Tag Archives: pandemic

Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, January 31, 2022

Eyes are seriously shifting toward Ukraine and Taiwan, the poster boys of Europe and Asia. Maybe that’s why Biden’s Transportation department is proposing “Big Brother” speed cameras across the country on a hated level only rivaled by the UK. Unpopular policing only expands; it never shrinks. This crosses the line of “diktat”, socially scorned laws whether unpopular or foreign. While the US and UK decry Russia and China for diktat against the poster boys of Europe and Asia, they continue their own diktat at home.

Trump floated an idea that made sense, while the news commentary sees it as living in another world. For the January 6 Insurrection, responsibility should fall on either Trump or rioters—or any police who let rioters in. Trump suggested they be pardoned, which makes sense since the media and left want to roast him for starting it all. The free-speech touting media wants to go after both the rioters said to be under Trump’s mind control and Trump who couldn’t control anyone’s mind, but they don’t want even discussion on reports of police who didn’t hold the line.

Free speech itself has come under attack by an evermore obvious machine. Spotify will now identify “misinformation” in podcasts, but not censor. It’s admirable that Spotify allows dissent for healthy discussion. However, if information can be proven to be false, then some kind of legal action should be warranted. Web users are already bombarded with messages on COVID—any social media post, photo, or video that could be remotely construed to talk about vaccines or a pandemic get a notice linking to the absolute source of unchallenged truth from the relevant website of the all-accepted and ever-trusted government.

Curbs against false information are good. But, who decides whether something is “misinformation”? It seems we have a culture that accepts misinformation as a scientifically and objectively determined fact. If we had Facebook in the fifteenth century, Columbus would have been flagged as giving misinformation because science agreed the earth was flat.

Misinformation flagging is good for mass social platforms, but only if it is vetted through a transparent process open to any and all scrutiny and dissent from the public. Flag notices should then point to the online forums that led to the decision.

The political mice have invaded the cereal cupboard and think they own the house. But, they’re just one chewed mess away from triggering the expected response from any society irked by diktat, whether foreign or domestic.

Trump

Trump rally Texas: Former president teases presidential run, dangles January 6 pardons // CNN

News Media, Journalism & Free speech

Spotify’s Daniel Ek Panics Over Rock Star Defections: ‘Personally, there are plenty of individuals and views on Spotify that I disagree with strongly’ // Showbiz411

Rights, Liberties, Police & Privacy

The speed camera nightmare that’s coming to America // Daily Mail

NATO Focus

Biden Will Send U.S. Troops To Eastern Europe Soon—But ‘Not A Lot’ // Forbes

A Ukrainian mother vows to take up gun if Russia invades // France 24

Exclusive-Russia moves blood supplies near Ukraine, adding to U.S. concern, officials say // Yahoo News

UK to offer major NATO deployment amid Ukraine crisis // Aljazeera

PM considers major military offer to NATO // GOV.UK

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Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, January 17, 2022

Dr. Meryl J. Nass is a doctor, reportedly suspended by Maine because she lied to get hydroxychloroquine. Under Trump, doctors could use the drug to treat COVID. But, the FDA changed that. Faucci said hydroxychloroquine is ineffective against COVID, but a review from India last summer says otherwise in the Journal of The Association of Physicians of India. Nass is also accused of using Ivermectin, used for animal parasites, and of spreading disinformation. She is ordered to take a neuropsychological evaluation. However, in light of the proof from India’s research several months before Nass was suspended, no one suspended Faucci for disinformation nor ordered him to take a neuropsychological evaluation.

Now, body temperature is not an effective way to screen for COVID, which means all the wasted money on thermometers was wasted. Did the money wasters have to take a neuropsychological evaluation for that?

Accusations against Trump mount, but it’s all subjunctive—may be, could be, might, and that razzmatazz. Before he won 2016, his defeat was a certainty. Now, it’s a maybe. With India having smarter scientists than apparently run our medical boards, we can’t blame Americans for hustling to vote “Trump”. And, the Capitol insurrection only seems more justified to people who want access to the politicized drug that India has proven effective. Instead, the doctor who agrees with science is suspended by the zip code of insanity. And, the beast is seen for what it is.

We don’t know how much longer it will take before Christians stop obsessing over Sunday morning and human heroes. We don’t know how much longer Christians will look to masks and guns. Jesus said that faith could move mountains, but too few Christians are looking up. If things continue on their present course, we will get to a place where prayer is the only option left. Perhaps driving the nation to prayer was God’s plan all along, but only because it wasn’t ours.

Trump

Analysis: Kevin McCarthy is desperately trying to memory hole January 6 // CNN

Trump officials interfered with the 2020 census beyond cutting it short, email shows // NPR

Trump’s potential liability for Capitol riot faces major test in court // CNN

Election

Trump slams ‘dull’ DeSantis ahead of potential 2024 matchup // Axios

Washington as Usual

Prices, Rates, Oil & Food

Apparently this is popular
How to compost at home, according to expert composters // CNN

Markets, Economy & GDP

Legendary investor Jeremy Grantham sees an epic market bubble and expects a historic crash. Here are his 12 most dire warnings. // Markets Insider

Science, Weather & Health

How the Tonga volcano generated a shock wave around the world // MSN News

Pandemic

California schools under intense strain, fighting to stay open during Omicron surge // Yahoo News

Body temperature may not be an effective gauge of covid-19 // MSN News

Flashback:
Coronavirus: Hydroxychloroquine ineffective says Fauci // BBC News

Flashback:
Timeline: Tracking Trump alongside scientific developments on hydroxychloroquine // ABC News America

Remember Donald Trump-touted hydroxychloroquine? Study in India backs it as Covid-19 cure // India Today

“Endemic”
A shift away from daily COVID case counts has begun // bangordailynews.com

Doctor loses license for COVID falsehoods, board says // Miami Herald

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Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, January 3, 2022

For years, the Left tried to treat its opinions and political stances as some kind of consensus—Earth was warming, no one disagrees, and if you disagree then you are the only person in the universe. The same was true of masks, vaccines, and Mchigan Governor Whitmer’s mail-in ballots that anyone could dupe. Anyone who disagrees with the Left is idiosyncratic. That was their story. But, it’s not holding water like it did even a few months ago.

If quarantine, lockdown, mask, and vax is the consensus, why are the Dutch demonstrating? Then, we have the Biden-bus issue. He was so much better than Trump, until Trump was gone, now he’s just, plain terrible. Even since last week, when the Times pointed this out, challenging Biden went all a buzz on the Left. They change their minds faster than a teenager. But, the adults anticipate which antics are next.

As the myth of consensus passes, the warring electorate is re-shifting its own loyalties. On both sides of the political divide, people are choosing between two, newly-seen core values: those who want to author their own morals to raise up institutional messiahs and those who are learning that we are facing the final showdown of humanity vs global domination. Those in the second group are also divided between fighting with human tools and responding miraculously with peace of mind from the only world king, Jesus Christ. Those who respond to evil with human tools are on the right side, but they’ll have to learn the hard way. It’s a good thing the Believers are there to defend them.

Election

The left is already looking to 2024. Some want to see a Biden primary challenge. // Politico

Divided

34 percent of Americans say violence against government justified // NY Post

Pandemic

Thousands gather to oppose Dutch virus measures despite ban // AP

Fake Vaccine Card Sales a Booming Business as Omicron Surges // TMZ

US Coronavirus: Americans may be faced with a different reality in January as Covid-19 sweeps through the nation, experts warn // CNN

Major staffing shortages at NYPD, FDNY due to COVID surge // fox5ny.com

Southeast U.S. poised for a firestorm of omicron cases, with few safeguards in place // MSN News

NATO Focus

Biden and Putin exchange warnings during phone call amid rising Ukraine tensions // Guardian

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Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, November 29, 2021

This Thanksgiving, Jesus series, The Chosen, is taking off. A box office movie is on the way. Dallas Jenkins, the director, is making headlines. TMZ and the Wall Street Journal ran stories on it. Season 3 is in progress.

This is a big deal because films about Jesus are rarely done with a quality that can compete with film standards we have all come to expect. But, this is well done. Camera work, writing, acting, and character development make the story feel alive. The audience can relate to the characters. Dallas’s whole concept was that we can understand Jesus by understanding the people who knew him.

Meanwhile, economy doomsayers sound the horn and the global COVID pandemic continues. Israel just added travel restrictions over the new Omicron variant. Dallas Jenkins thinks that binging on Jesus is the best way to pass time when holed up at home. May financial supporters and fans from around the world seem to agree.

Election

Marjorie Taylor Greene lays out demands for GOP House speaker vote if Republicans retake majority in 2022 // CNN

Monopoly, Corptocracy & Big Greed

Famed investor Jeremy Grantham says the next decline will be ‘bigger and better’ than anything in US history — here are 3 of his safe haven stock picks // Yahoo Finance

A Chipotle general manager and 4 of his employees quit after a surge of to-go orders drove them to their breaking points // Yahoo News

Pandemic

Israel bans foreigners from entering country to stop Omicron variant // Jerusalem Post

Fresh doubts over China’s ice hockey team for Beijing 2022 // SCMP

Biden restricts travel from South Africa and seven other countries starting Monday // CNN

Music & Entertainment

Dallas Jenkins Says Jesus Show is Just the Ticket During Pandemic // TMZ

Fans Pour Funding—and Faith—Into a Hit Drama About Jesus // WSJ

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Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, October 4, 2021

The US faces economic challenges. We’re about to be done with pandemic inflation—that is inflation wrought to tamp down economic fallout from the pandemic, but arguably a pandemic of inflation in itself. We can’t keep interest rates this low and we can’t keep printing money. Britain has also about had it. The West is due for a change of pace. Enter Taiwan.

China’s incursion of Taiwan’s airspace made Matt Drudge’s top three headlines this weekend. With 93 Chinese military jet incursions in three days, Taiwan says its preparing for war because it must. And, Taiwan rallies allies like Australia with the fact that Taiwan houses one of the largest IC conductor suppliers in the world.

But, consider more than just the Chinese aggression. Consider the Western economic situation.

Chinese aggression and the freedom of Taiwanese sells well to the general public. But, compassion alone does not shape global politics. China is chasing a dream of respect—which isn’t as motivating as Western economies needing a turbocharger. China isn’t just making a miscalculation on its military capacity by winning respect as the world’s bully. China is making the grave error of provoking when the allies of its sworn enemy are hungry. All eyes in the West are about to shift toward a war with China every bit as swift and embarrassing as the Opium Wars.

While China takes center stage, the Supreme Court gears up to review Roe v. Wade and gun owner rights.

Law

Abortion, guns, religion top a big Supreme Court term // AP

Peace & War

Taiwan headline of Drudge Report! // Instagram

US Looks toward War
US ‘very concerned’ about China’s ‘provocative military activity near Taiwan’ | TheHill // The Hill

Prices, Rates, Oil & Food

‘A perfect storm’: supply chain crisis could blow world economy off course // Guardian

U.S. could be heading into an ‘era’ of high inflation that produces paltry, or even negative, real returns on safe assets, analyst warns // MarketWatch

NATO Focus

‘I’ll be darned’: Biden reacts to pivotal German election result // CNBC

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Symphony

Encore of Revival: America, June 21, 2021

The pandemic picked the scab covering a deeper wound that festered instead of healing. Crime is on the rise and Chicago is a perfect display as to why. Lack of self-discipline and moral direction mixed with spoiling and over-entitlement.

Police who aren’t allowed to drive after the bad guys live out an existence that will only encourage the bad guys to be badder. The side of politics that supported those policies cultivated kookery without evidence that a president could steal an election. When the next election had actual evidence of election stealing, the other political side took up the same opinion. Now, trust in voting is betrayed from all sides. With a breakdown in the bedrock of a democratic society, other social orders will break down, including law and order built on voter confidence.

But, the buck stops with the Christians who knew better. It’s not that they didn’t yell at people enough. They should have done a better job of selling society on their virtues. Instead, they clubbed the world and judged sinners for sinning without judging the saints for sinning. We would be in a different place if the saints had forgiven both sinners and saints for sinning. After all, a saint is no more than a forgiven sinner. Instead, we’re here, learning the same lesson the hard way. But, God is good enough to make sure we learn one way or another. That’s why God allowed Chicago to have the trouble we all begged for.

Law

Obamacare survives after Supreme Court rejects latest Republican challenge // CNBC

Security & Public Safety

Downtown Chicago emerges from pandemic — hobbled by crime wave // Yahoo News

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