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erronis
erronis's Journal
erronis's Journal
April 29, 2023
This borders on unholy worship - sort of the thing that trump lusted after.
What - no atheists allowed? Pastafarians? Wiccans?
Holy Shite: Public invited to swear their allegiance as king is crowned
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/apr/29/public-invited-to-swear-their-allegiance-as-king-is-crownedThis borders on unholy worship - sort of the thing that trump lusted after.
Members of the public watching the coronation on television, online and in parks and pubs will be invited to swear aloud their allegiance to the monarch in a “chorus of millions of voices” to be known as the Homage of the People.
People around the UK and abroad will be invited to say the words “I swear that I will pay true allegiance to your majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God”, in a declaration that replaces the traditional homage of peers.
Saturday’s service will also involve for the first time the active participation of representatives of faiths other than Christianity. Rishi Sunak, a Hindu, will give a reading from the Bible in his capacity as PM, despite Church of England law in effect barring other faiths from taking an active role in its services. “There is no issue about [Sunak’s] personal faith, we’re delighted that he is doing [this],” said a Lambeth Palace spokesperson.
People around the UK and abroad will be invited to say the words “I swear that I will pay true allegiance to your majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God”, in a declaration that replaces the traditional homage of peers.
Saturday’s service will also involve for the first time the active participation of representatives of faiths other than Christianity. Rishi Sunak, a Hindu, will give a reading from the Bible in his capacity as PM, despite Church of England law in effect barring other faiths from taking an active role in its services. “There is no issue about [Sunak’s] personal faith, we’re delighted that he is doing [this],” said a Lambeth Palace spokesperson.
The service will start with a procession of faith representatives of the Jewish, Sunni and Shia Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Bahá’í and Zoroastrian communities. Peers from different faiths will take part in the presentation of regalia, and at the end of the service the newly crowned king will receive a greeting spoken in unison by representatives of Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Buddhist communities. This will be unamplified because of the prohibition on using electricity on the Jewish sabbath.
What - no atheists allowed? Pastafarians? Wiccans?
April 29, 2023
Re-writing history, yet again. Putin looks to Stalin for guidance.
In 2010, Moscow acknowledged responsibility for the Katyn massacre and issued a formal apology, but a recent document now blames Nazi Germany for the war crime
Russia rewrites the history of 22,000 Poles murdered by Soviet forces during World War II
https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-04-28/russia-rewrites-the-history-of-22000-poles-murdered-by-soviet-forces-during-world-war-ii.htmlRe-writing history, yet again. Putin looks to Stalin for guidance.
In 2010, Moscow acknowledged responsibility for the Katyn massacre and issued a formal apology, but a recent document now blames Nazi Germany for the war crime
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has rekindled Poland’s old fear of its giant neighbor. Amid escalating tensions, the Kremlin is now rewriting one of its darkest chapters ― the 1940 massacre of over 22,000 Poles in the Katyn Forest (in Russia’s Smolensk region) by Soviet forces. This comes 13 years after the Duma (the Russian Parliament) apologized to Poland for that war crime during the early years of World War II. The Federal Security Service (FSB), the principal security force of Russia and successor agency to the Soviet Union’s KGB, has now released a document attributing this war crime to Nazi Germany and exonerating the USSR.
The debate on responsibility for that bloodbath seemed to have been settled during the rapprochement between Warsaw and Moscow more than a decade ago, but times have changed and friction between the two countries is red hot. “The debate in Russia over the unclear circumstances of the Katyn case continues,” states an article published in the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official journal. “This is partly because of the openly hostile position Poland has taken towards Russia in recent years and the destruction of monuments to Red Army soldiers who died during the liberation of that country from the Nazis,” says the article, echoing the publicly released FSB document.
The debate on responsibility for that bloodbath seemed to have been settled during the rapprochement between Warsaw and Moscow more than a decade ago, but times have changed and friction between the two countries is red hot. “The debate in Russia over the unclear circumstances of the Katyn case continues,” states an article published in the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official journal. “This is partly because of the openly hostile position Poland has taken towards Russia in recent years and the destruction of monuments to Red Army soldiers who died during the liberation of that country from the Nazis,” says the article, echoing the publicly released FSB document.
April 26, 2023
Red State Dystopia
These are just some of my thoughts as I contemplate the wave of insanity and cruelty that the repuglicons/magas want to inflict on their states.
They are in favor of blocking abortions and prosecuting not carrying a fetus to term. This could include miscarriages and those passing a minimal zygote/embryo without even knowing it is happening.
OB/GYNs are leaving practices in these states already. More will be, with fewer patients and justified fear of arbitrary rules passed by politically motivated lawmakers.
Pediatricians will be soon following - in a few years there will be far fewer young children to treat.
Other specialists and general practitioners will leave/hang-it-up because of the anti-science/medicine environment
This also includes specialties such dentistry - already rotten teeth in these states will be more so. Red states aren't known to have the healthiest mouths.
Women who want to be able to decide their own healthcare will leave the state. They will tend to be the better educated who otherwise would contribute to a better workforce.
Teachers who want to educate their students in a broad curriculum will be shackled by medieval pseudo-religious nuts. All STEM and liberal arts will suffer.
The general health of the younger population will decline - no pediatricians, dentists. No sex education. The evangelicals will pray for their health while trying to prey on their souls/wallets.
Medicaid, already not expanded, will be further cut affecting the poor the most.
Older persons will be hurt since many rely on Medicaid as well as Medicare.
There will be fewer gerontology/elder-care healthcare practitioners, poorer outcomes that those that can still survive.
Long-term care facilities will be consolidated, ripped off by VC vultures, and closed. The staff will be fleeing because of horrible conditions and low wages, let alone no housing.
Hospice is being taken over by the same VC vultures - don't die, don't live, and if you do live - live in pain - but show us your money.
April 24, 2023
UN human rights experts begin US tour focusing on racial justice and policing - The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/24/un-human-rights-experts-racial-justice-policingA team of United Nations experts has arrived in the US on a tour that will focus on racial justice, law enforcement and policing.
On Monday, the Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the Context of Law Enforcement, an independent panel appointed by the UN human rights council, began its two-week visit to the US.
The panel, which was established in response to widespread outcry following the killing of the Black man George Floyd in 2020 by a white police officer, is set to visit Washington DC, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis and New York City.
Floyd’s death was just one of many instances of racist killings by police in the US but – spurred by powerful video shot by bystanders – it triggered widespread protests across America, which then spread internationally.
The UN trip is to “further transformative change for racial justice and equality in the context of law enforcement for Africans and people of African descent”, said the UN.
In addition to visiting government officials at federal, state and local levels, the team will also visit law enforcement authorities, civil society organizations and places of detentions.
“We look forward to gaining first-hand insight about the lived experiences of people of African descent in the United States, and to offer recommendations to the government at all levels, to support efforts in combating systemic racism and excessive use of force, and ensure accountability and justice,” Juan Méndez, a panel member said in a statement.
On Monday, the Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the Context of Law Enforcement, an independent panel appointed by the UN human rights council, began its two-week visit to the US.
The panel, which was established in response to widespread outcry following the killing of the Black man George Floyd in 2020 by a white police officer, is set to visit Washington DC, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis and New York City.
Floyd’s death was just one of many instances of racist killings by police in the US but – spurred by powerful video shot by bystanders – it triggered widespread protests across America, which then spread internationally.
The UN trip is to “further transformative change for racial justice and equality in the context of law enforcement for Africans and people of African descent”, said the UN.
In addition to visiting government officials at federal, state and local levels, the team will also visit law enforcement authorities, civil society organizations and places of detentions.
“We look forward to gaining first-hand insight about the lived experiences of people of African descent in the United States, and to offer recommendations to the government at all levels, to support efforts in combating systemic racism and excessive use of force, and ensure accountability and justice,” Juan Méndez, a panel member said in a statement.
April 16, 2023
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/04/12/writing-race-topic-matters/
Archived: https://archive.ph/XbrM5
The video at the end of the digsbyblog piece is also excellent.
"Refusing to break the chain" - Tom Sullivan in Digby
https://digbysblog.net/2023/04/16/refusing-to-break-the-chain/Why can’t we have the nice things that other wealthy nations have few problems providing them for their populations? It’s not just the greed and the power-hungriness of America’s richest. It’s race. But that’s impolite to mention.
Race is that locked door of the mind behind which our macho, therapy-averse culture refuses to look. Until it does, the pathologies will pass from generation to generation as in dysfunctional families.
“Shame is a toxic emotion, and it often causes people to direct hostility outward rather than inward,” Peter Wehner wrote last week.
We have yet to break the chain.
This is a great editorial based largely on Theodore Johnson's piece in the WaPo "You cannot love America and avoid the topic of race"
The nation’s trouble is not that it has a racist bone that simply needs removing but that it is disturbingly slow to recognize that racism is the sharp pain that helps us locate the fractures. I write about race because finding the fractures in our society and our democracy is a necessary step toward healing and strengthening, not destroying, the whole of the nation.
Race is that locked door of the mind behind which our macho, therapy-averse culture refuses to look. Until it does, the pathologies will pass from generation to generation as in dysfunctional families.
“Shame is a toxic emotion, and it often causes people to direct hostility outward rather than inward,” Peter Wehner wrote last week.
We have yet to break the chain.
This is a great editorial based largely on Theodore Johnson's piece in the WaPo "You cannot love America and avoid the topic of race"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/04/12/writing-race-topic-matters/
Archived: https://archive.ph/XbrM5
The video at the end of the digsbyblog piece is also excellent.
April 15, 2023
Idaho will be the first state to forbid a man from not completing the sexual act. (HUMOR?)
It's called the "If you start it, you must finish it" act.
The penalties for not "finishing" up are severe since they are the same as a woman not allowing herself to become pregnant and carrying the thing to fruition. Sales of enhancement drugs are skyrocketing, although they may be forbidden by a US circuit judge.
Men are thinking about crossing state lines to not be caught in this embarrassing situation. However the legislature is now also looking at building a border fence around the state - one which will catch both men and moose.
April 12, 2023
Cancer, Heart Disease Vaccines May Be Ready by 2030, Moderna Says
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/apr/07/cancer-and-heart-disease-vaccines-ready-by-end-of-the-decadeMillions of lives could be saved by a groundbreaking set of new vaccines for a range of conditions including cancer, experts have said. A leading pharmaceutical firm said it is confident that jabs for cancer, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases, and other conditions will be ready by 2030.
Studies into these vaccinations are also showing “tremendous promise”, with some researchers saying 15 years’ worth of progress has been “unspooled” in 12 to 18 months thanks to the success of the Covid jab.
Dr Paul Burton, the chief medical officer of pharmaceutical company Moderna, said he believes the firm will be able to offer such treatments for “all sorts of disease areas” in as little as five years.
The firm, which created a leading coronavirus vaccine, is developing cancer vaccines that target different tumour types.
Burton said: “We will have that vaccine and it will be highly effective, and it will save many hundreds of thousands, if not millions of lives. I think we will be able to offer personalised cancer vaccines against multiple different tumour types to people around the world.”
Studies into these vaccinations are also showing “tremendous promise”, with some researchers saying 15 years’ worth of progress has been “unspooled” in 12 to 18 months thanks to the success of the Covid jab.
Dr Paul Burton, the chief medical officer of pharmaceutical company Moderna, said he believes the firm will be able to offer such treatments for “all sorts of disease areas” in as little as five years.
The firm, which created a leading coronavirus vaccine, is developing cancer vaccines that target different tumour types.
Burton said: “We will have that vaccine and it will be highly effective, and it will save many hundreds of thousands, if not millions of lives. I think we will be able to offer personalised cancer vaccines against multiple different tumour types to people around the world.”
Burton said :“I think we will have mRNA-based therapies for rare diseases that were previously undruggable, and I think that 10 years from now, we will be approaching a world where you truly can identify the genetic cause of a disease and, with relative simplicity, go and edit that out and repair it using mRNA-based technology.”
But scientists warn that the accelerated progress, which has surged “by an order of magnitude” in the past three years, will be wasted if a high level of investment is not maintained.
The mRNA molecule instructs cells to make proteins. By injecting a synthetic form, cells can pump out proteins we want our immune system to strike. An mRNA-based cancer vaccine would alert the immune system to a cancer that is already growing in a patient’s body, so it can attack and destroy it, without destroying healthy cells.
This involves identifying protein fragments on the surface of cancer cells that are not present on healthy cells – and which are most likely to trigger an immune response – and then creating pieces of mRNA that will instruct the body on how to manufacture them.
First, doctors take a biopsy of a patient’s tumour and send it to a lab, where its genetic material is sequenced to identify mutations that aren’t present in healthy cells.
A machine learning algorithm then identifies which of these mutations are responsible for driving the cancer’s growth. Over time, it also learns which parts of the abnormal proteins these mutations encode are most likely to trigger an immune response. Then, mRNAs for the most promising antigens are manufactured and packaged into a personalised vaccine.
Burton said: “I think what we have learned in recent months is that if you ever thought that mRNA was just for infectious diseases, or just for Covid, the evidence now is that that’s absolutely not the case.
“It can be applied to all sorts of disease areas; we are in cancer, infectious disease, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases, rare disease. We have studies in all of those areas and they have all shown tremendous promise.”
But scientists warn that the accelerated progress, which has surged “by an order of magnitude” in the past three years, will be wasted if a high level of investment is not maintained.
The mRNA molecule instructs cells to make proteins. By injecting a synthetic form, cells can pump out proteins we want our immune system to strike. An mRNA-based cancer vaccine would alert the immune system to a cancer that is already growing in a patient’s body, so it can attack and destroy it, without destroying healthy cells.
This involves identifying protein fragments on the surface of cancer cells that are not present on healthy cells – and which are most likely to trigger an immune response – and then creating pieces of mRNA that will instruct the body on how to manufacture them.
First, doctors take a biopsy of a patient’s tumour and send it to a lab, where its genetic material is sequenced to identify mutations that aren’t present in healthy cells.
A machine learning algorithm then identifies which of these mutations are responsible for driving the cancer’s growth. Over time, it also learns which parts of the abnormal proteins these mutations encode are most likely to trigger an immune response. Then, mRNAs for the most promising antigens are manufactured and packaged into a personalised vaccine.
Burton said: “I think what we have learned in recent months is that if you ever thought that mRNA was just for infectious diseases, or just for Covid, the evidence now is that that’s absolutely not the case.
“It can be applied to all sorts of disease areas; we are in cancer, infectious disease, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases, rare disease. We have studies in all of those areas and they have all shown tremendous promise.”
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