The Return Of Snarky!

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, History, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary, voting rights

Snippets, Snippets, have I ever got snippets today!  My body may be feeble, but there’s nothing wrong with my mind!

Today, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) gave full approval for the Pfizer vaccine against COVID.  This does a number of things.

First, it removes the excuse the anti-vaxxers have been using for not getting the vaccine.  They said, “not without full FDA approval!”  Well, folks, now you’ve got that, so get your fat asses out there and get vaccinated … TODAY!

My granddaughter, astute for her young years, said, “I bet now they’ll say it was too fast.”  And lo and behold, just an hour after she said that I read this headline …

Goalposts Moved: Fox News is Now Complaining That FDA Rushed the Vaccine Approval Process

And if Fox says it, you know the nudniks will believe it.

Second, it allowed the Pentagon today to announce it is making the vaccine mandatory for its 1.3 million active-duty service members.  Bravo!!!

The time for argument and delay is past.  This was the last possible hurdle.  Now it’s time to think of others, put petty whining aside just for once, and do the right thing.  If a large portion of the population continue to resist, then I vote we build something akin to leper colonies and house them there until the threat has passed.

In just a few hours, Governor Andrew Cuomo will fade into oblivion … we hope.  Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will take her oath of office at one minute after midnight.  I detest the confrontational attitude that Cuomo has adopted in his last weeks in office, for he is only paying the price for his own actions – nobody forced him to sexually harass women.

That said, all people are some combination of good and bad … well, most people anyway.  While Cuomo’s current crimes must be remembered, must serve as a warning to future politicos, he has also done much good during his decade in office and I think that should be remembered as well.  It is a part of his legacy, just as is his sexual misconduct.  When Pete Rose was banned from baseball for betting on the sport, I thought that right and proper, but when he was denied a well-earned place in the Baseball Hall of Fame, I thought that was wrong.  In the same way, I think it is right for Cuomo to step down, but that it would be wrong to paint Cuomo with only a single, dark brush.

Remember the good as well as the bad and take a lesson from both.

When I was trying to catch up on the news earlier today, I felt as if there were a conspiracy to direct our attention in so many directions that no single news item would stand out, would capture our full attention.  Afghanistan, of course, is at the forefront of our minds, as it should be.  Climate change and the terrible climate-related disasters happening all over the globe – floods, hurricanes, droughts, water shortages, wildfires – are critical to our future on this planet.  Getting vaccines into stubborn mules and masks onto their faces seems a never-ending struggle and is critical, for failure to do so affects the health and well-being of every man, woman and child on earth.  But what seems to have fallen through the cracks may be, at least for the people of the United States, the most important issue of them all:  voting rights.

The U.S. Senate under the minority leadership of the ignoble Kevin McCarthy is somehow determined to draw our attention away from the bills S1 and S4 so that, with our attention elsewhere, they can sweep them under the rug and wash their hands of our voting rights.

Interestingly, Maria Bartiromo of Fox ‘News’ interviewed McCarthy the other day and she surprised me.  Here’s a brief snippet from that interview …

Bartiromo:  “You a moment ago mentioned the HR 1 voting bill. I’ve got to tell you there are viewers of this program who have lost faith in the Republican Party leadership, lost faith in Mitch McConnell and in you because we do not know if you have your arms around free and fair elections.  How come there’s no discussion about all of the states that are changing their voting laws right now?  How come there’s no discussion about the audit going on in Arizona right now? What are you going to do? Can you prove to the American people that you are in control here and able to ensure that we will have free and fair elections in 2022 and 2024?”

McCarthy:  “We’re fighting every single day. Now we’re watching Democrats trying to cheat within elections, inflation at a number we have not seen. This is Jimmy Carter on steroids. And this is just eight months into this administration.  We will fight and we will win and the next century will be the American century because we know how to govern.”

That is a non-answer if ever I heard one!  He did not even begin to answer the question, not even to address the fact that some Fox viewers, according to Bartiromo, have lost faith in the Republican Party leadership, but used his answer as yet another opportunity to criticize the Democratic Party!  Get off your fat ass, McCarthy, and do your job!  We the People want the For the People Act (S1) and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act (S4) passed and we want it done before the end of this year!!!

Folks … this one is top priority, even though it seems to have faded out of view in light of the chaos of the Afghanistan troop withdrawal.  Let’s keep it hot, okay?  We cannot allow our politicians to simply shrug their shoulders and let these two all-important bills die in the Senate.  Once again, I’m asking you, contact your Senators and let them know you have not forgotten … you will not forget.

31 thoughts on “The Return Of Snarky!”

  1. Pingback: The Return Of Snarky! – Nelsapy

  2. Jill, for your sanity, please do not put much stock in the machinations of the Fox talk show hosts. As Fox News said in court when sued for defamation instigated by Tucker Carlson, one of its talk show hosts, Carlson should not be confused as a news reporter, as what he says should not be construed as news. It is sad that people die from listening to folks like this and it is sadly emblematic that a conservative radio host who naysayed the vaccine just died of COVID.

    As for Kevin McCarthy, he has wasted so many opportunities to be a leader. So, I put him in the same bucket as these talk show hosts. His words do not mean a great deal, at least to this independent voter and shows why the GOP is so adrift untethered to the truth. Keith

    Liked by 2 people

    • Sanity??? What sanity? I haven’t seen my sanity around for about … oh, since 2016. But yes, to the point, I know you’re right but these things just raise my hackles. Kevin McCarthy should be removed, for he hasn’t done his job at all, but rather is plotting for 2024 already and trying to lay the groundwork for taking over our government. Why are people so blind to what is right under their noses? Sigh.

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      • Jill, when I do speak with his staff, I encourage them to tell McCarthy we need him to be a leader and call lies on the carpet, not start them or perpetuate them. I also tend to share my admiration for the more courageous folks in his party like Cheney and Kinzinger. Yet, I am sure he gets calls from folks who encourage him to do more to support the Trumpian way. Keith

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Given that the FDA have now approved the Pfizer vaccine I would expect queues at all vaccine clinics where previously the take-up has been low. There’s enough information out there now about the variants to ensure everyone needs tto be protected. And if the vaccine teams are recommending a younger age group take it, then taked it. There are no thousands of dedaths attributable to ther vaccine and tthedd clinicians know enough to ask questions before injecting youngsters. As someone else pointed out, Follow the Science not silly tales meant to prolong the virus for political reasons, like blamingg President Biden for it’s severity. That is totally due to thew mismanagement ofg Trump which gave the virus the chance to mutate. Follow the Science and get protected.
    Cwtch

    Liked by 3 people

    • Nope, no lines at the vaccine clinics. Now they are taking some sort of anti-worming medicine meant for horses! Funny, they won’t take an approved vaccine that has been tested to the hilt, but they’ll put horse medicine into their bodies. Damn fools! Dr. Fauci, whom I trust far more than the anti-vax crowd, says that IF everybody will do their part, get the vaccine, wear a mask in public, etc., we could be COVID-free by next spring. But, looks like some people want to drag this out for a few more years. They’d rather play Russian roulette than just do the right thing for once in their pathetic lives! More and more, I’m coming to hate people.
      Cwtch

      Liked by 1 person

    • Hi David, ask yourself this: is there a permanent cure for the common cold or flu? Why?
      B/c colds and flu are in the same family of Coronaviruses as Covid-19. Covid-19 is just a more virulent form of the flu. And just like any flu, it mutates every season, that why we get the flu shot every year! Ppl with weaker immune system catch the flu, healthy ppl do not, it’s that simple.
      The reality is: THERE IS AND CAN NEVER BE A CURE FOR COVID-19. It is the nature of all viruses to mutate in order to survive. The best we can do is take annual or seasonal booster shots, and strengthen our innate immune health.
      That is my understanding of this pandemic, if I’m wrong can you explain the science to me? I’m here to learn just like everyone else, and I’m not an anti-vaxxer, but I am for vaccine safety. Thanks David.

      Liked by 1 person

      • I won’t disagree that the flu virus and Covid virus are very simillar. I have to disagree that there can never be a cure for it as we can never know that. It’s beem 100 years since the ‘Spanish Flu’ epidemic that killed so many of our sioldiers but that hasn’t mutated and come back to bother us like it did. The otherr thing I must disagree on is people with weaker immune systems catch the flu but healthy people don’t. People with weaker immune systemd can catch it first and maybe worse but healthy people can catch it too, and if it’s a variant they can catch it just as badly and die whereas people who vaccinate can boost their imune systems and survive. As long as we can’t stop the passage of Covid it will keep going and will mutate, putting everryone at risk, but if we can stop it we may get it to go dormantg bevause it can”t infect and grow..I have a weak immune system and haven’t caught covid because I mask up or I isolate and have takjen the vaccine. I shall be ready for my flu shot in October and maybe a booster for this as well. A small price to pay to stay alive.
        I’m glad you’re all for vaccine safety. I hope that now the FDA have passed the vaccine you’ll protect yourself if you already haven’t, and that there won’t be need of any more anti-vaxxreports that far too mmamy people take as gospel and keep the virus going.
        Hugs

        Liked by 2 people

        • Thank you David for your caring and gracious insight. Although I want to take the vaccine, indeed my main concern is vaccine safety first and foremost (I’m 26 and at risk for the mRNA vaxx side effects).
          Upon further research, I have excellent news. Novavax is undergoing clinical trials right now for a safer Covid vaccine, without the usual side effects from mRNA vaxxs like Pfizer or Moderna. Preliminary results are very good, no blood clots or heart inflammation, tingling/ paralysis of the extremities, no deaths even among test subjects with comorbidities. Sounds encouraging, I’ll be sure to take it when it comes out sometime next year.

          “It’s really very impressive,” said Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, noting the Novavax vaccine was on par with the most effective shots developed during the pandemic. “It’s very important for the world’s population to have, yet again, another highly efficacious vaccine that looks in its trial to have a good safety profile.”

          https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/06/14/novavax-coronavirus-vaccine-effective/

          Also international airlines will require vaccine passports at some point, I’ll need to prepare for that since my job requires it.
          Here’s some interesting facts about the 1918 “Spanish Flu”, an estimated 50 to 100 million died worldwide. The virus strain was so virulent and deadly, it didn’t have time to mutate. Dead ppl make poor incubators, and those who survived have innate immunity so the virus couldn’t replicate and pass on.
          Here’s a few tips to strengthen ur immune system, be sure to take Vit C, D, E and a zinc tablet every day. Epidemiological studies show the elderly taking vitamin supplementation had above 80% greater resistance to Covid, or only had mild symptoms when infected, requiring no hospitalization or ventilators.
          Very encouraging news for everyone!
          Warm {hugs} ❤

          Liked by 1 person

        • I plan on a post in the next day or two to offer some straight facts here, for the vaccine is about as risky as taking two aspirin, whereas the virus itself … well, the U.S. is now at 650,000 deaths … the highest on the globe.

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  7. Dying in the Name of Vaccine Freedom | NYT Opinion

    I’m glad to see that the FDA finally approved the vaccines for general use. I’ve always said that the elderly benefited the most and countless lives were saved by this vaccination program.
    Now that more studies are in, I have changed my stance a bit and would recommend everyone over 40 get vaccinated. For those in their 30’s and younger, I would advocate doing more research before taking the jab.
    In the Lancet and many reputable science journals, reports are emerging that a rising percentage of young adults from 16 to 30 age group are experiencing some form of vaccine damage, ranging from blood clots to anaphylaxis, inflamed hearts, paralysis and a few thousand deaths. Those are real risks to consider, esp if you are male and have comorbidities like being overweight, having high blood pressure, diabetic, cancer etc. I have friends who were hospitalized shortly after vaccination (mid to late twenties) so I can say first hand that it’s not worth the risk. If one is young and healthy, leave well enough alone and simply maintain one’s immune health.
    Stay safe everyone and follow the science!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Please compare the number of deaths due to vaccinations to the number of deaths occurring in the non-vaccinated. I’m not saying that any deaths are acceptable, but the numbers of deaths among people under 40 are now on the rise as the delta and other variants are spreading at increasing rates around the globe.
      We will NEVER know how many lives were saved ty vaccinations, but we will know how many people who did not get vaccinated will die. That is the most worrisome number here. And it is a number that cannot get smaller.

      Liked by 4 people

      • Hi RG, right now there isn’t enough data to compare the number of deaths attributed to vaccines and death by variants under 40.
        From general news reports, i’m sure there are more unvaccinated ppl dying from covid than the vaccinated. However, among the vaccinated, there seems to be a growing trend of deaths attributed to vaccine damage.
        In the US, you can track vaccine injuries and death from the VAERS database:
        Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) https://vaers.hhs.gov
        The EU has a similar database tracking vaccine injury and death:
        The European Medicines Agency (EMA) Confirms COVID-19 Vaccine Fatalities, Over 5,200 post deaths reported following COVID-19 vaccination in Europe
        https://www.precisionvaccinations.com/european-agency-confirms-covid-19-vaccine-fatalities
        Also from the Children’s Health Defense Site: EU Vaccine Injury Reporting System Shows More Than 330,000 Adverse Events Following COVID Vaccines
        https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/eu-vaccine-injury-reporting-eudravigilance-330000-adverse-events-covid-vaccines/

        Your are right, going forward the number of Covid deaths from the unvaccinated AND vaccinated can only go up due to variant mutations, that’s what viruses do… there’s no “cure” for the common cold and flu, we just live with it. Same here I suspect, vaccines can never totally eradicate Corona-viruses b/c they mutate every season. So we’ll end up taking booster shots every year to manage the ongoing pandemic. Or we simply evolve and adapt to Covid, just like we did with the 1918 Spanish Flu…. after 3 years those who haven’t succumb have developed innate immunity for life. Vaccines unfortunately lose it’s effectiveness in months due to variant mutations from the wild. That’s why even if we achieve 100% herd immunity via vaccines, ppl will still be dying due to poor health and comorbidities – a weak immune system simply can’t handle the changeup. Just like on average, 20 to 30 thousand Americans die every year from the common flu…. yet we don’t lock down the whole country or the world during every flu season, do we?
        Simply take responsibility for your own health by eating clean, exercising, get plenty of sunshine, vitamins and ur good to go.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Very relatively damn few have died or suffered serious reactions to the vaccine. Not sure where OneEarth gets her info, but check the actual CDC stats. Much safer for ALL, not just over-40s, to be vaccinated. That is, unless we really want to keep COVID around for a few more years, perhaps the rest of the decade.

        Liked by 1 person

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