Yesterday, I did more work on a physical conditin I haven’t yet mentioned – a wart. I’m sure part of my problem is that it must have taken me the=ree yers to igure out it was a wart. Hey, it’s right a at the end of my elbow. Have you ever tried to look at the end of your elbow? Even without shoulder issues, I doubt I could have seen it without a mirror, preferably a magnifying miirror. All that time I thought it was a callus.Anyway, it is somewhere in diameter between a penny and a dime. the normal wart remover applications which come with pre-medicated strips that look like bandaiuds have a medicated area the diameter of an aspirin. I’m using those – trying to move them around to cover different parts – but I’ alternating that with other things. Today I received my order of gel and am using that. It has been impossible to keep the other strips in place for 48 hours (the recommended time frame – I doubt the tiny patches which come with the gel will last any longer, if so long. They’s be foe for an aspirin sized wart. I think they might cover mine if I could ut them on with a mocrometer. Maybe duct tape might help – allthough it didn’t much with the original strips. I suppose I should get some cheese to go with this whine.
Crooks and Liars – Audience Mocks Boebert Relentlessly At Primary Debate
Quote – Coram is challenging Boebert for her Congressional seat, positioning himself as a rational Republican (I know, I know, but his site and the media he shares really does suggest he’d be more of a friend to Democrats than Joe Manchin is,) and Bobo actually shows up to debate him. Speaking a mile-a-minute (from notes, which was prohibited by the debate rules,) she sounds like an unprepared 6th-grader making up lies about a girl she’s trying to beat out for a date with the dodgeball king Click through for one-liners (and video.) There used to be some rational Republicans in Colorado, so maybe there still is one. I don’t know how heavily the new district is rated Republican, but I certainly would hope Coram wins the primary, and maybe some of those atendees are Democrats feeling the same way. And if so, I would certainly forgive them for ratf***ing the primary.
The Mountain Ear – Carousel of Happiness: A history of making smiles
Quote – After rescuing the empty frame of the Looff carousel, [Scott] Harrison immediately began hand-carving wooden animals to help bring the carousel back to life. Harrison still carves to this day, and has created more than 50 unique animals for his vision, each with a story and a deeper meaning to their creator. Once the Carousel of Happiness (COH) was completely restored Harrison created a non-profit organization and, with help from the Nederland community, raised the $700,000 needed to build the carousel its permanent home on 20 Lakeview Drive. Click through for a little joy in a sorrowful time. Harrison is a Vietnam veteran, so this story is not completely off topic. (Closeups of the animals can be found here.)
One of our nation’s most recognizable melodies is the haunting 24-note tune that’s traditionally played at military funerals, flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies known as Taps.
Today, Memorial Day, CBS marks the third year of inviting musicians of all ages, abilities and instruments to join in the playing of Taps at 3 PM local time wherever they feel most comfortable and meaningful.
The origins of the CBS tradition began a decade ago with a solo trumpeter when 78-year-old Don Brittain began playing Taps every evening at sunset from his balcony in Tacoma, WA.
Mr. Brittain explained that he wanted to honor the military in some manner since he wasn’t able to enlist because he had polio as a child.
His tradition of playing Taps soon caught the attention of his neighbors who share that as soon as they heard the melody begin, they would stop what they were doing and stand at attention to pay their respects.
Steve Hartman of CBS News covered this story for his “On the Road” series in 2013.
It became such a popular report that CBS decided to invite all musicians to join in the playing of Taps at 3 PM in their own time zone. Today marks the third anniversary of what CBS claims is one of the largest musical performances of all time.
It has been played by trumpeters from the New York Philharmonic …
…to Caitlyn Sanders of Ellicott City, Maryland who dedicated an entire weekend learning how to play it.
CBS requests that no matter your skill-level or location, you record your rendition on your phone (in the horizontal position) and tag your video on social media with the hashtag #CBSTaps.
They will be browsing public posts with that hashtag on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok – or uploaded to the folder – to share selections on a later broadcast.
Some Past Performances:
The Younger Set …
Adults …
Military …
CBS Report for This Year:
History & Lyrics of Taps
There’s a popular, but apocryphal, story that the tune originated when Union Army Captain Robert Elli found it in the pocket of a killed Confederate soldier who turned out to be his son, who had been studying music in the South.
The heartbroken father requested that his son, despite fighting for the enemy, be given a full military burial. Capt. Elli’s request was only partially granted since his son was a Confederate. But out of respect for the father, he was permitted to select a single musician.
Captain Elli chose a bugler and asked that he play the tune he found in his son’s pocket.
A touching story, but its true origins are more mundane.
In July of 1862, following the bloody Seven Days battles, Union Brigadier General Daniel Adams Butterfield wanted a more melodic tune than the traditional Lights Out – a rather harsh bugle call signaling the end of the day that was borrowed from the French.
Brigadier General Butterfield
He called the brigade’s bugler, Oliver Wilcox Norton – a schoolteacher from Pennsylvania, to his tent to work on a new tune. Mr. Norton documented what transpired:
Oliver Wilcox Norton
“…showing me some notes on a staff written in pencil on the back of an envelope, [he] asked me to sound them on my bugle. I did this several times, playing the music as written. He changed it somewhat, lengthening some notes and shortening others, but retaining the melody as he first gave it to me. After getting it to his satisfaction, he directed me to sound that call for Taps thereafter in place of the regulation call. The music was beautiful on that still summer night and was heard far beyond the limits of our Brigade. The next day, I was visited by several buglers from neighboring Brigades, asking for copies of the music, which I gladly furnished. The call was gradually taken up through the Army of the Potomac.”
There is something singularly beautiful and appropriate in the music of this wonderful call. Its strains are melancholy, yet full of rest and peace. Its echoes linger in the heart long after its tones have ceased to vibrate in the air.
This more emotive and powerful Taps soon was adopted throughout the military. In 1874, the mournful yet powerful Taps was officially recognized by the U.S. Army, and it became mandatory at military funeral ceremonies in 1891.
Glenn Kirschner – Kevin McCarthy decides to commit crime of contempt of Congress rather than “snitch” on Donald Trump
Meidas Touch – Texas Paul REACTS to Lauren Boebert’s Dumbest Statement Yet
Robert Reich – How SCOTUS shapes economic rights for the little guy (a very old video but just posted. He posted 9 Thursday – old, new, long, short – I’ve picked just a couple at this point.)
Mallory McMorrow – The speech Michigan Republicans adjourned the State Senate to avoid hearing (hanky alert)
Mrs. Betty Bowers – CHURCH S_X SCANDALS!
Parody Project – RUSSIAN ARMY NOTABLE
Beau – Let’s talk about cops waiting outside, Rule 303, and the way…. (Wow.)
Yesterday, I finished framing and watermarking cartoons for between June 11 – June 20. Five more down. Ten days and five more new ones to go. My computers are’t networked, but Yahoo provides an app for notes which then remain online, and I’ve started using it for what’s going on with cartoons so I can access cartoon information on either computer and update it on both at the same time. The picture in progess I can always email to myself and get the same result … or put them on a thumb drive. That way I can grab spare seconds to work them. Also, Nameless informs me he will have a post for Memorial Day up sometime today – when I see it I’ll send a second email, because not everyone who gets the emails reads every day.
Washington Post – A Jewish teen put her baby up for adoption in WWII. They just reunited.
Quote – When Sonya Grist entered the room, she was shaking. “My stomach was in a knot,” she said. “It was a bit of a shock to the system.” But as she embraced her mother for the first time, “there was an immediate bond,” she said. “I haven’t come down to earth yet.” The feeling was mutual: “She is a little bit of me,” Cole said between tears. Seeing her daughter again, “was definitely the best thing that has happened to me.” Click through for very touching story. It’s a slow news day … and we can all use good news. My cousein sent me the (gift) link (so no paywall.)
Crooks and Liars – Tiffany Cross: White Replacement Theory Is ‘Gangsta’
Quote – Starting with a clip of Tucker Carlson cackling like a deranged hyena at critics of his white supremacy, Cross told viewers, her tongue somewhat in cheek, “Well, this might be a surprise to many of you, but I actually think that white replacement theory is very legitimate. It is absolutely something to fear.” But not at all for the reasons any of us might have been thinking. Because beginning with the Indian Removal Act, which forced relocation of thousands of Native Americans, also known as the Trail of Tears, whites saw people of color as “in the way” of fertile land they wanted for themselves. So they forced native peoples off their own land, then replaced them with white settlers. Click through for full transcript (and video if you like.) I try not to get more than one story a day from the same source… but as I said, it’s slow. And Tiffany is SO right about the projection.
Experts in autocracies have pointed out that it is, unfortunately, easy to slip into normalizing the tyrant, hence it is important to hang on to outrage. These incidents which seem to call for the efforts of the Greek Furies (Erinyes) to come and deal with them will, I hope, help with that. As a reminder, though no one really knows how many there were supposed to be, the three names we have are Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. These roughly translate as “unceasing,” “grudging,” and “vengeful destruction.”
There are a lot of things I could be putting front and center this week. However, they are pretty well already front and center. This story got knocked off of all the front pages, and I thought, before it gets back on them, it might be good to have some common sense and facts So here it is.
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What is monkeypox? A microbiologist explains what’s known about this smallpox cousin
Monkeypox causes lesions that resemble pus-filled blisters, which eventually scab over. CDC/Getty Images
Monkeypox isn’t a new disease. The first confirmed human case was in 1970, when the virus was isolated from a child suspected of having smallpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Monkeypox is unlikely to cause another pandemic, but with COVID-19 top of mind, fear of another major outbreak is understandable. Though rare and usually mild, monkeypox can still potentially cause severe illness. Health officials are concerned that more cases will arise with increased travel.
I’m a researcher who has worked in public health and medical laboratories for over three decades, especially in the realm of diseases with animal origins. What exactly is happening in the current outbreak, and what does history tell us about monkeypox?
A cousin of smallpox
Monkeypox is caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to a subset of the Poxviridae family of viruses called Orthopoxvirus. This subset includes the smallpox, vaccinia and cowpox viruses. While an animal reservoir for monkeypox virus is unknown, African rodents are suspected to play a part in transmission. The monkeypox virus has only been isolated twice from an animal in nature. Diagnostic testing for monkeypox is currently only available at Laboratory Response Network labs in the U.S. and globally.
The name “monkeypox” comes from the first documented cases of the illness in animals in 1958, when two outbreaks occurred in monkeys kept for research. However, the virus did not jump from monkeys to humans, nor are monkeys major carriers of the disease.
Monkeypox belongs to the Poxviridae family of viruses, which includes smallpox. CDC/ Cynthia S. Goldsmith
Epidemiology
Since the first reported human case, monkeypox has been found in several other central and western African countries, with the majority of infections in the DRC. Cases outside of Africa have been linked to international travel or imported animals, including in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Because monkeypox is closely related to smallpox, the smallpox vaccine can provide protection against infection from both viruses. Since smallpox was officially eradicated, however, routine smallpox vaccinations for the U.S. general population were stopped in 1972. Because of this, monkeypox has been appearing increasingly in unvaccinated people.
The virus can be transmitted through contact with an infected person or animal or contaminated surfaces. Typically, the virus enters the body through broken skin, inhalation or the mucous membranes in the eyes, nose or mouth. Researchers believe that human-to-human transmission is mostly through inhalation of large respiratory droplets rather than direct contact with bodily fluids or indirect contact through clothes. Human-to-human transmission rates for monkeypox have been limited.
Health officials are worried the virus may currently be spreading undetected through community transmission, possibly through a new mechanism or route. Where and how infections are occurring are still under investigation.
Signs and symptoms
After the virus enters the body, it starts to replicate and spread through the body via the bloodstream. Symptoms usually don’t appear until one to two weeks after infection.
Monkeypox produces smallpox-like skin lesions, but symptoms are usually milder than those of smallpox. Flu-like symptoms are common initially, ranging from fever and headache to shortness of breath. One to 10 days later, a rash can appear on the extremities, head or torso that eventually turns into blisters filled with pus. Overall, symptoms usually last for two to four weeks, while skin lesions usually scab over in 14 to 21 days.
While monkeypox is rare and usually non-fatal, one version of the disease kills around 10% of infected people. The form of the virus currently circulating is thought to be milder, with a fatality rate of less than 1%.
Vaccines and treatments
Treatment for monkeypox is primarily focused on relieving symptoms. According to the CDC, no treatments are available to cure monkeypox infection.
Because smallpox is closely related to monkeypox, the smallpox vaccine can protect against both diseases.
Evidence suggests that the smallpox vaccine can help prevent monkeypox infections and decrease the severity of the symptoms. One vaccine known as Imvamune or Imvanex is licensed in the U.S. to prevent monkeypox and smallpox.
Vaccination after exposure to the virus may also help decrease chances of severe illness. The CDC currently recommends smallpox vaccination only in people who have been or are likely to be exposed to monkeypox. Immunocompromised people are at high risk.
============================================================== Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone, it sounds to me as though health officials are paranoid over this – and I say that not in mockery, but in approval. Unfounded assumptions, particularly about transmission, are one of the ways pandemics start and get worse.There’s quite a bit we don’t know about monkey pox – but with the professionals watching it as they are, that will likely change soon. Hopefully we will learn enough.
Recently I wrote an essay about gun violence in response to the bloodbath in Buffalo. Then, less than two weeks later, an even deadlier massacre took place, in Uvalde, TX. Both senseless massacres have aroused nationwide sorrow and rage, as well as demands for better gun laws.
In the wake of the University of Texas tower shooting, President Lyndon Johnson called for gun regulation and signed the Gun Control Act of 1968. In the 56 years since the tower massacre, the US has passed hardly any gun restrictions; most of these, such as a ban on assault rifles, have later been lifted.
You may have heard the saying that for every thousand people hacking at the branches of evil, you’re lucky to find even one hacking at the roots. We really need to go after the roots of gun violence. One is our infatuation with guns, tied to our wild-west cowboy culture. We give kids toy guns and encourage them to have make-believe shootouts. We glorify guns in our movies, comic books, TV shows, even pop music. Our leaders and media preach the gospel of the Almighty Gun.
Another root is white supremacy, intertwined with toxic masculinity. Many of those who carried out the bloodiest mass shootings acted out of hate – the Orlando bloodbath took place at an LGBTQ club, the multiple shootings in Atlanta in March of 2021 targeted mostly Asian-Americans, the El Paso Walmart killer went after Hispanics. The horror in Buffalo brought white supremacist “replacement” paranoia front and center; this idiotic theory needs an essay of its own.
We need to demystify guns, knock them off their gore-soaked altar and respect them for what they are. The Swiss do not have mass shootings the way we do because they respect guns. Having a rifle for sport or a handgun for personal protection is one thing, but there is no reason for a private citizen to own a military weapon.
Typical pro-gun arguments include “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” True, but guns make it a lot easier to kill, and to slaughter people wholesale. Can you imagine the Las Vegas shooter assaulting the crowd with a bow and arrow? Or the Parkland killer hacking his way through the school with a steak knife? Or the Tree of Life Synagogue attacker going after his victims with an axe?
Another is “Gun laws don’t stop gun violence.” We have laws against murder and homicide, but people still kill. We have laws against theft, but people still steal. We have laws against drunk driving, but people still get behind the wheel when they are half seas over. Et cetera.
We need to stand up to the vicious, powerful bullies in the gun lobby. We need to pass common-sense gun laws in this country, such as background checks, banning private ownership of assault rifles, red-flag laws, and the like. They won’t stop every evildoer, but they will definitely reduce the carnage. This is why we need to get our behinds to the polls and vote for candidates who will listen to us, the voters who are fed up with gun violence.
We must never give in to “learned helplessness,” which is what the conservatives want us to do. The suffragettes never gave up, which is why women in the US and UK – and elsewhere – can vote. The civil-rights activists never gave up, which is why people of color can drink from the same water fountains as whites and sit anywhere they like on a bus. The abolitionists never gave up, which is why slavery is no longer legal.
To all the right-wingers and the mouthpieces of the firearms industry: You can take your empty, insincere thoughts and prayers and shove ’em.
