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‘Old Grumpy Man’ Tom Brady Whines About New NFL Numbers Rule Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady is upset that NFL owners approved a rule change that will expand the uniform numbers available to players. The change means, for example, that quarterbacks, kickers and punters will no longer be the only players eligible to wear a single-digit jersey number. Owners adopted the new rule because the expanded practice squads necessitated by COVID-19 issues last season created number conflicts, NFL.com noted. Not a big deal, right? They’re just numbers. But Brady, the winner of seven Super Bowls, thought otherwise. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback suggested in an Instagram story that players won’t know who to block, and facetiously asked why have numbers at all. He wrote that the rule would “make for a lot of bad football” and was “dumb.”

More than sad- it gives an alarming insight into the fascist mindset of many GOP supporters. In American history, it has been estimated by American historians that only about 25% of American colonists wanted independence (mostly because Britain had outlawed slavery and the colonists feared they would be next to be deprived of their cheap and plentiful labour). The 25% launched into a rhetorical crusade exaggerating grievances and predicting all manner of dire consequences if they remained a colony and managed to create enough of a furor that many of the undecided went along with the movement. That England had a king who spoke no English and was probably mentally ill did not help. Legal expert warns there's an under-the-radar GOP plot that could create a future 'democratic crisis' Civil rights groups have been lambasting Republicans for the many voter suppression bills they have been proposing in state legislatures all over the U.S., warning that the bills are designed to make it more difficult to vote. But election law expert Rick Hasen, in a New York Times article published this week, warns that making voting harder or more of a hassle is not the worst part of these bills — or in the case of Georgia's so-called Election Integrity Act of 2021, an actual law. The most "dangerous" part of Republican voter suppression bills, according to Hasen, is the type of power they would give Republicans over the administration of elections. Hasen is worried that Republicans want to give themselves the ability to throw out democratic election results that they don't like. "A new, more dangerous front has opened in the voting wars, and it's going to be much harder to counteract than the now-familiar fight over voting rules," Hasen warns. " Legal expert warns there's an under-the-radar GOP plot that could create a future 'democratic crisis' - Alternet.org

Absolutely. But as soon as you accept that it is solely the responsibility of government(s), it can give some the idea that they can go about their business as usual. Case in point: those who believe that their god will do everything to protect them and they need not observe common-sense precautions. This bizarre thinking implies that the elect will be saved and prosper, and it is irrelevant that the unbelievers will suffer and die.

There is some truth to blaming Manitobans. We have our fair share of those who either ignore isolation warnings as fake or believe God will protect them. It doesn't take that many to spread the virus by casual contact.

Alberta Minister of Health has conceded that Alberta has lost the battle against the COVID variants.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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