Omicron Is Feeding the Republican Conspiracy Beast [Click] “Why would a congressman spread wacky theories linking the variant to the midterm elections? Because the incentives that drive normal political parties don’t work in today’s GOP.”
“Could the emergence of Omicron, possibly a more infectious, less virulent variant of coronavirus, be a good thing for public health? Some of our leading infectious disease experts, while stressing it is too early to make a call, are daring to hope.” Yet another writer evidently unaware that “virulent” means very infectious, not dangerous. Picky, picky, picky.
The Inventors of America’s Most Dangerous Idea [Click] “Freedom used to be a rallying cry for justice, but the country’s Realtors had a better use for it.” The campaign against California’s Proposition 14 was my first involvement in politics.
Naomi and I saw the movie "Encanto" this afternoon. There is a very short and muted scene of migrants being attacked by bad guys, but it might not make an impression on little kids. Most of the script is sung rather than spoken, and a lot of that I didn't catch because of my poor ears, but the "acting" combined with the spoken parts and what I could catch of the sung parts makes the meaning clear enough. I would hesitate to take kindergarten kids to see it, but second graders should be all right IMO. Rated PG.
Interesting; replacing t's with glottal stops is the principal thing in the speech of people of southeastern England that gives me trouble understanding them. We were taught to enunciate t's distinctly. People in this part of California drop t's, but I don't think they insert a glottal stop; Sacramento turns into "Sacramenno" and Monterey turns into "Monnerey." And the inhabitants of the principal city of Ontario pronounce it "Torono."
I imagine that some of the early settlers here were actually from SE England. It's kind of cool to think that the dialect hasn't changed that much since then.
Folks in Rhode Island pronounce their "r"s distinctly. I went from Boston to RI around 2nd grade and so loved the sound of the pronounced "r"s that I adopted that sound and kept it. You hahdly evva heah the lettah "ahhh" in Boston. It's part of why I chuckle that Howard Dean pronounces "idea" as "idear."
But I have definitely heard the dropped t's and glottal stops up here in Vermont. Could it be the French influence?
3 hr 3 min ago Germany reports first Omicron case with no travel history
From CNN's Sara Mazloumsaki and Nadine Schmidt A 39-year-old man from Leipzig has been diagnosed with the Omicron variant, the first confirmed case in Germany with no travel history, according to health officials.
The infected man had not traveled abroad recently nor had any contact with anyone who had traveled overseas, Leipzig Health Department director Regine Krause-Döring said.
It's the fourth Omicron case to be discovered in Germany. Two previous infections were detected in Munich and a third case was found in the state of Hesse.
Sounds like there is no stopping it. We can still hope that it will only cause very mild disease and block more serious variants. That is a common phenomenon with pandemic disease, albeit not universal.
Omicron Is Feeding the Republican Conspiracy Beast [Click] “Why would a congressman spread wacky theories linking the variant to the midterm elections? Because the incentives that drive normal political parties don’t work in today’s GOP.”
ReplyDeleteThe underwater 'kites' generating electricity as they move [Click] The Faeroese are doing their part and then some to reduce global warming.
ReplyDeletehttps://digbysblog.net/2021/11/29/which-wave-is-it/
ReplyDeleteLink clickified [Click]
Delete“Could the emergence of Omicron, possibly a more infectious, less virulent variant of coronavirus, be a good thing for public health? Some of our leading infectious disease experts, while stressing it is too early to make a call, are daring to hope.” Yet another writer evidently unaware that “virulent” means very infectious, not dangerous. Picky, picky, picky.
DeleteThe underwater 'kites' generating electricity as they move [Click]
ReplyDeleteBBC North America editor Jon Spopel: The America I give thanks for (as I depart) [Click] Seeing ourselves as others see us. . .
ReplyDeleteMerkel’s punk pick for leaving ceremony raises eyebrows [Click] “Outgoing German chancellor’s choice of soundtrack for military tattoo hints at uncharted hinterland”
ReplyDeleteHow far-right extremist groups face exposure from army of hacktivists [Click] “Data leaks and breaches by so-called ‘ethical hackers’ – often assisted by poor security practices – have exposed inner workings of groups and the nature of the movement as a whole”
ReplyDeleteThe Inventors of America’s Most Dangerous Idea [Click] “Freedom used to be a rallying cry for justice, but the country’s Realtors had a better use for it.” The campaign against California’s Proposition 14 was my first involvement in politics.
ReplyDeleteLife inside a century-old SRO hotel in San Francisco's Tenderloin [Click]
ReplyDeleteUnearthed footage shows a long-gone 1960s San Francisco [Click]
Long gone? Well, I guess so. But it sure is familiar.
NYT: How Austin Became One of the Least Affordable Cities in America [Click]
ReplyDeleteAustin set to become most expensive place to live outside of California [Click] No paywall
'Jesus Christ Superstar' actor, an accused Capitol rioter, claimed 'divine' authority in court hearing
ReplyDeletehttps://www.cnn.com/2021/11/29/politics/january-6-jesus-christ-superstar-sovereign-citizen/index.html
Kind of ironic that the role the actor played was ... Judas.
Naomi and I saw the movie "Encanto" this afternoon. There is a very short and muted scene of migrants being attacked by bad guys, but it might not make an impression on little kids. Most of the script is sung rather than spoken, and a lot of that I didn't catch because of my poor ears, but the "acting" combined with the spoken parts and what I could catch of the sung parts makes the meaning clear enough. I would hesitate to take kindergarten kids to see it, but second graders should be all right IMO. Rated PG.
ReplyDeleteUS Supreme Court denies Massachusetts hospital workers’ vaccine appeal [Click]
ReplyDeleteIn Jacobson v. Massachusetts (1905), the Supreme Court upheld a state’s mandatory compulsory smallpox vaccination law over the challenge of a pastor who alleged that it violated his religious liberty rights. [Click]
Is the Vermont accent fading? Don’t hold your breath
ReplyDeletehttps://vtdigger.org/2021/08/01/is-the-vermont-accent-fading-dont-hold-your-breath/
Interesting; replacing t's with glottal stops is the principal thing in the speech of people of southeastern England that gives me trouble understanding them. We were taught to enunciate t's distinctly. People in this part of California drop t's, but I don't think they insert a glottal stop; Sacramento turns into "Sacramenno" and Monterey turns into "Monnerey." And the inhabitants of the principal city of Ontario pronounce it "Torono."
DeleteI imagine that some of the early settlers here were actually from SE England. It's kind of cool to think that the dialect hasn't changed that much since then.
DeleteFolks in Rhode Island pronounce their "r"s distinctly. I went from Boston to RI around 2nd grade and so loved the sound of the pronounced "r"s that I adopted that sound and kept it. You hahdly evva heah the lettah "ahhh" in Boston. It's part of why I chuckle that Howard Dean pronounces "idea" as "idear."
But I have definitely heard the dropped t's and glottal stops up here in Vermont. Could it be the French influence?
In places influenced by settlers from East Anglia "The ahs just kinda disappeah and ahn't theah any moah."
DeleteAmazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama to get another union election after NLRB sets aside previous one. [Click] This doesn’t happen every day; the company's behavior must have been egregious. Management isn't going to like having to post the required notices in the workplace.
ReplyDeleteThese countries have cases of Omicron (site will be updated)...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.cnn.com/2021/11/29/world/covid-omicron-variant-countries-list-cmd-intl/index.html
Canada now has 5 cases of Omicron, 4 in Ontario (Ottawa) and 1 in Quebec (Montreal)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canadas-quebec-said-province-discovers-first-case-new-covid-19-variant-2021-11-29/
That's feeling a little close to home, to me. I'm just 2 hours from Montreal, 3.5 from Ottawa
3 hr 3 min ago
ReplyDeleteGermany reports first Omicron case with no travel history
From CNN's Sara Mazloumsaki and Nadine Schmidt
A 39-year-old man from Leipzig has been diagnosed with the Omicron variant, the first confirmed case in Germany with no travel history, according to health officials.
The infected man had not traveled abroad recently nor had any contact with anyone who had traveled overseas, Leipzig Health Department director Regine Krause-Döring said.
It's the fourth Omicron case to be discovered in Germany. Two previous infections were detected in Munich and a third case was found in the state of Hesse.
Sounds like there is no stopping it. We can still hope that it will only cause very mild disease and block more serious variants. That is a common phenomenon with pandemic disease, albeit not universal.
Delete