Marine Ornithologists need to summit and soon.

The Atlantic Ocean Puffins may only be showing distress, but, the Pacific Puffin pollution was on the verge of collapse about a year ago. Scientists need to close ranks and protect these birds. They may be endangered already and their genetics could be narrowing if there are only a few Atlantic colonies left.

July 29, 2022

By David Able

Eastern Egg Rock, Maine - On a recent balmy afternoon, (click here) at the extreme southern end of their range, a steady stream of Atlantic puffins, with their unmistakable tuxedo plumage and orange webbed feet, swooped in from the sea, alighting on the granite rocks surrounding this remote island off midcoast Maine.

Many carried in their multicolored beaks the small fish their chicks depend on for survival, and that have been increasingly difficult for puffins to find as waters warm.

Biologists are watching intently to gauge the future of this beloved, bellwether species. Maine’s population, long stressed, took an alarming hit last summer as water temperatures in the Gulf of Maine surged to record highs. As the chunky seabirds struggled to find enough to eat, the number of surviving chicks plummeted to about a quarter, down from about two-thirds in a typical year...

There is inherent problems with any marine species. As the oceans warm the species that call the oceans home will become disoriented due to that temperature change. The ocean waters is where they live and they are very conscious of their environment no different the human experience understands temperature on land.

In the case of shore birds, there can be a drastic change in their food source as the ocean waters warn and fish species migrate. Most of these shorebird species are really hard wired genetically. They don't change much generation to generation. These species are the ones in most danger since their genetics are so limited. They simply don't have the ability to adapt if their food sources crash. That was happening in the Pacific. The most profound loss of birds was stated to be along the Bering Strait. If the fisheries collapse due to species migration the shorebirds are going to be trouble.

August 2, 2013
By Mia Bennett

The Farne Islands, England (click here) lie at 55 degrees N. Off the coast of Northumberland, they’re not too far from Newcastle, England and Edinburgh, Scotland. I took a boat trip out to the islands a few weeks ago and saw thousands of puffins. The black and white birds were diving, bobbing, and flying with fish in their beaks.

Puffins are usually associated with the Arctic, so I was surprised to see them in the country I’ve called home for the past ten months. Even though I wasn’t really that far north – still eleven degrees south of the Arctic Circle – the presence of puffins made me feel closer to the Arctic than I have since I was in Tromso in January....

The American people love the Zelenskyy leadership.

It is difficult to make a beautiful lady look more glamorous. The photos are by Annie Leibovitz. There is no one better to conduct the photography. There is no way the genocide in Ukraine can be glamorized. No one is taking this war lightly. It is an incredibly dense war intent on killing an entire race of people.

We know that for a fact.

Setting aside the bombing, the carelessness of the Russian invasion to Chernobyl, the disgusting behavior of Russian troops; the survivors taken to Russia are being assimilated into a Russia culture. It is completely hideous to realize the reason for the invasion is to unite all Russian speaking people and the people taken captive have to be assimilated into the Russian culture including the Russian language. Such assimilation is another definition of genocide. The assault by Putin's Russia is simply unbelievable.

From what I have seen Annie Leibovitz photos are real eye openers. The pictures are definitely parts of this war others have not seen. There is no way to glamorize the stark reality of Ukraine and it's people. I appreciate the photos and the effort to make this horrendous reality palatable.

Russia hates the people of Ukraine. Everyday is a profound reminder of it. This has to be some of the saddest times in the world considering the destruction being rendered by Putin's Russia for absolutely no reason at all.

July 27, 2022
By Martha Ross

By posing (click here) for photos for a Vogue cover story, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife, Olena Zelenska, have sparked an online debate about whether stylized imagery of the couple in fashion’s most iconic magazine is appropriate for the leader of a country under attack by invading Russian troops.

As Russian missiles continue to pummel parts of Ukraine, and civilian and military casualties mount on both sides, the country’s first couple has faced accusations from some that they indulged in a vanity project in the midst of a war zone. They were photographed for the international fashion bible by Annie Leibovitz, best known for her photos of A-list celebrities, some of which are idiosyncratic and controversial but are almost always highly stylized and glamorous....

The UAW is not the problem. Corruption is the problem. Transparency is the best medicine.

It is correct to postpone an increase in strike pay until the stability of the union is known when it comes to it's treasury and investments. Cleaning up corruption is vital. It is the era of the union and transparency is the answer. How can a company look at union representatives across the table if they aren't transparent to their members?

July 28, 2022
By Jordyn Grzelewski and Breana Noble

Detroit — The United Auto Workers' 38th Constitutional Convention (click here) ended on a dramatic note Thursday, reflecting internal fissures — as well as some signs of progress — in a union attempting to move beyond a years-long corruption scandal and position itself for an uncertain future.

In an unexpected move, UAW President Ray Curry skipped the traditional state of the union address after repeatedly delaying it earlier in the week. Some delegates also left the convention furious and confused about a move late in the day to reverse a vote that increased strike pay. And much of the morning on the convention's final day at Huntington Place was spent on a procedural matter that some saw as an attempted filibuster.

Still, numerous delegates to the quadrennial event said they felt it was the most democratic convention they'd been to yet, and were encouraged by progress they felt had been made on key reforms and policies.

"I thought Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were wonderful. I thought they were democratic. Everybody got to speak their mind, including me, and I got to talk when I was saying things nobody wanted to hear," said Bill Bagwell Jr., 65, a delegate from Local 174 in Livonia. He works at General Motors Co.'s customer care and aftersales facility in Ypsilanti and has attended numerous constitutional conventions.....

The companies are healthy. They seem to have good and decent leadership. They are taking the climate crisis seriously and moving forward toward those goals. These are all necessary changes. It would have been easier for the country and investors if the changes were gradually worked into the companies if there was real leadership in DC regarding greenhouse gas pollution. These dynamics are all compressed now because of the high degree of corruption of the petroleum industry and their willingness and ability to pollute the political dynamics in the USA.

July 29, 2022
By Breana Noble and Jordyn Grzelewski

Detroit's three automakers (click here) say they're prepared to weather an economic downturn and pursue their electrification targets — though it's coming at the cost of consumers' pocketbooks and jobs.

The companies say their order books are strong and a global microchip shortage that's plagued the industry for more than a year is improving — albeit, slowly. The resulting low vehicle inventories have fueled high transaction prices and billions of dollars in profits. Inflation, raw material price increases and rising interest rates, however, remain wild cards that could send economies into a downturn, potentially jeopardizing auto profits and companies' ability to invest in transformational technologies.

So far, General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis NV haven't blinked. The companies this week each maintained their financial guidance and championed plans for double-digit margins throughout the decade, while acknowledging the potential for a rough road ahead.

They say they're prepared: GM is cutting "discretionary" spending and has a hiring freeze except for critical roles; Ford CEO Jim Farley reiterated that the company has "too many people;" and Stellantis says it's keeping its breakeven point low....

NOAA California hydrology map

CNRFC - Hydrology - Observed Precipitation Map

This is the 24 hour precipitation map for NAPA Valley (click here).

That's right. Zero precipitation over the past 24 hours. All areas examined of the CNRFC are zero.

Is a climate emergency emerging?

Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam (click here)

The purple is 2020 according to the key below. The lime color is 2021. The blue is current 2022. This is really bad news. There is a radical difference with Lake Mead. There has been some recent rain, but, it is about 9.6 inches. That is good, but, it is not nearly enough to move the needle set on Emergency Climate Crisis. President Biden has to speak to his Governors and find out if a Climate Emergency is a potential solution for the country as we enter winter and a projection for snowfall that would alleviate this drought.

July 29, 2022

By Marisa Kendall

...But while most have water on their minds,(click here) fewer than half said they have done a lot to reduce their water use, and 16% say they have done nothing. At the same time, people are pointing fingers at their neighbors — 69% of Californians said people in their area are not doing enough to conserve....

Depriving farmers from irrigation water is not a reasonable solution.

Everything old is new again.

Please be sure the ships are seaworthy and not ready for the scrap yard. Additionally, the previous use of the ship may have residues that could contaminate the new cargo, such as grain.

This is nothing short of genius. I congratulate all the people involved in improving the supply chain. They are impressive in their knowledge of global resources.

If any of these recommissioned ships are carrying precious food around the world, please be certain they are not contaminated with poisons from previous use.

July 28, 2022
By Elizabeth Low

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (click here) has supercharged one segment of the shipping market, with soaring freight rates prompting companies to rush to purchase rather than rent vessels.

Trade curbs on Moscow have upended fuel flows, locking up more ships on long-haul routes, while others handle Russian shipments. That’s tightened tanker supply, lifting freight costs and setting off a scramble for used vessels, with the price of so-called clean tankers jumping as much as 60% this year, according to VesselsValue.

Commodity markets, and the shipping trade that’s vital for transporting materials around the globe, have been upended Europe’s worst military crisis since World War II. While freight rates have recently eased from their highs, ship owners are still likely to fetch healthy earnings for the rest of the year, according to Anoop Singh, head of tanker research at Braemar ACM Shipbroking.

With demand outstripping availability, buyers have been willing to bid significantly higher, shipbrokers told Bloomberg. Given a new tanker takes up to three years to order, companies hoping to cash in on the rally are mostly limited to existing vessels, they said....

I have been protesting the F35 since it's first blueprints.

I am not going to stop now in validating my absolutely correct point of view. It is like the Toyota Takata air bags. They never work no matter how much they are CORRECTED. Maybe the latest Tom Cruise film will put faith back in the jets.

I never liked them. I will never like them. They do not need to be manufactured again. They are flying relic of the IDEOLOGY OF COMPUTER PERFECTION for superior flight machines in a world that believes in war as opposed to peace. If the USA is going to continue to invest in flying machines, they need to do something far better and FAR LESS COMPUTERIZED than the F-35.

29 July 2022
By Keith Griffith

The Air Force is grounding its fleet of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (click here) to check for a faulty component that could prevent pilots from safely ejecting.

A spokesperson for the Air Force confirmed Friday's temporary stand-down order in a statement to DailyMail.com, saying the aircraft are currently being inspected 'to mitigate safety concerns.'

'There is a concern with a component used in the pilot ejection system of several aircraft operated by the US Air Force,' the spokesperson said.

At issue are the explosive cartridges inside F-35 ejection seats that blow the pilot clear of the aircraft in an emergency. The Air Force has roughly 300 F-35s, which cost around $78 million apiece for the latest model.

British ejection seat manufacturer Martin-Baker has identified certain production lots of the explosive cartridges in its seats as defective and needing replacement, the Air Force said.

The ejection system component in question is also used T-38 Talons and T-6 Texan IIs, and the Air Force has also taken some of those aircraft out of service for inspection....

Christian nationalism is a political movement as old as man himself.

Christian nationalism is power. It pretends to portray an honest and honorable form of politics that in reality is destroying democracy.

The wall separating church and state was assaulted by the administration of George W. Bush, the former governor of Texas. 

Call it "The Poisoning of American Politics" also known as how to make a loser, a winner.

I don't think we can overstate this mobilization of the individual churches. (click here) Never happened before. Vast sort of untapped source of political energy in this country. The evangelicals didn't just come on board for him: They were campaigning; they were at the events; they were the poll volunteers; they were making the phone banks, the phone calls. You know, that's how you win elections. It was good old grassroots, door-knocking politics, but they tapped this group and organized it in a way that just had never been done to that extent before.

Religious conservatives, if they wanted to get into politics, [used to get] involved with Ralph Reed and his Christian Coalition. No more. You're doing it right through your church. The Christian Coalition had no important effect on this election at all. It was all about your local Christian church. That turned out to be the rallying point....

Republicans were finding a new base with the help of Karl Rove, "Bush's Brain." All the Republicans wanted to know is how to keep them as their base, hence, Christian nationalism raises it's ugly head again.

The USA needs to regain it's balance and rebuild the wall. It has been successfully assaulted by Supreme Court Judges put in place by the Federalist Society that has invested well into Republican candidates.

The Federalist Society and any other Special Interest Group with lots of money to buy candidates that will practice Quid Pro Quo will be provided a place in Republican politics with absolutely no regard to the USA Constitution. 

Interestingly, the changes in the USA regarding the wall separating church and state took place after September 11, 2001 and the wrongful invasion into Iraq. The country was in a very unusual mood back then. The American people were wounded. They basically didn't pay attention to issues of God. There were angels everywhere, even on the Victorian Secret runway. It was a very strange time. But, it was at this time the Christian Conservative judiciary took advantage of that odd mood and plowed into the separation of church and state. It is up to the people of the American people to take back their country in November 2022. They have to do this before it becomes so ridiculously corrupt.

The history that took down the wall between church and states is only about two decades old. It is not too late.

The crumbling wall...

...otherwise known as Christian Nationalism. 

This is from the Federalist Society website, under the Religious Liberties Practice Group. (click here)

On June 21, 2022, the Supreme Court decided Carson v. Makin. In a 6-3 opinion, the Court reversed and remanded the judgment of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The Court held that Maine's "nonsectarian" requirement for otherwise generally available tuition assistance payments to parents who live in school districts that do not operate a secondary school of their own violates the free exercise clause of the First Amendment.

Chief Justice Roberts delivered the opinion of the Court. Justice Breyer filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justice Kagan joined, and in which Justice Sotomayor joined as to all but Part I-B. Justice Sotomayor filed a dissenting opinion....

This is the latest case deteriorating the wall that separates church and state. There is absolutely no constitutional basis for this assault against the USA Constitution either.

Those that wrote the Declaration of Independence and the USA Constitution believed a clean break between church and state was necessary.

Vashti McCollum sits outside the Supreme Court building in 1947, while awaiting arguments before the court on her fight to ban religious education classes from an Illinois public school. Her case was one of the cases in which the Supreme Court began to interpret the First Amendment's religious establishment clause known as "separation of church and state." 

The first clause in the Bill of Rights (click here) states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”

Establishment clause of First Amendment often interpreted to require separation of church and state

For approximately the first 150 years of the country’s existence, there was little debate over the meaning of this clause in the Constitution. As the citizenry became more diverse, however, challenges arose to existing laws and practices, and eventually, the Supreme Court was called upon to determine the meaning of the establishment clause.

Though not explicitly stated in the First Amendment, the clause is often interpreted to mean that the Constitution requires the separation of church and state....

The Crusades had god on their side, too.

The artwork is entitled "The taking of Jerusalem by the Crusaders." War. Bloodshed all in the name of God.

The Crusades were a series of religious wars (click here) Christians and Muslims started primarily to secure control of holy sites considered sacred by both groups. In all, eight major Crusade expeditions — varying in size, strength and degree of success — occurred between 1096 and 1291. The costly, violent and often ruthless conflicts enhanced the status of European Christians, making them major players in the fight for land in the Middle East.

By the end of the 11th century, Western Europe had emerged as a significant power in its own right, though it still lagged behind other Mediterranean civilizations, such as the Byzantine Empire (formerly the eastern half of the Roman Empire) and the Islamic Empire of the Middle East and North Africa.

However, Byzantium had lost considerable territory to the invading Seljuk Turks. After years of chaos and civil war, the general Alexius Comnenus seized the Byzantine throne in 1081 and consolidated control over the remaining empire as Emperor Alexius I....

When God didn't approve of the monarchy, the monarchy found a new faith.

The artwork is Henry VII (click here).

When Martin Luther issued grievances (click here) about the Catholic Church in 1517, King Henry VIII took it upon himself to personally repudiate the arguments of the Protestant Reformation leader. The pope rewarded Henry with the lofty title of Fidei Defensor, or Defender of the Faith.

Barely a decade later, the very same Henry VIII would break decisively with the Catholic Church, accept the role of Supreme Head of the Church of England and dissolve the nation’s monasteries, absorbing and redistributing their massive property as he saw fit.

So what changed? How did the former “Defender of the Faith” end up ushering in the English Reformation?...

I guess God was on his side, until he wasn't.

What is Christian nationalism, (click here) and what should the relationship of church and state be?

I am certain there are many scholars that can address Christian nationalism, but, it is dangerous.

I think it was "W's" constituency that claimed "God is on our side." Odd, I always thought the godly didn't participate in war and hate. 

She was a hero to me. I was always a Star Trek fan and she was my favorite Lieutenant.

Besides talented, she was always a beautiful woman. Here she is 89 years old. Absolutely wonderful person. Sympathies to all her friends, fans and family.

31 July 2022
By Dave Nemetz

Nichelle Nichols‘ Star Trek (click here) costars are honoring their crewmate after the actress, who played Uhura on the original Trek series, passed away Sunday at the age of 89.

William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk alongside Nichols on Star Trek, tweeted: “I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Nichelle. She was a beautiful woman & played an admirable character that did so much for redefining social issues both here in the US & throughout the world. I will certainly miss her. Sending my love and condolences to her family.”

George Takei, who played navigator Sulu on Star Trek, added: “I shall have more to say about the trailblazing, incomparable Nichelle Nichols, who shared the bridge with us as Lt. Uhura of the USS Enterprise, and who passed today at age 89. For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend."...

She was always larger than life.

George Takei, who played navigator Sulu on Star Trek, added: “I shall have more to say about the trailblazing, incomparable Nichelle Nichols, who shared the bridge with us as Lt. Uhura of the USS Enterprise, and who passed today at age 89. For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend.”...

July 31, 2022
By Youssef Diab and Omar Tamo

Lebanon has seized a ship loaded with barley and wheat flour (click here) while it determines whether the cargo may have been stolen from Ukraine, said Public Prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat.

The Ukrainian embassy in Beirut said the vessel was loaded at Feodosia in the Russian-occupied peninsula of Crimea, and that the commodities originated from Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv and Kherson in southeastern Ukraine.

The embassy accused Russia of stealing more than 500,000 tons during its occupation of the three regions. While Russia denies stealing grain, it has publicly touted the resumption of grain shipments from occupied ports.

Grain shipments from Crimea have surged since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, which analysts say indicates Ukrainian grain is being exported. Exports from Crimea are sanctioned by the European Union and the US....

Those grain silos feed the world along with the USA.

July 31, 2022

By Taylan Bilgic and Áine Quinn

A view shows silos of grain from Odesa Black Sea port, before a shipment of grain as the government of Ukraine awaits signal from UN and Turkey to start grain shipments, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Odesa

The first ship to export Ukrainian grain (click here) since an agreement was reached for the safe transit of vessels may depart as soon as Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said.

“There are a few hitches, a few issues being discussed with the Russians,” Kalin said in an interview with Kanal 7 TV channel on Sunday, adding that the ships should start departing “by Tuesday at the latest.”

More than a week after Russia and Ukraine reached a deal aimed at releasing millions of tons of grain through three Black Sea ports, no ships have sailed. 

Ukraine said on Friday it’s close to restarting shipments, although the timing was linked to receiving go-ahead from the United Nations, which along with Turkey was a signatory to the July 22 agreement. The UN has declined to specify a day. 

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk on Friday, where he watched grain being loaded onto a Turkish vessel....

Putin's signature means nothing. The grain shipments may need a military escort.

31 July 2022
By Tara Cobham

A Ukrainian grain tycoon and his wife (click here) have been killed today in the 'strongest' Russian shelling of the southern city Mykolaiv so far, according to Ukrainian authorities.

As Moscow continue to pummel the sprawling front line, the home of Oleksiy Vadatursky, 74, and his wife Raisa was reportedly struck by a missile overnight, killing them both.

The leading Ukrainian agricultural magnate was ranked as the country's 24th richest man with a fortune worth $430 million by Forbes.

The businessman owned Nibulon, which is a group involved in grain exports, including building infrastructure for its exportation....

It may be the stability of the grain exporting has to be in question with the death of the owner. It may be that Ukraine will have to nationalize the business for now.

July 29, 2022
By Aine Quinn, Salma El Wardany and Volodymyr Verbyany

Ukraine said it’s close to restarting grain shipments, (click here) although the timing will depend on go-ahead from the United Nations, which helped broker last week’s deal, and there were still few details available about how the process will unfold.

“Our side is fully ready,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in the Odesa region, where he was watching grain being loaded onto a Turkish ship at Chornomorsk port.

Crop markets are watching closely for concrete moves toward unlocking the millions of tons of grain that have been piling up in Ukraine, which is one of the biggest wheat, corn and vegetable-oil suppliers. The war has shaken the food trade and spurred warnings about a global crisis, while the country is under pressure to resume exports to boost its war-devastated economy. Its farmers have also warned they are running out of space to store crops.

UN spokesman Farhan Haq declined to commit to a day when the first ship would leave. A coordination center in Istanbul “is working to establish standard operating procedures, including monitoring and inspection procedures and emergency response procedures,” he said at a briefing. “Once all those elements are place, we’ll start seeing the first movements of ships.”...

The UK has been rather incredible through this entire struggle by Ukraine. Lloyd's was trying to assure the shipping company there would be insurance to protect the shippers' interest. They wanted to reassure shippers there would be no lose of income. I doubt Lloyd's expected the assassination of a grain exporter and his spouse.

The death of Oleksiy Vadatursky is no mistake. His spouse died of collateral damage. They were assassinated. 

The Free World has a sophisticated point of view of this war. There is no such vision in Moscow. They are killers and lives in the world mean nothing to them. The redefinition of Russia is alarming. The world needs to live with the truth, not Russian propaganda.

July 29, 2022

By John Konrad and Carolyn Cohn

Lloyd’s of London insurer (click here) Ascot and broker Marsh on Friday launched marine cargo and war insurance for grain and food products moving from Ukrainian Black Sea ports, removing a hurdle to getting shipments underway.

Russia and Ukraine signed a deal last week, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations, to reopen grain and fertiliser exports that have been blocked by war to ease an international food crisis.

U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Thursday he was hopeful that the first shipment of grain from a Ukrainian Black Sea port could take place as early as Friday, but “crucial” details for the safe passage of vessels were still being worked out. 

The Lloyd’s of London  facility will provide up to $50 million of cover in marine cargo and war insurance, Lloyd’s, Ascot and Marsh said in a statement.

The cover would “add essential protections to the deal brokered by the UN last week and represents the latest support from Lloyd’s and the insurance industry to help the international community respond to the conflict”, said Patrick Tiernan, chief of markets at Lloyd’s.

Insurers have previously said they were only willing to cover grain moving out of Ukrainian Black Sea ports if there are arrangements for international navy escorts and a clear strategy to deal with sea mines....

There are infrastructure models to assess carbon pollution.

At ABS we are pairing our maritime (click here) and offshore experience with our in-depth understanding of carbon economics to provide you with the tools and support that you need to seamlessly develop and deploy carbon accounting within your organization. Contact us today to learn more....

Basically, no excuses for greenhouse gas pollution.

An antiviral is not an antibiotic.

Paxlovid (click here) is an oral antiviral pill that can be taken at home to help keep high-risk patients from getting so sick that they need to be hospitalized. So, if you test positive for the coronavirus and a health care provider writes you a prescription, you can take pills at home and lower your risk of going to the hospital. You can also get Paxlovid directly from your pharmacist, provided you can give the pharmacist your electronic or printed medical records, including a list of medications you are already taking, and blood test results from the last 12 months....

Understanding antivirals is different than understanding bacterial infections.

Antibiotics disrupt cell membranes of the bacteria and eliminate the infection. An antibiotic is best taken as prescribed for the ten days. It takes ten days to completely eliminate the bacteria. If antibiotics are not completed the remaining bacteria can bounce back as a resistant bacteria and then the infection is even more difficult to eliminate.

Antivirals are about viral load. The antivirals interfere with the virus ability to replicate. In interfering with replication limits the number of virus in the body, hence, the term "viral load." 

COVID and it's variants typically run it's course in 13 days unless there is tissue damage and patients have a far more difficult time in recovery. The COVID pill works best if taken within the first 5 days, because, the viral load has not exploded. The course of the virus replication is now reduced to 8 days when the virus is not suppressed by an antiviral. The most dangerous viral load of these coronavirus, with the interference of the pill, is reduced at the least and is primarily a nuisance.

The viral load is so suppressed by the anti-viral a person will test negative after the last set of pills is taken. Understanding there is still some virus in the body, the bounce occurs after the end of the medication and usually after a negative test. Why? Because there is still some viral load, but, not enough to continue to build a large infection.

Paxlovid suppresses replication. These coronavirus of COVID is large and causes cell damage after it replicates and ruptures the cell to enter the body and infect more cells. The cell damage by these virus is more of a problem than the virus itself. The ability to avoid cell damage is difficult and is highly individual. Every antiviral that suppresses replication is protecting cells and proper functioning of the immune system. These antivirals are very important. They are protective as well as suppressive of the viral load. 

I am sure all that is clear as mud, but, the fact of the matter is the COVID pills work and should be taken as prescribed. They will help protect body cells from being invaded by the virus, hence, reducing the number of virus the body has to fight and overcome.

It is not unusual to have a bounce in viral load after the full course of the antiviral because like bacteria there will be virus still in the body. They will replicate and a positive test after a negative is not unusual. Please do not see a positive test after the five days of pills as a failure of the therapy. It is not a failure. It is the normal course of viral suppression by the body after developing it's own antibodies.

Please understand an infection of COVID-19 or any of it's variants is still serious disease and should not be viewed as a minor annoyance. There are serious effects of these virus resulting in permanent changes in the way the body functions. The worse of the lingering effects of the virus is Long COVID. 

I read an article some time ago saying that Vitamin D is a resistant to the virus. Of the people who became ill with the virus, those least effected had a healthy level of Vitamin D which would explain why summers see less infections than winters, when people are outside far more often then in the winter. I have been taking Vitamin D orally daily for a decade or more when normal levels were maintained it ended chronic pain.

The Vitamin D phenomena if it is sincerely correct research in relation to COVID is more a level of healthy body chemistry with proper levels of vitamins and minerals daily. Why expect the body to be able to fight off insults to it if it doesn't have all the building blocks it needs?

Take medicine as prescribed for the entire length of time required. Beat the infection, otherwise, it will beat you.

Oh, by the way. 

Masks work.

Social distancing works.

Hand hygiene works, especially when touching the face.

Stay well.

Have a good evening.

To get weapons of war off the street

Provide a $3000 tax credit to directly come off the total taxes owed on individual tax returns starting retroactively to 2021 taxes. The weapons of war will have to be turned into a local police station for melt down and a numbered receipt will be issued to receive the tax credit. 

$3000 is more than a person has to pay for the weapon and there can be abuse in purchasing a weapon just to pay taxes due. Therefore serial numbers on the guns will have to be reported to ATF, not the persons ID, along with the date sold. That information will be available to police and/sheriffs to valid a receipt for the tax credit. If a weapon of war serial number is listed as purchased after a start date of January 1, 2021 the credit will only be a 25 percent credit of the manufacturer’s recommended list price.

There is no requirement to list gun dealer or price paid otherwise. Commercial entities that want to purge itself of such weapons may do so but the credit reverts to the price paid with a required purchase receipt. 

Ammunition can receive a separate receipt for $1.00 per round with disposal determined by local law enforcement authorities. 

By allowing such tax credits for commercial interests, gun dealers will have a method of recouping any potential losses with a potential assault weapons ban. The assault weapons ban does not have to be the same bill as the “Weapons of War Tax Credit Act.” There should be no sundown date for either of these bills.

Police departments know these types of measures work when they offer people the opportunity to relinquish guns voluntarily without requiring ID to do so. These types of voluntary gun surrendering works because after an American owns one they realize the danger and responsibility to them and their household in securing any gun regardless of semi-automatic status.

Trump’s assault of the USA Constitution…

…was the strongest at the quirky weakness written into election law through the Electoral College. It needs to go.

According to our intelligence agencies, the 2020 Elections was the most secure election ever held in the USA. This was possible because Former Director of the FBI Mueller filed his report on the foreign interference of Russia during the 2016 election.

I believe the agencies and in that case, there is no need for quirky 100 year old electors. The majority vote can be accurately counted to determine the federal elected officials.

Sinema has her demands.

July 26, 2022
By Andre Beganski

A bill was introduced(click here)  in the Senate today that would prevent Americans from needing to disclose capital gains or losses on most smaller-scale crypto transactions.

Introduced by senators Patrick Toomey (R-PA) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), the Cryptocurrency Tax Fairness Act would exempt reporting crypto transactions of less than $50, or trades in which a person earns less than $50....

It is basically an experiment. Crypto is not really having a good reputation. This bill would allow people that purchase crypto with returns of $50.00 without taxes.

It is harmless. If Senators Sinema and Toomey believe there is some interest in crypto as investments that is fine. They should be allowed to try.

Tony Blinken should bring home all the Americans in Russia.

Give the Russians who they want and make the separation complete. No American should be traveling to Russia again until the country has free and fair elections. After there is an elected leader by the majority of the Russian people then and only then should the USA have anything to do with Russia.

Bring them all home. Give them all the murderous Russians they want.

J. D. Vance…

…cannot expect women to stay in abusive marriages without expecting children to tolerate abuse as well.

This is not who we are.

Today, in Los Vegas outside a casino a puppy was locked in a Mercedes’ with its mouth taped shut. The police arrived to see the puppy removed from the car by a Good Samaritan. The owner was arrested. That is who we are and not some cockamamie Christian Nationalists from the Federalist Society. 

The purging of records goes all the way to the top. Trump ordered it. It seems obvious.

It is being said that each member of the department was responsible for preserving their records. I am wondering how many members of the department thought they did only to find out they didn't.

Trump promised people heading these departments it would all be okay because he would provide pardons after the coupe.

Look, the bozo that was leaving the Secret Service to be an officer at Snapchat would have access to any part of information that might still be there. It is a huge assumption. But, it makes sense to me.

July 29, 2022

By Drew Harwell

, 

Will Oremus, 

and 

Joseph Menn

 

Cybersecurity specialists (click here) said the agency bungled a routine task by telling agents to back up their own records, which is ‘not something any other organization would ever do’

Cybersecurity experts and former government leaders are stunned by how poorly the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security handled the preservation of officials’ text messages and other data from around Jan. 6, 2021, saying the top agencies entrusted with fighting cybercrime should never have bungled the simple task of backing up agents’ phones....

I refuse to believe all the Secret Service is corrupt. The leadership did this and it is my estimate the officers can make testimony to what was in those records.

July 28, 2022
By Carol D. Leonnig and Maria Sacchetti

Text messages (click here) for former President Donald Trump’s acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and acting deputy secretary Ken Cuccinelli are missing for a key period leading up to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, according to four people briefed on the matter and internal emails.

This discovery of missing records for the senior-most homeland security officials, which has not been previously reported, increases the volume of potential evidence that has vanished regarding the time around the Capitol attack.

It comes as both congressional and criminal investigators at the Department of Justice seek to piece together an effort by the president and his allies to overturn the results of the election, which culminated in a pro-Trump rally that became a violent riot in the halls of Congress....

These shipping rates are passed onto consumers.

July 29, 2022

By Mike Schuler

An Ocean Network Express (ONE) containership at the Port of Oakland

Ocean Newtork Express (click here) reported record profit of $5.5 billion in the first quarter of 2022, more than doubling its profit from the same period last year.

ONE said freight rates remained firm despite some softening in supply-demand conditions. Global cargo demand in the second quarter remained steady, with no major breakdown despite the impact of the Shanghai’s lockdown and the Ukraine crisis, ONE said.

On the supply side, port congestion showed signs of improvement in some areas, but supply chain disruptions continued around the world, including deterioration on the east coast of North America. As a result, freight rates remained “significantly higher” than those in the same period last year, increasing ONE’s quarterly profit amount by $2.9 billion of 115%....

The Fed rate increase hasn't hit the mortgage rate yet.

July 28, 2022
By Alisa Wolfson

This is Fred 30 year fixed rate (click here).

Mortgage rates are dipping. (click here) Back in June, 30-year fixed rates hit 6%, but this month we have watched them fall. Indeed, 30-year fixed mortgages decreased to 5.60%, which is the lowest in weeks, according to the latest Bankrate data from July 28. Meanwhile, the national average for 15-year fixed-rate mortgage loans declined to 4.89%.

The storm that hit Nevada and Kentucky isn't finished yet.

July 29, 2022

1:20 PM

Accuweather Water Vapor Satellite (click here)

The storm is moving northeast, but, it's eastward movement seems faster than it's northern movement.

Chattanooga is next. They are already starting to receive rains. The people have to be warned this is the same storm that hit Arizona and Kentucky.

People along the path of this deadly storm must be warned early enough to take shelter at higher elevations than the creeks and rivers in their area. This storm is a deluge of water. It will raise the smallest creeks into torrents of water. People need to be able to get in the family car and leave the area before the flooding begins.

The Northeast may receive some of the wrath, but, it might be depleted once it gets there.

I think the map is wrong.

According to the pictures of Ivana's grave in this article, the grave is within sight of the First Tee and not the other side of the railroad tracks.

Trump is selling grave sites for the Bedminster Golf Club members. It's not Forest Lawn.

29 July 2022
By Emma James

Ivana Trump’s (click here) final resting place has been pictured for the first time, a week after she was buried next to the first hole at her was ex-husband's tony Bedminster Golf Club.

The New York socialite has had her grave marked with a discreet black glossy memorial and white flowers in a private grassy area in the Trump family plot at the club in New Jersey.

Ivana was laid to rest after a ‘beautiful’ invite-only ceremony at the St. Vincent Ferrer Church, in Manhattan's Upper East Side.

The 73-year-old was found dead at the bottom of her staircase of her Upper East Side townhouse on July 14.

Her grave, which has been cordoned off from the public, is in a secluded spot close to the first hole on the golf course....

July 28, 2022
By Beth LeBlanc

Lansing -  The Michigan Supreme Court (click here) in a series of five decisions Thursday expanded state statute and federal case law prohibiting mandatory life sentences for juveniles convicted of homicide, further limiting the circumstances under which Michigan prosecutors and judges can imprison youth offenders for life. 

The decision is likely to upset many cases across the state involving so-called "juvenile lifers" who have, in some instances, been sentenced for the same crime multiple times due to successive federal and state changes clarifying how and when youth found guilty of murder can be sentenced to life without the possibility for parole.

In largely 4-3 rulings, the state's higest court created five additional guidelines for resentencing decisions related to youth killers, resulting in tense clashes in opinions between the four Democratic-nominated justices and three Republican-nominated justices....

November 17, 1999
By Keith Bradsher

A state jury found a boy guilty today of second-degree murder (click here) for a killing committed when he was 11. He is believed to be the youngest American ever charged and convicted of murder as an adult, in a case that has highlighted a national trend toward putting children on trial as adults.

The convicted boy, Nathaniel Abraham, was 11 years and 9 months old when he went out on a hillside here in this northern suburb of Detroit on the evening of Oct. 29, 1997. He used a borrowed .22-caliber rifle to shoot an 18-year-old stranger who was walking out of a convenience store, killing him with a single bullet in the head.

Nathaniel could receive a sentence of up to life in prison. But prosecutors said they would ask that the boy, now 13, be incarcerated initially in a juvenile detention center and reassessed at 19 and 21 to determine whether he had been rehabilitated enough for release or should be sent to a prison for adults....

Needless to say the prison system is not adequately address juvenile offenders. They are raised in the system.  

September 3, 2018

By Mike Martindale

Pontiac - Now 32, Nathaniel Abraham (click here) has spent more than half of his life incarcerated, first in a juvenile facility and later in adult prison.

And Abraham may be soon headed back to prison on charges of indecent exposure and assaulting police officers, the latest in a string of legal troubles that followed his arrest at 11 years old for shooting a stranger to death outside a Pontiac party store.

Those who know and care for Abraham have described him as troubled but also bright and engaging and say his problems stem from youthful mistakes and being branded with a reputation he may carry for a lifetime....

Out of State prosecution is being pursued in states with legal and safe abortions.

July 29, 2022

By Matt Stout

Governor Charlie Baker (click here) on Friday signed a bill that broadens access to abortion in Massachusetts and helps shield providers from out-of-state prosecution, delivering into law an expansion of the state’s reproductive rights protections a month after Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Baker’s office announced he had approved the legislation just days after the Legislature sent it to him, releasing a picture of him signing it alongside Senate President Karen E. Spilka, an Ashland Democrat.

The second-term Republican supports abortion rights and has sought to protect providers through an executive order he signed last month in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to end the constitutional right to an abortion — elements of which were included in the legislation he signed Friday....

I think the provisions protecting doctors is important.

...The bill also seeks to help shield providers from out-of-state prosecution for procedures that are legal here, such as abortions and gender-affirming care.

Among other changes responding to last month’s ruling that allowed states to outright prohibit abortion for the first time in 49 years, the legislation also makes emergency contraceptives such as Plan B available in vending machines and requires medication abortion availability at public colleges and universities, lawmakers said....