#National weekly prediction

[mycryptosuite]

National Lotto Free Banker For Today 02/09/2023

National Lotto Free Banker For Today 02/09/2023 National lotto free banker for to today is the best ever trusted national live banker and we are sure Abc Naija.Com lucky banker for today will drop live. National predictions is coming with our best Ghana national two sure predictions and we are very sure of winning today, make sure you don’t miss it. Ghana lotto live forecasting 2sure – Forecast…

[odinsblog]

Worth re-reading

Rule No. 1: Believe the autocrat. I argued against the expectation that Trump would change in the months following the election, becoming somehow “Presidential” and abandoning his more extreme positions. This belief, it seemed to me, stemmed from the inability to absorb the fact of a Trump Presidency, and not from any historical precedents of similar transformations. The best predictors of autocrats’ and aspiring autocrats’ behavior are their own public statements, because these statements brought them to power in the first place.

Rule No. 2: Do not be taken in by small signs of normality. Most catastrophes unfold over time. Following the shock of a disastrous election—or a Presidential tweet—the sun rises again in the morning, and life appears to proceed as before. One adjusts, until the next shocking event.

Rule No. 3: Institutions will not save you. During the election campaign, one often heard the argument that institutions of American democracy are strong enough to withstand attack by Trump. A year ago, I pointed out that many of these institutions are not enshrined in law—rather, they exist as norms—and even those that are enshrined in law depend for their continued survival on the good faith of all actors. There is no law, for example, guaranteeing daily press briefings at the White House and media access to these briefings. I predicted that the investigative press would be weakened and that reality would grow murkier.

Rule No. 4: Be outraged. If you follow the first three rules, you ought to be outraged. But I know from experience how hard it is to be the hysteric in the room.

A year on, progress is mixed. Activist groups like New York City’s Rise and Resist, founded by alumni of the aids-activist organization act up, stage regular, vivid, act up–style actions. On the occasion of the first anniversary of the election, they vowed to begin weekly demonstrations demanding impeachment. The A.C.L.U. continues to file lawsuits; late-night comedians continue to amplify the painful absurdity of Trumpism. On the other hand, Washington has absorbed Trump, and so has the Republican Party. (It’s the other party whose national organization is imploding these days.) No single event or revelation has produced enough outrage to cause Trump to be removed from office, nor has one seemed to hurt his chances for reëlection. Not Charlottesville. Not the revelation of a Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer who promised to deliver dirt on Hillary Clinton. Not the regular revelations of past acts of corruption and of current lies. Not the continued spectacle of a government of haters and incompetents. The outrage dissipates, and Trumpism persists.

Rule No. 5: Don’t make compromises. I predicted that Republican Never Trumpers would fold and offer their loyalty to the new President. I also feared that a great many federal employees would face an impossible choice between staying in their jobs under a reprehensible Administration and leaving, forfeiting the chance to do good within a system that had started rotting from the top. Trump’s attacks on the institutions of government have been so fast and brutal, however, that many people made the choice without torment: they left. (Remember the President’s arts and humanities committee? Or the business advisory councils?) Still, a few people remain in what’s left of the State Department; some people have joined the Administration with the explicit goal of using their expertise to help minimize damage. But to watch General McMaster struggling to mislead journalists on Trump’s behalf is to see the built-in problem with the project of minimizing damage: one inevitably becomes an accomplice.

Rule No. 6: Remember the future. There will come a time after Trump. What will we bring to it? I wrote that the failure to imagine the future—to offer a vision in opposition to Trump’s appeal to an imaginary past—had cost the Democrats the election. A year later, the national Democratic Party does not seem closer to proposing a vision (or a candidate); instead, the last week has seen the Party plunged into a vicious re-litigation of the 2016 primaries.

(full article here)

[tomorrowusa]

While perhaps it's too early to call it a "masterstroke", Joe Biden stepping aside for Kamala Harris will probably turn out much better than any Democrat would have predicted a month ago.

Kamala Harris will likely be the next president of the United States – and that’s overall good news if you care about democracy, justice and equality. Joe Biden’s decision on Sunday to bow out of the presidential race clears the path for the country to elect its first woman and first woman of color as president.

For people who need a historical reminder...

[M]ost people in this country typically choose the Democratic nominee for president over the Republican nominee time and time again. With the sole exception of 2004, in every presidential election since 1992, the Democratic nominee has won the popular vote (Biden bested Donald Trump by 7m votes in 2020).

Now for more recent events.

If, in fact, support for Democrats among people of color is the principal problem, then putting Harris at the top of the ticket is a master stroke. The enthusiasm for electing the first woman of color as president will likely be a thunderclap across the country that consolidates the support of voters of color, and, equally important, motivates them to turn out in large numbers at the polls, much as they did for Barack Obama in 2008. The challenge the party will face in November is holding the support of Democratic-leaning and other “gettable” whites, especially given the electorate’s tortured history in embracing supremely qualified female candidates such as Hillary Clinton and Stacey Abrams. (The primary difference between Abrams, who lost in Georgia, and Senator Raphael Warnock, who won, is gender.) Sexism, misogyny and sexist attitudes about who should be the leader of the free world are real and Democrats will have to work hard to address that challenge. One critical step to solidifying the Democratic base is for all political leaders to quickly and forcefully endorse and embrace Harris’s candidacy. Mathematically, it is likely – and certainly possible, if massive investments are made in getting out the vote of people of color and young people as soon as possible – that the gains for Democrats will offset any losses among whites worried about a woman (and one of color, no less) occupying the Oval Office and becoming our nation’s commander in chief.

We shouldn't forget that the VP's mom was born in India. A number of people in the growing South Asian community in the US who may not be especially interested in politics will be tempted to pause their disinterest and vote for Kamala. India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have all had female prime ministers – so there's not exactly a taboo about women in power.

One way to measure enthusiasm for Kamala is to look at how much money is being raised by ActBlue. Not all the money ActBlue raises goes to the national ticket. I donated to a US Senate campaign in June via ActBlue. BUT the timing of recent donations leaves little doubt what the cause of the recent spike is.

For context, first some recent weekly totals (source)...

Week of June 30 through July 6 — $65,220,920

Week of July 7 through July 13 — $48,669,913

Week of July 14 through July 20 — $61,349,601

As of Noon today (CDT): Week of July 21 through July 27th — $150,042,360 and the third day of the week is just a little over half over. In the previous hour alone, roughly $2.44 million was raised.

These are small donations, not like the $45 million per month promised by multi-billionaire Elon Putz to Trump. So grassroots Dems are stoked and are out for a win.

ActBlue is fairly no-nonsense, it's not exactly Amazon in layout. So people are not drawn there by flashy graphics.

Kamala Harris — Donate via ActBlue

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive

Vaccine hesitancy driven by covid-19 antivaxxers is also effecting other vaccination, driving down efficacy. Mask up and get vaxed!

By Mary Van Beusekom, MS

The effectiveness of the seasonal flu vaccine against hospitalization among high-risk groups during the 2024 seasonal flu season in five Southern Hemisphere countries was low (35%), down from 50% in 2023 but not outside the expected range, which may portend similar efficacy during the upcoming Northern Hemisphere flu season if similar A(H3N2) viruses predominate, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers report.

The interim estimates, published late last week in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), come from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, where an average of only 21.3% of patients hospitalized for flu from March to July 2024 (the Southern Hemisphere flu season) had received the flu vaccine.

"While Southern Hemisphere data cannot predict exactly what will happen in the Northern Hemisphere, what we can say is that if we see similar influenza viruses (strains or clades) circulating this season in the Northern Hemisphere, we can expect similar vaccine effectiveness against influenza-related hospitalizations," lead author Erica Zeno, PhD, epidemic intelligence service officer with the CDC’s Influenza Division, told CIDRAP News in an email.

This flu season, the United States is using trivalent (three-strain) vaccines with the same components as those in Southern Hemisphere vaccines, Zeno said.

On August 29, the CDC forecasted that the upcoming flu season "will be similar to or lower than that of the 2023-2024 season rate of 8.9 weekly laboratory-confirmed hospitalizations per 100,000, with moderate confidence," it wrote. "However, past seasons have varied widely in the number of illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths, depending on the subtypes circulating, population immunity to different subtypes, and vaccine effectiveness against circulating subtypes."

Campaign targeted high-risk groups The researchers used a test-negative, case-control design to analyze data from a multinational surveillance network to generate estimates of interim vaccine effectiveness (VE) against hospitalization with flu-related severe acute respiratory illness (SARI).

The study population was made up of 11,751 SARI patients from three Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) vaccination target groups: young children (58.3%), older children and people with underlying medical conditions (14.5%), and older adults (27.2%). Case-patients had SARI and tested positive for flu, while control patients had SARI and tested negative for flu and COVID-19.

Data were pooled from 30 hospitals in Argentina, 2,477 in Brazil, 13 in Chile, 5 in Paraguay, and 10 in Uruguay beginning 2 weeks after each country's flu vaccination campaign. Vaccination status was confirmed using national electronic vaccination records.

All countries used World Health Organization (WHO)–recommended egg-based Southern Hemisphere formulations. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay used trivalent (three-strain) vaccines containing antigens from A/Victoria/4897/2022 (H1N1)pdm09–like virus, A/Thailand/8/2022 (H3N2)–like virus, and B/Austria/1359417/2021 (B/Victoria lineage)–like virus, while Paraguay used quadrivalent (four-strain) vaccines that also contained the B/Yamagata lineage–like virus.

Vaccination rate lower than prepandemic norms The five countries reported 11,751 flu-related SARI cases and an average low seasonal flu vaccination rate. "The documented influenza vaccination coverage levels (21.3%) were below pre–COVID-19 norms," the researchers wrote. "This finding is consistent with postpandemic declines in vaccination coverage across the Americas associated with vaccine misinformation, hesitancy, and disruptions in routine immunization services, prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic."

The adjusted VE was 34.5% against hospitalization, 36.5% against the predominant A(H3N2) influenza substrain, and 37.1% against the A(H1N1)pdm09 substrain. VE was 58.7% among patients with chronic conditions, 39.0% among young children, and 31.2% among older adults.

"The vaccine effectiveness estimated is within the confidence interval of prior H3N2 (34%–53%) and H1N1 (18%–56%) for this Southern Hemisphere network," Zeno said. "It is lower than what was observed in the United States last season, but that was on the high-end of the historic range."

As of July 19, too few influenza B cases were available to estimate VE, the authors said. Adjusted VE against SARI from any flu virus was 42.2% in Argentina, 30.3% in Brazil, 56.9% in Chile, and 61.0% in Uruguay; VE was not calculated for Paraguay because of insufficient data. A sensitivity analysis excluding Brazil estimated an adjusted VE of 56.5%.

In total, 32.7% of SARI patients tested positive for flu, and 98.6% of identified viruses were influenza A. Only 0.7% of patients were infected with influenza B, all of which were of the B/Victoria lineage. Of 61.9% of subtyped influenza A viruses, 68.3% were A(H3N2), and 31.7% were A(H1N1)pdm09. Most (59.2%) of the case-patients were older adults, followed by people with chronic conditions (50.4%), and the lowest proportion of cases (16.0%) occurred among young children.

Vaccination can reduce illness severity, death "While flu vaccine effectiveness can vary from season to season, we know that influenza vaccination can offer significant protection for people who get vaccinated and is the best protection against influenza," Zeno said. "Importantly, influenza vaccination also can reduce severity of illness in people who get vaccinated but still get sick."

Vaccination is one of the most effective interventions to prevent flu-related complications, including death, the authors said. "Annual influenza vaccination should be encouraged for young children, persons with comorbidities, and older adults," the authors wrote. "To enhance this year’s modest influenza vaccine protection against hospitalization, providers should treat patients with suspected or confirmed influenza as soon as possible with antivirals."

"Influenza vaccine postintroduction evaluations and knowledge, attitudes, and practices surveys might identify additional reasons for low coverage and strategies for improved coverage for the next Southern Hemisphere season," they added.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Friday

SpaceTime 20241025 Series 27 Episode 129

First evidence of a volcanic spatter cone on Mars

Scientists have detected what appears to be the first ever evidence for a volcanic spatter cone on the red planet Mars.

Distant exo-planet may host volcanic moon like Jupiter's Io

New research has revealed potential signs of a rocky, volcanic moon orbiting an exoplanet 635 light-years from Earth.

The Sun reaching the maximum period of space weather events

Representatives from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA together with the international Solar Cycle Prediction Panel have announced that the Sun has reached its solar maximum period, which could continue for the next year or so.

The Science Report

The rise in human life expectancy is slowing down.

Scientists find that even low-risk drinking causes higher mortality in adults.

A new study warns that thawing permafrost may accelerate Arctic riverbank erosion.

Skeptics guide to the internet censorship free speech bill

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts (itunes), Stitcher, Google Podcast, Pocketcasts, SoundCloud, Bitez.com, YouTube, your favourite podcast download provider, and from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on his career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. He worked as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.  The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[gumjrop]

The Weather

All areas of the country are now at High or Very High levels of COVID Transmission.

According to the new CDC National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) dashboard, all regions are experiencing increased COVID wastewater levels, with the Midwest being the highest. Nationally, wastewater levels are “very high.” Driven by the JN.1 variant, we are currently seeing the second highest wastewater levels since BA.1, the first Omicron wave in January 2022.

We continue to stress the importance of mitigating the spread of COVID, especially during this time of increasing transmission. Please continue to wear a high quality respirator mask (such as an N95) in indoor settings of any capacity, and postpone crowded events. In addition, make sure to take appropriate precautions when meeting with others.

Wins

Amidst this new surge, many hospitals – some responding to staffing shortages, and some responding to public pressure – have reinstated mask mandates. We celebrate the work of organizers across the country including those at Care Not COVID Chicagoland, COVID Safe Maryland, COVID Advocacy NY, and MaskBlocs around the country who organized a call-in to hospitals last week to demand they reinstate – and make permanent – masking policies.  A coalition protest by Sacramento Jewish Voices for Peace, Sunrise Movement Sacramento, International Jewish Anti-Zionist network, Bay Area JVP, & Youth 4 Palestine Sac organized a fully masked (N95!) and tested (2 days in a row!) pro-Palestine protest at the CA State Capitol in Sacramento last week.  ACTUP’s New York chapter has voted to require and provide KN95 masks at all upcoming meetings and actions “due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and recent surge, as well as to increase safety from surveillance at protests.”  Solidarity means we protect each other, and these organizers are showing us the way!

Variants

JN.1, a BA.2.86 descendent, is rising to prominence quickly in the United States. Nowcast estimates predict that by 1/6/2024, JN.1 will account for 61.6% of circulating variants. According to preliminary non-peer reviewed data, the newest (XBB.1.5) booster helps to protect against the JN.1 variant. Conversely, older vaccines did not offer significant protection against JN.1.  It is important to receive the updated booster, especially since uptake is currently low–according to a poll conducted by Gallup, only 29% of 6,000 participants surveyed received the updated vaccine as of December 7, 2023. This is in stark contrast to flu vaccine rates, polled at 49%. This is likely due to an imbalance in public health messaging–while efforts were poured into advertising the flu vaccine, not as much emphasis was placed on receiving the updated booster.

Hospitalizations

Weekly COVID hospitalizations continue to trend upward, now at 34,798 for the week ending December 30, 2023. The numbers for currently hospitalized patients with COVID are also increasing, currently at 25,430. In terms of regional trends, the Northeast and Midwest are seeing higher rates of hospitalization. When reviewing these numbers we must also remember that patients who are already admitted for other reasons and are suffering from nosocomial, or hospital-acquired infections, are not accounted for in this data.

Hospitals are overwhelmed. Healthcare workers are demanding support from administrators. Read this account of ER nurses at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx who say that the hospital executives are refusing to open up vacant areas of the hospital to accommodate the surge in patients – leaving the ER dangerously overcrowded and forcing patients into hallway beds.

Long COVID

A new cross-sectional study published in Nature Communications found that Long COVID patients with post-exertional malaise (PEM) exhibit skeletal muscle changes that are exacerbated by exercise. PEM patients are also found to have unique pathophysiological changes, such as amyloid-containing deposits in muscle tissue. These findings contribute to mounting evidence that COVID infection can significantly damage the body, and more research is necessary in order to fully understand manifestations of Long COVID. If readers are curious, summarized findings can be found in this X (Twitter) thread, penned by one of the authors. Long COVID research is important. This is why it is essential that all Long COVID research centers adhere to the strictest infection prevention protocols. Read this account of a person disabled by Long COVID who dropped out of a study because the study personnel refused to mask. We saw this same phenomenon last spring at Stanford during a study of Paxlovid’s impact on Long COVID rates.

Take Action

This week Jewish Currents put out a report on The Epidemiological War on Gaza, which amplified WHO’s January 2nd announcement that “there are currently 424,639 [reported] cases of infectious disease in Gaza,” an area with only 2 million residents total. With the ongoing destruction of hospitals and deprivation of food and water and environmental pollution from continued bombardment, the occupying forces have ensured the conditions for continued deaths even in times of ceasefire. Call your representatives and join a protest this week to demand a ceasefire and the reconstruction of Palestinian medical infrastructure towards fair health access for all peoples! Let us support Massachusetts General Brigham Long COVID patients by telling the hospital to 1) meet all patient accessibility requests including wearing N95 respirators upon request and 2) make universal masking their new standard of care. They can be contacted through their contact form, or by calling 1-800-856-1983. Rashida Tlaib sent out an email blast informing constituents of the current surge. The message included acknowledgment of COVID’s airborne nature, recommendation to wear a well-fitting mask, a link to access free tests through USPS, and information on updated vaccines and COVID transmission. Let’s contact Congresswoman Tlaib and thank her for this invaluable action! 

Future Weather Reports

Starting next week, we will begin to publish the Weather Report on a bi-weekly basis. This will allow our team to focus on crafting action campaigns to push for a comprehensive public health approach to the pandemic, including mask mandates, paid sick leave policies, testing access, Long COVID research, next generation vaccines, indoor air quality regulations, and more. We hope to see you in our expanded actions to end the COVID pandemic soon to come!

[darlingdivasworld]

SPOILERS FOR SEASON 9 EPISODE 14

I previously mentioned that I wasn't a fan of weekly drops and Season 9 Episode 14 has unfortunately proved my fears. I was going to post this yesterday but I was too angry to formulate my words.

So the episode starts off with Anthony dancing a solo, and when the team walks in on him doing so, I can easily predict that he is going to be dance captain. I don't necessarily have a problem with this as he was appointed head choreographer, so it makes sense.

What doesn't make sense is the whole A plot of this episode. A-Troupe find out that an anonymous complaint has been made against them that they're not dancing to "Internationals standard." Last time I checked, you qualify for Internationals by winning your Nationals, which The Next Step did! And the fact that this complaint is taken so seriously that TNS has to requalify is ridiculous. You're telling me that any dancer from anywhere can make a complaint about a studio not being "up to par" and Absolute Dance will just make them reaudition...huh?

Anyway, Anthony is really stressed (and bless him honestly) as his first challenge as dance captain is to get TNS back into Internationals. Unfortunately for him, our 'Internationals Consultant' is here and takes charge of everything. I'm actually lying because our Lord and Saviour Eldon over here waste A-Troupe's precious rehearsal time by showing off how many pirouettes he can do and his past Internationals stories.

And I'm well aware that his stories from Internationals are for those OG fans, but it was so grating. Eldon, to me, was like those fans who, no matter what, insist "s1-s3 A-Troupe are elite and the new seasons are SOOOO bad. Also, when is Jiley going to have their wedding in Studio A???"

I'm assuming the writers thought the audience would find this amusing thinking along the lines of, "Oh Eldon! He's such a silly doofus!" But I, alongside the 4 members of A-Troupe, are begging him to stop talking. Side note, why isn't the whole team here for this? Like, I'm pretty sure all your hard work is on the line here???

After a while, they trick Eldon into finding lucky coins and begin the live stream. It goes well until Eldon comes back and takes away Anthony's authority, but its totally fine because they're back in! Also, Team France have to compete again simply because they're sister studios with TNS because that's completely fair.

And now, we get the most infuriating dramatic twist yet! It turns out Eldon put in that complaint for funsies! Precious rehearsal time wasted just for the fun of it. When I tell you, I'll be rejoicing when Kenzie returns (this team has been in shambles ever since she was shipped off to France).

Yeah, all this episode did was cement my hatred for Eldon. The only good thing about this episode was Adele and Ariana. Probably the worst episode of the season so far, and I'm praying they don't drop the ball like this ever again.

[indynerdgirl]

Bear 747- 2022 Fat Bear Week Champion

Choose the fattest bear of the year! Some of the largest brown bears on Earth make their home at Brooks River in Katmai National Park, Alaska. Brown bears get fat to survive and Fat Bear Week is an annual tournament celebrating their success in preparation for winter hibernation.  Fat Bear Week 2023 is October 4 - October 10. Your vote decides who is the fattest of the fat. Matchups will be open for voting between 12 - 9  p.m. Eastern (9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Pacific). Download your bracket to predict your own fat bear winner. This is a single elimination tournament. For each match-up, vote for the bear you believe best exemplifies fatness. The bear with the most votes advances to the next round. Only one will be crowned champion of Fat Bear Week. Learn more about the history of Fat Bear Week.

2023 Fat Bear Week

This year, Fat Bear Week starts on October 4 and concludes on Fat Bear Tuesday, October 10. In addition to voting during this week-long tournament, there will be a series of online chats on explore.org featuring Mike Fitz, explore.org's resident naturalist, and rangers from Katmai. These chats focus on both the individual bears and Katmai's healthy ecosystem. Throughout the season, you can also tune in to the explore.org bear cams, which offer unprecedented access to the lives of the bears of Brooks River. There are also special live events on a variety of topics hosted weekly throughout the season. Who's who in the bracket? We will reveal the bracket live here at 3 PM AKDT/7 PM EDT on October 2. More photos can be found on Katmai's Flickr site.

Schedule of events: October 2: Fat Bear Week bracket reveal live at 3PM AKDT/7PM EDT October 3: Premiere of Fat Bear Week in the Classroom video series on explore.org October 4: Live Chat at 3PM AKDT/7PM EDT– Welcome to Fat Bear Week* October 4 – 10: Fat Bear Week voting open** October 10: Live Chat at 3pm AK – Fat Bear Tuesday (end of Fat Bear Week)* *All live chat events are hosted on explore.org live chat channel. **All voting takes place at www.fatbearweek.org

[graphic, photo, and all information in this post from the Katmai National Park & Fat Bear Week websites]

[blowflyfag]

WRESTLING EYE: APRIL 1993

Sting: CATCH HIS RISING STAR!!

By Steve Mueller

It seemed that when Sting lost his WCW world title to Big Van Vader, he lost more than just a championship belt. He lost his reputation and his status. In that match’s conclusion, the Stinger was literally destroyed by Van Vader’s power bomb. The face painted gladiator was so completely beaten by Vader that it seemed his run as a major star in American wrestling rings was definitely finished. It was the kind of loss that forces wrestlers to leave a promotion.

And then when Ron Simmons defeated Vader for the gold, convincingly, it seemed that there was no question. Even among his most devoted fans, that Sting’s time in the spotlight had definitely passed. Wrestling journalists wrote stories about Sting’s coming fade into oblivion. His almost story book career was discussed and then written off as just another example of a guy who electrifies the wrestling world for a time, and then passes, sometimes for inexplicable reasons, into obscurity.

Then the situation worsened. Sting’s lackluster performance against Jake Roberts at Halloween Havoc in a match that has come to be universally labeled as a travesty only seemed to cement the speculation that Sting’s star had crashed. After all, the face painted gladiator had had two runs as world champion and neither had been successful draws at the gate. And drawing fans into an arena is the only true measure of success in the modern wrestling world. 

Rumors began to circulate that Sting was headed to the World Wrestling Federation. In the “Pro Wrestling Today” television talk show in New York, it seemed every other question asked by a fan was “When is Sting going to the WWF?” Insiders, however, knew there was no chance that Sting would suddenly appear on “Superstars”, brandishing a tube of makeup, and proclaiming himself to be “Real Grease-painted Hero.” Sting’s contract with WCW is both ironiclad and Watts-proof, and, with Hulk Hogan on the sidelines, it is the richest in the mat sport. 

Then other rumors began to circulate that Sting would become the highest paid tag team wrestler in the history of the sport. When the Ultimate Warrior quit/was fired from the WWF in November, respected experts such as Professor Victor Chirel, noted academician and wrestling historian, predicted that the Warrior would eventually sign a contract with WCW and reform the Blade Runners tag team with his one-time partner Sting. 

“The Ultimate Warrior was never that successful as a singles draw,” said Professor Chirel. “Even when he was WWF world champ, he had very little drawing power. And now that any potential Sting had to become a major draw is definitely finished, I predict Sting and the Warrior will become a team again in the hope of salvaging their careers. Together, Sting and the Ultimate Warrior have the chance to become the Road Warriors of the nineties. Individually, at least in the majors, their careers are over.”

[Sting battles Rick Rude in a classic confrontation.]

For a time, most insiders and experts agreed with Professor Chirel. Rumors surfaced weekly that, after he appeared on a few independent shows as “the Man Who Used to be Called the Ultimate Warrior” because of WWF contractual restrictions, the Warrior was about to join WCW. Like Professor Chirel, longtime fans remembered the Blade Runners, the vehicle through which Sting and the Warrior first came if not to national prominence, then at least to national attention. 

In the mid-eighties, Cowboy Bill Watts brought the face- painted duo to his legendary Mid-South promotion and the rest is history. Since Watts is now head honcho at WCW, it is easy to see how speculation arose that the Blade Runners team would be reformed, perhaps under another name. 

And many experts thought the reformation of the Blade Runners was a good idea. “Frankly, I’m tired of Sting,” said veteran ringside physician Dr. Gary Dunn. “As far as I’m concerned, and I’ve been studying the mat sport for over thirty years, Sting no longer has a future as a singles star. As for the Ultimate Warrior, I’m not sure he ever had a future as a real star in singles competition. However, put Sting and the Warrior together and you have some real possibilities. The whole, in this case, would surely be greater than the sum of its parts.”

[Sting is always a crowd pleaser.]

“I agree with Doctor Dunn,” says Kim Hostetler, screen actress and wrestling fan. “I always thought Sting’s talents were more suited to tag team competition. When you think about it, Sting and that Ultimate Fellow have basically the same blend of as the legendary Road Warriors. Sting has the high flying aerial skills like Hawk. The Warrior would be the power guy on the team just like Animal. Hey, Cowboy Bill Watts should get this going right away.”

But as Christmas 1992 came and went, and speculation began to grow that Bill Watts might not be around WCW much longer because the promotion was sinking deeper and deeper into red ink. It became obvious that the Warrior was not going to join WCW. The inside story was that WCW could not give the Warrior the kind of contract he demanded–one that paid big bucks. Billy Watts’ austerity program had eliminated large guaranteed contracts. The Warrior just laughed at WCW’s offers. 

[Sting is used to doing battle outside the ring.]

It seemed that a reunion with the Warrior was not going to save Sting’s career. The second most famous wrestler from Venice Beach seemed doomed to fade into the shadowy world of oblivion. Then a strange thing began to happen. 

Sting, though it happened very slowly at first, began to recapture some of the magic that had electrified fans earlier in his career. His matches became more focused and he began using more of the aerial style that had been his trademark before a serious knee injury had almost ended his career. 

Amazingly, suddenly it wasn’t just kids and young women who were chanting Sting’s name at ringside. Hardcores joined the chorus. Somehow, being cast in the role of the underdog had done wonders for Sting’s charisma. Facing adversity and not giving up had made him kind of a “People’s Champion.”

[The Stinger knows how to hurt his opponents.]

A series of glitzy wins, and like unexpected lightning, Sting was back near the top of his profession. 

In December and January, TV ratings of WCW programs began a return to respectability. Silent hope is growing in the executive offices of Turner Broadcasting that WCW may indeed still have a future on TBS. And it is no accident that this rise in the ratings coincides with Sting’s own return to prominence. The coming months will tell the story not only of Sting’s future, but of the future of WCW itself. Stay tuned, this one is going to get interesting. 

[mycryptosuite]

National Lotto Key Position Banker For 29/07/2023

National Lotto Key Position Banker For 29/07/2023 National Lotto Key Position Banker, and we have picked out the best two sure and banker for National draw on 29 July 2023, You need to try and play it so you can WIN with us today. Click to check Abc Naija National Lotto Prediction for Today and i assure you of winning without stress, we have narrowed it to the best possible numbers to drop on…

[stevetonyweekly]

SteveTony Weekly - Cap-IM Rec Week Edition

 It's been @cap-ironman​ Rec Week and I've been posting on my personal blog all week, but I wanted to collect them all for the rec blog--here's my personal list and be sure to check the tag #capimrecweek for all the recs this week. 

Day 1 - Absolute Faves Monday 

Sixpence In His Shoe by scifigrl47

Steve and Tony should really read the fine print on what they're signing. Then again, some mistakes are not really mistakes.

Fair Shot by isozyme

Captain Rogers leaps from the helicopter like a gymnast on the dismount. All the lines of his body are controlled. Perfect. The iconic round shield lies flat across his back.

“How does he fit a parachute under that?” I ask.

“He doesn’t,” Stark answers. “Marvelous adrenaline junkie, our Cap. Likes to almost break his ankles every time. Makes him feel like a man.”

Front Line reporter Ben Urich spends a mission embedded with Tony Stark and Captain Steve Rogers on an Ultimates mission.

Open Field in Front of Him by orphan_account

Steve Rogers's football season is functionally over after a loss to Rutgers, but he finds a distraction in Tony Stark (yes, THAT Tony Stark). A college AU Stony fic.

Follow in Your Footsteps by Sineala

When Tony is twelve, his soulmate's name appears on his wrist. Unfortunately, it's hard to find out anything at all about Steve Rogers.

It turns out there's a reason for that.

there are still beautiful things by meidui

The day Tony takes Steve home from the New York Army National Guard is the best day of his life.

Day 2 - It’s All About the Yearning Tuesday 

i have found the one (whom my soul loves) by soniclipstick (veriscence)

It's been months since the Avengers were pardoned. One by one, they'd all gone home, until Steve finds himself alone in the grand old building T'Challa had given them.

But everything changes when Steve answers the doorbell, and Tony Stark strides in with more grey on his temple and make-up on his face than Steve remembers.

The Least Difficult of Men by isozyme

It isn’t until Tony watches Steve lean into the punch that he thinks oh, this is going to be a problem.

Steve’s taking hits on purpose in the field, so Tony suggests a safer option. It's simple: Tony smacks Steve around, Steve gets the pain fix he’s looking for, everyone leaves happy. Things do not stay simple.

The one with repressed masochist Steve and sadist Tony and everyone getting off on pain a whole bunch.

now I worship a celestial sun by haemodye

The thing that gets Tony the most is how long it takes him to notice.

Not Steve, or even the other Avengers, but Tony himself. It takes Tony almost two whole weeks to figure out that he’s unable to disobey a direct order from Steve, which just- what the hell is that? What happened to the days when he flew off the handle, unable to play well with others, a notorious wild card?

“God, don’t tell me I’m getting old and predictable,” he says, rubbing a hand over his forehead. And then, “Fuck.”

 A mostly-comedic farce involving: 1 obedience spell, 2 pining Avengers, 1 long-suffering Sorcerer Supreme, and 1 single, extravagant Saint Patrick's Day float.

Good Bait and the Help by navaan

A new villain is on the scene and he uses stolen tech! There’s the suspicions there’s a huge organization behind this that nobody knew even existed. Commander Rogers wants to know if these suspicions are true and how to stop whoever is behind it. Of course he asks Tony for help. Of course, Tony is happy to help when Steve suggests a trip to Madripoor

Tony agrees to take Steve with him to another tech convention there, disguised as his bodyguard and lure out the tech-loving villain with a new piece of tech put on display. He didn't expect the bad guy to be drawn to Tony himself rather than his tech.

I could lie tangent to your curves by RurouniHime 

Steve is bodyguard to a prominent young socialite with too much genius on his hands... and who has taken an unfortunate shine to him.

Day 3 - Wondrous Wednesdays 

(By Any Other) Name by Captain_Panda

When Steve went down with the Valkyrie, he thought his days with dragons were over.

Then he meets Tony Stark, who inherited Howard Stark's dragon.

As the kids say: "It's complicated."

This Dragon!AU is my favorite dragon AU. The world building is excellent, as is the relationship developed between Steve and Tony. I think I’ve read it a half dozen times and already look forward to the next reread. 

Knight of Wands by Sineala 

Steve has reigned as king for ten years, and in a few days peace will finally come to his kingdom. Representatives of the Kree Empire are soon to arrive for the negotiations that will end the war between them once and for all. Steve is looking forward to settling down, with his hand-picked Avengers at his side -- led, of course, by the masked knight Iron Man -- and also his trusted advisors, the most beloved of whom is Tony, his court magician, the most powerful mage in all the land.

But when Steve's life is endangered, Tony makes the greatest sacrifice of all to protect his king, a sacrifice far greater than his life. And when Tony disappears under mysterious circumstances, Steve learns that even his closest friends keep secrets that he could never have suspected.

I have a soft spot a mile wide for King/Lionheart stories, especially when Steve is the king and Tony is advisor/wizard/knight. It’s just a perfect dynamic, and as always, Sine is flawless at telling a story. 

I Whisper Your Name on Each Star I See Falling by JezebelGoldstone, littleblackbow

The day Natasha first told Steve her idea, he never would have dreamed that her fool notion would land him here: watching the train roll into the station and trying to wrap his mind around the fact that somewhere in there is the man who agreed to marry him.

Steve, an alpha farmer living outside a small town in the Rockies who doesn't want to admit how lonely he is, has been exchanging letters with omega Tony for nearly a year. When at last Tony arrives in Big Eden, Steve is confronted with the fact that he doesn't know Tony as well as he thought he did - and falls for him harder than a landslide anyway.

This one is hard--arranged marriage au’s are near and dear to my heart, and picking just one was near impossible. But how soft Steve is with Tony in this one breaks me every time I read it, so--here you are. 

Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree by Annie D (scaramouche)

Steve doesn’t mind that Tony doesn’t return his feelings. He just would've preferred if it didn’t come with the side effect of his coughing up flowers and possibly dying.

I struggled between hanahaki or soulmate AUs, and decided on this because I’d put soulmates in an earlier list this week. Hanahaki is both beautiful and heartbreaking, just the way I like my fic. This one is amazing. 

ad astra by Areiton 

The first time he kissed Tony Stark, the stars danced overhead.

Ok, I might be cheating a little by including my own AU here, but. I really love this one? It’s a space AU which I always love, and plays with the movie from 2019. Anyway, it remains one of my favorite pieces of writing. 

Day 4 - Golden Oldies  Thursday 

The Twice-Told Tale by arysteia

For someone he'd hero-worshipped for so long, Steve Rogers in the flesh is a pretty big disappointment. For one thing, he keeps looking at Tony as though he reminds him of someone else, and even if he never says anything, Tony's pretty sure it's his father. A lifetime of not measuring up to Howard's expectations is more than enough, thank you very much, and he's certainly not going to make an effort to live up to any of Steve's. Steve's pretty clearly failed to live up to his expectations, in any case, and that's not hypocritical at all.

So I didn’t include this on Monday’s absolute favs list because I knew I could include it here. But it is. An absolute fav. It plays with time travel in one of my favorite ways, letting Steve and Tony fall in love in multiple times and I just--I’m obsessed with it. 

Homefront by copperbadge

Steve Rogers is a capable leader, a kind and cheerful man, a good friend, a strong role model, and a loyal soldier. He's also teetering on the edge of suicide.

There are few fics that have stayed with me and hurt me in a healing sort of way the way this one has. I read it shortly after my brother died unexpectedly and for Reasons, it’s always resonated with my healing after his death. The writing is also just fantastic and heartbreaking in the best way. 

Truth by valtyr

Captain America takes truth serum. Tony is all over that.

I re-read this once a month I think. It’s short and fluffy and perfect, the team dynamics and just STEVE being so painfully honest, and then just. Hot. 

Thrust Issues by Sineala 

A battle gone wrong leads Tony to the unexpected and pleasant discovery that Steve is much more well-endowed than he could ever have imagined. But when Tony learns that Steve has never actually been able to sleep with anyone because of his size, Tony does what any good friend would do: he offers to relieve Steve of his virginity. Personally. Tony's determined, Tony's methodical, and Tony has a plan. He's going to get Steve laid. Tony just needs to make sure Steve never finds out that Tony's in love with him.

It’s Sine. And delicious. I love the way Sine writes Tony in this one especially. 

Like a Comet Streaming On by Sineala

Tony escapes Afghanistan with a functioning Iron Man suit and a perfectly normal heart. He even manages to bring Ho Yinsen home safely at his side. But he may as well have lost everything... because his wolfbrother is dead. Six months later, the Avengers find Captain America, frozen in ice, miraculously alive. Everything and everyone Steve has ever known is gone -- except his wolfsister, the recipient of the lupine version of the super-soldier serum, who was frozen in his arms. Tony has everything but his wolf. Steve has only his wolf. This is how their lives fit together.

I just really really love this fic. The worldbuilding is fantastic and both Steve and Tony just really need hugs. 

Day 5 Fluffy Friday 

Trusting You with Lovin' Me by ralsbecket

“There’s a… neighborhood thing, later,” Tony said, waving a hand with clinking keys. “Trick-or-treating. Why don’t you come with us?” It was neutral ground. An open invitation. I trust you. I want you to meet my daughter hung softly in the air.

The fluff of this. As a parent, letting someone meet my kids is the biggest thing in the world, and this just always smacks me so hard in the feels. 

met my destiny (in quite a similar way) by ishipallthings

“I’m in love with you.”

The spatula in Tony’s hand clatters to the floor with an audible thwack.

(In which Tony is incredulous, Steve is determined, and absolutely no pancakes are made for breakfast.)

Steve’s just…so. Steve. 

We're On The Edge Right Now by MassiveSpaceWren, Nixie_DeAngel

“Steve Rogers, at your service, Mister Stark.”

Tony’s lips quirked up into a bright, almost teasing like grin, “I’m sure you are, Rogers, I’m sure you are.”

Steve could feel a blush work its way up his neck to his face, but before he could even open his mouth to retort, Pepper jumped in, easily redirecting the conversation before insisting on escorting Steve back down to drop him off at HR.

I love it. I love them, and the dynamic between them. 

Off Grid by Letterblade

Steve and Tony go camping, bears are the greatest threat facing America, and tick tweezers are the best invention of the decade.

Just two dumbs camping and being in love and avoiding ticks. 

dick drunk by mistymountainking

“I’m going to fuck you stupid,” Steve says, pulling away only a fraction of an inch to say it, a promise as deep and certain as the look in his eyes, “and you’re going to take it. Aren’t you, Tony.”

Tony wants a drink. Steve gives him something else.

This is smutty fluff. Like SUPER smutty. Steve is utterly filthy but also so soft with Tony, and Tony is so besotted? I love it. 

Day 6 - Hidden Jems Saturday 

it all began with a burst by starvels (dinosaur)

The crew of Timely has been together a long time, but Tony’s been saying for a long time that their ship's warp drive is about to leave their happy family to hit the cosmic dust. A few million parsecs outside of the Victor galaxy, he’s right.

His Fate Will Be Unlearned, by scifigrl47 (podfic) by cookiemom6067 

Tony Stark spent his childhood making weapons, filling the hole his father left in the world when he succumbed to alcohol, grief, and his own demons. At the age of fifteen, he ran away from home, and made it as far as MIT before all of his responsibilities caught up to him. Now seventeen, he just wants to finish his degree and escape from everything connected to the Stark name.

Steve Rogers crashed into the icy North Atlantic in the 1940's, sacrificing himself to save the world. He never expected to wake up, and now that he has, he's not sure he's glad. The US Army has other plans for him, but for now, Steve is slowly learning to live life in the 21st century, and taking classes at Boston College. He's beginning to suspect that there is no escape.

Boston College is on the T's Green Line. MIT is on the Red. The two lines meet at the Park Street Station, and so will Steve and Tony.

Zero to One by magicasen 

Steve returns the Stones, comes back to 2023, names Sam the successor to Captain America, and sets off on his bike. Life is transient, and grief is all-encompassing, until Steve starts dreaming of Tony every night.

fill the new shape by hollyandvice (hiasobi_writes) 

Steve Rogers's life changed dramatically once he hit college. But maybe that had been coming for almost two years already, since his ex Tony Stark broke up with him. Whatever the reason, he isn't expecting his past to come find him again in the form of one Tony Stark, returned from abroad. What comes after is the beginning of a journey to healing, but they both have a long way to go.

you are all I was hoping for by xWinterDreamsx 

His life had been so much emptier without Tony in it, and he missed him. He missed him so much that he felt better being in his company for even a little while.

Day 7 - Tak A Chance on Me Sunday 

Tiny Spy Assassin Steve by copperbadge

An AU in which Steve Rogers was born into the modern day and never received the Serum, but managed to make it into SHIELD as a handpicked protege of senior field agent Abraham Erskine. Along with Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff, Peggy Carter, and eventually Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes, Steve still tries to make a difference.

Particularly in the life of Tony Stark, who picked up what he thought was an art student in a bar, and ended up dating one of SHIELD's top agents...

I am EXTREMELY picky about pre-serum Steve fics and this one is just--fan-fucking-tastic. 

[Podfic] Straight on till Morning by Sineala by M_Samro

Tony Stark resigned his commission in Starfleet five years ago, after a disastrous away mission, and he swore he'd never go back. He just wants to be left alone to build warp engines in peace. But the universe has more in store for him than that, as he discovers when Admiral Fury comes to him with an offer he could never have expected and cannot possibly refuse: first officer and chief engineer aboard the all-new USS Avenger, a starship of Tony's own design. What's more, the Avenger's captain is Steve Rogers, hero of the Earth-Romulan War. Believed dead for over a century, Steve is miraculously alive... and very, very attractive.

But nothing is ever easy for Tony. As he wrestles with his secret desire for his new captain and his not-so-dormant fears, another mission starts to go wrong, and Tony becomes aware that Steve has secrets of his own -- and the truth could change everything.

So this fic--podfic--deserves two spots on the list. First because I almost didn’t read it. Star Trek was the first media I can remember watching as a child (dear god, the nightmares from those fucking ear bugs) and it remains one of the nearest and dearest to my heart, so I’m extremely picky about crossovers--but I trusted Sine and it quickly became one of my favorite Trek fics, in or out of the fandom. I’m ALSO picky about podfic--I get very very little time for podfic and I’m super picky narrators on these kinds of things--audiobooks/podfics/podcasts--so I wasn’t sold on the idea, but I had a house to paint and a friend rec’ed it and omg, best decision ever. As emotional as the reading the fic made me, listening to the podfic was even more so. I love it to an unhealthy degree, honestly. 

[everythingwritingg]

Nanowrimo Tips

@everything.writing on IG

I really can’t believe Nanowrimo is fast approaching. 2023 has gone by so fast and we’re more than 75% of the way done with the year. October is coming to a close and November is approaching. Now is the season for pies, turkeys, and of course, NaNoWriMo. Whether this is your first time or you’ve done every one of them since they began, here is a list of tips to help you have a pleasant Nano experience.

First, what is NaNoWriMo? Whenever I post anything about Nano, I always get a bunch of questions asking what it is. It stands for National Novel Writing Month and happens every November. Writers challenge themselves and each other to write 50,000 words a month, which equates to 1667 words a day. You can go to Nanowrimo.org to participate.

Choose a story idea you’re excited about. A lot of people find themselves quitting their projects because they lose interest. While it might be hard to predict how you’ll feel about a project down the line, try to choose an idea you’re interested in, such as in your favorite genre. If you’re trying to continue an existing project, make sure you love it!

Break the monthly goal into weekly and daily goals. Thinking about writing 50K words is daunting and can make you tempted to procrastinate, so split it up into chunks of days and weeks. You can choose to write 1667 words every single day (I’ve done that), but it might benefit you to have some flexibility. One thing I find helpful is weekly goals such as 12K words a week so maybe you can write more words on weekends when you’re less busy. And remember that November is a whole month, so maybe you’re a little busier wrapping up some work deadlines at the beginning of the month, but then you go on Thanksgiving break. Or maybe you’re busier around the end of the month due to visiting family so you’ll write more in early November.

Be prepared by doing PrepTober. While you definitely don’t need to get every single detail down on paper, you should at least have an idea of your beginning, middle, and ending. This will make you more efficient since you’ll reduce the time you need to think. It can also make the process way less stressful.

Focus on getting the first draft done. Don’t edit as you go, because it’ll take more time. Instead, focus on getting the words down. You can edit later, but you can’t edit if you have nothing written. This might be hard to stomach for perfectionists, but you can absolutely edit in December.

Hold yourself accountable. Some people like having writing buddies to share progress, while others like to post their progress on social media. Whatever works for you and keeps you motivated. If you’re self-motivated, you can also keep a journal of how many words you wrote a day.

Work in places that promote productivity. This looks different for everyone. Some like to listen to music, others like writing in silence. Whether you prefer writing at a desk or on the couch, this is all up to personal preference. What normally makes you more productive?

Don’t stress too much. If writing 50K words is too much for you to handle, you can set your goal lower like 20 or 30K. November is a hectic month for some people, with work, school, and family. Unless you’re a full-time writer, you likely have some responsibilities more important than writing. It’s ok to put writing on the backburner if it’s affecting your ability to get some of them done or negatively impacting your mental health.

If you’re participating in Nano this year, I wish you the best of luck. If you’re not, then I wish you luck with your writing and life goals this month. Don’t hesitate to comment if you have questions, and I hope you enjoyed!

[covid-safer-hotties]

Letter: School in the time of COVID-19 - Published Sept 5, 2024

The Editor:

We can disagree on many things, but all of us should be able to agree on this simple fact:

"Sick children can’t learn, sick teachers can’t teach." - Amanda Hu, community advocate

Once again children and youth in B.C. are returning to school during a COVID surge.

Needless to say what will follow is predictable. Sadly, it was preventable, had we prioritized the rights of children to life, health, safety and education and child development during an ongoing pandemic.

Make no mistake, the emergency phase may be over, but COVID-19 is not.

B.C. preschool and school children, their families and teachers will yet again be infected with COVID-19 this fall. That is, unless they were recently infected, or they are part of the minority of families who continue to use all available layers of protection to avoid a (re)infection.

Last year in B.C., updated COVID-19 vaccines became available only after Thanksgiving.

By then, infections had already peaked. This year again, unless things change, the newest COVID-19 vaccines will likely only be available too late for many B.C. school children, their families and their teachers.

B.C. is not alone. The other provinces and territories are also failing children with schools restarting when the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is high and yet another more contagious sub variant, KP.3.1.1, is spreading freely.

However, If you are in B.C., you’d be hard pressed to find up to date COVID-19 information.

As of May 2, the BCCDC declared the respiratory virus season over and switched its COVID-19 Situation Report from weekly to monthly. It’s as if someone thought limiting data in the summer would make COVID-19 disappear, or perhaps help it become seasonal.

Thankfully, the Government of Canada has continued to report Respiratory virus trends. As shown in the graph below, unlike RSV and Influenza, SARS-CoV-2 does not stop spreading with the arrival of summer (surveillance week 25). Maybe your family has already learned this.

pic

Image of Percentage of tests positive for Canada side by side with BC (Fig.4)

The reported laboratory test positivity rate as of Aug. 24 was 17.9 per cent in B.C., same as last year when school reopened. This number is an under estimation of the true level of infections in B.C. communities given testing is restricted to healthcare settings (EDs, hospitals and congregate settings outbreaks) while community rapid tests results are not being recorded.

By comparison, BCCDC’s last reported COVID-19 Situation Report is from July 27, 2024, too long ago to be of much use to parents and teachers. The next one is out today, Sept. 5, after B.C. schools’ resume. It’s really difficult to manage one’s risk of COVID-19 without any timely and easily accessible data.

Thanks to Dr. Tara Moriarty, an infectious disease researcher and associate professor at the University of Toronto, faculty of Dentistry, the Canadian COVID-19 Forecast for Aug. 31 to Sept. 13, 2024, now confirms that B.C. is in the severe category, with estimates of about one in every 27 people infected or roughly 196,900 - 224,800 infections this week.

This is higher than the national COVID-19 forecast and represents the highest hazard level of any Canadian province and territory during this time period. As B.C. schools restart, this translates to likely one person infected in a class of 26 students plus a teacher.

This is a rinse and repeat of last fall and the ones prior during this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. How long can we keep on re-infecting school children and teachers?

Again, we can disagree on many things but all of us should be able to agree on this simple fact:

"Sick children can’t learn and sick teachers can’t teach." - Amanda Hu

There is another way. It involves cleaning the air that our children and their educators share and breathe. The accumulated evidence is there, “respiratory viruses” are breathed in.

Worth reminding that even though SARS-CoV-2’s enters via the respiratory tract, it is a vascular virus that can impact every organ system of the body, and its effects can last well after the acute phase of the illness is over. This is true for adults, adolescents and children, though the presenting symptoms may differ.

This school restart should have been different.

In April, the BC Green Caucus introduced the Clean Air Act. A private member bill, it “proposes that both indoor and outdoor environments be monitored and regulated for air quality, especially in places frequented by vulnerable groups such as children, students, and the elderly.”

This bill addresses pollution, wildfire smoke and infectious aerosols. It passed first reading, but when the second reading will occur is anyone’s guess.

In late May, the Healthy Environment and Climate Change (HECC) team of VCH Public Health co-produced with Fraser Health a guidance document on Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality for Schools and Childcare Facilities.

It marks a significant departure from prior BC public health COVID-19 recommendations and states, “Many respiratory infections are transmitted through the air from a person infected with a virus or bacteria. Ventilation and air filtration may help to reduce transmission of respiratory infections, particularly in crowded, poorly ventilated spaces.”

Many of B.C.’s schools are” crowded and poorly ventilated spaces”, especially the portables and schools without any mechanical HVAC.

In June, at the Educational Facility Managers Association BC’s Annual Conference, Stephen McNichols, the engineer on the Ventilation Technical Advisory Panel for the Ministry of Education and Child Care, presented the latest ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) Standard 241, Control of Infectious Aerosols.

This standard was issued by ASHRAE in June 2023 to establish equivalent clean airflow requirements to reduce the risk of disease transmission through exposure to infectious aerosols in buildings and spaces (e.g. schools, hospitals, residential homes) during an epidemic or in a pandemic like COVID-19.

Then in early August, the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care updated its HVAC guidance to school districts and included ASHRAE’s Standard 241.

These slow steps towards addressing clean air in schools and in childcare facilities gave me hope that this year, B.C. schools restart would actually look different.

Unfortunately, so far none of these new guidances have translated into any meaningful improvements to the indoor air quality in B.C. schools.

Until today, Suzy Mah, a Vancouver School Board Trustee, was herself unaware of the new VCH/FH guidance on Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality in Schools and Childcare Facilities. Meanwhile the pandemic continues, and parents still have no idea what is the quality of the air in their school children’s classroom.

History will not be “kind” to the adults charged with keeping kids healthy and learning in school in the time of COVID-19.

- Lyne Filiatrault, retired B.C. emergency physician

[dwsavideos]

Friendly reminder that the kids of Sing Street were featured in The New York Times, The Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Entertainment Weekly! They truly were rockstars. Here’s a bit of their NYT article all about them.

And there’s a link below for the full article. It’s a good read if you wanna learn more about the cast!

I’ll probably make an updated post at some point covering their current projects because most of them have moved on to do some awesome things!

I still think it’s crazy that Sing Street went from critics and fans predicting multiple Tony Awards to… literally nothing. I can’t wrap my head around it. The run in Boston was labeled as a pre-Broadway try out, but since then there’s been no Broadway push, no UK run, no National Tour, not even licensing. I can’t express how much I miss this show.

The worst part is there’s barely any fans of the stage version. There’s all these articles and videos from 2019-2021, but there’s been nothing since. It’s almost like it never even existed.

Pardon my rant. Long live Sing Street! I hope all four Sing Street OBC fans enjoy the resurfaced content lol.

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (07/24/23)

Reviews and thoughts under the cut

The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang (10/10)

This book is pretty much perfect. The plot is engaging, the characters are all amazing, the writing style hits hard, and there’s really good social commentary that touches on, honestly, almost every issue out there. Rin has got to be one of my favorite protagonists of all time; she’s the underdog, she’s easy to root for, and our desire for her to succeed almost makes us overlook her glaring flaws. Kuang establishes Rin’s overwhelming need to succeed, to win, to be the last one standing from the very beginning, and it leads to her slow but steady downfall as she must decide how far she is willing to go for the sake of her nation. Rin’s time in Sinegard is an interesting and unique twist on the fantasy school setting, and the tone switch between the time at Sinegard and the time at war is done masterfully. Even the war takes an incredibly dark turn, goes farther than the reader would ever expect, as Kuang draws from real history to write horrors that should’ve been beyond anyone’s imagination. Perhaps the most technically amazing part of this book is that even when she has fallen so far, part of us agrees with Rin; which is the danger of it all, isn’t it?

Neverseen by Shannon Messenger (8/10)

I have now officially reread all of the KotLC books I got through previously. Going into Lodestar will be uncharted territory for me, and wow am I glad I refreshed my memory. I forgot a lot of stuff, so it was almost like I was reading it for the first time. Like I predicted, this was a slower one, mostly filled with finding out more about the Black Swan and the Council, and there was a lot of Sophie and her friends wanting to do things that were "too dangerous." I won't lie, it dragged a bit, but it really picked up once Sophie started attending Exilium. I think the twins are a much-needed addition to the main cast to help shake things up and keep the dynamic from getting too worn out. Also, Calla is a particularly strong side character. While I could predict the broad strokes of the story, the actual method of getting there took me by surprise, and there's a huge twist at the end that totally restructures how the rest of the series is going to look. I'm very excited to start Lodestar!

Half Upon a Time by James Riley (8/10)

I loved this series as a kid, and rereading it was like returning home. It's actually so funny that this book has tons of tropes I love today just in a middle grade format. There's a pretty good level of intricacy to the plot, and the fairy tale elements are tons of fun. There are plenty of familiar characters that each have a unique twist to their story, often intertwining their stories with each other. For example, the Huntsman from Snow White is also the woodcutter/hunter from Little Red Riding Hood. This book also has a fun twist by being from the perspective of the character who guides someone who has fallen into another world. In most other books, May would be the main character, so having Jack tell the story subverts some expectations. The way Jack, May, and Philip interact is a little typical for the genre and time period, though I appreciate that it is heavily implied that Philip has no romantic interest in May. Finally, Jack's mysterious involvement with the Eye and his sword is one of my favorite parts of the book, and it's a pretty fresh concept.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent (CR, 20%)

I've barely progressed on this one, but I did make it to the end of the first trial, and I like how it was executed. Despite being a physically-based trial, there's a twist that allows Oraya to succeed through her wits, which makes infinitely more sense when she's up against vampires and demons. It also helps that Raihn is obviously gunning for an alliance with her, so he's more inclined to help her out. About the alliance, why Raihn specifically wants to team with Oraya is a pretty good one and honestly a more logical decision than I expected. However, Oraya turning him down made no sense to me. She's gonna have to team up with someone eventually, and Raihn seems like the lesser evil by far.

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (CR, 3%)

I've only just barely started this book, but I'm excited! I'm reading it with some friends, and the beginning seems quite interesting. I'll have some more in-depth thoughts next week once I've progressed more.

[pixel1678]

Item #: SCP-•721

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Anomalous object must be contained in separate universe, away from any forms of life. One(1) D-Class personnel will be sent out weekly to make sure they are still there and healthy. If anomaly escapes containment, SCP-••42 is to be contacted immediately to re-contain. Anomaly is to be contained within universe created by SCP-••42. If anomaly is detected outside this universe, contact SCP-••42 to have them re-contain. There is not to be any Foundation staff or D-Class found going to this universe.

Description: SCP-•721 is an anomaly that calls themselves 'Terri'. They can change forms, however their main form is an adult human of American nationality and is approximately 1.8 meters in height. They have purple hair with a large ponytail that falls to their waist, and two large, light blue eyes. The irises are capable of shrinking when anomaly becomes increasingly happy. They have black cat ears and no sign of human ears, along with a short black tail. They are capable of flight, seemingly by warping the gravity around them, and have shown to defy the laws of physics of multiple universes, similar to what has been shown by SCP-••42, but to a lesser extent.

When SCP-•721 hangs around someone for long enough, they will start getting increasingly obsessed over them, to the point of ripping through reality to get to them and attempting to abduct them so they won't leave each other. If this gets too far, they will enter a state they describe as 'MANIC', which has been shown to make them able to read one's mind to predict what they are about to do, letting them avoid it completely, although this does not happen when focused on something other than dodging. However, their body will start to phase out of our reality and back in, causing them to grow unstable. If the target is killed, SCP-•721 will enter an enraged state, attempting to seek revenge, however this is often stopped by SCP-••42, who seems to be connected to them in some way.