Arizona Hospitals Warn They May Have To Triage Care

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-arizona-c1b3db28b716c388035ac1e344243717

Banner Health warns Arizona hospitals stretched to limit

FILE - An ambulance parks at the emergency room entrance at Banner Estrella Medical Center July 19, 2020, in Phoenix. Officials say Phoenix-based Banner Health is at its most overwhelmed level since the pandemic began. That has led executives to issue a bleak warning that the hospital system may have to eventually choose who can receive care. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

Phoenix-based Banner Health is at its most overwhelmed since the pandemic began, leading the company’s officials to issue a warning Tuesday that its hospital system may have to eventually choose who can receive care.

Some of Banner’s hospitals in one of Arizona’s largest health care systems are operating above 100% capacity, said Dr. Marjorie Bessel, the company’s chief clinical officer.

COVID-19 hospitalizations make up one-third of Banner’s hospital patients but there is also an extremely high volume of patients who delayed preventative care or are in the late stages of an illness, she said.

The company has 18 hospitals in Arizona. As of Tuesday, 10 of them were running above 100% of their ICU staffed bed capacity. Five of them were operating 100% above staffed in-patient bed capacity, according to spokesman Corey Schubert.

“We are more stretched now than we have been since the start of the pandemic,” Bessel told reporters. “ICUs are where we are experiencing the most significant strain on our resources.”

Banner has had to postpone medical procedures, new patient visits and non-urgent appointments because of the intensive care unit needs.

Hospital professionals are prioritizing medically necessary surgeries like mastectomies and gall bladder removals. The hospital system — with assistance from over 2,600 travel nurses who travel around the country filling staffing needs — is trying to counter a hemorrhaging of Banner staff nurses who retired, left the field or took non-bedside jobs .

Banner’s modeling predicts that its number of Arizona hospital bed occupancies will escalate and peak in mid-January, Bessel added.

Nearly 90% of Banner patients undergoing treatment for COVID-19 are unvaccinated. Some days, the percentage of unvaccinated COVID-19 patients in intensive care has been 100%. Bessel reiterated that vaccinations were the key to reducing the burden on health care workers.

“My top ask of the community at this time is for all who are eligible to get vaccinated and your booster if you have not yet done so,” Bessel said. “This is the best way to prevent serious COVID illness that requires hospital-level care.”

Banner’s situation echoes other hospitals in the region. Dr. Michael White, of Phoenix-based Valleywise Health, said staff are reporting the same number of COVID-19 infected patients as a year ago. White had hoped that vaccinations would have translated into fewer hospitalizations.

Hospitalizations across the state for COVID-19 overall inched up Tuesday from a day earlier to 2,764 patients as of Monday, according to the Arizona state health department’s coronavirus dashboard.

The dashboard also reported 2,168 additional cases and 203 deaths. Most of the fatalities stemmed from inspection of death certificates going back several weeks.

Since the pandemic started, the state has reported 1,320,748 confirmed coronavirus infection cases and 23,243 COVID-19 deaths.

The delta variant continues to make up the majority of infections. However, Maricopa County Department of Public Health officials said Monday that they identified the newer omicron variant in six people in metro Phoenix.

Tuesday marked a year since COVID-19 vaccines first arrived in Arizona, according to the Department of Health Services.

So far, more than 4.5 million people in Arizona — or 63.8% of the state’s population — have received at least one dose of a vaccine. Over 3.9 million have been fully vaccinated. Of the state’s vaccine-eligible population, 67.8% have received at least one dose.

Public health officials have said that unvaccinated people are 15.2 times more likely to die than those who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

Fox News Doctor Calls for U.S. to Move On From Mandates: ‘Time to Move Forward and Allow’ Omicron to ‘Circulate’

let a lot more people die for more profit. Arizona hospitals are at the point of having to triage patients. That is what letting the virus run through the population brings, death and sickness. Hugs

Daily cartoon / meme roundup: It is not free stuff, it is using government to serve the people, help the public. The people today have a lower standard of living since the New Deal.

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Scottie’s world today

vaccine for stupid

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Listen up

Time has not been a healer

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Drew Sheneman Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

#PeopleOverProfits

Marshall Ramsey Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

https://twitter.com/imillhiser/status/1470882713888788480?s=20

Drabble Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

Republican prayer

Robert Ariail Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

https://truth-has-a-liberal-bias.tumblr.com/post/670587423673237504

Jack Ohman Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

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But, but, but …it was antifa.   The entire operation was Trump, the Republican Party, and FOX.   They all knew. They all lied afterwards.

Andy Marlette for Dec 14, 2021

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Republicans want a Civil War, based on lies and conspiracies, based on promises they will never deliver, just to retain power and destroy elections/democracy.   Their violence is premeditated. Their base is incapable of independent thought. The losers have united. Instead of owning their growing defeats, they invent excuses. They blame others.

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you got nothing on me medows

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They knew they were guilty. Then they invented an enemy to blame it on.  Republican/FOX fascism, writ large.

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They knew. They lied.   The Right want their ‘lone wolves’ to attack progressives using FOX propaganda.

mark tRump tell people go home

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Hannity, Ingraham, and Kilmeade think their viewers are worthless. They lie to their faces.

please turn off the lights

fox news polticize disaster

Rob Rogers Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

Chris Britt Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

Ted Rall Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

Joel Pett Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

ViewsBusiness Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

Free Range Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

Doonesbury Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

Dogs of C-Kennel Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

ViewsAmerica Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

https://twitter.com/GBBranstetter/status/1470377979175968768?s=20

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Misleading right wing media cartoons / memes

The funny thing about the right attack Biden on crime is that the left attacks Biden for being to strict on crime and punishment.   Have all the right forgotten the 1994 crime bill sponsored by Biden that led to a jump in mass incarceration.   Biden is historically pro-police, pro-prison, pro-hammer down law and order.   However turning the US into a police state wont solve the crime problem.   Crime may be rising now but is still less than it has been even in the last decade.   Crime has been falling steadily.    But there are some who stand to gain by turning the US into a police state.   Resist their fear mongering.   We can do better, again look at other countries, they solve crime problems with out locking up large segments of the population in prisons designed to be punitive and in inhumane.  Hugs

The right likes to call any coverage of the Coronavirus hysterical because they work for the profit of big money.   A virus that has killed over 800,000 people in less than 2 years and 1% of people over 65 in the country.    Think of that.   Why would anyone want to ignore that, because it cuts into profit.  If you have take precautions it costs profits.   So the right wing makes it seem the virus is no problem at all and any one who wants to fight the virus is wrong.   Hugs

Michael Ramirez Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

Maybe if police were not busy oppressing minorities with the Republicans endless war on drugs they would have time to focus on petty theft.   Crime rates in GOP cities are the same as those in Democrat led cities. Crime rates in cities that increased police funding showed increases in crime.   By pushing this false Fox News inspired narrative, you ignore the true roots and causes of crime. Typical GOP-posturing.  Hugs

Mike Lester Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

I’m not sure of the point. Kentucky officials and citizens have been highly complimentary about the federal response to the disaster. And the Biden admin has been begging people to get booster shots. What is Mr. Lester’s beef?   Sen. McConnell went as far to praise the speed and effort the President has made in response to the disaster. No mention was made or Covid-19 vaccinations.   Hugs

Again the right wing projects.   Blame Biden they shout for taking away something Biden worked hard to give you and the Republicans fought every attempt to keep you having.  It is extended in the build back better plan that Manchin, Sinema, and the Republicans are fighting to keep from ever becoming law.   This is misdirection in hopes of making the people angry at someone trying to help them by the person trying to hurt them.   Hugs

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And now some for fun

Joe Heller Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

No Zuckerberg is the ET.   This reminds me of the twilight zone episode where everyone on a bus stopped at a diner in a snow storm.   They were scared a escaped prisoner was mixed in with them.  After they all got back on the bus and the bus crashed killing everyone one guy returned to the diner where he announced he was from Mars and they were going to invade, but the cook in the diner laughed and told him too late as he was from Venus and they were already to invade.   Hugs

Today's Szep Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

Baldo Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

Aunty Acid Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

Dog Eat Doug Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

Garfield Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

Rubes Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

Family Tree Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

The Buckets Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

Mannequin on the Moon Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

For Better or For Worse Comic Strip for December 15, 2021

Toxic mold devastates family, causes myriad health problems

Is Jim Jordan Planning To Kill Us All?

https://www.wonkette.com/is-jim-jordan-planning-to-kill-us-all

 

Rep. Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio, has been on something of a roll lately. Last week, he announced to the world that Real America was done with COVID-19. It was a fairly premature declaration given that the areas of the country Jordan likely considers to be “Real America” have far higher COVID death rates than parts he’d likely consider “Not Real America.”

On Sunday, he made an appearance on Sebastian Gorka’s Newsmax TV show (this is a thing) to talk about what a horrific existential threat the Left is, suggesting that perhaps they may have to kill us all in a brutal war of some kind.

Gorka started things off by kicking it old school and whining about Saul Alinsky’s Rules For Radicals, the very existence of which he and Jordan agreed is solid proof that today’s Democratic Party is “not your parents’ Democrat Party.”

Rules For Radicals was published in 1971, which would actually make it proof, I suppose, that today’s Democratic Party is in fact, many people’s parents’ Democratic Party. Gorka also named Alinsky as the most important of these modern Democratic radicals, which is odd considering he has been quite dead since 1972, the year after the book was published.

Gorka initially tried to use the book to get Jordan to talk about the ways in which the Left had done Rule 12 to him — “Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” It seems pretty obvious that Gorka was talking about the myriad accusations that Jordan ignored complaints of sexual abuse when he was assistant coach of Ohio State University’s wrestling team from 1987 to 1995. Alas, Jordan did not seem too keen on talking about that for some reason.

Rather, Jordan pivoted to how incredibly radical the Left is now, erroneously claiming that everyone in the Democratic Party supports defunding the police — possibly getting rid of the police entirely! — and having completely open borders, which he claims we have right now at this very moment. At some point he brought up critical race theory. It is very clear he has no idea what defunding the police or critical race theory entail, he just knows they sound scary.

This was the best he could come up with, because it would probably be less frightening to talk about what Democrats are actually trying to do in Congress right now. Try saying “They’re going to let Medicare negotiate prices with drug companies so seniors don’t have to pay ridiculously high prices for their medications! WoooOOOOoooOOO!” in your spookiest voice. Still not very threatening!

Even the kind of “radical” proposals centrist Democrats shy away from are hard to make sound scary. Like “MUAHAHAHA! They’re going to cancel your student loan debt! And you’ll never pay $1,500 for an ambulance ride again!”

But he needed to make things sound as frightening as possible, because what came next was a highly disturbing monologue about how every third generation, Americans are called upon to “do something big” — citing the American Revolution, the Civil War and World War II.

JORDAN: Every third generation in this country has had to do something big. You think about the Founders and what they did when they declared why we’re going to be an independent country, what they had to overcome, the greatest military in the world. They did it.

Three generations later, Lincoln and the Americans then held the country together, got rid of the evil of slavery. Three generations later, we defeated imperial Japan and Nazi Germany, the evils that those two countries represented and the greatest generation won that war.

Here we are three generations later and the assault is from the radical Left. We have to step forward and do our part like previous generations of Americans have done. I think we’re up to the task.”

Jim Jordan, by the way, was one of the 120 Republicans in Congress who voted against removing Confederate statues from the Capitol building.

The grotesque absurdity of these statements aside, it’s worth noting that he’s talking about wars here. Were conservatives to “step forward and do [their] part like previous generations,” it would involve killing us. “Us” being the actual majority of Americans, whether he considers us to be Real Americans or not.

This isn’t just Jim Jordan being an asshole, this is arguably stochastic terrorism. The January 6 insurrection happened because of rhetoric like this, because these people keep getting told by those with authority and power that they have not just the right but the obligation to use violence to get their own way. People like Jordan say these things because it makes their base feel excited and empowered and important and more likely to vote for them. It also makes them more likely to go to prison.

The fact is, if Jim Jordan gave half a shit about “Real America” he’d tell them to get vaccinated and remind them that it is not actually legal for them to try to overthrow the government or murder people who disagree with them. He doesn’t. He doesn’t care if they die from COVID or wind up in prison so long as they vote for him before they do it.

Call me a radical, but I don’t think that someone who thinks it would be swell to murder half of the country ought to be in Congress. It would be nice if we had a higher bar than that. Apparently we don’t.

Minnesota hospitals warn they are ‘overwhelmed’ in full-page ad

Minnesota hospitals warn they are ‘overwhelmed’ in full-page ad

Minnesota hospital leaders are warning in a full-page newspaper ad that they are “overwhelmed” amid a COVID-19 surge and are urging the public to take action. 

“Our emergency departments are overfilled, and we have patients in every bed in our hospitals,” write the leaders of nine hospital systems in the state, including the Mayo Clinic and North Memorial Health. 

The hospitals warn that because their capacity is strained, care for noncoronavirus medical events, like heart attacks, is also threatened. 

“Now, an ominous question looms: will you be able to get care from your local community hospital without delay? Today, that’s uncertain,” they write in the ad, which is running in major newspapers across the state.  

Minnesota has the third-most per capita COVID-19 cases in the country, according to the COVID Act Now tracking site, behind New Hampshire and Rhode Island. 

Almost 1,800 people are in the hospital with COVID-19 in Minnesota, approaching the height of the winter peak last year, before vaccines were widely available. 

Other states are also facing strains at their medical facilities. Massachusetts hospitals, for example, are cutting back on some elective surgeries. 

The Minnesota hospital leaders point out that many of the hospitalizations could be prevented, given that COVID-19 hospitalizations across the country are being driven largely by the unvaccinated. 

“Every day we’re seeing avoidable illness and death as a direct result of COVID19,” the ad says.

“How can we as a society stand by and watch people die when a simple shot could prevent a life-threatening illness?” it adds. 

The hospital leaders call on people to get vaccinated and get their booster shots, as well as to wear a mask.

 

Daily cartoon / meme roundup: To corporations workers are simply commodities to use and throw away. Only they and their fellow wealthy ilk are worthy of a decent life in their opinion.

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Scottie’s world today

Non Sequitur Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

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Brian McFadden Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

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Worker solidarity will change this. Unite!

#brokencapitslism won’t change from cute memes. We’ve watched them for 20 years, while refusing to help progressive dems. They are funded by 1% corporate ads, it’s a total joke. It takes progressive policy and progressive leaders. #talknowalk...

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ViewsBusiness Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

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Phil Hands Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

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Both parties are not the same.

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all the rights, no responciblity

Graham shows the way

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all I did was rob a bank

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DOJ needs to drop the hammer.

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The Chief of Staff of a twice impeached lifelong criminal is a traitor and cheater.

This is the design. Not the flaw.

https://truth-has-a-liberal-bias.tumblr.com/post/670520874443685888/erikag59-if-mark-meadows-is-not-headline-news

Marshall Ramsey Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

clouding judgement

formatted to fit your mind

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injecting a virus fox new

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Real loving god there buddy.   I always wonder at people who buy expensive vehicles and then write or plaster them with stickers.   I doubt the sanity of people like this.    Hugs

Chris Britt Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

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The Duplex Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

Doonesbury Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

Mannequin on the Moon Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

Jen Sorensen Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

ViewsEurope Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

ViewsAmerica Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

ViewsAsia Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

Robert Ariail Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

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Misleading right wing media cartoons / memes

Rivers is another right wing media cartoonist.   I wonder why the right thinks the common decency of wearing a mask and social distancing to protect others around them is hell.   Why vaccines paid for and approved by their tax dollars, used with very minuscule side effects world wide is too much to ask for saving lives.   The lives they save could be theirs.  After all this time and data, the objections now come down to stubborn I don’t want to because my tribe has said it is bad.   They would rather believe a talk show host who is a high school drop out or whose bosses said in court no one should believe him rather than a certified immunologist with over 30 years in the practice of saving peoples lives.    Hugs

The real economy is how money flows effecting peoples lives.   It is not the stock market which is how much money the wealthy are gaining from the system.   In the economy today there is a huge divide between the wealthy and the public.   That divide is making it hard for the public to meet their daily needs.    The Democrats are trying to fix and narrow that divide.    But because the wealthy are so entrenched and own so much of the media along with a majority of the elected office holders it is a fight to get anything for the people, anything helps the public.   The wealthy only care, their only interest is more for themselves.   More than they can spend, more than the other wealthy for bragging rights.   The public needs to know who is fighting for them, and who is fighting against them.   As corporate owned media is not going to tell them, and bribed politicians are going to lie about the attempts to pass bills to help the public, it is up to us to share the true of what is happening with the people.   Spread the news, to everyone, on every blog, at every meeting with others.   Get the word out before it is too late.    Hugs

Michael Ramirez Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

At least Biden is actually trying to something to help the majority of Americans unlike the last administration who only wanted to help the wealthy 0.1%.    Yet another phrase that the GQP has stolen from the language. Used to be “free stuff” was the crap that you got for signing up for a savings account or a web service. Now they intend it to mean “Democrats invested in infrastructure or the people”. Damn them to Hell.  Hugs

Lisa Benson Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

And once again, the pathetically uneducated dropout Lisa Benson confirms how little she understands of any serious economic issue.   New Deal Keynesian liberal market economics is NOT about expecting “FREE STUFF” any more than law enforcement, emergency first responders or “free” public schools — or even the military that costs far more than anything proposed — is “free stuff.”   We all contribute and we all benefit. We want PUBLIC POLICY to address legitimate PUBLIC NEEDS, but has very specific proposals for how ALL OF US contribute, in a way that is fair for everyone.   We all expect to pay our fair shares.

We also expect the billionaires and corporate special interests who have been getting a free ride to pay their fair share.   But for our money we don’t want to just blow up other countries to enrich “defense contractors” of the “military-industrial complex” that (Republican) Eisenhower warned us about; we want to get for our money the things that benefit all of us and INVEST in the resources and opportunities that generate economic returns that enrich us all.   Not free stuff. The only reason the Republicans want our infrastructure to fail is so they can sell it to the highest bidder. Which will cost the working majority that commutes to work the most, as we would have to pay tolls and taxes everywhere we go.   Hugs

Al Goodwyn Editorial Cartoons Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

Only AG would believe atheist’s have meltdowns over the origin of words.   If you really want to drive “them” crazy, just wish them a Happy Festivus and watch their heads explode!!!   Even if Holiday originated from Holy Day, that’s not its modern meaning. And besides, even if you intend it as Holy Day, that’s still more inclusive because every religion has some concept of Holiness.   No one is telling you that you can’t say Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays is simply meant to show respect for those of us who DON’T celebrate Christmas.   I have never understood the made up war on Christmas and anger on the right if people don’t use their exact phrasing.   Isn’t this the freedom people?   No vaccines and do what they want party?   But forcing everyone to pay homage to a holiday that has borrowed every aspect of it from other faiths and pagan rites seems weird to me.   Hugs

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And now some for fun

snow dog

I heard it snoring

Shrimp and Grits for Dec 13, 2021

Shrimp and Grits for Dec 14, 2021

Herman Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

The Flying McCoys Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

Dog Eat Doug Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

Lola Comic Strip for December 14, 2021

1% Of Americans Over Age 65 Have Died Of COVID

Daily cartoon / meme roundup: Corporations taking advantage of the situation to price gouge, jack up prices while trying to blame workers for rising costs.

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Scottie’s world today

Fat too many people

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Wizard of Id Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

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Could pay more after saying no

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Kellogg must be run by a group of sociopaths

vbartilucci:
“THE CANDLES MUST FLOW
”

Demolish Big Pharma

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and they still are poor

Doonesbury Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

Gift for poor women

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house cat libertarians

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Shoe Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

Sorry but the above hunger strike is stupid and makes hunger strikes look bad.  The fact is Sinema doesn’t care and wont care if these protestors die.  She has made that clear.  She cares only about herself, her future. and her money.    Her money!    She cares about what her donors pay her to care about.   She is shamelessly bought and legally bribed.  

Ted Rall Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

And yet Bernie fully backed up Biden’s run for president.   Clyburn stopped Bernie by convincing more people to vote for Joe. That’s part of democracy.   What about putting up candidates with a bit of personality and bite instead of the bland non-entities who raise the most money?  Hugs

trump privilege not a thing

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Guns and children at Christmas is sick. You are appealing to abusers, white supremacists, and the cult of toxic enablers. The opposite of Jesus.

https://twitter.com/marceelias/status/1470170846136348677?s=20

covid holiday dinners

https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/29/52914af2-59ce-11ec-83be-eb928c7bed1e/61b3731d26b92.image.jpg?resize=1681%2C1233

Virus santa and virus sled pullers

Robert Ariail Comic Strip for December 06, 2021

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Moderately Confused Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

Views of the World Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

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Misleading right wing media cartoons / memes

This is the danger I mentioned before.   Disbelieving the person being discriminated against being the default position of authorities.   The idea that it is best to assume everyone who claims to have been discriminated against or assaulted due to racism / bigotry is lying or making it up.   That is a scary place to be in for the disadvantaged.   Hugs

Henry Payne Comic Strip for December 06, 2021

Have right wing cartoonist seen the job numbers?    Biden adds 943k jobs — more jobs in a single month than Trump netted during his ENTIRE TERM. Are you glad Biden is President?”   Nearly a million jobs added for the month.  Then the wall street Journal published:  “Biden went on to say, “We have now created over 3 million jobs since I took office, more jobs than have ever been created in the first five months of any presidency in modern history, thanks to the incredible work of the entire team.””   3 million jobs added.  Even coming out of Covid slow down and with a continuing Covid presence that is great.  Hugs

I seen a slew of these misleading right wing media cartoons that said Santa was anti-vaccine and Santa wouldn’t visit any where there was a vaccine requirement.    What a crock.   These people do not speak for the mythical character, the spirit of Christmas is not deterred by virus or vaccine for virus.    This is a mind control scare job attempt.   It is disgusting.    Hugs

Steve Breen Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

Same old mislabeled trope. Time to give it a rest.   The only ones voting to defund the police have been Republicans.   The people that really just wanted reform did not think through the defund slogan. If you need a long explanation for what you really mean about something, it’s best to reword it.   I some places if you’re not white, police will search your car during a traffic stop and take your money for “evidence” of suspected drug activity. No receipt given even when requested. Going to the station doesn’t help with the sudden amnesia of what happened to your cash or drug charges, at least until the next “random* traffic stop. Yeah, the police fund themselves just fine.  it is helpful to understand the frustration that spawned that unhelpful slogan. In many if not most black neighborhoods, they actually would be safer with no police at all. Why? The police do not stop gang violence or even try in many cases. Rather, they harass, arrest, shake down, and kill black people who are doing nothing wrong. In a daily basis. For them, this cartoon is laughable. They truly feel that if the police went away, they would be safer.   Whatever happened to making police more liable for murder.  Guess nothing will change and more black/People of colour will continue to die or be bullied.

For the rest of us, we believe that police forces around the country have forgotten they are our employees. They are supposed to be here to protect and serve, yet too often they protect and serve only the richest and best connected. They throw their power around far too much, they protect their own even when they are bad apples. The entire policing system in this country needs a complete overhaul. Funds need to be directed toward mental health, and trained mental health professionals need to be the first responders in mental health crises. The whole system of using cops as revenue collectors (ie., speeding tickets) is also abhorrent to cops and citizens alike.   Policing CAN be a positive for ALL Americans, but today it is being used as a wedge issue to divide Americans and keep far too many innocent people living in fear while not stopping the guilty from committing crimes — or even bringing them to justice.  Hugs

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And now some for fun

Speed Bump Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

Baldo Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

Dog Eat Doug Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

Pickles Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

The Born Loser Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

Broom Hilda Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

Drabble Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

The Middletons Comic Strip for December 13, 2021

Some readding I have done over the day or more. Some are short, some longer. I found all of them interesting, look at the last one.

“I believe QAnon has a lot in common with doomsday cults and in the past, doomsday cults turned violent. I was not surprised when the FBI said that ‘digital soldiers’ could turn to violence, nor was I surprised by the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6. I think it’s inevitable that more real-world violence will occur in future. Eventually, Anons will get tired of waiting for the Storm. Then, they will take the bringing of the martial law into their own hands,” he wrote. What is left is a more decentralized movement, with an ever growing range of beliefs, united by a shared culture of distrust toward institutions and a do-it-yourself approach to conspiracy theories.”
Today on Meet the press another Republican office holder refused to say Biden won the election. He kept skirting it by saying stuff about election integrity and voters feeling the election was secure. But wouldn’t admit there was no court that found mass fraud, and that Biden was fairly elected. This is a huge problem. Hugs