Bear Bussjaeger

I figured WTH, and ordered my “free” COVID tests. They arrived. Today.

In Georgia, new daily cases have been declining since late December. So, naturally, our ever-efficient federal government only started taking orders after that, and well… received today.

Unless I happen to get sick, which hasn’t happened yet in the two years plus of this fiasco, those are going to sit unopened. Unlike the hypochondriacs I’ve heard about, I’m not going to test myself to see if I’m sick.

And yes, as you’ve likely heard, they’re made in China.

CNN’s Brian Stelter: People Trusting Joe Rogan Over “Newsrooms Like CNN” Are “a Problem That’s Much Bigger Than Spotify”

I suppose a key ratings drop of 90% in a year is a “bigger problem”… for CNN and Mr. Potato Head.

I actually saw some CNN “news” yesterday, while I was in the waiting room for my doctor’s appointment. Several minutes of how Vice President Kneepads almost died on January 6th, because she drove within yards from the DNC “pipe bomb,” and was in the building for a couple of hours.

So I moved to another TV set to another station.

And The fricking View came on.

I’ve been looking at Georgia’s ChinCOVID Status Report again. New daily cases have been dropping for a month. So has the Infection Fatality Rate for my age group.

But the fun bit is the comorbidity list. Georgia includes the cumulative percent of cases that are smokers. Depending on where you find ’em, estimates of smokers in Georgia generally run around 18% of the population; I’ve also seen outlying estimates of 13% and 30%. But 18% seems to match my personal observation.

All things being equal, you’d expect that 18% of the ChinCOVID cases would also be around 18%. But after hearing some reports from other countries about smokers being under-represented, I started tracking Georgia’s numbers.

It’s varied somewhat, mostly between 6.5 to 7.8%; which means smokers are seriously under-represented. A mechanism has even been proposed: nicotine binds to the same ACE2 receptors that SARS-CoV-2 goes for. If nicotine is there first, SARS-CoV-2 is SOL.

But when the Xi Omicron variant surge kicked in here, that smoker percentage started changing. From the post title, you know how.

Yeah, the percentage has been dropping. As of 1/28/2022, only 4.85% of the ChinCOVID cases have been smokers. Basically, smokers don ‘t seem to be getting ChinCOVID anymore.

It’s time to victim-shame the non-smokers. If they really wanted to protect themselves and others, the least they could do is fire up a nicotine vape once of twice a day.

… and right in to schizophrenia.

---

How Trash Talk Can Save Biden’s Presidency
Democrats had for his presidency a year ago and the present reality of a stalled agenda, a divided party, a rancid political culture and the haunting sense that he may not be quite up the task of turning all this around in time for 2022 and 2024 elections.

As it happens, Biden’s lapse of presidential decorum hints at a path toward restoring presidential vitality.

The whole encounter — including Doocy’s genial refusal to get all huffy about Biden’s flash of huffiness — was in its own way quite winning. It was also a reminder of how many memorable Biden moments feature casual profanity or bursts of authentic emotion amid the pervasive phoniness of contemporary politics.

---

So Harris wants Gropin’ Joe to be more like… Trump?

I thought the lefties were all glad to be done with mean presidential tweets and the like.

I saw a report that the scumbag who shot up Oxford High School in Michigan, killing four and wounding another six, plans to make an insanity defense. I thought I’d check out how Michigan handles that. And I like it.

“Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity” has always bugged me. The victim is still dead, and the perp gets a clean criminal record (for that offense anyway). It bugged folks in Michigan, too; so they added another verdict options for juries: Guilty But Mentally Ill.

The perp goes to prison and gets psychiatric treatment. Progress is reported to the parole board. Mental evaluations can continue during any parole.

Firearms Policy Coalition issued a Statement on Possible ATF Actions Regarding ‘Forced-Reset Triggers’ (FRTs)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 27, 2022) — FPC Law is investigating a purported internal ATF email alleging that businesses which manufacture, distribute, or sell ‘forced-reset triggers’—specifically referring to “Rare Breed and Wide-Open Triggers (FRT Trigger).”— will be subject to forfeitures if they do not surrender “documents and FRT’s” [sic].

While the publicly available copy of the email contains several typographical errors and FPC’s understanding is that it has not yet been verified or confirmed by the agency, out of an abundance of caution, FPC suggests that all individuals, entities, and businesses who are now or have been in possession of ‘forced-reset triggers’ consider the below measures through which you may be able to protect and preserve your rights should ATF contact you, visit you, and/or demand that you surrender any item in your possession.

Reading the whole thing for some suggestions for protecting your rights, if this could involve you.

Update: Via David Codrea, the email mentioned.

A southern man don’t need him around anyhow

Spotify Takes Down Neil Young’s Music After His Joe Rogan Ultimatum
Spotify Technology SA has removed Neil Young’s music, the company confirmed Wednesday, as the folk-rock star isn’t wavering in his objections to Joe Rogan’s podcast.

My understanding is that while Spotify merely licensed crybaby’s music, they have an enforceable $100 million contract with Rogan. I suspect that 1) they make more money off Rogan than Young, and 2) Rogan would eat their lunch in court if they broke the contract.

Seems an easy decision.

Matt Walsh has one.

Added: Babylon Bee has Biden’s short list.

---

Fauci Defends FDA for Rescinding Authorization of Monoclonal Antibodies — ‘Risk of a Potential Adverse Effect with Essentially No Benefit’
Fauci said on MSNBC’s “José Díaz-Balart Reports” that there is a “risk of a potential adverse effect with essentially no benefit” because the antibodies “don’t work” on the Omicron variant.

---

Yep. Just like the pseudo-vaxxes.

While I’m on the subject…

To recap, a truck transporting monkeys crashed in Pennsylvania. Among the first responders was the CDC, not something you see every day.

Then authorities conducted a public health assessment, and advised the woman who witnessed the crash, and came in contact with the monkeys, to be on the alert for “cold-like” symptoms.

Now she’s sick.

The following day, Fallon developed a cough and something that resembled “pink-eye.” And, by Sunday, she was visiting the Geisinger Medical Center emergency room, where infectious disease doctors were consulted. Fallon has since received her first (of 4) preventative rabies shots; as well as a prescription for a 14-day course of Valacyclovir.

She is COVID negative.

Bearing in mind that the CDC made a rapid appearance on scene and issued warnings, and that driver lied about what kind of animals he was transporting, consider this.

Fallon is still processing the sequence of events that unfolded on Friday. She pulled over to check on the condition of the accident victims, but she said they were more concerned about press coverage of the incident.

The driver of the truck hauling the monkeys, identified in a press release from PA State Police, as Cody M. Brooks, 31, of Keystone Heights, FL even went so far as to put his hand in the camera of a local Press-Enterprise reporter. “He was very, very upset,” said Fallon. “He was in a panic.” Brooks passenger, Daniel G. Adkins, 59, of Florahome, FL required transport to Geisinger Medical Center for an injury.

His partner was injured enough to require transport to a hospital, but he’s just worried about press coverage?

Pretty clearly the CDC, at the very least, suspected the monkeys were infected with something specific, since they told the woman what symptoms to watch for. I guessing they knew, thus the panic.

Another batch of Fauxci Moneys for his Mengelean experiments?