Balloon Juice - Page 3 of 9712 - Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Thursday Morning Open Thread: Fighting for the Future, On Multiple Fronts

by Anne Laurie| October 21, 20218:17 am| 210 Comments

This post is in: Biden Administration in Action, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Sports

Peter Doocy is speechless when Jen Psaki asks him what the number one cause of death for police officers was last year (it was Covid!) pic.twitter.com/UtuzN1wTu4

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 19, 2021

jayapal continues to be the messaging MVP for the house on trying to get this bill through https://t.co/hqpSWSzAxT

— ?? ?? GHOSTLIKEHELLMACHINE ?? ???? (@golikehellmachi) October 20, 2021

New guidelines meant to push federal workers to join unions coming, per White House. Govt will be required to tell new hires about unions; unions will be invited to new hire training sessions. @VP and @SecMartyWalsh to roll this out today, per @HansNichols https://t.co/b9SBZ7iANI

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) October 20, 2021

The Senate agreed to S Res 422, authorizing use of the Hart atrium for a bipartisan Halloween dog parade on 10/27. Schumer: “Thank god we got this one through."

— Tia Yang (@tsyang27) October 19, 2021

The NFL has agreed to end race-based adjustments in dementia testing in its $1 billion settlement of concussion claims. Critics say such testing makes it difficult for Black retirees to qualify for awards that average $500,000 or more. https://t.co/NhgdDalnoV

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 21, 2021

Thursday Morning Open Thread: Fighting for the Future, On Multiple FrontsPost + Comments (210)

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday / Thursday, Oct. 20-21

by Anne Laurie| October 21, 20217:21 am| 66 Comments

This post is in: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Foreign Affairs

imagine being a bigger asshole than the delta variant of covid-19

— World Famous Art Thief (@CalmSporting) October 20, 2021

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Triple header: FDA authorizes 1.) Moderna booster 2.) J&J booster & 'mix and match' booster strategy.
The latest approvals arrive amid a busy stretch of vaccine decisions. Also, FDA is expected in the coming weeks to decide on Pfizer shots for kids 5 to 11 https://t.co/n1AyTBxWVZ

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 20, 2021

The Biden administration has purchased 65 million pediatric doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and will have 20 million doses available to order in this first wave. States will be able to order an amount allocated based on their population of children.https://t.co/0bKPsabY2O

— Benjy Renton (@bhrenton) October 20, 2021

The percent of vaccinated people hospitalized is slightly rising as UNvaccinated hospitalizations surge.

This suggests that the increase isn't due to vaccines wearing off, but rather higher rates of Covid in the surrounding community, mainly among the unvaccinated. https://t.co/owSzx3kzjs

— Amy Maxmen, PhD (@amymaxmen) October 20, 2021

Speaking of bigger a-holes than the virus:

Travelers are confessing to using fake vaccine cards to their travel advisers https://t.co/ZhjZvX3qt3

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 19, 2021

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WHO warns pandemic will drag on into 2022 https://t.co/CybVlgUwPt

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 21, 2021

Parts of northern China brace for more COVID-19 lockdowns and curbs https://t.co/0Ict5uh6TZ pic.twitter.com/JUaajija43

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 21, 2021

India celebrated the milestone of administering one billion COVID-19 vaccine doses, with the government promoting the achievement in song and video even as a recent drop in inoculations worries healthcare providers https://t.co/wMpprw4b30 pic.twitter.com/ifS5TMGcHZ

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 21, 2021

India has administered 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine, passing a milestone for the South Asian country where the delta variant fueled its first surge this year. About 75% of India’s total eligible adult population have received at least one dose. https://t.co/Hxjqs4KDS6

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 21, 2021

Australia overtakes the U.S. in vaccinating its population against Covid https://t.co/i2YCncsMmA

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 20, 2021

Millions in Melbourne are readying to come out of the world's longest COVID-19 lockdown even as cases hover near record levels, with pubs, restaurants and cafes rushing to restock supplies before opening their doors https://t.co/TbZ62UeOcP pic.twitter.com/uqtpKsRSHc

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 21, 2021

New Zealand's COVID-19 cases hit record for second time this week https://t.co/OG0qjcsVUl pic.twitter.com/HhabLpa7zb

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 21, 2021

Egypt has imposed a vaccine mandate for all govt workers, teachers & university students. Health officials are awaiting delivery of 10s of millions of Covid vaccines, & have issued sweeping mandates. The govt also has begun producing a Chinese vax, Sinovac https://t.co/g9qtLjMpjH

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 21, 2021

⚡️BREAKING: Russia on Thursday reported a record-high number of both new coronavirus cases and deaths. Officials reported 36,339 new coronavirus cases and 1,036 fatalities from Covid-19 over the last 24 hours.https://t.co/QFOV8NkobM

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) October 21, 2021

Announcing new anti-Covid measures, Putin said he "can't understand” why Russians are reluctant to get jabs, claiming the vaccines are "effective." Problem is many here don’t trust what those in power tell them. @BBCNews @BBCWorld https://t.co/BqJHO2Vbwn Camera @mattgodtv pic.twitter.com/v9DGbZnYW6

— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) October 20, 2021

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a government proposal for a week-long workplace shutdown at the start of November to combat a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths https://t.co/bHsgvShl7e pic.twitter.com/VQBACEeERS

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 20, 2021

At the overcrowded Covid wards in Russia, dying patients are regretting not getting the jab. https://t.co/xS19vQCFoO

— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) October 21, 2021

Quite a graph from The Times https://t.co/1oKis278D5 pic.twitter.com/CvzzokQD31

— Julia Macfarlane 🇮🇩🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (@juliamacfarlane) October 20, 2021

French parliament approves extension of COVID health pass measures https://t.co/yYJhCm3E27 pic.twitter.com/2WLtGSLtMU

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 21, 2021

A Brazilian senator has formally presented a report recommending President Jair Bolsonaro be indicted on criminal charges for allegedly bungling Brazil’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and pushing the country’s death toll to second-highest in the world. https://t.co/qnwyK413vh

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 20, 2021

Canada to unveil vaccine passport plans Thursday -source https://t.co/kWGMel41Dx pic.twitter.com/6g07jPRrDE

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 21, 2021

Hospitals in Canadian province Saskatchewan face prolonged COVID-19 crisis, modelling shows https://t.co/7N2rtvJGTX pic.twitter.com/bt4Uawd9qt

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 21, 2021

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.@US_FDA is throwing open the doors to heterologous boosting surprisingly widely in the newly issued/revised EUAs for the #Covid19 vaccines. People who are eligible for boosters can select which of the 3 approved/authorized vaccines they want. https://t.co/mSsCmeXL83

— Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) October 20, 2021

https://t.co/LT7W6ouP54

— Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) October 21, 2021

2 vaccine doses boost antibody levels in the airways after Covid infection, scientists at Sweden's Karolinska Institute have found. The boost in post-vax antibodies in the lungs is more potent than antibody levels detected after natural infection https://t.co/TBHLaIiaPA

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 20, 2021

The remarkably high effectiveness (VE) of vaccination for teens vs the Delta variant in over 94,000 vaccinees and 94,000 matched controls: 93% VE vs symptomatic infection (95% CI 88,97) https://t.co/wwoXlw7PH9 @NEJM pic.twitter.com/8m3fJ7avc5

— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) October 20, 2021

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New survey shows most Americans continue to support vaccine mandates, and want more. The survey was conducted by a consortium of universities & shows a majority of people support vaccine mandates for kids in schools & colleges https://t.co/k5lEvzeVXn

— delthia ricks 🔬 (@DelthiaRicks) October 20, 2021

The vaccination push by the Winnebago and Omaha tribes has led to an eye-opening fact: Tiny Thurston County, by far the poorest county in Nebraska, is also its most vaccinated. https://t.co/y4wd4wZdft

— Indian Country Today (@IndianCountry) October 20, 2021

660,000 white flags vs. 127 hats https://t.co/wY1zGv6JA5 pic.twitter.com/jGjqRzKHtF

— Apocalyptica (@ApocalypticaNow) October 19, 2021

??NEW | NYPD cops are disciplined for ejecting a subway rider who complained that the cops were not wearing masks:

“Absolutely inexcusable,” Commissioner Shea described it.

They received command disciplines. The MTA responded, too.https://t.co/M82iHQc8dC

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) October 20, 2021

Jim Walsh is the same fuckwit who compared trying to prevent THE SPREAD OF COVID to the actual Holocaust. https://t.co/UD4wiekfpB

— The Hoarse Whisperer (@TheRealHoarse) October 21, 2021

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday / Thursday, Oct. 20-21Post + Comments (66)

On The Road – tom – Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

by WaterGirl| October 21, 20215:00 am| 47 Comments

This post is in: On The Road, Photo Blogging

tom

I am a long-time reader of BJ (since 2002ish) and occasional commenter. In mid-September I went on a few hikes in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, the Keewenaw Peninsula, and around Marquette, MI. All are in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on the shores of Lake Superior.

The UP is a fascinating place. It is drop-dead gorgeous, but sparsely populated. A few places are doing OK – Marquette, Escanaba, Sault Sainte Marie – but most of the widely spaced towns are very small and either barely hanging on or actively dying.

The Porcupine Mountains state park is huge – 64,000 acres (100 sq miles, 26,000 hectares) – encompassing several inland lakes, several rivers, and endless old- and middle-growth forest. You can hike the trails for hours and see maybe one or two other people.

On The Road - tom - Michigan's Upper Peninsula 5

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, MichiganSeptember 16, 2021

These are the Manabezho Falls on the Presque Isle River in the Porcupine Mountains. These are quite easy to get to via auto, or you can hike in.

On The Road – tom – Michigan’s Upper PeninsulaPost + Comments (47)

Late Night Open Thread: Adieu, @DPRK_News

by Anne Laurie| October 21, 202112:24 am| 43 Comments

This post is in: Media, Open Threads, Assholes

whoever narced on the dprk account needs help finding jesus for costing us the best content on here https://t.co/JJmrNBFang

— kilgore trout, defective towel (@KT_So_It_Goes) October 20, 2021

It might have been content like this that got it narced…

American soldier with lactation difficulties relentlessly mocked by large-breasted Fox News dancer. pic.twitter.com/Yeflw5TDv2

— DPRK News Service (@DPRK_News) October 17, 2021

(Explainer)

But more likely, it was this:

you motherfuckers. you gaping digital anal fissures. we’ll have our revenge. pic.twitter.com/sM5bS6RDih

— kilgore trout, defective towel (@KT_So_It_Goes) October 21, 2021

On the snark-positive side, TFG has a new social media site planned, but how long are his minions gonna be able to keep *this* one up?

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Late Night Open Thread: Adieu, @DPRK_NewsPost + Comments (43)

Wednesday Evening Open Thread

by WaterGirl| October 20, 202110:00 pm| 52 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

I had a crazy day today. How about the rest of you? The best part of the day was drinking sour cherry mojitos and eating pizza while I helped a good friend update the OS on her brother’s computer.

The worst part was getting a phone call this evening telling me that an old friend and college roommate died last week.

What was the best part of your day?

Wednesday Evening Open ThreadPost + Comments (52)

I’m Still in a Mood

by John Cole| October 20, 20219:14 pm| 94 Comments

This post is in: John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House"

I am still in a crappy mood, pretty much irritated by everything, but on the upside I have a new furnace that is super quiet and has a nice thermostat that I can change shit on my phone, which sounds like something good until I will inevitably butt dial the god damned thing up to 100 degrees. The downside is it cost five grand and that means I am not going anywhere this winter on vacation, and I didn’t go last year on vacation because I bought a new fucking air conditioner. America, fuck yeah.

Manchin can still go fuck himself.

In other news the dogs and Steve have finally broken me down and I have given up on normal means, and am now the proud owner of this fucking thing:

Normal cleaning devices were not up to the challenge and I am tired of half measures.

Did I mention Joe Manchin can go fuck himself?

Also, the old redneck twitter guy on the way to Wellsburg must have died because his lawn is now manicured and no longer has his signage, but fear not, people, some jackass in Weirton flies one of those monstrous Trump 2024 flags on the front of his house and has his own redneck twitter feed:

Every time I drive by that house I yell FUCK TRUMP or TRUMP LOST because I am a mature functioning adult in the year 2021.

I’m Still in a MoodPost + Comments (94)

FaceBorg Open Thread: Markus THEE Funopticon

by Anne Laurie| October 20, 20217:27 pm| 133 Comments

This post is in: Media, Open Threads, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You, Tech News and Issues, Assholes, Sociopaths

Facebook is thinking of rebranding itself with a new name. What should it be?

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) October 20, 2021

FUNOPTICON https://t.co/E80HF4bm1R

— kilgore trout, never attended a decision-point mtg (@KT_So_It_Goes) October 20, 2021

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… The coming name change, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to talk about at the company’s annual Connect conference on October 28th, but could unveil sooner, is meant to signal the tech giant’s ambition to be known for more than social media and all the ills that entail. The rebrand would likely position the blue Facebook app as one of many products under a parent company overseeing groups like Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus, and more. A spokesperson for Facebook declined to comment for this story.

Facebook already has more than 10,000 employees building consumer hardware like AR glasses that Zuckerberg believes will eventually be as ubiquitous as smartphones. In July, he told The Verge that, over the next several years, “we will effectively transition from people seeing us as primarily being a social media company to being a metaverse company.”

A rebrand could also serve to further separate the futuristic work Zuckerberg is focused on from the intense scrutiny Facebook is currently under for the way its social platform operates today. A former employee turned whistleblower, Frances Haugen, recently leaked a trove of damning internal documents to The Wall Street Journal and testified about them before Congress. Antitrust regulators in the US and elsewhere are trying to break the company up, and public trust in how Facebook does business is falling…

I got a sneak peek. https://t.co/Bn8AjyB7iT pic.twitter.com/VcRiutXTWE

— Jim Stewartson, Antifascist, #RIPQ ????????? (@jimstewartson) October 20, 2021

Eric Lutz, at Vanity Fair, on Zuckerber’s ‘metaverse’:

… On Sunday, the company announced it was hiring 10,000 people in Europe to help build its metaverse, which it has—predictably — cast in utopian terms. “At its heart is the idea that by creating a greater sense of ‘virtual presence,’ interacting online can become much closer to the experience of interacting in person,” Nick Clegg and Javier Olivan wrote in a statement. “The metaverse has the potential to help unlock access to new creative, social and economic opportunities.”

Ah, but will it? Facebook insinuated its way into millions of peoples’ lives on a similarly optimistic promise; over the last decade, though, we’ve watched as this supposed tool of interconnectedness promoted hate and conspiracy theories, exacerbated divisions, and turned otherwise normal people into compulsive scrollers and posters. The notion that what’s missing from contemporary life is more Facebook seems absurd. But such is the manifest destiny of Mark Zuckerberg, just one of an increasingly out-of-touch class of tech barons who seem to have convinced themselves that we might best solve the issues facing our planet by blasting off to a new one and improve our current reality by augmenting it. Zuckerberg hasn’t even been able to justify the existence of Facebook in this reality; now, he’s intent on imposing its dominance on the meta-reality he wants to usher in, whether anyone wants it or not. This, of course, has always been at the core of Facebook’s problems: an unchecked hubris that can’t be masked by a new name.

FUNOPTICON SEES ALL https://t.co/Emadv5818K

— kilgore trout, never attended a decision-point mtg (@KT_So_It_Goes) October 20, 2021

Can you find me something that combines ‘Eye of Sauron’ and ‘gaping anus’? Maybe with a suggestion of a hidden 6-6-6, for the OG conspiracy nutters?

FaceBorg Open Thread: Markus *THEE* FunopticonPost + Comments (133)

NotMax on Late Night Open Thread: Florida Woman… (Oct 23, 2021 @ 1:48am)

West of the Rockies on Late Night Open Thread: Florida Woman… (Oct 23, 2021 @ 1:46am)

mrmoshpotato on Late Night Open Thread: Florida Woman… (Oct 23, 2021 @ 1:36am)

JAFD on Late Night Open Thread: Florida Woman… (Oct 23, 2021 @ 1:35am)

mrmoshpotato on Late Night Open Thread: Florida Woman… (Oct 23, 2021 @ 1:31am)

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

Everybody saw this coming.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

This blog will pay for itself.

Infrastructure week. at last.

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

I’m going back to the respite thread.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

We can agree to disagree, but i’m right.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

The willow is too close to the house.

Women: they get shit done

I can’t take this shit today. I just can’t.

This fight is for everything.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

They are all Michael Cohen now.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

Thursday Morning Open Thread: Fighting for the Future, On Multiple Fronts

COVID-19 Coronavirus Updates: Wednesday / Thursday, Oct. 20-21

On The Road – tom – Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

tom

Late Night Open Thread: Adieu, @DPRK_News

Wednesday Evening Open Thread

I’m Still in a Mood

FaceBorg Open Thread: Markus THEE Funopticon