Rudy was right. Broken window mentality exists.

@copper said in Virulence vs transmissibility: Someone pointed out to me that last year (without a vaccine) looks like the mirror image of this year (with the vaccine). So, without the vaccine this year would have been even more of a disaster Or the vaccine made little difference Or somewhere in between Draw a vertical line in the middle - compare left of the line (without vax) to right of the line Except the country didn’t all get vaccinated on 12/31/2020. Most of the vaccination happened in 2Q21.

Not related to the article, but for me, the adverts showing on the article were for an "Elvis Presley" concert album. Thought that was kind of funny, in a strange way. LOL

@taiwan_girl said in China’s Population Decline: I think that is one of the reasons that mainland china is getting more aggressive with its external foreign policy. In the (near) future, there will be much more internal dissent. One way to distract from this is to focus on blaming outside forces. I also wonder if, with an aging, older population, dissent will also be more subdued. It’s is easy to imagine angry young people starting a (violent) revolution, but “old people” may not be as rash or, for that matter, as energetic to resort to force.

There's plenty of coverage on the BBC. Of course, the Brits are probably more interested in the Maxwells. Back when I was a student, they renamed the Daily Mirror building in Manchester as MAXWELL HOUSE in honour of her thieving bastard crook of a father (allegedly). It looked like a massive coffee shop sign.

6 green bell peppers salt to taste 1 pound ground beef 1/3 cup chopped onion salt and pepper to taste 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 cup uncooked rice 1/2 cup water 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup water as needed Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds. Cook peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain. Sprinkle salt inside each pepper, and set aside. In a large skillet, saute beef and onions for 5 minutes, or until beef is browned. Drain off excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes, rice, 1/2 cup water and Worcestershire sauce. Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from heat, and stir in the cheese. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C). Stuff each pepper with the beef and rice mixture, and place peppers open side up in a baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine tomato soup with just enough water to make the soup a gravy consistency. Pour over the peppers. Bake covered for 25 to 35 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.

https://nypost.com/2021/12/11/chris-cuomo-cnn-producer-john-griffin-charged-with-luring-girls/ A veteran CNN producer who worked “shoulder to shoulder” with now disgraced ex-anchor Chris Cuomo has been indicted on charges of luring young girls to his Vermont ski house for “sexual subservience” training. John Griffin, of Stamford, CT, allegedly used messaging apps to befriend and persuade moms of young girls, telling them “a woman is a woman regardless of her age,” and that he should be the one to “train” their daughters sexually, according to the indictment from the US Attorney of Vermont. Griffin, 44, allegedly got at least one mom of two daughters to bring the girl to his Ludlow ski getaway, in June 2020. It was the mom’s responsibility to see that her older daughter, just 13, was “trained properly,” Griffin told her, according to the indictment. Griffin, a father himself, sent the woman $3,000 for plane tickets so they could fly from Nevada to Boston’s Logan Airport, where he picked them up in his Tesla for the ride to Ludlow, according to court papers. It was there that “the daughter was directed to engage in, and did engage in, unlawful sexual activity,” authorities alleged. [image: 1639267637000-screen-shot-2021-12-11-at-6.06.44-pm-copy.jpg]

@george-k said in Blue Origin Launch #3: @horace said in Blue Origin Launch #3: High quality dinner party stories are not cheap. The most "Horace-ish" post of the week. Thank you. It's always my pleasure George. Thanks.

Mickey Dolenz Classy: I’d never tour as the Monkees by myself. We were concerned enough just going out as just Mike and I. That’s why we called it “The Monkees Present: The Mike and Micky Show.” When I go out, I go out as Micky Dolenz of the Monkees. But I’d never go out as the Monkees by myself. I don’t really see myself as the last Monkee, but it’s the end of an era. That’s for sure. That’s what happens. None of us are going to get out of this alive. ETA: I just learned, last week, before he died, that he was the composer of "Different Drum," the Linda Ronstadt hit.

Hmm.. Stella and Luna...

Actually, if I recall correctly, there is nothing in the constitution requires the speaker of the house to be a member of Congress.

@mik said in This happened: You are entering the phase of parenthood where you have two jobs - colossal pain in the ass and comic relief. Amen.

Looks like a small, tactical nuke was exploded...

I thought they did an okay job, for somebody who doesn't understand the South, especially the poor, rural South of that day and time. My dad was close to Johnny in age, and compared to his family, the Cash family had money.