Sir Edmund Hillary didn't climb Everest for the sake of tourism to the summit.

...Since Edmund Hillary (click here) and the Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first to reach the summit, in 1953, more than 6,000 people have been recognized for reaching the top...

Climbing today is far less a challenge than it was in 1953. Sir Edmund Hillary didn't climb for the reason of creating a pastime, he climbed because no one before him had made it to the summit and returned alive. There is always this "thing" about dominating Earth's and nature's toughest challenges. Human beings always feel so small in comparison to Earth's natural powers of volcanoes and high mountain peaks. It seems the belief by humans is that staying alive means there is reassurance in conquering all that can be conquered. Sort of like war with Russia, too.

But, Mount Everest has been a bit of unique Earth history. Now, due to human pollution it is losing it's glaciers and the mystery that once existed is melting away. Literally. Humans on Earth are not so small after all.

When does it become appalling? When do people in power finally admit we have pushed Earth too far and it is time for radical changes? Never? Would those that see COVID-19 and it's variants as meer problems that sometimes kill people cast aside the reality of the climate crisis and the unfortunate future for human beings?

My answer to all those questions is, yes. I believe there are powers at work that care little about the future and only seek to profit from the present. There is no reverence for life in that paradigm. The truly unique aspect of an American democracy that links itself to allies that see democracy as an important human event, is the capacity of being very flexible in times of great change. 

We are within one of those times. From Putin's longing for the return of Nikita Khrushchev to the warming of Earth and a pandemic that would see us all dead, we are facing critical turning points now. Right now. The USA is capable of bringing peace in assertion of power that demands respect from a wayward Russian war effort. It looks by every estimation Europe and NATO are taking a united stand (click here). Certainly, the people of Russia don't want this war with their own former brothers and sisters.

Now is the time for China to end it's ideas of war that can destroy civilization as we know it and end the conflict of major powers before it starts. The Olympics were created to end differences and unite over sport and achievment.

Now is the time to turn the corner on the climate crisis and bring on strong aspirations to "Zero Carbon Emissions." The generations working jobs in the USA are ready for a brave new world without fossil fuels. It is possible and it is needed now and not postponed into the future where disaster currently resides.

The people of Earth in the year 2022 are great at bringing change to the forefront of life as it occurs today, with hope to end a global pandemic, return Earth's atmospheres to benevolence and find peace in the hope of new methods of economic interests that bring about a better quality of life. Certainly, Russia can appreciate the opportunity for better quality of life, rather than the suffering of war.

Now is the time for great change. It is possible. It is a matter of accepting the pinnacle we face that is somewhat different than that of Sir Edmund Hillary. It is the pinnacle of the inevitible that ensures the future and makes proud the peacemakers.

9 January 2022
By Kim Moodie

The son of mountaineering icon Sir Edmund Hillary (click here) hopes a classic train expedition along the length of the South Island will help local businesses survive the wait for international tourists to return....

Through the horros of zoos killing giraffes and feeding them to lions, wild Africa's protections have worked.

January 12, 2022
By Douglas Main

Giraffe numbers have increased across Africa, (click here) new research shows, a rare spot of good news in the conservation world.

According to a recent analysis of survey data from across the African continent, the total giraffe population is now around 117,000, approximately 20 percent higher than it was thought to be in 2015, when the last major survey was published.

This rise is a result of genuine growth in some areas, but also stems from more accurate census data, says Julian Fennessy, executive director of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, based in Namibia. “It’s great to see these numbers increasing,” says Fennessy, a co-author of the new research.

Giraffes were once considered a single species. But recent genetic evidence shows there are likely four species of giraffe, three of which have increased considerably in number: northern, reticulated, and Masai giraffes. The fourth, southern giraffes, have remained relatively stable....

Loss of ice in glaciers and ice formations date back to 1890s and the industrial revolution.

This is just the recent past. The losses to Earth's ice has been more than gradual and the most dramatic was the loss of the Larsen B Iceshelf that was the size of Rhode Island. 

This study investigates the reason glaciers have been retreating. Besides the climate there were unique characteristics that were included in the retreat. But, the unique characteristics alone did not cause glacier retreat.

Better said, the glaciers retreated in mass and terminus location due to the warming which exposed unique characteristics that allowed more rapid retreat.

Ice loss is significant to Earth's climate, primarily the mitigation of Earth's temperature. 

North of the equator, 1,704 glaciers touched the ocean in 2000. (click here) Here, we present the first analysis to document the frontal position of every one of these glaciers in 2000, 2010, and 2020. We found that 85.3% retreated and are now reduced in area. Only 2.5% of glaciers advanced or increased in area. The remaining 12.3% did not change within uncertainty limits. Total area losses were 389.7 ± 1.6 km2 per year (more than 150 square miles) (total 7,527 ± 31 km2) over the 20-year period. Glaciers flowing from the  Greenland Ice Sheet accounted for over 60% of total area losses. (click here) We found wide variations in the response of glaciers to similar changes in air and ocean temperature and sea ice concentrations, showing that environmental conditions alone cannot explain why some glaciers retreated more than others. Instead, unique glacier characteristics are the most important factor in controlling the variability of terminus retreat. Glaciers with floating ice at their front (ice shelves or ice tongues), those that undergo periodic changes in their flow velocity (surges), those which have a weak connection to their beds, and glaciers that are unusually wide, experienced the largest area loss from 2000 to 2020.

The icefields, glaciers, sea ice, ice shelves, ice terraces and ice caps were there for a reason.

4 February 2022

A closeup view of the top of Everest, with South Col, south summit and Hillary Step

Climate change (click here) is causing the highest glacier on Mount Everest to melt at a rapid pace, a new study has found.

Researchers led by the University of Maine found that the South Col Glacier has lost more than 180ft (54m) of thickness in the last 25 years.

The glacier, which sits around 7,906m (25,938 ft) above sea-level, is thinning 80 times faster than it first took the ice to form on the surface.

The rate of decline has been blamed on warming temperatures and strong winds.

Scientists leading the study found that since the 1990s, ice that took around 2,000 years to form has melted away.

They also noted that the glacier's thick snowpack has been eroded, exposing the underlying black ice to the sun and accelerating the melting process.

Dr Mariusz Potocki, one of the study's lead researchers, said that the findings suggested "that the South Col Glacier may be on the way out - it may already be a 'relic' from an older, colder, time".

Another author of the report, Dr Tom Matthews, a climate scientist from Kings College London, observed to the BBC that there had been no single change in the region's climate to cause the surge in melting.

"Instead, the steady uptick in temperatures eventually pushes the glacier across a threshold, and suddenly everything changes," he said....

Ice (click here) that took around 2,000 years to form on the South Col Glacier has melted in around 25 years, which means it has thinned out around 80 times faster than it formed.

Tornadoes are now accompanying major storms.

Official tornado season begins in April at the earliest. The March equinox occurs every year on the 20th or 21st day of the month. That is when the direct solar rays cross over the Equator and concentrate heat on the northern hemisphere.

When Earth's troposphere was normal the heat would be the beginning of tornado season about a month later. But, this is the first days of February and we are seeing tornadoes brought with major storms that kill and destroy property. This is a new paradigm for the USA and it needs to be taken seriously. Basements to homes are no longer an option if tornado sirens are muted by chronic low pressure systems in the way of a storm.

This occurrence reminds me of the tornadoes that accompany hurricanes. This is real trouble for average Americans. They will be unaware that the railroad they are hearing is the one with the train or the impending tornado.

February 5, 2022
By Leigh Morgan

The tornado count from Thursday’s round of severe weather now stands at five. (click here)

The National Weather Service in Birmingham confirmed two additional tornadoes after doing storm surveys on Saturday. Both tornadoes were EF-0s and both were in Elmore County.

The weather service had previously confirmed three EF-2 tornadoes in parts of Sumter, Bibb, Greene, Hale and Tuscaloosa counties.

One of those tornadoes, in Hale County near Sawyerville, killed one person and injured eight others, according to weather service reports....

This FEMA announcement is for the December tornadoes in Kentucky.

February 5, 2022

A public notice is now available (click here) that addresses FEMA’s intention to reimburse eligible applicants in 23 counties in Kentucky for costs to repair and/or replace facilities damaged by the Dec. 10-11, 2021, tornadoes.

The notice is now posted on FEMA’s Kentucky disaster website at https://www.fema.gov/disaster-federal-register-notice/dr-4630-ky-public-notice-001; it will also be posted to the Kentucky Emergency Management website.

The public notice describes proposed activities that may affect historic properties and activities and critical actions that may affect wetlands and floodplains.

The president approved a disaster declaration Dec. 12 for the tornadoes....

February 1, 2022

By Erich Fisher

Alissa Wolfgram, left, and Isaac Wolfgram, right survey their backyard Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021. Most of the remains of the roof of their rural Racine home was thrown in the backyard when it was struck by a tornado Dec. 15, 2021. This portion of the roof heavily gouged the ground of the yard.

Rochester - A storm so great it has its own Wikipedia page. (click here)

That was one of many details the National Weather Service in La Crosse, Wis., presented during a webinar Monday, Jan. 31, 2022, about the storm system that tore through the Midwest, including southeastern Minnesota, on Dec. 15, 2021.

“It’s turning out to be one of the biggest tornado outbreaks in US history,” said meteorologist Todd Shea.

When the dust finally settled, 118 tornadoes were counted in the Midwest, the fourth-largest outbreak in U.S. history. In the area covered by the La Crosse weather station, there were 27 tornadoes — 22 in southern Minnesota and five in Wisconsin.

For Minnesota, it was the first time tornadoes had touched down in December....

Considering the tragedy of nursing homes during the pandemic, it is wise to advocate for home care and not institutionalization.

It is easy to find Americans in instiutionalized care without a family advocate or the knowledge of an ombudsman to call to be rescued. This is not unique to California. There are programs in other states already engaged that maintain the elderly and disabled at home for less cost than if they were in a nursing home.

Rehabilitation facilities should not turn into permanent housing.

February 6, 2022
By Jesse Bedayn

Bradley Fisher, a 62-year-old retired mechanic, (click here) lived in a Bay Area nursing home for 14 years.

Entering at age 39, Fisher had been partially paralyzed when bone spurs severed tendons in his spine. After a few years of rehabilitation, Fisher said, he could have lived at home with proper care.

“You don’t need to be here,” Fisher remembers a certified nursing assistant telling him around 2005, seven years in, as he sat in his wheelchair in the facility’s cafeteria. “You got all your faculties.”

“Yeah,” Fisher replied, “but I don’t know how to get out.”...

The Barrington Declaration is pure malpractice.

This is what happens when a country has no profound leadership. This occurred before the elections of 2020.

The Great Barrington Declaration (click here) – As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies, and recommend an approach we call Focused Protection. Coming from both the left and right, and around the world, we have devoted our careers to protecting people. Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health. The results (to name a few) include lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings and deteriorating mental health – leading to greater excess mortality in years to come, with the working class and younger members of society carrying the heaviest burden. Keeping students out of school is a grave injustice. 

Keeping these measures in place until a vaccine is available will cause irreparable damage, with the underprivileged disproportionately harmed.

Fortunately, our understanding of the virus is growing. We know that vulnerability to death from COVID-19 is more than a thousand-fold higher in the old and infirm than the young. Indeed, for children, COVID-19 is less dangerous than many other harms, including influenza....

...Those who are not vulnerable should immediately be allowed to resume life as normal. Simple hygiene measures, such as hand washing and staying home when sick should be practiced by everyone to reduce the herd immunity threshold. Schools and universities should be open for in-person teaching. Extracurricular activities, such as sports, should be resumed. Young low-risk adults should work normally, rather than from home. Restaurants and other businesses should open. Arts, music, sport and other cultural activities should resume. People who are more at risk may participate if they wish, while society as a whole enjoys the protection conferred upon the vulnerable by those who have built up herd immunity.

The US Congress (click here) had already solved the greater problem of loss of income during the time of COVID-19. There was no reason for this panic to exist. Americans were hunkered down in their homes and receiving unemployment and/or other government programs.

...Since Dec. 11, 2020, (click here) the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has been available under EUA in individuals 16 years of age and older, and the authorization was expanded to include those 12 through 15 years of age on May 10, 2021. EUAs can be used by the FDA during public health emergencies to provide access to medical products that may be effective in preventing, diagnosing, or treating a disease, provided that the FDA determines that the known and potential benefits of a product, when used to prevent, diagnose, or treat the disease, outweigh the known and potential risks of the product....

There was no reason to institute an idea/ideology when there was a vaccine on the way that would definitely stem the spread of the virus.

The duality of omincron.

COVID-19 and it's variants have resulted in cabin fever on steriods. That is not a reason to relent on prevention. The duality of the American society regarding the viruses is grossly misguided and very dangerous.

This is not over. The current duality in priorities by the American public can easily result in another variant that is spread as easily as omicron and more deadly than COVID-19.

February 5, 2022
By Brian MacQuarrie

That hint of optimism (click here) is seen in record advance bookings at some New England inns, a stream of tourists to Boston and beyond, and restaurants and clubs where tables are hard to reserve.

“I think that Omicron is signaling a change toward more normalcy. The time for cowering in fear is really over,” said Jacquelyn Wehtje, a 57-year-old Fitchburg woman who is yearning to visit the library without being required to wear a mask.

“I didn’t get vaccinated to wear a mask forever to protect people who can protect themselves by getting vaccinated,” Wehtje said.

But is it over? The curve of the pandemic has been frustrating: a surge of COVID cases, followed by a sharp drop in infections, followed by a new round of sickness. From COVID’s arrival in spring 2020, to its Delta variant last year, to the spread of Omicron in December, the virus has shown that it does not disappear....

New Zealand has an infection rate of 0.0041 percent of omincron.

And a Prime Minister that postponed a wedding due to the presence of still yet another variant.

208 cases in a country of more than 5 million. The USA is full of morons otherwise we would be surpassing New Zealand's outcomes.

January 23, 2022

Wellington, New Zealand - New Zealanders (click here) are set to face new COVID-19 restrictions after nine cases of the omicron variant were detected in a single family that flew to Auckland for a wedding earlier this month, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Sunday.

The so-called "red setting" of the country's pandemic response includes heightened measures such as required mask wearing and limits on gatherings, and the restrictions will go into effect on Monday.

Ardern stressed that "red is not lockdown," noting that businesses can remain open and people can still visit family and friends and move freely around the country.

"Our plan for managing omicron cases in the early stage remains the same as delta, where we will rapidly test, contact trace and isolate cases and contacts in order to slow the spread," Ardern told reporters in Wellington on Sunday.

New Zealand had been among the few remaining countries to have avoided any outbreaks of the omicron variant, but Ardern acknowledged last week that an outbreak was inevitable given the high transmissibility of the variant....

I thought it an interesting analogy. The people are not looking upstream.

February 5, 2022
By Dr. Megan Ranny

There’s an old adage in public health about a village by a river. (click here)

Every few days, the story goes, villagers hear cries for help coming from the river and pull out people who are drowning. This cycle repeats itself, over and over. The village builds floats; it trains search and rescue teams. But as time passes, people continue to drown, and it feels like an impossible battle to win. Some people in the village start to say, “We should just let them drown.” Arguments ensue, until one day they realize the drowning people are all coming from rapids upstream. When villagers put up a sign warning boaters about the rapids, boats stop capsizing — and drowning passengers stop drifting down into the village.

Today, as we suffer through yet another Covid-19 variant surge, I wonder why we are still merely saving the drowning people, instead of also looking upstream...

...If we’re lucky, this reality will be different from what we’re currently experiencing. Maybe, if the fates align, omicron will bring us to that fabled “endemic” state. Maybe, it’s possible, we will “all catch omicron.” But there is no guarantee that an infection with this variant will provide long-lasting immunity. And to be clear, the Great Barrington Declaration’s concept that we can just expose the young and let the chips fall where they may has been proven to be harmful. Covid is among the leading causes of death for all age groups in the United States. (Besides, condemning older people and people with chronic conditions to forever-lockdown is a morally bankrupt strategy.)...

It is time to address the country.

February 6, 2022
By Edward-Isaac Dovere

The stop (click here) at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU is part of a concerted, weeklong effort by the Secretary to erode doubt and build trust and confidence across the country in the recently available pediatric COVID-19 vaccine.

...In an exclusive interview, (click here) Becerra said he thinks the federal government's guidance on the Covid-19 pandemic has been way too confusing, and fixing that problem begins by acknowledging it.

"The American people don't have a lot of time to try to do the science and crunch the numbers," Becerra said. "They expect the experts to give them the answer."

Of course, the science around the virus is constantly changing, Becerra said, but he said administration officials need to realize that the confusion caused by how hard it's been to keep up with the guidance coming out has been counterproductive, and perhaps costing lives.

"Here's a difference between conveying a message that's accurate and a message that's clear: How you say it can be the difference between understanding it and not, or following it and not," he said. Asked if he could accurately peg the current guidance on testing, isolation, masking and more, he offered, "I probably could."...

Secretary Becerra's statement on January 13, 2022 after the Supreme Court decision:

“Allowing implementation (click here) of the rule that health care facilities require their workers to be vaccinated will undoubtedly save lives. This is an important requirement to protect patients. Health care workers are giving their all, every day, to battle this pandemic and save lives, and this rule will help ensure that our hospitals and health care facilities are safer environments. HHS has already begun implementing this rule in some states across the country, and today’s decision will enable us to go even further.

“At the same time, it is disappointing that broader vaccine requirements have been struck down. Vaccine requirements work. They save lives. They are common sense. They are based on science. Right now, all across the country, many businesses and institutions have already begun implementing vaccine requirements, and as the President has urged, I encourage even more to do so. We all have a responsibility to protect one another and keep our communities and workplaces safe. Let’s get more people vaccinated, let’s get more people boosted, and together, we can put an end to this pandemic.”

I think it is a double standard and very political.

To appreciate the dogged determination of Vladimir Putin, there are existing casualities.

The Russian - Ukraine Conflict has already seen at least 13,000 dead according to the United Nations as of one year ago. The number maintained by Ukraine has about one thousand more. No one knows the accounting by Russia. It nearly doesn't matter because Russia is a propagandist country and not a truth teller.

March 5, 2021

11 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine died (click here) as a result of hostilities in Donbass from the beginning of the year to March 1, another 37 were wounded. For other reasons, in addition to combat, eight Ukrainian servicemen were killed in the environmental protection zone. Such data were provided by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in response to a request from Radio Svoboda.

During the ceasefire, which took effect on July 27, 15 servicemen were killed and 58 wounded. Non-combat losses in the same period - 47, according to the Armed Forces. They did not specify how many of these casualties were killed and how many were injured.

According to the Armed Forces, during the first anti-terrorist operation, then - OOS against Russian hybrid forces in the Donbass from 2014 to March 1, 2021 killed 2,675 Ukrainian servicemen, 10,188 - were wounded in hostilities. The number of non-combat losses is 1,175 people.

The armed conflict in Donbass has been going on since 2014 after the Russian occupation of Crimea. Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of armed support for the militants. The Kremlin denies the allegations and says only Russian "volunteers" may be in Donbass.

According to the UN, from April 2014 to January 31, 2021, the armed conflict in Donbass killed between 13,100 and 13,300 people....

According to the reporting of The Washington Post (click here), there were 3000 civilians killed thus far in the war. On the first attack upon Ukraine in 2014, it is reported 2000 died, both Ukraine military and civilians. It was the time of most intense fighting. Considering where we are now, it is easy to say there will be extensive deaths and injury to anyone in the path of the Russian military.

The yet realized commodity is the Ukraine military. As it stands today, it has been untried in wartime. The Ukraine national military have performed exercises to become familiar with their new weaponry, but, as to be able to assess their readiness and their capacity, no one is really saying anything which leads to the extensive build up by Russia.

Putin can't back down and become a sincere partner in peace because his politics don't allow it. But, considering the extent to which there is a build up of troops in eastern Ukraine, the support by The West of Ukraine must be impressive. 

The Ukraine national military was never nothing until Yanukovych disarmed them and installed oligarch militias in major cities and towns. The reconstituted Ukraine military may be fairly strong, including it's missile capacity. They probably need to be taken seriously.

The Ukraine people do not want Russia back in their lives and that has been stated through social media and mainstream media many times. The resistence to allow Russia it's way to save the lives of the innocent simply is not the will of the Ukraine people.

In recent weeks, many presidents and prime ministers have found their way to Kyiv to speak with President Zelenskyy. I am not surprised President Zelenskyy is stating that Europe will be appaled at a blatant Russian invasion with no basis in fact to deter peace. 

February 3, 2022
By Herb Scribner

...What happened: Zelenskyy, (click here) who spoke after a meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday, said that any battle with Russia would impact all of Europe.

• “There will be, unfortunately, a tragedy if the escalation against our state begins. That is why I openly say: this will not be a war between Ukraine and Russia — this will be a war in Europe, full-scale war, because no one will give up their territories and people anymore,” he told reporters after speaking with Johnson,

Another move: On Tuesday, Zelenskyy signed a decree that would increase the size of Ukraine’s armed forces by 100,000 troops within the next three years, per Reuters.

• The decree also raises soldier salaries.
• “This decree (was prepared) not because we will soon have a war ... but so that soon and in the future there will be peace in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy told lawmakers, according to Reuters....

No wonder Russia is opening it's nuclear missile silos in a stated delayed exercise at the invasion of Ukraine. Putin is a chronic offender of brinkmanship, but, is Ukraine such a linchpin that Putin has no reason not to act and preserve his power? I think that possibility is nothing but foolishness. Half of Russia wants honest and real democratically elected governments. For Putin to be so foolish as to not accept retirement over nuclear war is hideous. Anything is possible with a man that has lived his entire life in the idea of the supremacy of the Soviet Union.

The American people are used to a free and mostly trustworthy press.

That, however, is not the way of the world with enemy countries like Russia and/or China. I mean China assaulted a Dutch journalist at the Olympics of all places. This is not decent or behavior of a super power that should be tolerated. Communists by nature use propaganda within their practices of governance all the time. I might add it is used in diplomatic relations all the time and at the United Nations.

Flashback to 2001: (click here) At a press conference after their first meeting, President George W. Bush famously says he got a sense of Vladimir Putin’s soul.

One has to consider the degree at which Vladimir Putin completely disregards his own signature on documents intended to bring about peace. In the case of Ukraine, there are multiple documents and agreements that overshadow the aggression Russia has displayed in Crimea, eastern Ukraine and his ambitions to take Kiev. It is clear that Putin is not an honorable representative of his government if he can't live up to existing agreements. He manufactures his dialogue as he proceeds with aggression. 

February 6, 2022
By Robert Burns

Russia has assembled at least 70 percent of the military firepower (click here) it likely intends to have in place by mid-month to give President Vladimir Putin the option of launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. officials say.

The officials, who discussed internal assessments of the Russian buildup on condition they not be identified, sketched out a series of indicators suggesting Putin intends an invasion in coming weeks, although the size and scale are unclear. They stressed that a diplomatic solution appears to remain possible.

Among those military indicators: an exercise of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces that usually is held each fall was rescheduled for mid-February to March. That coincides with what U.S. officials see as the most likely window for invasion. The officials made no suggestion that a prospective conflict would involve the use of nuclear weapons, but the Russian exercise — likely involving the test-launching of unarmed long-range missiles on Russian territory — could be used as a message aimed at deterring the West from intervening in Ukraine....

Thinking back to the abandonment of the Ukriane presidency by Viktor Yanukovych, the invasion into Crimea was well executed with plans to carry it out. Russian leadership, especially that of Putin, dates back to the USSR. There is no reason to believe the communists are going to change their posture. Russian communists make long term plans. This build up at the Ukriane border with Russia has been long in coming. It has been ongoing since 2014. That is not a minor fact, it is a method of bring about an ambition for Putin's priority for more conflict at the Russian western border with any country he cares to engage.

No different than the nuclear exercises of Russia being postponed to enhance it's message to The West. And the idea they won't be exercises necessarily, only brings with it an opportunity for Putin to declare war on The West if Putin detects any nuclear activity opposing his so called exercises. Quite frankly, The West should be matching Russia's nuclear exercises at the same time.

The Kentucky Derby is coming up in May. Ready for this? It could be political.

Mitch McConnell usually makes a showing at The Derby for political purposes. Well, this year he will have to be willing to congratulate Klaravich Stales on the win by "Early Voting."

January 23, 2022

The Chad Brown-trained son (click here) of 2021 leading freshman stallion Gun Runner  completed the four-furlong move in :49.41 over a fast track with jockey Jose Ortiz aboard. The breeze was his third work following a debut maiden victory Dec. 18 at Aqueduct.

"He worked really well this morning. Jose was aboard and I was very happy with the work," said Brown's Belmont-based assistant Dan Stupp.

Breaking his maiden at a one-turn mile, Early Voting stayed in the clear down the backstretch under Ortiz while battling with two other runners up front. He fended off a late rally from Matt Doyle  to win by 1 1/2 lengths....

He sounds like a strong contender. The politics doesn't stop there, the next favored colt is Constitutionlawyer or Constitutional Law (click here). I didn't find Constitutionalawyer in the registry. Constitutional Law has Secretariat as his great, great, great grandfather. Then Courvoisier is the odds on third place according to two handicappers I read.

No matter how Mitch might try to get away from early voting, it looks like a winner in the end. The idea this ideology of political dialogue that dominates so much of American life these days has become this pervasive that racehorses can't even get away from it, is something to reflect on.

So, on the first Saturday in May, Moscow Mitch will be sipping Mint Juleps while Early Voting makes a run for the roses.

How does a democratic government protect the innocent from the ravages of a virus?

FOLLOW THE SCIENCE, in a flood of political misinformation. The body is caused permanent damage by the virus. This is not even remotely government over reaching. It is necessary. Unfortunately.

February 6, 2022
By Paula Newton

...Ottawa's police chief (click here) called it a "nationwide insurrection driven by madness," claiming his city was under siege and would need more reinforcements beyond those it had already received from other police forces.

"We do not have sufficient resources to adequately and effectively address this situation while adequately, effectively providing policing in this city," Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly warned during a police services meeting Saturday....

I have stated I am teaching young people. That is correct. But, I am either online or in a mask mandated school.

Elected officials need to fulfill their oath and protect the people from entities that would use a virus to discredit existing government.

The fight against the virus is due to such propaganda reaching into the society of free countries. If citizens fully understood the science of ending the spread and why there are recurrent waves of variants, this would never be an issue.

Do citizens of free and democratic countries understand they are creating their own emergency? The hospitals are having a difficult time with staffing and having enough hospital beds for patients because of illness themselves. This protest is adverse to a good outcome in any country.

This request by nurses in North Carolina came before omicron, a year ago.

January 8, 2021
By McKenzie Stasko

Raleigh - As many hospitals across the state get dangerously close to capacity, (click here) the North Carolina Nurses Association is calling on Gov. Roy Cooper to add more COVID-19 restrictions.

“At one point back in the summer and early fall we were running somewhere between 50-75% capacity in the ICUs, and now we’re up to 90-99% capacity,” said Dr. Dennis Taylor, president of the association.

Taylor said the growing workload, dwindling number of hospital beds, and shortage of staff are critical. He and nurses across the state believe additional restrictions will help slow the spread of the virus and relieve the pressure on hospitals and health care workers....

If nurses weren't so under demand by the hospitals they could be counter demonstrating to bring home the point there is danger in these variants.

From Bloomberg:

By Carey Goldberg
January 15, 2022, 8:00 AM EST

The crowding wrought by omicron (click here) has made going to the hospital more dangerous and likely more deadly.

The variant is so contagious that it is deluging hospitals with patients at a moment of severe staff shortages. That combination risks eroding the advantages of omicron’s oft-touted milder symptoms compared to previous versions of Covid....

The long view of the stress in hospitals is a failure to open when their staffing is stretched. People will not be attracted to the profession. 

This is true also in police recruitment and retention. There is too much disease and the deaths that accompany it. Democracies are looking at a failure in their infrastructure if these tends continue. There has to be enforcement of standards that end the spread.

Democracies function because the people understand the truth and it's importance.

September 20, 2021

By Kelly Gooch

Nurses are leaving hospital settings (click here) or the profession amid extreme and sustained demands of caring for unvaccinated, hospitalized patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new American Association of Critical-Care Nurses survey. 

The survey was conducted in late August among more than 6,000 acute and critical care nurses. It found:

• 92 percent of respondents said they believe the pandemic has depleted nurses at their hospitals, and because of this, their careers will be shorter than they planned
• 66 percent of respondents said they feel their pandemic experiences have led them to consider leaving nursing
• 76 percent of respondents said unvaccinated people threaten nurses' physical and mental well-being
• 67 percent of respondents said they believe taking care of COVID-19 patients puts their own families' health at risk

In light of the number of nurses leaving their jobs, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses warned that the future of healthcare could be at risk....

The pre-pandemic problems still exist also. The pandemic is making those same probles worse.

The need for registered nurses (click here) is expected to grow by 9% from 2020 to 2030, as fast as average growth across all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Similarly, the need for licensed practical nurses (LPNs) is projected to grow by 9% and nursing assistants by 8% over the same period. With an aging baby boomer population, climbing rates of chronic issues like obesity and diabetes, and a growing emphasis on preventative care, will the healthcare industry be able to keep up with the demand for registered nurses?

We analyzed future registered nursing employment as estimated by the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis in a 2017 report. We discovered that by 2030, the number of registered nurses needed in the United States is estimated to skyrocket by 28.4% from 2.8 million to 3.6 million. While most states are projected to keep up with demand, there are many places that are expected to have significant shortages in registered nurses.

California is expected to be short the most registered nurses (45,500), while Alaska is projected to have the most job vacancies (22.7%). Texas, New Jersey, South Carolina, Georgia and South Dakota are expected to experience shortages as well. Florida will have the most extra nurses (53,700), along with Ohio, Virginia and New York. Wyoming will have the biggest overage in RNs (50.9%), followed by New Mexico and Ohio....

All these protests are because of an underlying belief that the COVID restrictions are fraudulent. That is propaganda no matter who is saying it. Propaganda is dangerous to people. Government cannot run on propaganda. If demonstators had representative such as union officials to meet with government in transparent sessions, this public might finally understand what it takes to end a pandemic.

January 18, 2022
By Bayley Bischof

Lincoln, Nebraska - The Nebraska Hospital Association’s president (click here) made a message clear in the State Capitol building Tuesday afternoon; Nebraska legislators need to address the critical nurse shortage in the state.

“Inaction now will lead to a decade or more of chronic under-staffing in our healthcare system in Nebraska,” Jeremy Nordquist, president of the Nebraska Hospital Association said.

Nordquist said data collected by the association paints a clear picture of the shortage. Seventy-three of Nebraska’s 93 counties have less nurses than the national average, 66 counties have been deemed medically under-served and nine counties have zero registered nurses in their population....

THE DEMONSTRATIONS ARE MASS SPREADING EVENTS, now what are people going to do when met with hospitals that are understaffed and stressed?