Biden Gets His Comeuppance

I love this article from the Jewish Press!

"Biden wants the Israeli Supreme Court to have the last word in Israel, but not the US Supreme Court in the US.

"International law expert Eugene Kontorovich, sarcastically, raised the issue of the Biden administration, not only disrespecting the decisions of the US Supreme Court, but that President Biden’s is also threatening to take steps to bypass the Supreme Court’s decision. Kontorovich cynically suggested that Israel raise their concerns with the US administration as it threatens 'our common values.'

"Kontorovich stated, 'Israel officials should raise serious concerns about threats to the rule of law and judicial independence in the U.S., which threaten our common values.'

"President Biden tweeted that 'We cannot let the Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action be the last word.'

"Kontorovich’s statement was made in response to the Biden’s ongoing interference in internal Israeli matters regarding Israel’s judicial reform legislations, while pointing out the hypocrisy of Biden’s own administration when it comes to the US Supreme Court, after the court made a decision that his administration didn’t agree with, in this case their decision on ending Affirmative Action in higher education admissions.

"The primary difference between the two countries is that while Biden may not like the US Supreme Court’s decision, it was made legally. In Israel, many decisions by the Israeli Supreme Court are not backed up by a legal (or constitutional) authority or mandate to make such decisions – and that’s one of the issues that the Israeli Judicial Reform bills, which Biden opposes, has been trying to legislate and fix."

Unmasking in Hospitals

As COVID has progressed, hospitals and medical offices have been the last refuge for immunocompromised and elderly people.  Unfortunately, this is no longer the case, as public health researcher Abdullah Shihipar writes in his opinion column titled "The unconscionable move many hospitals are making."

Here's an excerpt:

"There’s no question that masks are annoying and add to hospitals’ costs, but that in no way justifies adopting policies that could endanger the very populations health care centers are supposed to serve. Those at highest risk for severe disease and death from Covid also happen to be the ones who generally need to access health care the most.

"And while Covid hospitalizations and deaths may be lower, hospitals could still be risky for many since they are places where sick people congregate – and those who come there often have no option of skipping care to protect themselves, lest their health deteriorate from something else.

Indeed, hospitals that are removing masking measures are applying the wrong lesson from combating Covid: Our success doesn’t mean we can get rid of all the measures that kept the vulnerable safe, but that we have identified new tools to use in maintaining health. Masks are one of them, and they don’t just help against Covid, but against other respiratory illnesses, such as the flu, for which immunocompromised groups are at high risk as well.

"Hospital-acquired infections have long been a problem in the United States – according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 1 in every 31 patients acquires at least one infection from a health care setting. This amounts to about 1.7 million infected patients and 98,000 deaths a year and results in at least $28.4 billion in additional health care costs.

"We should be trying to reduce these numbers, not add to them."

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If you can't be protected from further illness in a hospital or doctor's office, where can you be safe?

Put Seniors First!

Who cares about the health and welfare of senior citizens?  Apparently New York's Mayor Adams doesn't:

Per Breitbart: "The sheer volume of border crossers and illegal aliens staying in shelters --living off local taxpayers in subsidized housing and shelters — including luxury hotels like the Roosevelt Hotel,  has increased the system’s population by more than 110 percent since Adams took office. To afford subsidizing new arrivals, Adams has said New Yorkers will see public services like meals for senior citizens and library hours cut."

How about subsidizing new arrivals by sending them back to their own countries?

This is really disgraceful.  He should be prioritizing help for American citizens and seniors and putting them first -- not last!

Long COVID: "A Glaring Blindspot in Our Knowledge"

Today's headline: "WHO: Nearly 36 million in Europe suffering from 'long COVID'". And that's just Europe alone!  You can just imagine what that figure is in the United States, and you can be sure it's an undercount thanks to lack of data.

"Addressing a press conference in Copenhagen on Tuesday, WHO regional director Hans Kluge stressed that 'long COVID remains a complex condition' we still know very little about.'

"He described the condition as a 'glaring blindspot in our knowledge.' To understand COVID-19 more accurately, there is much more need to be done, he added."

Unfortunately, too many people in our government and in our society are no longer talking about or doing anything about COVID, as if it no long exists,  and that's part of the problem.

Cautious (Selfish) Americans "Moving On" from COVID

This 6/25/23 Washington Post column is one of the most discouraging pieces I have ever read about how people are dealing with COVID. It's titled "COVID isn't over, but even the most cautious Americans are moving on."

Some of the reasons giving for these people to "move on" 

Here are some excerpts:

"The mother of an immunocompromised teenager is traveling by plane for the first time. A scientist felt safe enough at last to attend a professional conference last week. Members of a meditation group for retirees are ready to doff their masks, even the woman with lung problems.

"Emboldened by the government's recent lifting of the public health emergency, Americans who have tried to be rule-following pandemic citizens for the past three summers are at last abandoning precautions as the coronavirus fades into a background threat."

"Carol Morris, who travels around the country with her husband for tango and other dance events, has seen a sharp shift in covid safety protocols since last summer, when many events required masking, vaccination or negative test results and made announcements when attendees became infected.

"'Now there's nothing. No announcements. Nobody's  testing. Nobody cares', said Morris, 67, of Longmont, Colo. 'They are like 'Covid? What's Covid?'
...

"Susan Eschrich felt ostracized wearing a mask to protect her 89-year-old terminally ill father, who she cares for at an independent living facility in Sarasota, Fla., where no one else masks - not even her father.
...

"Activists who are waging a difficult fight to keep covid-19 a top priority say the retreat is premature, as the virus continues to prey on the most vulnerable --- killing 40,000 so far this year.
...

"Julie Garel, who had contracted covid during a vacation to Denver last year, said she plans to stop thinking about the virus this summer (at least, until she agreed to an interview). She enjoys dancing in bars, seeing people's smiles and attending concerts without feeling like the masked outsider. It had become untenable to keep up precautions when the rest of her family did not.  Letting go made her happier.  'This virus lingered for quite some time in my emotional equation, and in hindsight, I think it took up unnecessary space', said Garel, 63, of Bethesda."

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These selfish people took up too much unnecessary space in this article, if you ask me. I'm glad I chose not to "move on" and infect myself and others!

Unconcerned About COVID? Well, How About Measles?

Think COVID is over? It isn't.  If COVID doesn't alarm you, maybe measles will:

"CDC warns measles is 5 times more prevalent this year on flights than last year. "

"The CDC is advising parents to make sure you and your children are protected against measles.

"New data for the first five months of the year shows there are five times more reported cases for 2023 than in 2022's same time period.

"Most of these cases were among children who had not received the vaccine. One of the biggest points in the CDC's warning is the way that measles spreads.

"They say people can get measles just by being in a room where a person with measles has been, even up to two hours after that person has left."

Worried yet? If not,  just don't get yourself and your children vaccinated and continue to listen to antivaxxer Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.  And then don't complain when you get sick, because you'll have only yourself to blame.

Outrageous COVID Vaccine Disinformation

This insane and astounding assertion comes from the fools in the state of Florida: "Hillsborough GOP: COVID vaccines a ‘biological weapon’"

"The Hillsborough County Republican Party has become the seventh local party in the state to pass a resolution calling COVID-19 and the COVID vaccine 'biological and technological weapons' and the vaccine, and the vaccines’ use a 'denial of informed consent' and 'crimes against humanity.'

"The resolution asks Gov. Ron DeSantis to ban the vaccines in Florida and seize all supplies of the vaccine in the state."

Crimes against humanity? The Holocaust was a crime against humanity! The Rwandan genocide was a crime against humanity!  The Cambodian and the Armenian genocides were crimes against humanity!

Life-saving vaccines help humanity, you morons!

It's insanity like this that is helping to spread COVID. Where will it end?

Biden's Disgraceful Treatment of Israel

The great Melanie Phillips has another important column about how the United States is treating Israel as the enemy.

It's at Substack at "Israel's American 'frenemy'.  If Netanyahu won’t alert Americans to their government’s abandonment of Israel, US politicians must do so.", or see it at Jewish World Review.

This is all so disgustingly familiar, going back to Obama.

Here are some excerpts:

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"Earlier this week, four Israelis were murdered by Hamas-affiliated terrorists outside the town of Eli in northern Samaria. The response from the US was sickening. It persistently suggested a moral equivalence between the victims of the atrocity and their Palestinian Arab terrorist attackers."

"..the liberal mindset of the Biden administration simply cannot acknowledge that the Palestinian Arabs’ actual agenda is the extermination of Israel. To admit this blindingly obvious truth would destroy the liberal fantasy that all conflicts involve rational actors and can be solved by negotiated compromise. Since Israel resists the attempt to exterminate it, the Biden administration regards Israel as the problem. So it punishes Israel while rewarding its attackers."

"Astounding as it seems, the US has been determined to empower Iran since the Obama administration — many of whose key officials are now Biden staffers —concluded the lethal 2015 nuclear deal."

"Whatever the real reason, by minimising the mortal threat Iran poses to the west the Biden administration now views Israel as a threat instead because it is determined to stop Iran.
The administration therefore regards Israel as a major obstacle to be neutralised. Accordingly, Israel must now view the US as a 'frenemy'."

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Actually, I think she's being too kind. Under both the Obama and the Biden administrations, Israel has been treated more like the enemy. And it won't stop until we get the Democrats out of power.

Only Idiots are Still Promoting COVID Disinformation

I've never heard of the publication called The Expose and never care to hear of it again, but this column of insults, lies, and disinformation made me laugh due to its sheer desperation and ridiculousness. It's titled Only idiots are still wearing face masks.

If you're an idiot like me who not only still wears face masks but has never caught COVID, you might want to enjoy reading this yourself. 

Here's an excerpt:

"Amazingly, there are still some very stupid doctors around who are wearing face masks all day long and who are telling patients and the public to wear face masks. I suspect that these doctors are still promoting the use of face masks because their brains have been adversely affected.

"The UK Government has at last admitted that there is no evidence that masks stop any bugs spreading. And the fact is that anyone who has ever worn a mask because they thought it would keep them safe from covid was misled, lied to, falsely reassured and behaving irrationally. Many people in power continue to insist that people wear them and they do this to remind people that nothing is normal – nor ever will be.

"We are entering the Great Reset and masks are there to remind us of our slavery. The greens don’t seem to care that more plastic is used to make the billions of masks than the plastic bags they hated so much. They don’t care about the birds and other wildlife being harmed by discarded masks.

"Moreover, anyone who wears a mask today is suffering from a new disease which I have identified called chronic maskitis.

"Sufferers from chronic maskitis still insist on wearing their masks whenever they are at risk of coming into contact with other human beings. They believe that their mask will help stop them inhaling a virus which may kill them.

"Chronic maskitis sufferers will have almost certainly believed everything they’ve been told by their government, by the media and by the small army of media doctors forever repeating the officially inspired lies.

"Individuals with chronic maskitis will have almost certainly been jabbed – at least twice and probably more often – with a toxic, experimental substance which is now proven does far more harm than good and is, as I predicted, now certain to kill far more people than the rebranded flu known as covid-19. And for those of us trying to win a war and save lives, it really doesn’t matter a toss whether you believe the alleged disease is caused by a virus, an exosome, a 5G mast or eating too much yoghurt."

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You get the picture!

It's because of people who spread disinformation (and viruses!) that COVID is still a major threat.

Satire for Conservatives

This latest satiric news headline from The Babylon Bee made me laugh out loud: "Federal Judge Rules That Jewish Baker Must Make 'Death To Israel' Cake For Arab Customer."

"Jacob Greenstein, the owner of Jake Bakes Cakes in Brooklyn, said the controversy started after a customer ordered a special Hamas-themed 'Death To Israel' cake for his son's sixth birthday party."

A Lively Obituary

I've seen some amusing obituaries over the years, but this one for James Loveless shows a larger-than-life figure with a good sense of humor and lots of friends & family.

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James Loveless,  March 11, 1963 - June 14, 2023

Born and raised in Kentucky in 1963-a state that has been recently leaning toward more liberal values, we might add–Jamie, a divorcee, father, grandfather and proud owner of a few lots in the trailer park, had had enough and up and died on us on June 14th in order to avoid another Presidential stolen-election mishap in the near future.

As a gluttonous eater of fried foods and snack cakes, as well as the occasional chili cheese dog, James, tried in vain to give up the ghost by clogging his arteries and having a stroke in 2015. His twin boys, Rocky and Rodney, had other plans and made him go to the hospital. While waiting in the ER at the hospital, he was heard saying, "Let's make a break for it!", only to be heard by one of the hospital staff and forced to go through the procedure. He wasn't too excited about the prospect, but went anyway.

On many occasions in life, James was seen in his back yard at the trailer park during the early hours of the morning, hammering beers, standing over country-style ribs, and yelling, "It's got a head like a cat on it!", while nearby neighbors would peek out their windows bearing looks of disgust and amazement, as his party guests were slurring remarks about needing to speed up his cooking style. "We've been here since 5 o'clock," they would say. "I've got work in the morning."

We don't know if he was married, but he definitely was a lady's man. There was Kathy, Mary Lou, Tammy, Debra, Carrie, Tina, etc., etc. "It's the bones", he told us as proudly pointed his skinny, pasty-white legs. "Women love a good shin". We think he might even have some females waiting for him on the other side. Jamie loved his family more than anything else in the world...except ice-cold Busch, room-temperature Busch, T-bones, New York strip, prime rib, shrimp, swimming, poker, hatch-back Mustang GTs, tank-tops, Kentucky Men's basketball, and his personal copy of Eddie Murphy's Raw.

He leaves behind his second-favorite son, Rocky(and Lizeth) Loveless of Arizona City, AZ, his favorite son, Rodney Loveless of Science Hill, KY, a younger brother, Joey, and unofficial daughter Melissa(and Coy) Vance of the trailer park, as well as a pair of old boxers which have 'Buttweiser the King of Rears' printed on the design. He will be moderately missed.

The Next COVID Vaccines That Americans Will Refuse To Get

Here's an excerpt from this Axios article: "The strain COVID vaccines might target next." 

"Food and Drug Administration advisers on Thursday will vote on whether the next round of COVID-19 shots should target XBB, a subvariant of omicron that’s driving the majority of new infections in the U.S.

"Why it matters: The FDA is on a tight deadline to make a decision so drugmakers can manufacture the new vaccines in time for the fall and winter, even as polls show most Americans have put the pandemic behind them.

"Yes, but: The discussion is underway at a time when the majority of Americans view the pandemic as over and don't believe COVID infections pose a major risk to their health.

    *Most are never masking in public, and less than 1 in 5 people in the U.S. have received an updated booster, per CDC data updated in May.
    *That means it’s unclear how much chasing new variants will benefit a population that might not think they need another shot, especially as vaccine costs shift to the private sector.

"Between the lines: The end of the COVID public health emergency has also cut off a thoroughfare of data that once gave insights into how the virus was spreading, which means it’s difficult to gauge the accuracy of the downward trend in cases, hospitalizations and deaths."

But tell me, how can we target the strain properly if selfish, ignorant Americans refuse to get vaccinated, won't wear a mask, no longer socially distance, and think the pandemic is over?  Our government is doing a lousy job in promoting COVID vaccines and masks, and the data we need may just as well be nonexistent.

Failing at Geography

From World Israel News:  "‘We’re approaching Palestine,’ Ryanair announces on Tel Aviv-bound flight."

"Passengers on a Ryanair flight from Italy to Tel Aviv were shocked after a flight attendant repeatedly described their final destination as Palestine.

"The flight attendant who made the announcement was not wearing a name tag, making it impossible to identify anyone by name in order to file a complaint at a later time.

"One passenger, who tried to take a picture of the attendant, was told that she would be arrested upon landing if she left her seat in order to get a clear image of the speaker, according to the Channel 14 report."

The only person who should have been arrested upon landing was that flight attendant!

Disgraceful Display at the White House

Whatever happened to decency and decorum at landmarks like the White House that represent America?

This happened over the weekend: "Trans activists flaunt bare breasts at White House Pride Month event; Biden's White House hasn't commented on nudity display."

"Trans activists filmed themselves flaunting their breasts in front of the White House during President Biden's Pride Month celebration this weekend, causing an uproar on social media.

"A TikTok influencer who goes by the name Rose Montoya, a biological male who is transgender, originally posted the video from Saturday's event. It shows Montoya and another unnamed transgender activist, a biological female, baring their breasts on the South Lawn with the White House in view behind them.

Montoya also captured a meeting with President Biden himself."

Yes, I'm sure that's definitely something to be proud of.  Thanks, Biden, for helping to demean the White House even further since you've been President.  Our enemies must see America as an embarrassment and a laughingstock thanks to you.

When it Comes to COVID, Don't Let Your Guard Down

This is from Dr Ruth Ann Crystal's latest newsletter: 

"The good news is that overall levels of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are low in wastewater across the United States. We are seeing descendent variants of XBB that are putting pressure on XBB 1.5, but none of them is taking over which reassures us that the newer variants will not cause a big wave soon. Hospitalizations and emergency room visits for COVID are also very low now. There was a bit of a scare in New York City this week as reported wastewater showed a very high concentration of virus, but it turns out that this was because of an accidental misinterpretation of wastewater data from a site that recently had significantly increased their sensitivity. So, NYC wastewater levels were low like most of the U.S.

"Despite this, three different people this week told me that they had avoided COVID for the last three years, but they caught it recently because they let their guard down. They thought the pandemic was over and that they could not get COVID. But the virus is still circulating, and they got it, especially when they did not wear masks indoors. If you get a 'summer cold', I would recommend that you test to make sure that it’s not actually COVID.

"As Dr. Akiko Iwasaki recently said, 'We are not done with COVID. Not even close.'  The latest, subvariants of XBB are very contagious. If you test positive on a rapid antigen test, then you are still contagious and need to quarantine. PCR tests will stay positive sometimes for many months because they are so sensitive, but home rapid antigen tests are only positive if you have enough virus to be contagious."

Where There's Smoke, There's COVID Masks

From Time magazine: "The Pandemic Made Masks Essential Household Items—Just in Time for Wildfire Smoke."

"Jamieson predicted that the muscle memory of masking would come back quickly in the face of a comparably serious health threat. She seems to have been right: Rite Aid reported a nearly 1,500% spike in mask sales in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut this week, according to Bloomberg.

"Still, there’s a key difference between a wildfire threat and a viral one. 'With a wildfire you can see the hazard. You can see it, you can smell it, you can taste it,' says Raina MacIntyre, a professor at Australia’s University of New South Wales who has researched mask use during Australian wildfires. 'That’s not the case with a virus.

"Mask use dropped off significantly as people grew tired of taking COVID-19 precautions, and even this past winter’s surge in respiratory viruses wasn’t enough to get some people to cover up. The question is whether people will keep reaching for their mask when confronted with invisible health threats, like viruses, in the future."

Based on what I've seen here lately, the answer is no. Even while we've been under a smoke alert all week, I haven't seen any uptick in mask-wearing.  The only thing I've seen more of is people coughing into the air, or wiping their nose with their hand. There's no common sense, just disgusting behavior.

Holy Cow! More Climate Change Insanity!

I thought John Kerry was a climate extremist, but it looks like Ireland may have come up with a plan even more radical than his!

"Irish government says 200,000 cows need to be killed. The Irish government is considering killing 200,000 cows in the country in order to get in lock step with so-called climate change goals drawn up by the European Union. The move is apparently an attempt to reduce emissions created by the farming industry".

Where's PETA when you need them?

They ought to get rid of 200,000 climate radicals instead, whose own verbal emissions are more harmful and ridiculous than anything cows produce.  And we can only hope that John Kerry and his crackpot allies don't try this destructive scheme here in America.

Shameful Shock of the Day: PGA Tour Merges With LIV Golf

Ugh! When I saw the news on Twitter, I just assumed I was reading one of the parody sites like the Babylon Bee.

After all the disgraceful defections to LIV, especially Phil Mickelson's; all the greed, all the overlooking of Saudi participation in September 11; after seeing Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Brandel Chamblee and others speak up against LIV -- now this! A merger, as if nothing had happened!

Washington Post: "PGA Tour agrees to merge with Saudi-backed LIV Golf. The stunning announcement came after months of pointed rhetoric, bitter feelings and heated debate about the human rights record of the breakaway tour’s Saudi backers. It also came amid ongoing litigation between LIV and the PGA Tour, which both had filed lawsuits against the other."

As a golf fan, I find this to be a despicable decision, and, sadly, I will no longer be watching the PGA Tour on CBS.

Arnold Palmer must be rolling in his grave today.

Crime in America: "Worse than Afghanistan".

When is this crime wave ever going to end?  Never -- unless there are consequences for the brazen thieves. "Immigrant store owner begs San Francisco for help after losing $100K to burglars: 'Worse than Afghanistan'"

This store owner is one of the many innocent victims just trying to make an honest living, and he has summed up the problem perfectly:

"'The politicians need to get a grip on this because It’s worse than Afghanistan or Iraq,' Zaid, co-owner of Cigarettes R Cheaper in San Francisco’s Richmond District, told Fox News Digital. He was referring to crime in the city following a robbery Tuesday night, when a half dozen thieves smashed his windows and made off with about $80,000 in merchandise and $20,000 in cash.

"'At least in Afghanistan the Taliban will cut your hand off and people are afraid to commit such a crime,' Zaid said, adding that he sees people stealing from nearby stores every day. "

Where are the lawmakers? Why isn't the government ensuring that we have the money to hire more cops, more security guards, and special crime squads?  Instead, thugs like these thieves know they can steal with impunity, because nobody's going to stop them, excuses are made for them, and prosecutors won't throw the book at them.  Where are the rights of honest Americans to go about their day safely? "Tough on crime" is now just a meaningless phrase, and the criminals know it.

Booster-Deniers and COVID-Spreaders

The Americans whining the most about wanting to "get back to normal" are the same ones who continue to refuse to get their COVID boosters. This headline comes from Fox News, of all places: "Most US adults are declining COVID boosters as CDC warns of health risks: 'Relatively little protection'; Hospitalization risk exists as only 20% of US adults receive booster dose: ‘Uptake has been quite low’."

Instead of being united against COVID, these people are the ones helping helping COVID to spread, and they are the ones who are prolonging this pandemic. Imagine if everyone were vaccinated,  boosted, and masked from the start. The staggering number of deaths would have been much lower.

Thanks a lot for not cooperating. When you do get COVID, don't come crying to me for sympathy, because I don't have any for you, only contempt.

COVID? What COVID?

The opinions in these letters to the Guardian newspaper are correct.  This is in England, but Joan Twelves might as well be talking about the United States:

"The past is being erased. The present is being ignored. Even though the pandemic is still with us, all protections, surveillance and data collections have been dismantled. Those millions still at the highest risk are reporting being told to take their masks off in hospitals. The roughly quarter of a million people who died from Covid are no longer even a number."

Here, too, people are unmasked, unvaccinated, and acting as if the pandemic never existed at all.  It's very discouraging, to say the least.