Language”, and learned from both. The first may be a bit dated, but I see he has come back to the subject in more recent books.
(Why do I link to Barnes and Noble, rather than Amazon? When Amazon banned “When Harry Becomes Sally”, I stopped buying books from Bezos and company. And immediately bought a copy of the book from Barnes and Noble.
McWhorter is an interesting man.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/28/2021 @ 9:02 am83 to 106 seemed like a switch to Russia. But, maybe I was mistaken. Carry on with your Qanon stuff.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/28/2021 @ 9:08 am#130 Paul – I have been mulling over this thought recently: When I was young, someone “passing” was almost always a light-skinned black person deciding to pose as white. Now, judging only by the cases that become public, the reverse seems more common: whites posing as blacks or Native Americans.
(Going from white to black was so unusual back then, that it was the subject of a famous book. I seem to recall reading parts of it.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/28/2021 @ 9:14 amThat’s good news. I’m looking forward to a deep analysis of how the Russians are controlling the mid-terms and 2024. That’s a never ending gift.
Luckily Biden and his crack team are on it. I heard he gave the task to KH. So we’re safe.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/28/2021 @ 9:14 amThis story from NC is a good example of how a good policy idea; increased transparency on police use of force, gets turned into a bad idea in execution.
It orders the creation of a database but not only restricts it from public access it forbids agency that want to provide access to their information from doing so.
Sunlight is the best disinfectant and while there is some good in NC actions it’s very limited and could have been much much better.
Time123 (0ef19f) — 11/28/2021 @ 9:21 am#129 Radegunda – Two possibilities: First, Mace may be one of those people who think “natural” is always better than artificial. Second, Mace may be one of those people who look for ways to oppose the policies of Biden and company. The two possibilities aren’t exclusive, of course.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/28/2021 @ 9:30 am#135 “I heard he gave the task to KH.” More evidence that you shouldn’t believe everything you hear. Actually, he gave the most difficult part of the task to Republican Kim Wyman.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/28/2021 @ 9:35 am129,
In my experience, family members who believe natural immunity is better also believe that Covid is just the flu with a different name. And that even after having gotten Covid-and with pretty bad symptoms! Go figure. It seems to be politically driven as every one of them are Trump supporters. Also, they believe that *everything* Biden does is going to be bad/wrong/destructive/evil. They shun Covid vaccines because they claim they are not fully approved by the FDA. And yet they think monoclonal antibodies treatment is the greatest thing since sliced bread even though it’s being used only on an emergency-use basis.
As for Mace, she is plai
Dana (174549) — 11/28/2021 @ 9:59 amI had to look her up who she was, not a fan of Buffy
She was a fake Buffy. No one is a fan of that Buffy.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/28/2021 @ 10:06 amWe have to avoid Xi as a variant name because we can’t offend China but Russia is backing a dangerous conspiracy theory I only ever hear about when NeverTrump complains about it. That checks out and is something I’m really worried about.
If “Don” was a Greek letter we would have used it. Probably twice.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/28/2021 @ 10:08 amTime123 (9f42ee) — 11/28/2021 @ 9:08 am
So, let’s summarize; you, jim, and ‘thulhu wanted to talk about qanon. That didn’t work out like you wanted. You think jim tried the ol’ jim miller bait and switch. I didn’t go for it. You’re confused and upset. Now it’s something I wanted to talk about. That about the long and short of it?
frosty (939a75) — 11/28/2021 @ 10:26 amInteresting book:
Counter Wokecraft: A Field Manual for Combatting the Woke in the University and Beyond
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/28/2021 @ 10:30 amIt’s not that QAnon is a bogeyman — it is — but that some public officials seem to wrap themselves in that kind of nonsense. This gives the bogeyman life.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/28/2021 @ 10:33 am9. Greg Abbott: Bush killed any chance of a Texan as POTUS for the next 20 years. Can’t even keep the heat and lights on there.
Bush is looking better every day.
BTW, what happens if Trump cannot run (dead, ill, or in prison)?
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/28/2021 @ 10:37 amSens. Baldwin and Johnson: Outside Groups Attempting to Exploit Tragedy in Waukesha Must Cease and Desist; Respect Local Authorities
On Saturday, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) issued the following statement:
It has come to our attention that outside individuals or groups may attempt to exploit the tragedy that occurred last Sunday in Waukesha for their own political purposes. As the U.S. Senators representing Wisconsin, one from each political party, we are asking anyone considering such action to cease and desist.
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/28/2021 @ 10:43 am……….
We ask everyone to demonstrate their interest and concern by praying for the victims, their families, and the entire community of Waukesha……..
########
Bipartisanship at its best.
Kevin @ 144, that’s an excellent observation.
Time123 (0ef19f) — 11/28/2021 @ 10:44 amBTW, what happens if Trump cannot run (dead, ill, or in prison)?
Don Jr., baby!
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/28/2021 @ 10:44 amFrosty, neither confused nor upset. You just haven’t had anything to say about Qanon in the last however many comments that I felt like responding to. Did I miss a comment from you that had new information like Daves link to the Flynn tape? Or a novel insight into the subject like Kevins?
Time123 (0ef19f) — 11/28/2021 @ 10:50 amWe’ve had the D variant. I’m expecting the Tau variant soon.
frosty (d96384) — 11/28/2021 @ 11:15 am“Being Republican” is the top predictor of “refuses vaccination”
True only if the question is limited to politics.
Over all, the top predictor is African-American followed by Hispanic
steveg (e81d76) — 11/28/2021 @ 11:31 amThis map uses the Columbia data model which has been the most accurate so far (according to mathematica)
https://columbia.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=ade6ba85450c4325a12a5b9c09ba796c
Here is another site where you can look up restaurant closures by state.
https://statepolicies.com/data/graphs/closures-reopening/?st=CA&racial=0&cd=deaths
If I look at FLA first, I go “ha!. look at that spike when they reopened everything” true the nation as a whole spiked that time period, but FLA was huge.
But if I go to CA, I notice that CA had a huge spike earlier than FLA even with everything shut down and masked up.
Death rate per 100,000 by state is a great measure of deaths per 100,000 by state.
Population make up by race, age etc need to be factored in.
Florida has 21% of its people being over 65. CA is at 15%
Florida has 17% African American (a very vaccine relectant population) CA 6%
DeSantis and Abbott clearly decided that opening up was important to the overall health of the 99%
“Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida’s visitation from July to September 2021 exceeded 2019’s visitation over the same period for the first time since 2020.”
““Without mandates or lockdowns, COVID-19 cases in Florida have decreased 90% since August,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “In addition to cases, hospitalizations have plummeted in our state. This has been accomplished by making monoclonal antibody treatments and vaccines widely available throughout our state while protecting Floridians from government overreach.””
Newsom decided to put the 1% above the 99%. CA has less deaths per 100,000 but also screwed up the Asian supply chain into the USA, murder up, suicide up, theft up, business closing up, people needing financial assistance up, elderly cut off from grandchildren up, quality of life down, inflation up, homelessness up
steveg (e81d76) — 11/28/2021 @ 12:38 pmDon Jr., baby!
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/28/2021 @ 12:39 pmEvitaIvanka!“True only if the question is limited to politics.
Over all, the top predictor is African-American followed by Hispanic”
If you look at the chart within the link I posted, you’ll see that this isn’t true.
“Hispanic Adults” have a vaccination rate of 73%, and a refusal rate of 9%
“Black Adults” have a vaccination rate of 70% and a refusal rate of 11%
“Republicans” have a vaccination rate of 58% and a refusal rate of 23%
The interesting statistic to me was “Uninsured under 65” which has a vaccination rate of 54%
Davethulhu (67c626) — 11/28/2021 @ 12:42 pmIdle calculation:
Let’s say that the California high-speed rail project actually is completed from LA to SF. Optimistically, the final cost is “only” $100 billion. How long before the cost is recovered?
1. Assume that a one-way ticket costs $100 over the cost of operation, or a net income of $100/seat/trip. This brings the project cost down to 1 billion one-way tickets.
2. Assume that each train has 1 thousand seats and that they are all filled each trip with paying customers. This brings the cost down to 1 million train-trips.
3. Assume that there are 50 trips each way every day. This means that it will take 10,000 days to recover the cost. 10,000 days are about 28 years.
But wait. This also means that the project will have about 3% ROI each year, which is not enough to pay the INTEREST on the project cost.
So, with wildly optimistic assumptions (100,000 paying passengers a day and no empty seats), the project will NEVER EVER make a dent on the expended capital.
The actual results will be more like 100 times as bad (5 trips each way per day with many seats unfilled on smaller trains).
A monument to the hubris on one man.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/28/2021 @ 12:48 pmThanks, Jim Miller. My oldest daughter will love these pens. And the stationery.
mg (8cbc69) — 11/28/2021 @ 12:53 pmKevin M (ab1c11) — 11/28/2021 @ 12:48 pm
It’s impressive to watch money just wasted. I was having a similar conversation as this with a friend about different things going on in China but the math kept getting in the way.
I was also trying to explain the idea of needing more 20 and 30 yo. That was a little easier, me: soon they’ll need more people in this age demo, them: that’s easy they’ll just tell people to have more babies, me: it’ll still take them 20 years to come online and they’ll need them a lot sooner.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/28/2021 @ 1:24 pmhttps://dailycaller.com/2021/11/28/enes-kanter-changes-last-name-freedom-us-citizen-nba-china/
mg (8cbc69) — 11/28/2021 @ 1:28 pmLove his moves
Mike Lindell Blames a Vast GOP Conspiracy for His Supreme Court Failure
MyPillow chief and 2020 dead-ender Mike Lindell has long promised that he would file an election-fraud complaint with the Supreme Court on Tuesday morning. But now he claims to have missed that goal because he was silenced by Republican National Committee Chairperson Ronna McDaniel.
……..
“How dare the RNC try and stop this case from getting to the Supreme Court. Shame on you, RNC! You are worse than Fox [News] now!” he stated, referencing his claims that the cable giant has silenced him. “You can’t tell me why Ronna McDaniel, the head of the RNC, made a statement saying Biden won three days before this Supreme Court complaint was supposed to go to the Supreme Court.”
“What about the timing of that, America!” he continued. “Why would she say that at that moment in time? She didn’t have to say that. What, is she trying to get more donor money? Is she trying to get donor money from Democrats? She is as RINO as they come!” McDaniel did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment.
…….
“We do have a copy of the complaint,” which Lindell said he would simply release to the public on Thanksgiving Day if it ends up not being filed due to a lack of signatures. “Worst-case scenario, let’s say, a lot of them want to delay signing it,” he added, under the impression his fervent supporters would then mount local pressure campaigns against their own state attorneys general after seeing the contents of his filing.
………
And reached for comment by The Daily Beast about his non-existent Supreme Court filing and why it hasn’t been made public, the pillow mogul fumed.
“Are you out of your mind?” Lindell shouted. “You call me again, I am suing you!”
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/28/2021 @ 2:06 pm##########
Lindell’s complaint.
“6. Ted Cruz: Not a chance times 10 to the 23rd power. Aside from nobody liking him, he’s “a man whose allegiance is ruled by expedience.” Ask his wife and father. Or the bellhops in Cancun.”
On the other hand, have you considered… this: https://i.imgur.com/a9SeX1P.jpg
Davethulhu (67c626) — 11/28/2021 @ 2:13 pm@145. Bush is looking better every day.
Until he opens his mouth, Kev:
George W. Bush’s dreadful 9/11 speech
https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/george-w-bushs-dreadful-9-180000692.html
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 11/28/2021 @ 2:21 pmBTW, what happens if Trump cannot run (dead, ill, or in prison)?
And what happens if Biden cannot run (dead, ill, or incapacitated)?
Putin smiles, of course.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 11/28/2021 @ 2:41 pm#161 It’s funny, DCSCA, I can remember when I respected Byron York.
It is sad to see how York has changed.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/28/2021 @ 2:55 pmI think Lindell believes the crazy stuff he says, but there’s a chance that all this is to help his defense in the Dominion defamation case.
Time123 (0ef19f) — 11/28/2021 @ 2:57 pmdavethulhu
Your response “If you look at the chart within the link I posted, you’ll see that this isn’t true.”
I read the chart at the link. Your link is to a poll that is at odds with the CDC. As of 11-24-2021
CDC says 73% of fully vaccinated people have reported their race and ethnicity
https://usafacts.org/visualizations/covid-vaccine-tracker-states/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ND-COVID-Vaccine&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7oyNBhDiARIsADtGRZaa_1ETt6ZgknTAqY8qlAkysD7DwNaC0Va9VfpakD-ktDxHRfb8C8AaAjQTEALw_wcB
The CDC numbers still have fully vaxxed reporting African Americans at under 40%
But this poll has those numbers jumping to 70%?
Not saying you personally are off, but something is and in my mind the poll is off. I base that thought on the 27% who are fully vaxxed but decline to state race not being a big enough sample to move the needle to 70% vax rate amongst African Americans claimed by KFF poll
steveg (e81d76) — 11/28/2021 @ 3:30 pm#145 – Kevin, the latest poll I could find in a quick search on George W. Bush is this one from 2018:
I predict that he will go still higher, as Biden continues to fumble. And as Trump’s legal troubles get more and more coverage.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/28/2021 @ 3:43 pmOne difference is that KFF measures as a percent of the adult population and CDC measures as a percent of the entire population.
Paul Montagu (5de684) — 11/28/2021 @ 3:50 pmThe difference in vaccination rates may be due to missing data, as this Washington Post article suggests.
They first give a table of state (and territories) with an overall vaccination rate of 59.1 percent.
Paging down, you will find their estimates for different ethnic groups:
(Emphasis added.)
And the highest level for any group is 42 percent (!) for Native Americans and Alaskan Natives, and Hispanics.
Because of that missing data, for now polls probably give us a more accurate way to compare vaccination rates between groups, than CDC numbers
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/28/2021 @ 4:01 pmMarilyn vos Savant says that fear of needles may be scaring people away from vaccinations. She says up to 25 percent of people have that fear — and the TV news programs have been showing injections, endlessly, often with people wincing.
(From today’s “Parade” supplement.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/28/2021 @ 4:24 pm155. Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/28/2021 @ 12:48 pm
You’re not taking into account inflation.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/28/2021 @ 4:30 pm@163. It’s the country that has changed, Jim. The wisest thing Dubya can do for his rep is keep his mouth shut rather than open it up for critique– “and remove all doubt.”
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 11/28/2021 @ 4:35 pm“The CDC numbers still have fully vaxxed reporting African Americans at under 40%
But this poll has those numbers jumping to 70%?
Not saying you personally are off, but something is and in my mind the poll is off. I base that thought on the 27% who are fully vaxxed but decline to state race not being a big enough sample to move the needle to 70% vax rate amongst African Americans claimed by KFF poll”
Fair enough. I wasn’t aware of the big difference between this and the CDC numbers.
Davethulhu (67c626) — 11/28/2021 @ 4:38 pmThis page has been up, with only minor changes. for at least four and a half years, according to the Internet archive.
It was unrealistic then, and is getting more unreal.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/death-spiral-for-cars-by-2030-you-probably-wont-own-one-93626
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/28/2021 @ 4:41 pmJim Miller @77. Governor Andrew Cuomo was evidently making decisions for reasons which he wished to keep secret. Further I cannot say, except that he was lying many times when he gave reasons. Like why not discharge nursing home residents from hospitals to the USS Comfort or the Javits Center, which were almost not being used, instead of ordering them readmitted without the nursing homes being ermitted to do any prior testing. Cuomo said that was because such use was not par of the agreement with the federal government. But he could change the agreement! And in fact did.
And he said the nursing homes were required to be able to take care of them, and if they needed help they could ask. Which may have been true.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/28/2021 @ 4:56 pm“This morning I was briefed by my chief medical advisor, Dr. Tony Fauci, and the members of our COVID response team, about the Omicron variant, which is spreading through Southern Africa…”
Endle$$ booster$; perpetual control.
“Wait, that’s good, that’s good, I like that… There’s always some joker who thinks he’s immune. What I need is something so scary it’ll clear three hundred square miles of every living Christian soul.” – “Wild Bill” [Warren Kemmerling] ‘Close Encounters Of The Third Kind’ 1977
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 11/28/2021 @ 5:00 pmDavethulhu – You may want to take a look at the WaPo numbers I pointed to #168
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/28/2021 @ 5:09 pm“Davethulhu – You may want to take a look at the WaPo numbers I pointed to #168”
Yes, I appreciate that link, I just didn’t want steveg to think I was being dismissive.
Davethulhu (67c626) — 11/28/2021 @ 5:35 pm“And what happens if Biden cannot run…”
Odds are against it….Democrats know that….they also know Harris is not especially likable. They lack a deep (much of any) pool of interesting governors…..Cuomo had a clear path (prior to Covid), but we all know how that went….they also lack a truly dynamic speaker who can at minimum play the role…maybe a Deval Patrick or Cory Booker but if they had IT, I think we would have seen them take off in 2020. Last cycle we saw the final field….and it was geriatric and frightening. It’s problematic when Bloomberg looks to be the most engaging. Maybe they dust off Klobuchar…..though she might not be an optimal opponent if Trump gets the nod. God help us, but you almost have to go the route of a billionaire business person…..Mark Cuban, Oprah? Don’t get me wrong…I’m not at all advocating for THAT…but honestly, only the nuts in Congress get any attention and there’s no governor who is especially popular. It’s really the pit of politics right now…..and we did it (BOTH sides) to ourselves. Putin is an SoB, but he’s just nudging our own pitiable path….
AJ_Liberty (ec7f74) — 11/28/2021 @ 5:45 pmAJ – I know how you feel. I thought that John Hickenlooper was one of the best available Democrats (moderate, science degree, a variety of executive experience) in 2020, but the Democratic voters obviously disagreed.
It is odd, to me anyway, how little Democratic voters have cared about executive experience in recent elections — when choosing a candidate for the toughest executive position in the world.
(He does have one odd defect, for a politician, ‘prosopagnosia, commonly known as “face blindness”‘.)
I doubt whether he would be interested, but Jim Mattis would be an attractive choice on the Republican side.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/28/2021 @ 6:05 pmSo the shambolic audit of the 2020 election in Maricopa county may be over without finding a single fraudulent vote (seriously, over 2 million votes cast and they found none?!?) but there still seems to be some drama. The AZ senate is claiming Cyber Ninja is in breach of contract for not turning over documentation.
In addition the CEO of Cyber Ninja is claiming to be over 2 million in debt for the cost of the audit.
People looking for a pretext to steal elections aren’t going to pay for fraudulent audits that don’t further the goals so I doubt he’ll get more work.
Can’t really say I have a ton of pity for the guy. Mostly because people who get 2million in debt usually seem to end up OK but also because his statements last year made him seem like a conspiracy theorist who helped tear down faith in our democracy with claims made from ignorance, lies, and errors.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/28/2021 @ 6:08 pmSammy – Some of Cuomo’s behavior can be explained, according to the article, by his rivalry with Bill de Blasio. You would have a better idea than I do how big a part that might play.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/28/2021 @ 6:11 pmMcConaughey just punked out.
urbanleftbehind (472c7f) — 11/28/2021 @ 6:21 pmI wonder if Republican voters these days have much more respect for executive experience. Besides seeing the whole “establishment” as a force of evil, they have a tendency to trash “knowledge and experience” as worthless because look how many mistakes have been made by people with knowledge and experience! So let’s go with “instinct” and the “fighter” who hates all the right people.
Radegunda (31b17e) — 11/28/2021 @ 6:32 pm#183 Radegunda – I tend to agree with you — and I hope we both are wrong.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/28/2021 @ 7:03 pmYou’re not taking into account inflation.
No, because that doesn’t really help as the cost of borrowed money goes up, too. At some point, it is all borrowed.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/28/2021 @ 7:14 pmIt was unrealistic then, and is getting more unreal.
Eventually they’ll pass a law that says no one can own a car, if that’s what they have to do to make inevitability happen.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/28/2021 @ 7:16 pmI believe that we can end Covid by sacrificing politicians into Mauna Loa. Who’s with me?
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/28/2021 @ 7:18 pmAntibody titers before and after booster doses of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in healthy adults
Abstract:
Two-dose messenger RNA vaccines (BNT162b2/Pfizer and mRNA-1273/Moderna) against SARS-CoV-2 were rolled out in the US in December 2020, and provide protection against hospitalization and death from COVID-19 for at least six months. Breakthrough infections have increased with waning immunity and the spread of the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant in summer 2021, prompting approval of boosters for all adults over 18. We measured anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) IgG and surrogate virus neutralization of the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and the human angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) receptor, before and after boosters in N=33 healthy adults.
We document large antibody responses 6-10 days after booster, with antibody levels that exceed levels documented after natural infection with COVID- 19, after two doses of vaccine, or after both natural infection and vaccination. Surrogate neutralization of B.1.617.2 is high but reduced in comparison with wild-type SARS-CoV-2. These data support the use of boosters to prevent breakthrough infections and suggest that antibody-mediated immunity may last longer than after the second vaccine dose.
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/28/2021 @ 8:08 pm“Rittenhouse Should Pay for his Crimes”: ASU Students Demand the Expulsion of Kyle Rittenhouse
………
Students groups like MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán), Students for Socialism, Students for Justice in Palestine and the Multicultural Solidarity Coalition are organizing a rally this week to “get murderer Kyle Rittenhouse off [the] campus.” He is not on campus since he is enrolled as an online student. However, Rittenhouse has expressed interest in in-person attendance at ASU. Students and faculty are being called to the rally to “protect students from a violent, blood-thirsty murderer.”
In addition, ASU student Taskina Bhuiya started a Change.org petition to denounce the verdict and to call for Rittenhouse to be “held accountable for the crimes he has committed.” Without a sense of irony, the petition declares “ASU should be a safe and inclusive place for all students, which will be disrupted if Kyle Rittenhouse is allowed to attend this school.” Inclusive unless you are an acquitted individual who must be “held accountable.” Hundreds have signed the petition insisting that “Rittenhouse should pay for his crimes.”
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/28/2021 @ 8:16 pm………
The fact is that Rittenhouse cannot be expelled or kept off campus due to such mob measures. He would quickly prevail in court. However, the rally and the rhetoric magnify the risk to his safety by those who demand “accountability” regardless of any verdict.
……….
Rittenhouse has every right to attend ASU in person and has every right to expect that he can do so safely. If ASU cannot muster the integrity and courage to reaffirm those rights publicly, it has abandoned a core defining element for higher education. Colleges often sit in cringing silence as individual students are targeted and harassed. Students have every right to protest, but ASU must be clear and public in supporting Rittenhouse’s right to access to an education on its campuses.
#########
“protect students from a violent, blood-thirsty murderer.”
There are limits to how you can libel a public person.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/28/2021 @ 9:39 pmhttps://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/kevindowneyjr/2021/11/23/ax-wielding-antifa-member-attacks-gop-senators-office-dems-give-him-money-fbi-returns-ax-n1535869
Antifa terrorist attacks with an ax.
What is going on here.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 11/28/2021 @ 9:41 pm@188: Trump got vaccinated after recovering from Covid, and has had a booster since. I think we can rely on Trump’s self-interest here. If he thought it was a bad idea (for himself) he wouldn’t do it. He just wants other people to die, so that their deaths will make Biden look bad.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/28/2021 @ 9:42 pmExchange futures prices are up overnight.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/28/2021 @ 9:43 pm“I thought that John Hickenlooper was one of the best available Democrats”
Yeah, me too. My understanding is that he’s a bit low-energy….and moderate…opposes socialism….and talked down the senate job he now fills. He’s probably an odd fit for where the DEMs are these days. They want someone who…like Trump…..want to luxuriate on our differences and engage in the “necessary” existential ideological battles.
But I fear like Mitch Daniels….former governor….now university president….smart and creative guys are just not good fits for the process. The job seems like 95% BS to get 5% of worthwhile stuff accomplished…maybe 5%. Oh and by the way, people will try to trash you 100% of the time. I’m not sure that a guy like Hickenlooper will ever do what the hired guns tell him is necessary….like Daniels, it’s just not in his personality. It would be nice to get back to a place where Hickenlooper would get more attention than a Schumer, an AOC, or the next liberal bomb thrower.
It’s a shame that a moderate governor with some business sense that has interest in working across the aisle loses out to Warren, Bernie, Biden, and Bloomberg…..decisively. But it’s where we’re at….I’m sure the DEMs muse the same about John Kasich on our side….
AJ_Liberty (3cb02f) — 11/28/2021 @ 9:47 pmIs every Downey a Junior? Leaving aside that
“axman Paul Bunyan” did not give you a hint that what we have is the maunderings of a profoundly unserious person spreading Babe’s droppings? Paul Bunyan: Axman! Cripes!
nk (1d9030) — 11/29/2021 @ 1:46 amAnd since we’re already there … I agree with Kevin. Sarah Michelle Gellar is the real Buffy. Man, the way that girl could stick a stake in Dracula and then hang around and have a conversation with his dust sent shivers up my spine like Tyler Perry in a muumuu never will.
nk (1d9030) — 11/29/2021 @ 2:00 amCome and get my butter knife.
mg (8cbc69) — 11/29/2021 @ 3:00 amThe gop will screw up the 2022 elections by following the chamber of commerce playbook. As if the last 6 years never happened.
mg (8cbc69) — 11/29/2021 @ 3:11 amThe go along hackerama will continue as planned.
@190, Kevin, do you think those were statements of fact? I imagine they were hyperbole, overheated rhetoric. But he was found not guilty, the college should let him attend and defend his right to do so unmolested by other students with political motivation.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/29/2021 @ 5:09 amRip Murdock (125f65) — 11/28/2021 @ 8:08 pm
It would be nice if someone in the media could explain how giving a booster will help against a new variant. It’s the old vaccine and your body has already seen that. Taking a closer look at this article
isn’t saying anything about an antibody response to a new variant.
It’s also unclear how
works. Your body can make the antibodies or it can’t.
Just having a lot of antibodies doesn’t help you if they don’t recognize the variant you’ve got.
I would suggest that the reduction in immunity is caused by variants and sub-variants, ie changes in the virus.
A lot of this language presumes that any vaccine is better than no vaccine. If that were true any flu vaccine would work against all flu variants or any vaccine would work against any virus. What this really sounds like is the idea that any immune response is better than none so “priming the pump” is the best way to be prepared.
I’m also wondering why we’re not talking about new variants of the vaccine. The mRNA tech was supposed to allow for new vaccines for variants to be developed quickly.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/29/2021 @ 5:25 amTime123 (9f42ee) — 11/29/2021 @ 5:09 am
I believe the people making the statements believed them but that isn’t a material element. A defense for defamation is that the statements are true. The problem is using murder instead of kill. It would be a true statement that he’s a killer. Their statement is false on its face. The bloodthirsty part might get a pass as opinion but I wouldn’t bet on it.
Hopefully he sues the ever mother loving pants off those organizations. These groups need to be run into the ground just like the Kx3.
The school should shut them down for making terroristic threats. And expel the students responsible for making the threats.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/29/2021 @ 5:47 amI also suspect the travel ban for omicron is too little to late.
I know several people who have the same symptoms as associated with omicron. They’ve been tested for the flu and covid with the usual test. Both negative, which isn’t a surprise for omicron.
We should have a better testing system in the US and we should be doing more sequencing.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/29/2021 @ 6:03 amStudents groups like MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán),
urbanleftbehind (c073c9) — 11/29/2021 @ 6:13 amDumbasses, don’t change his mind and harden his stances on other issues and have him “going to Rocky Point” every weekend- in addition to Latinos not being particularly oppressed (behind Hmong, Blacks and Natives in the intersectional bingo) in the dairy state or Lake Co IL, KR used to be a big Andrew Yang fanboy prior to his brush with fame.
@201, i doubt he’ll sue them for defamation so we’ll likely never get a ruling. Either way, I think people are allowed to believe a jury made the wrong decision and say so. Calling someone like KR (or OJ Simpson) a murderer isn’t necessarily defamation. “Murder” has a legal meaning, but I don’t think most people who use the term rhetorically are saying “I am aware of of the specific legal requirements for murder in the relevant jurisdiction and assert that the facts show this person meets those legal requirements.” I think most people who use the term are speaking colloquially and mean “so and so killed someone and they shouldn’t have”.
The fact that they described him as a ‘bloodthirsty’ murderer makes me more inclined to think they’re engaging in rhetoric and making factual assertions.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/29/2021 @ 6:31 am194.
What is Bloomberg doing lumped together with all these others.
Yes, he’s drunk the Kool Aid on climate change and some other things, but he’s not anti-police and probably has some business sense.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/29/2021 @ 6:32 am@203, on Tucker Carlson he said he supports BLM and made a point that he felt his race and the financial support he received helped him. But I doubt the people who feel he’s a threat are paying much attention to the details.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/29/2021 @ 6:34 amIf the kid wants a normal life, he needs to change his name and lay low. And he still may be doomed to be doxxed. Woke culture is a really awful thing.
Appalled (1a17de) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:14 amThey’ve been tested for the flu and covid with the usual test. Both negative, which isn’t a surprise for omicron.
There’s a virus called RSV that causes a URI that lasts several weeks, and can lead to pneumonia.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:20 amIs It Defamatory to Call Kyle Rittenhouse — or Anyone Acquitted of Murder — a “Murderer”?
False factual allegations about someone may well be libelous, but opinions are not. Is saying “Kyle Rittenhouse is a murderer” or “O.J. Simpson is a murderer” a factual assertion or a statement of opinion?
It depends on whether the statement is reasonably understood as (1) implying that the speaker knows undisclosed, unpublicized facts that implicate the target (potentially actionable), or (2) expressing the speaker’s opinion about the facts that had been publicly discussed (not actionable). For instance, consider two more detailed statements:
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:28 am………
OJ. As in Simpson. The criminal jury did not find him guilty of murder beyond a reasonable doubt but the civil jury did by a preponderance of the evidence. (Double entendre intended.) A suit for defamation is a can of worms the kid should not want to open. He already has trouble enough.
But it warms the cockles of my heart on this drab and wintry Chicago morning to see so many comrades carry so much of the world on their tireless shoulders. From “concern” over the effectiveness of vaccines, that they do nothing other than denigrate on any other day, against the Omicron virus, to what sentence an ax-wielding vandal received, to what some fringe student groups at some cow college have to say about Kyle Rittenhouse.
nk (1d9030) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:28 amStudents groups like MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán), Students for Socialism, Students for Justice in Palestine and the Multicultural Solidarity Coalition are organizing a rally this week to “get murderer Kyle Rittenhouse off [the] campus.” He is not on campus since he is enrolled as an online student. However, Rittenhouse has expressed interest in in-person attendance at ASU. Students and faculty are being called to the rally to “protect students from a violent, blood-thirsty murderer.”
Back when I went to school there around 20 years ago, the “whiteness studies” garbage was making its way through the social science and liberal arts curriculums. I knew it was going to continue causing issues in the years to come because it was still considered a relatively “new” academic lens (even though the ideological underpinnings had been around for 30 years prior, and Peggy McIntosh had published her poisonous “white privilege” essay about ten years prior) that was ripe for the cultural Marxists in academia to make hay from.
Most of these race-obsessed hammerheads were considered niche groups at the time, but now they certainly feel emboldened enough that they can harass white people and even Senators while they’re taking a leak without serious repercussions. This is the inevitable result of coddling and enabling the entitlement of the Juicebox generation, thinking “Oh, don’t worry, they’ll wake up once they reach the real world,” instead of shutting them down and telling them “no” for the first time in their lives.
Factory Working Orphan (2775f0) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:28 amBut it warms the cockles of my heart on this drab and wintry Chicago morning to see so many comrades carry so much of the world on their tireless shoulders. From “concern” over the effectiveness of vaccines, that they do nothing other than denigrate on any other day, against the Omicron virus, to what sentence an ax-wielding vandal received, to what some fringe student groups at some cow college have to say about Kyle Rittenhouse.
nk (1d9030) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:28 am
If there’s a comment that epitomizes how Trump was able to snatch the GOP out of the hands of the neocons, this one certainly is in the running for top honors.
Factory Working Orphan (2775f0) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:32 amSeveral things get conflated here. I think a few are being done on purpose.
I’ve never heard anyone say
This is usually given as a strawman. There is a version of this I’ve heard that is put in terms of relative risk but that is a little different. Usually when people talk about natural immunity they are talking about already having had the virus and not needing a vaccine or a booster on top of that.
Another thing that gets conflated is what it means to be better.
The purpose of the vaccine is to give your body a head start against a pathogen that the vaccine was designed against. It is “better” against the specific markers it was designed against.
In the case of natural immunity the body needs time to identify a pathogen and then respond. A person’s immune system may not be able to respond fast enough. However, if it does the body had access to the entire virus and should create a set of antibodies that is larger than that created by the vaccine. That set should allow the immune system to identify mutations across a more diverse set or markers. Natural immunity should be “better” across variants.
In the case of a person that has never had COVID the original vaccine would give them protection against the alpha variant. It will provide less protection as the variants mutate away from the markers the vaccine was designed against.
Once a person is exposed to any variant their body should develop a more diverse response. This is true even if they’ve had the vaccine.
So, the vaccine should be expected to give a better response to a specific variant but the natural response should be better generally. This also ignores the complexity of an individuals immune response, not to mention the response of large groups.
So, people who say they should get one instead of the other because one is better than the other are playing a little of apples and oranges. This applies to both sides.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:35 am@210 weather underground alum kathy boudin was convicted of murder
academia was so repulsed, they made her professor at columbia
i guess she murdered the right people (cops)
her son is continuing the family tradition
JF (e1156d) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:37 amfrosty (f27e97) — 11/29/2021 @ 5:25 am
A person usually has multiple antibodies, but the body produces a lot of what works – it is different in every person, because antibodies are churned out more or less at random, and the body will zero in on what works. That’s one argument for the booster – that there will be a greater variety of antibodies after that.
There are actually many mutations that occur but only a few seem to be linked to greater transmisaibility, or more serious disease = faster acting infections (I think they probably have to be the same things) or greater resistance to antibodies.
They only watch for certain specific mutations. When some specific mutation or collection of mutations seems to be becoming more common, they announce a new variant.
Experience seems to show that immunity to the Wuhan variant (which is still the target of all vaccines even though the Wuhan variant has practically disappeared or been overwhelmed) carries over pretty well to all the other possible variants.
This is because the virus, or even the spike protein alone is well over 95% the same – there are some 3,900 nucleotides in the spike protein and less than two or three dozen mutations – maybe more with time. The virus changes a little all the time, and that’s how you can get a history. There are approximately 30,000 nucleotides in all.
A mutation may be more significant for a PCR test. The standard PCR test doesn’t completely work fr omicron (and that’s how they could do a quick and dirty test because the PCR test looks for two things and the one for the spike protein doesn’t work for omicron – maybe also delta. But listen, that would require too much boldness on the part of the CDC and others.
Mutations are most significant for the monoclonal antibodies because they target only one or two antigens.
Maybe not for the spread of the disease. A real infection produces antibodies that reside in the nose – the vaccine basically does not. I need to figure this out. It could be that mass vaccination may be better at preventing transmission of mild cases to unvaccinated persons than at preventing serious ones, but I am not sure why that might be. It could be that fewer hospitalizaions leads to relaxation of precautions. I need more facts.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:40 amrosty:
It does, it does, it does, but the FDA still has the same rules. The hope is that it will eventually approve the idea of quickly churning put vaccines. They were ready to do that with Delta but it is I think still in clinical trials. They could have one ready to go with Omicron in less than 100 days if they were allowed to – and they could create samples for testing in less than tow weeks, if that. But they can’t legally do what Dr. Leonard McCoy did in Star Trek.
And nobody discusses that the obstacles re not at all scientific or even ethical.
Maybe we should be glad things were sped up in 2020 as much as they were.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:42 amSo, let’s say fifty years from now, a Rittenhouse could be the Kenosha County District Attorney? America! What a country!
nk (1d9030) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:46 amAh, the smell of a passive-aggressive quote in the morning. It doesn’t smell so much like victory as it does a freshly fertilized field.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:47 amOh, they could have that for flu. They could have had it years ago. All they have to do is target the part of the virus that can’t change without losing the ability to infect people. That;s what they did for Covid.
But the process to get a vaccine approved is very, very long and expensive, so we still are using the old type of flu vaccines.
And they don’t need to use eggs either.
That’s too much, because viruses infect different types of cells.
But the antivirals should work against any virus. because it targets something every virus does.
They also should cause birth defects or maybe other kinds of problems, but for flu – and there is an anti-viral available for flu – you’d only take it for a short period of time.
Priming the pump is actually good too. And can be done by a completely unrelated vaccine. hat;s true.
t can also, though, exacerbate an auto-immune disease, and this may explain the impression some people have had that a vaccine caused autism in a particular child. (but you can’t sue over that, at least not for a big payday, so the lawyers had to lie and invent a false modality.) In a similar way, juvenile or “brittle” diabetes (now known as Type I diabetes) may be triggered by an infection or a vaccine, but the true cause was feeding the infant cow’s milk before the age of 6 months, combined with just the right genes because the antibodies the body tries out first or most are affected by inheritance..
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:58 amAh, the smell of a passive-aggressive quote in the morning. It doesn’t smell so much like victory as it does a freshly fertilized field.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:47 am
The sad part about his swipe at ASU is that it started as a teacher’s college, not an A&M school, and has a student population equal to some mid-size suburbs. It’s actually one of the biggest public universities in the nation.
I guess when you have MAGA-hatted goons walking around his city at all hours beating up innocent gay black men over a Subway sandwich, it’s easy to indulge in a bit of urbanite provincialism.
Factory Working Orphan (2775f0) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:58 amOne overlooked drawback of getting the vaccine is if someone gets infected just when or just before receiving the vaccine. The body will have more work to do and might do a less good job of fighting Covid. I would guess the tipping point is if someone was infected at least 4 or 5 days after getting the vaccine. Nobody wants to discuss such thoughts even though they should be obvious. There’s alot they are playing down
And they want to totally disregard previous infection as determined by antibodies.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/31/opinion/vaccine-disinformation-new-york-city.html
What a word: misunderstanding. I;d like to know more about that. It was almost certainly not a misunderstanding. They knew that the medical decisions they were making were different than the public health dogma.
The excuse for disregarding antibody status is that nobody has set what the minimum dose to avoid a vaccine should be and there’s no reason to do a test f you will do nothing different depending on the result.
Also that it seems one shot of a vaccine is the equivalent of a booster (but a second shot in the standard time frame is worthless. )
And then also the vaccines confer such strong immunity that a lower level of immunity is quite god.
The antibodies to the virus are different from those to the vaccine since the vaccine infects someone only with the spike protein.
The vaccine is, as a result of infecting cells with something that causes them to produce only the spike protein but not an entire virus, self-limiting. Except for the possibility of creating an autoimmune response, which may actually have nothing to do with what the body is exposed to – (although maybe in some cases it can, but only if the virus also would.)
But it may have to do with stimulating the immune system in general. That can exacerbate Parkinson’s disease and some other things, but it may be inevitable anyway sooner or later.
The vaccine can also sometimes cure Long Covid. Or it can make it worse. There are not going to be any studies soon showing that.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:58 amfrosty:
Under the standards you have been imposing on your sparring partner, Time123, you might be engaging in misinformation. You say in your #213:
Dennis Prager:
https://www.mediamatters.org/dennis-prager/dennis-prager-announces-he-has-covid-19-while-ranting-against-vaccines-and-declaring
I know you are aware of the Prager quote because we wrangled about it a number of threads ago.
So…misinformation, or mistake? What do you cop to?
Appalled (1a17de) — 11/29/2021 @ 7:59 amTo warm the cockles of one’s heart is an idiom not a quote:
nk (1d9030) — 11/29/2021 @ 8:10 amRIP Lee Elder (87).
Rip Murdock (125f65) — 11/29/2021 @ 8:18 amI’d go with mistake. I wasn’t thinking about Prager when I made the comment. This is one example of a person who was wrong about “instead of” and would fall into my
part of the comment.
See how easy that was? No need to double down. No need to weasel around trying to redefine words. No need to keep repeating something after you’ve seen shown, or in this case reminded, of a counter-example.
With respect to what you’ve put in bold; I don’t think Prager negates that. Part of my comment was overbroad but so is the strawman I’m referring to. And there are several things being conflated. Some I think are on purpose.
frosty (f27e97) — 11/29/2021 @ 8:25 amWhen most men think of ASU, cows are about the least likely thing you associate with that university.
urbanleftbehind (c073c9) — 11/29/2021 @ 8:29 amDefinition of cow college
nk (1d9030) — 11/29/2021 @ 8:49 am1 : a college that specializes in agriculture.
2 : a provincial college or university that lacks culture, sophistication, and tradition.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cow%20college
Do you think these standards are unreasonable? Am I expecting to much? If “I’m” “imposing” them do you think I shouldn’t?
frosty (f27e97) — 11/29/2021 @ 9:04 am@frosty: the saying goes: Never say never. Change that to “rarely” heard “of”
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/29/2021 @ 9:24 am“
A ‘Simpsons’ Episode Lampooned Chinese Censorship. In Hong Kong, It Vanished.
……..
……..[I]n season 16, the archive skips directly from episode 11 to episode 13, omitting episode 12, “Goo Goo Gai Pan,” in which the Simpson family travels to Beijing.
There, they visit the embalmed body of Mao Zedong, whom Homer Simpson calls “a little angel that killed 50 million people.” In another scene, the family passes through Tiananmen Square, where a plaque says “On this site, in 1989, nothing happened” — a jab at the Chinese government’s attempts to suppress public memory of the massacre, in which the army opened fire on students and other pro-democracy protesters.
…….
It was not clear whether Disney chose to omit the “Simpsons” episode, which first aired in 2005, or was asked to do so by government regulators. Disney did not respond to an inquiry, and Hong Kong’s communications authority declined to comment. But the bureau of commerce and economic development said in a statement that the film censorship ordinance applies only to movies, not streaming services.
That suggests that Disney pre-emptively censored itself, said Grace Leung, an expert in media regulation at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
…….
Still, she acknowledged that any potential loss in Hong Kong would most likely be far offset by the benefits of appeasing the mainland authorities. “The population is not so big,” she said of the city. “They are ready to sacrifice Hong Kong’s market.”
Disney, and Hollywood more broadly, have made no secret of their appetite for the enormous mainland Chinese market. Disney in particular has frequently drawn criticism for its perceived willingness to make capitulations in order to reach it.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/29/2021 @ 9:43 am……..
The troals of Jussie Smolett (in Chicago) and Ghislaine Maxwell (in New York) are set to begin today.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/29/2021 @ 10:02 amto what some fringe student groups at some cow college have to say about Kyle Rittenhouse.
I suspect he’d get a full scholarship at USC.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/29/2021 @ 10:09 amThis omission of an episode of the Simpsons happened only now, when the streaming service was made available in Hong Kong, and the Chinese authorities probably probably were not even aware of it being in the archive. It got discovered because Disney skipped a number only in Hong Kong.
Something like that might not even have been made after about 2014.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/29/2021 @ 10:13 amfrosty (228):
I have no problem hitting somebody when they have made an error. (Having done that on this thread, how could I have a problem with it?) Accusing a specific person of peddling misinformation is a different kettle of fish. I think that’s an accusation of bad faith, right up there with just saying somebody is a liar. You may not see it that way, but, judging from Time’s reaction, he did.
Appalled (1a17de) — 11/29/2021 @ 10:32 am#230 Rip – Thanks for that find. If my quick search was right, Amazon will sell you that Simpson’s China episode for $1.99. (That may be the Prime price.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/29/2021 @ 10:41 amYou’ve been around for the history. The mistake had already been pointed out and it was ignored. Do you have another word that would fit what was going on? At what point does something go from a mistake to something else and what is that something else?
frosty (f27e97) — 11/29/2021 @ 11:00 amhttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-35398932 (January 26,2016)
Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 11/29/2021 @ 11:11 amAppalled, i appreciate your comment, but beyond entertainment value I feel like you’re wasting your time. Once Frosty specified which of my comments he was basing his assertion on I was satisfied that a good faith reading of what I wrote showed his characterization was dishonest without any additional explanations for me.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/29/2021 @ 11:51 amBoth president Joe Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci called the new variant “omnicron”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIbyIlECexc
It’s an unfamiliar Greek letter. Omni is a somewhat common particle.
Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 11/29/2021 @ 12:13 pmhttps://www.kxan.com/news/its-omicron-not-omnicron-covid-variants-spelling-doesnt-have-two-ns
Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 11/29/2021 @ 12:22 pm“Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
Good advice for all of us.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/29/2021 @ 12:28 pmSpeaking of trials, the Ghislaine Maxwell trail has started today. I haven’t kept up with every media story on her or it but from what I know she’s been very credible accused of utterly horrific abuses of young girls.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/opening-statements-ghislaine-maxwell-sex-abuse-case-set-begin-2021-11-29/
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/29/2021 @ 12:43 pmMy “assertion”? You didn’t have any trouble calling it a lie even though I gave you the evidence that my comment was true. And that didn’t seem to stop you from giving additional explanations. Why are you waffling now?
Appalled, still wondering if you’ve got another word that fits? You ok with Time123 saying something that was false, being made aware of the false claim, still making the claim, and also claiming that a good faith reading would show that me saying it was not true is itself a lie?
frosty (f27e97) — 11/29/2021 @ 12:51 pmFrosty, your comment was dishonest. I neither posted misinformation across multiple threads nor did I participate in a propaganda campaign. Anyone who is curious can go and see for themselves what comments of mine you feel justify the lie and make their own decision.
https://patterico.com/2021/11/23/occupy-democrats-car-plows-into-group-of-rittenhouse-protestors11/#comment-2560584
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/29/2021 @ 1:02 pmTime123 (9f42ee) — 11/29/2021 @ 1:02 pm
Everything I said was an honest statement of what I believed and it is also correct to the best of my knowledge. It may be incorrect, and you’ve done nothing to show that, but it’s not dishonest.
As best as I can tell you are trying to say you didn’t intend to say things that weren’t true and you didn’t intend to participate in propaganda.
If you are trying to do that then ok. I’m not accusing you of intending to do those things. I believe you believed what you were saying was true. What I also believe is that you have problems with your biases.
The fact remains; what you said was not true (you’ve acknowledged that), it was propaganda (I’m not sure what your claim is here), you had reason to know it wasn’t true and correct yourself (you’ve acknowledged that), you chose not to for your own reasons (you’ve acknowledged that).
frosty (f27e97) — 11/29/2021 @ 1:43 pm@245 this is not an accurate summation.
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/29/2021 @ 1:45 pmWorth Study: Kristofer Harrison’s meet-the-texas-secessionist-movement-brought-to-you-by-russia.
Sample:
There’s much more.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/29/2021 @ 2:06 pmI feel like
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/29/2021 @ 1:02 pm
Time123 (9f42ee) — 11/29/2021 @ 1:45 pm
seem to undermine
frosty (f27e97) — 11/29/2021 @ 2:08 pm“I represent science!” – Anthony Fauci, bureaucrat, 11/28/21
This sounds like something the Pope would have said to Galileo in 1632.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 11/29/2021 @ 2:17 pm#230 Rip – Thanks for that find. If my quick search was right, Amazon will sell you that Simpson’s China episode for $1.99. (That may be the Prime price.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 11/29/2021 @ 10:41 am
Except in China or Hong Kong, I bet.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 11/29/2021 @ 2:18 pmhttps://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/11/front-cover-1129.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=864
=sigh=
IDIOT.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 11/29/2021 @ 3:10 pmhttps://www.wsj.com/articles/the-omicron-non-emergency-joe-biden-south-africa-kathy-hochul-11638225480?mod=djm_dailydiscvrtst
I’m not sure that;s what characterizes mild cases. Maybe that is what stands out when nothing worse is there.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/30/2021 @ 6:44 amBlood clots in the brain, water in the lungs, and enlarged heart are nothing to sneeze at, Sammy. If it does not cause those, like the original did, it is milder by a mile.
nk (1d9030) — 11/30/2021 @ 7:06 amWhere did omicron come from?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/omicron-mutations-alarm-scientists-but-new-variant-first-must-prove-it-can-outcompete-delta/ar-AARhgqb
I really would like to see consideration of the “It was engineered” possibility, if only to show how it wasn’t.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/30/2021 @ 11:17 amwater in the lungs
Necrosis in the lungs is a problem, too.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/30/2021 @ 11:18 amQuestion: Assuming that a small change in the vaccines can handle omicron, what level of testing is needed before the revised version can be used?
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/30/2021 @ 11:22 amSo the socialist totalitarian groups in ASU got Rittenhouse kicked out.
I hope he goes after them and the school for defaming him.
NJRob (0ee5a5) — 11/30/2021 @ 12:09 pm239. 240. Rudolph Giuliani als called in omnicrpn on the radio show on WABC today. He claims he knows what disease Biden has. He also said hat every person he sent to Dr. Zelenko is still alive (most people would be anyway, and Dr, Zelenko himself said he needed to catch it early)
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/30/2021 @ 12:31 pmOmnicron was what Giuliani called it (instead of Omicron) but that typo is obvious. That Greek letter must just not commonly appear anywhere else. It’s not alpha or beta or even gamma, epsilon, kappa or or sigma.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/30/2021 @ 12:34 pmnk@253.
I don’t know because a lot is left out of news stories, although you can fill in some gaps from other reading.
The interesting thing is that blood clots are a symptom both of the virus and of the vaccine *to a lesser degree) which means they are caused by the immune system.
Thare’s a drug (or you can call it a nutrient) to lower the risk of blood clots Vitamin D or maybe Vitamin K.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7891480
https://www.pharmaca.com/projectwellness/what-do-we-know-about-vitamin-k-and-covid-19/
Water in the lungs always comes about because something in general is not working right.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/30/2021 @ 12:49 pmThe interesting thing is that blood clots are a symptom both of the virus and of the vaccine (to a lesser degree)
Like 5 orders of magnitude “lesser”. It’s like comparing drowning in a tidal wave to drowning in a punch bowl.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/30/2021 @ 1:04 pmhttps://www.krqe.com/health/coronavirus/scientist-who-helped-identify-omicron-its-more-of-a-frankenstein-than-others
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/28/health/covid-omicron-vaccines-immunity.html
What this really means is that you shouldn’t worry too much about the ineffectiveness of the vasccines.
The explanation of Frankenstein mix is that Covid can undergo only so many mutations that matter, and most of them are familiar by now. Someone called it a Frankenstein monster because it has many of them.
But they should know what each of them do. You can make very good educated guesses.
That’s right. The vaccines based on the Wuhan flu are not less effective, but they may work less well in a random subset of people. Getting a booster may cause the immune system to this time target something that is present in both the Wuhan flu and Omicron if it hasn’t before.
6 out of hundreds. But they go into a semi-panic. They say maybe
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/30/2021 @ 1:06 pmDepends on the age group and sex Kevin
NJRob (86afa3) — 11/30/2021 @ 1:06 pmDepends on the age group and sex Kevin
Indeed. Outside of “young women” it’s 10 orders of magnitude.
Kevin M (ab1c11) — 11/30/2021 @ 1:50 pmhttps://www.krqe.com/health/coronavirus/regeneron-says-its-antibody-treatment-may-be-less-effective-against-omicron
Now this is nonsense.
There are only two targets in the Regeneron cocktail.
A mutation that changes the target is either there or it’s not. And it’s been sequenced, so researches know.
Eli Lilly at one time no longer worked but it was changed.
It’s coming back:
https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/once-sidelined-eli-lilly-s-covid-19-antibody-treatment-comeback-trail-supply-agreement-u-s
There is also Glaxo Smith Kline.)
Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 11/30/2021 @ 4:25 pmI said that thwe worst mistake was keeping visitors out of nursing homes, because it permitted everything else.
It seems now to be recognized as wrong but is not acknowledged as a mistake.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/27/health/coronavirus-nursing-homes.html
Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 11/30/2021 @ 4:32 pmNo, they did not.
nk (1d9030) — 11/30/2021 @ 4:33 pmCpvid infections are rising but some of the staff is unvaccinated. Isolation from family permitted epidemics.
Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 11/30/2021 @ 4:33 pmOr about high school graduation, I think. The courses award no credit, I believe.
Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 11/30/2021 @ 4:35 pmRoss Douthat’s medical story – 3 columns
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/23/opinion/lyme-disease-chronic-illness.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/30/opinion/lyme-disease-science.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/06/opinion/lyme-disease-medicine.html
It’s still a medical mystery. There are probably only wrong theories.
Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 11/30/2021 @ 4:43 pmThe original cause was probably lyme disease – then it was the immune system.
Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 11/30/2021 @ 4:44 pmI assume that Rittenhouse was what they called an irregular student in my day. Not on a degree track, just taking courses for the sake of the subject alone. Some of those courses could be transferred should he be admitted as a regular student on track for a Bachelor’s. It depends on the course. Navajo Basket Weaving probably would be applied to the Social Sciences requirement, and Archery to the general electives. Remedial level courses are usually not given credit towards the degree requirements.
nk (1d9030) — 11/30/2021 @ 4:49 pmThe knowledge gained, if he gained knowledge, could help him pass tests for credit, or just prepare him for a for credit course. But he probably didn’t do too well in that online course, and he doesn’t need it now as an argument for a lower sentence. He sounds like he’ll maybe now try something else. (he spoke abut switching to law)
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 11/30/2021 @ 5:51 pmhttps://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2021/12/the_vaccine_failure.html
mg (8cbc69) — 12/1/2021 @ 3:07 amoh my!
mg @ 274.
Most masks are not particularly good – at least at totally preventing any infection, but some, not commonly worn by the public, are much better than others, and it also matters how long they are worn and how far away from an infected person, and not all infected people are known. You also have to contend with fake high quality masks from China.
There is no contradiction between CDC Director Rachel Walensky saying that masks can help prevent the spread of COVID or flu or common cold by reducing your chance of infection by 80%, and studies that show no such thing happening in the real world while a pandemic is raging and there are multiple possible sources of infection.
Places having the most people vaccinated having the highest case rates could be caused by the presence of Covid causing vaccinations and testing of asymptomatic people and not by vaccinations causing Covid, which is close to absurd, although someone getting vaccinated just before or after getting infected could cause a worse case, and a mass vaccination site is where you would be more likely to find infected people because vaccination has been (insanely) promoted as though it were a cure.
It ;s the monoclonal antibodies, if given in time, that are a cure, although it’s the one weapon against the pandemic that is most susceptible to suddenly not working.
There is also the pill which is coming along, (Pfizer better than Merck, but both should probably cause birth defects in pregnant woman if taken at the right stage of pregnancy) although not as effective as the antibodies, and there are things that, despite attempts to argue there isn’t anything and can;t be anything except things sanctioned by the FDA, that should help people get through an infection, although nowhere as good as the antibodies.
There are also totally ineffective things being touted.
It might also be that mass vaccination reduces the spread of undetected cases more than it does detectable ones.
Another thing that may be going on is that there may be a mutation that causes all possible vaccines not to work as well, probably by shielding the spike protein from antibodies most of the time (this should also slow the progression of the disease) If so, there are people who actually know exactly what it is.
There’s logic to that. It creates a greater variety as well as a greater quantity of antibodies in the bloodstream, so if a mutation reduces the effectiveness of the vaccine, or the speed with which the body disposes of the virus, more antibodies could compensate.
What’s not good is that CDC is talking down to people and oversimplifying, and they are so afraid that people will not listen to them, and want their recommendations, which change from time to time and also have some obvious flaws, to be treated as infallible, while actually rather arbitrarily deciding what to believe in the absence of rock solid proof. And they have doubts where they should not have any doubts.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 12/1/2021 @ 8:37 amThis German court reached the right verdict:
Taha Al-Jumailly had bought the little girl and her mother, and was punishing the girl for wetting her bed.
His wife, a German citizen, received a sentence of 10 years in a separate trial, for failing to stop him.
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 12/1/2021 @ 9:28 amYesterday’s New York Times described a serious problem with masks: counterfeits.
Some American companies are also producing dubious masks, but most of the poor ones come from China — and Amazon is by far the biggest seller.
(For the record: These masks probably provide a little protection, just as an ordinary bandana tied over your mouth and nose does.
I dislike wearing masks, but, following the Golden Rule, still wear one, in order to protect my neighbors, in case I am infectious.)
Jim Miller (edcec1) — 12/1/2021 @ 9:38 ammg at #274 —
The article has one big flaw — it does not talk about severity of infections of the vaccinated vs. the severity of the unvaccinated.
Appalled (1a17de) — 12/1/2021 @ 10:26 am“The Omicron Variant” [starring Lee Majors, Lynda Carter, Bill Bixby & Loni Anderson] premiered in California today.
One case.
“I represent science.” – Bureaucrat Fauci, 11/28/21
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 12/1/2021 @ 11:13 amI read that approximately 1 in 20 infections are sequenced in the United States; 1 in 7 in New York. But there should be more people checked for it if they are specially looking.
This person in California flew back from South Africa on November 22nd – a day before South African doctors announced the discovery of the new variant – which at first the media thought was going to be called nu, but instead was called Omicron. He or she was tested on November 29.
Two planed from South Africa carrying about 600 people flew to the Netherlands during the beginning of the shutdown – of those, about 60 tested positive and 13 had Omicron.
Omicron has 26 mutations on the spike protein, (compared to the Wuhan variant) which the vaccines target, Beta had 6 and Delta has 10
Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 12/1/2021 @ 2:42 pmAppalled (1a17de) — 12/1/2021 @ 10:26 am
Nobody has figures. I don’t think the CDC supplies them, nor any guesses about the viral load or multiple exposures.
Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 12/1/2021 @ 2:43 pmhttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/28/health/covid-omicron-vaccines-immunity.html
https://twitter.com/_nference/status/1464404770098229250?s=20
Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 12/1/2021 @ 2:44 pmKyle Rittenhouse dropped out of high school in the 10th grade, they say now to support his family, but in the year he was in jail and out on bail apparently completed high school. They are going to destroy the gun ( don’t think it was exactly his own indepewndent decision. He’s got lawyers.
There is a dispute about the bail. The instant he was acquitted, Lin Wood filed papers asking for the bail money to returned to him. He was ready to go. He has not been at all transparent about what he did with the money that raised on Kyle’s behalf. They got one spreadsheet once.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/kyle-rittenhouse-bashes-fraud-lawyer-lin-wood-1265395
A lot about Kyle Rittenhouse and the Kenosha riot is here:
https://www.freekyleusa.org
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 12/1/2021 @ 5:26 pmhttps://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2021/12/01/inside-the-actors-studio-presents-alec-baldwins-theatrical-debut-i-didnt-pull-the-trigger/#more-221290
mg (8cbc69) — 12/2/2021 @ 3:14 amLock him up – Manslaughter.
Another came out on the Charlie Kirk show (interview of Kyle Rittenhouse)
There were not two, but three, levels of quality of the drone video. The most degraded (compressed with a lossy compression program) was given to Kyle Rittenhouse’s lawyers because they used Android software and not Apple so it couldn’t be sent via Air Drop.(very late they got a higher quality video) The prosecution had higher quality video. But the highest quality was on the drone itself. They say it has been destroyed. Kyle Rotttenhouse’s lawyers have filed OIA requests.
On a discussion forum, someone wrote:
https://www.ar15.com/forums/General/New-Rittenhouse-video-Includes-drone-aerial-footage/5-2501386 Poster 1:
Poster 2:
(I think they had chased the rioters earlier in that direction)
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 12/2/2021 @ 6:58 amAlec Baldwin: I think it’s quite possible that he didn’t consciously pull the trigger – just grabbed the gun and put his finger in front of the trigger. (the reports are very consistent with that.)
In order to get a good grip on the gun, the first thing he would have done would have been to pull the trigger before relaxing his grip.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 12/2/2021 @ 7:04 amNew York Times has story that, in it, quotes a doctor as saying that some of thinking behind public health recommendations is predicated on something that is wrong:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/01/health/covid-omicron-booster-shots.html
That;s because antibodies in the bloodsrream is something you can measure. But there is no est, except a challenge type test, for immune memory.
He also says the vaccines should still work for the most part:
First 3 variants = alpha, gamma and delta?
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 12/2/2021 @ 7:21 amHe’s lying, Sammy. He not only must have pulled the trigger, he must also have needed to manually cock the gun — pull back the hammer with his thumb — for it to fire. It’s that kind of a gun. It’s called a single action but that refers only to what the trigger does. It only releases the hammer which has been cocked by a separate action. He is a lying piece of crap, that is what Alec Baldwin is.
nk (1d9030) — 12/2/2021 @ 7:26 amFirst point: Why on God’s green earth would the Waukesha SUV killer take an interview with FoxNews? Doesn’t he at least have a public defender to stop him from that?
Paul Montagu (5de684) — 12/2/2021 @ 8:04 amSecond point: If you do something demonic, people may just demonize you. They may just say you’re a “monster” for murdering six innocent human beings in cold blood.
Third point: She could be a mother for mothering her son, but she issued a poorly written statement about his mental illness, which doesn’t support the theory that his use of an SUV as a lethal weapon was a terrorist attack.
nk (1d9030) — 12/2/2021 @ 7:26 am
One thing that bothered me was his claim that he did not pull the trigger. He would have to know that that was impossible unless he was trying to argue that the gun was vastly defective, which he has to know is vastly unlikely, and would be a sign of lying. But I didn’t see that argument stated. On the other hand what I read was brief so maybe that was his intent. (to argue that Legal defenses can claim improbable things)
I figured that this claim he did not pull the trigger could be maybe not that carefully thought out.
So we’re left with either he went through the full motions of setting the gun to fire (which would take a little bit of time – more than just picking up the gun and asking if he should hold it this way or he was given the gun already cocked. (not an impossibility, since people were using it before, or otherwise there wouldn’t have been a real bullet in it.)
When someone stops using a gun can they leave it cocked?
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 12/2/2021 @ 9:35 amPaul Montagu (5de684) — 12/2/2021 @ 8:04 am
He was hoping for public pressure to improve his jail conditions, and possibly to influence a jury. He may be hoping to hook into a narrative. AS the two Senators said:
Well, they probably contacted Darrell Brooks, or someone close to him contact them, before the two Senators heard about it.
Well, these outside groups may be paying for a lawyer, or promising him one. And he did not speak about the case.
They seem to have decided that mental illness is the best thing he can say in court.
For the public, and for fundraising, maybe that it wasn’t him.
And it wasn’t a terrorist attack. He maybe wanted to be the leader of a prison gang.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 12/2/2021 @ 9:50 amWhen someone stops using a gun can they leave it cocked?
Absolutely. Some guns are always cocked. But it would be very unusual for this type of gun to be holstered and cocked, and it still would not fire unless the trigger was pulled, or a very heavy blow on the hammer sheared the sear from the cocked notch (which is not alleged to have happened here).
Also, this particular gun is an Italian-made Pietta replica of the 1873 Colt Single Action Army, and for a long while now those guns cannot be imported unless they have a safety, but I don’t know what generation it is. The 2nd generation has a transfer bar which blocks the firing unless the trigger is pulled even if it is dropped on a cocked hammer.
nk (1d9030) — 12/2/2021 @ 10:09 amI heard verbally that the first case of Omicron (the one in California) was a doctor. Someone who studied Omicron? That would make it a lab leak or patient transmission.
The second one was someone in Minnesota who recently attended a convention in New York (he two Canadian cases involved some people who traveled to Africa. I think one of them was far away from South Africa.
The newser article says that Minnesota sequences about 20% of its coronavirus cases and that only two states (one of them I remember, was California) do more.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 12/2/2021 @ 10:39 amThe gun wasn’t holstered. It was picked up from a tray which had three guns on it. Before he was handed it. Alec Baldwin was told “cold gun” by the assistant director.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 12/2/2021 @ 10:43 amAnother thing: At the height of the epidemic only about 1 in 120 people was infected at any given time.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 12/2/2021 @ 10:44 amThe guns were being used, from time to time, without permission, by some of the people on the set. For shooting at beer cans or the like.
The people responsible for the guns don’t exactly want to acknowledge that but apparently there are witnesses..
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 12/2/2021 @ 10:51 amThe gun wasn’t holstered.
Baldwin holstered it. Then he “rehearsed” his cross-draw as the victims were lining up the camera, i.e. he drew the gun and pointed it at them, and that’s when the shot was fired.
nk (1d9030) — 12/2/2021 @ 10:51 amI didn’t read or absorb all the stories. A lot of news stories give you only partial details. But this one confrims it:
https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2021/10/25/report-alec-baldwin-was-practicing-holstering-his-gun-when-he-shot-killed-halyna-hutchins
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/30/movies/alec-baldwin-rust-shooting-timeline.html
Sammy Finkelman (02a146) — 12/2/2021 @ 4:42 pmDelta didn’t start around New Delhi but in Maharashtra province in India in March, 2021?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharashtra
It is now said to be 99% of all cases in the United States. It must have reached whoever can be reached first.
Omicron started from one person – a multitude of mutations where you do not any intermediate mutations in other people means it was created in one person who had along running infection, who was immunity limited, probably someone with HIV or taking anti rejection immunosuppressing drugs. Or cancer treatment.
Sammy Finkelman (c49738) — 12/3/2021 @ 12:46 pm