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It's not illegal if you don't get caught.

Such is The American Way- I'm OK, so screw you, jack. And if I am not OK, it's someone else's fault.

CBC news had a very good article last night on the marvelously effective job that Cornell U. has done in limiting and treating COVID among students and staff. Their infection numbers are about 10% of of US national numbers and the measures they have taken in testing and intervening would likely cause screams of outrage anywhere else, but the students and staff are accepting all this with (gasp) gratitude.

Fine issued as police block Steinbach-area churchgoers from outlawed drive-in service CBC News · Posted: Nov 29, 2020 12:02 PM CT | Last Updated: November 29 Police watch as a crowd attempts to stop a tow truck from removing a van, which was blocking traffic on the highway, on the way to a drive-in church service at the Church of God south of Steinbach. (Erin Brohman/CBC) One person is facing a fine after more than 100 cars sat parked along a rural Manitoba highway Sunday morning, while several RCMP vehicles blocked the entrance to the parking lot for the Church of God's planned drive-in service. Under Manitoba's public health orders, gatherings of more than five people are banned, places of worship have been ordered to close and religious services are only allowed to be attended virtually. The church in Sarto, Man., planned to have a drive-in service, with its congregation listening on radios with their windows rolled up. Instead, the service was done over a loudspeaker. "We're proud to stand for religious freedom. We're all one human family and we're made to come together to worship," said minister Tobias Tissen. "Being alone at home and watching a virtual service does not replace worship." Minister Tobias Tissen joined a group trying to stop a van from being towed, and led a sermon from the back of a pickup truck. (Erin Brohman/CBC) People gathered on the road after a tow truck hired by the RCMP attempted to remove a van that was blocking traffic on the highway. A congregation member stood between the van and the tow truck, and Tissen stopped the service to join and lead the group in prayer. "This is my father's world and you're big time interfering with God right now," he said. Tissen finished his sermon and led a prayer from the back of a pickup truck after RCMP called off the tow. Many who showed up on Sunday are part of the congregation, while others came out from Winnipeg to show their support. More fines issued RCMP say they advised about 125 people at the service of the current public health orders and were given the option of entering the property and being fined or going home. "Most of the parishioners, but one, understood the message and returned home," said Sgt. Paul Manaigre of the RCMP in an email Sunday. A man told RCMP he wanted to continue on and was given a $1,296 fine.

The current GOP is not the problem- just a symptom of an endemic set of values and beliefs subscribed to by almost half the country and most of the rich and powerful. When your Supreme Court rules that corporations are people and have the same rights, you are boned.

Rather pay a bit more and go for Popeye's.

Federal judge bars Trump-appointed head of U.S. media agency from interfering in news coverage. "Michael Pack has repeatedly and intentionally violated the First Amendment rights of VOA journalists" By JULIA CONLEY This article originally appeared at Common Dreams. It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License. Feel free to republish and share widely. President Donald Trump's appointed head of the U.S. Agency for Global Media is barred from making any further editorial or personnel decisions following a series of injunctions issued by a federal court late Friday, in what journalists called a major rebuke of the Trump administration's attempt to reshape government-funded news broadcasters. In Washington, D.C., Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell ruled in favor of five USAGM executives who were fired or suspended in August at the direction of CEO Michael Pack, who took the helm of the agency in June and promptly dismissed several career officials in what was called a "Wednesday night massacre." Current and former USAGM employees applauded the ruling, with chief strategy officer Shawn Powers tweeting that Pack "has repeatedly and intentionally violated the First Amendment rights" of journalists at the agency. https://www.salon.com/2020/11/29/federal-judge-bars-trump-appointed-head-of-us-media-agency-from-interfering-in-news-coverage_partner/

Fox News host claims Trump no longer needs to prove his case in court to overturn the election A Fox News host argued that President Donald Trump doesn't even need to prove his case in court to overturn his election loss. "Fox & Friends Weekend" host Will Cain told viewers that Trump may have failed to prove his legal challenges, but he said the president still had another avenue to maintain his grip on power. "I think what's happening here [is] we are quickly moving toward a political case being made," Cain said. "Meaning the Trump team is talking to state legislatures in Michigan, Pennsylvania, attempting to make their case. There may not be enough evidence for a court system but there should be enough evidence for state legislators to change their electors. Will they find more success there? We'll soon find out."

BTW: I got kicked out of the flat-Earth Facebook group after I asked if the COVID distancing restrictions has pushed anyone over the edge yet.

Road rage about to be like COD lobby. 135 points · 19 comments

Envy does not behoove you.

That was a moment in time when the picture was taken. Even so, it does not excuse them from ignoring the no-congregating rule. They could have more easily listened from home on a Zoom or Facebook link. I suspect it was all about a public profession of faith, which has worked not at all in the US and elsewhere. Much as God loves us all, some of us are testing the patience of The Divine.

His name will be remembered- like Vincent Bigot and Vidkun Quisling.

And if you think that people would pull up a meter away from each other and not roll down their windows and talk, you would be mistaken. Their sense of invulnerability is rooted in their belief that they and they alone are the chosen and protected of God whereas they rest of us are doomed to lakes of fire.

The percentage of taxes paid is not a determinant of the happiness of the population. The highest satisfaction of people comes from countries with a robust social support network, and these are the western European countries (Britain excepted), and Japan. Taxes are high there, but not only are there social supports and high taxes, but there is not the income disparity evident in the US, and to an extent, Canada and Britain. This seems to engender a sense of "we're all in this together".

Fauci Warns Of COVID-19 'Surge Upon A Surge' As Millions Travel Over Holidays. "We don’t want to frighten people, but that’s just the reality," the infectious disease expert said. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert on the White House’s coronavirus task force, predicted Sunday that the number of COVID-19 infections will skyrocket over the next several weeks as millions of Americans travel during the holiday season. The U.S. experienced a surge in cases, hospitalizations and deaths in recent months, and public health officials warned that those numbers could jump during the winter as Americans experience “COVID fatigue.” Fauci and other task force members urged Americans to refrain from traveling to visit loved ones over the holidays to avoid spreading the virus. But millions of Americans bucked that advice and packed airports in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. “We have to be careful now,” Fauci told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “There almost certainly is going to be an uptick because of what’s happened with the travel.” He added: “We may see a surge upon a surge. We don’t want to frighten people, but that’s just the reality. We said that these things would happen as we got into the cold weather and as we began traveling, and they’ve happened. It’s gonna happen again.” Fauci said it’s unlikely the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will relax its holiday gathering guidelines ahead of Christmas.

Your judgement is clouded by hormones, but OK.

Cheap bastard.

We can all hope for a Trumpian hat trick.

Apparently the RCMP blocked entry to the church parking lot but it is uncertain if any tickets were handed out. In related news, the Living Springs church (run by a former used-car dealer who found that religion was waaay more profitable) had a parking lot service. Police were present but no reports of any intervention.

Apparently Prowse thought he could voice Vader as well as or better than Jones. He was told his voice would be dubbed over, and did not take it well, so all through the scenes, he mumbled gibberish. The other actors took it well and humoured him, though it was sometimes difficult to know which lines they ought to be reciting.

What has been created can be adapted to an ever-changing economic world. Our society cannot compete head to head with countires like China who have no societal infrastructure like medicare, pensions, work safety standards, environmental protections, decent wages etc. We do have the right to protect our living standards instead of trying to compete in a race to the bottom. This will require a shift in our buying attitudes and having to pay more for our toys- an unpalatable thought for many.

Well, obviously the Pope is not a real Christian.

Apparently there are three other vaccines almost ready to be tested. This ought to both speed up the availability and depress the price.

Trump amd his abettors continue to wreak as much damage as possible to create problems for Biden's incoming administration. Apparently about three weeks ago, Trump had to be talked out of authorizing an airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities. This would have almost guaranteed a reprisal against American or Israeli assets. Now, Trump is thinking of planning a massive rally to be held at the same time as Biden's inauguration. The only thing that he and his rabid followers can understand is prosecution.