Slovakia's Mass Testing

From Reuters:

“Million line up as Slovakia launches unique nationwide COVID-19 test”

- Over a million Slovaks took a coronavirus swab on Saturday as the country launched a huge logistical operation to test most of its population over the weekend to reverse a rise in the pandemic.  Authorities say the ambitious plan to test most citizens aged over 10 among Slovakia’s 5.5 million people is the first of its kind in a country of its size. It is being watched by other nations looking for ways to slow the virus spread and avoid overwhelming their health systems. More than 40,000 medics and support teams of soldiers, police, administrative workers and volunteers staffed around 5,000 sites to administer the antigen swab tests. As of noon (1100 GMT), 828,518 people had been tested and 7,947 were positive, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad told a news conference. “We have clearly got to over 1 million (as of 1500 GMT) - people’s interest continues,” Nad said, adding that over 3 million people may be tested over the course of the weekend.

Prime Minister Igor Matovic has said he hoped the plan would identify and quarantine enough infected people to avert a strict lockdown for everyone. The testing was free and voluntary, but the government will impose lockdowns on people who do not participate, including a ban on going to work. Martin Janosik, a 44-year-old entrepreneur, said he had taken part so his son would be allowed to attend school. “I did not have much of a choice, but I did not think much about it,” he told Reuters at a testing centre in Trencin, a city north of the capital Bratislava. “It is also good for me and for my company, if I am healthy I can be there and take people around.” Slovak media reported up to four-hour queues but waiting times were getting shorter in the afternoon. Some of the sites at schools, sports grounds, theatres, car parks and companies opened late on Saturday amid lack of staff or material, but Nad said 99% of sites were operational by early afternoon. The antigen test gives results in just 15-30 minutes but is less accurate than the molecular PCR method.

Opponents of the scheme have pointed to a Czech study that found antigen tests identified only around 70% of infections detected by PCR tests, but the government has insisted that even at that level of accuracy the exercise is worth it. Critics also question whether requiring people to show a negative test in order to move around freely complies with data protection rules. A second round of testing is planned for a week’s time. Slovakia reported 2,573 COVID-19 cases on Saturday through PCR testing, bringing the total to 57,664, with 219 deaths.

^ This mass testing does not sound like a good idea. It sounds just like what a Dictatorship (like Communist China) does. Also there are many questions that need to be answered. What happens to people who get tested and are found to have Covid-19? Are they immediately sent to a Government Quarantine Place or just told to stay home? What happens to those that decide not to have the test done (since it is supposedly voluntary?) There is a fine line between doing something health reasons and imposing a Government’s power and might over its people. No matter what we do not want any Democratic country to turn into a Dictatorship over Covid-19 since the pandemic will end, but a Dictatorship may not. ^

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-slovakia/million-line-up-as-slovakia-launches-unique-nationwide-covid-19-test-idUSKBN27G0GZ

New English Lockdown

 From the BBC:

“Covid-19: PM announces four-week England lockdown”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a second national lockdown for England to prevent a "medical and moral disaster" for the NHS. He said Christmas may be "very different" but he hoped taking action now would mean families can gather. Non-essential shops and hospitality will have to close for four weeks on Thursday, he said. But unlike the restrictions in spring, schools, colleges and universities can stay open. After 2 December, the restrictions would be eased and regions would go back to the tiered system, he said. Mr Johnson said: "Christmas is going to be different this year, perhaps very different, but it's my sincere hope and belief that by taking tough action now we can allow families across the country to be together." The prime minister told a Downing Street news conference that he was "truly, truly sorry" for the impact on businesses, but said the furlough system paying 80% of employee wages will be extended through November.  "No responsible prime minister" could ignore figures which suggested deaths would reach "several thousand a day", with a "peak of mortality" worse than the country saw in April, Mr Johnson said. He said hospitals even in the south-west of England, where cases are among the lowest, will run out of capacity in weeks. "Doctors and nurses would be forced to choose which patients to treat, who would get oxygen and who wouldn't, who would live and who would die," Mr Johnson said.

Under the new restrictions:

People are being told to stay at home unless they have a specific reason to leave, such as work which cannot be done from home and education

People are allowed to exercise outdoors alone, with their household or with one other person

Meeting indoors or in private gardens will not be allowed

Pubs, bars, restaurants and non-essential retail across the nation will close but takeaways and click-and-collect shopping can remain open

Construction sites and manufacturing workplaces can remain open

People are still allowed to form support bubbles

Children can move between homes if their parents are separated

Clinically vulnerable people are asked to be "especially careful" but people are not being asked to resume shielding

Mr Johnson, who chaired a cabinet meeting on Saturday afternoon, will make a statement to Parliament on Monday. The UK recorded another 21,915 confirmed coronavirus cases on Saturday, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 1,011,660. Another 326 people were reported to have died within 28 days of a positive test. The UK is the ninth country to reach the milestone of a million cases - after the US, India, Brazil, Russia, France, Spain, Argentina and Colombia. But the true number of infections is expected to be higher due to a lack of widespread testing at the start of the pandemic. Prof Neil Ferguson, whose modelling was crucial to the decision to impose the first lockdown, said keeping universities and schools open meant infections would decrease more slowly this time. He said the new restrictions could reduce cases by anywhere between 20% and 80%, adding that he hoped larger groups of people would be able to gather by Christmas "if only for a few days". Mr Johnson had previously resisted pressure to introduce nationwide restrictions, saying they would be "disastrous" for the UK's finances and opting instead for a three-tiered system targeting local areas in England. Ahead of the news conference, school and university unions called for education institutions to be closed and for teaching to move online in another national lockdown. The National Education Union said it would be "self-defeating" to ignore how schools helped to spread the virus. And "the health and safety of the country is being put at risk" by the insistence on keeping in-person teaching on campuses, the University and College Union said.

The month-long lockdown may suppress the virus, but what is less clear is whether the government will be in a better position to stop it rebounding. There have been calls to fix the test and trace service, but that is easier said than done. Testing capacity is being increased. In the coming days, the government is expected to announce its labs are able to process 500,000 tests a day. That should allow the system to speed up turnaround times. But improving the tracing side of the service is likely to be much more difficult. Councils in England are being encouraged to set up their own local contact tracing teams to support the under-pressure national system. About a third of areas have now launched their own services and there are some encouraging signs in what's being achieved. But questions are quite rightly being asked why this is only happening now as the second wave hits. Significant levels of transmission are also being seen in care homes and hospitals, where one in six of the new daily admissions are suspected to be cases where patients have caught the virus in hospital.  Expect infection levels to come down quickly - and eventually that to translate to fewer hospital admissions and deaths. But the true test of the lockdown lies elsewhere. The British Chambers of Commerce said the new restrictions would be a "devastating blow" to businesses, which were in a weaker position now than they were in March. Director general Adam Marshall said the government must increase business support and "must not squander" the extra time bought by another lockdown.

 Elsewhere in the UK, Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford said the 17-day "firebreak" there will end as planned on 9 November. He said that his cabinet will meet on Sunday to "discuss any potential border issues for Wales in light of any announcement by No 10".

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has issued new advice that people should not travel to or from England, except for essential purposes, ahead of the nation's five-level system of restrictions coming into force on Monday.

The lockdown decision for England comes as scientists warned the NHS could be "overwhelmed within weeks" and documents suggested the UK was on course for a much higher death toll than during the first wave. Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, said the current restrictions were not enough to stop the virus spreading and without action, "there's absolutely no doubt that many more of us would have seen loved ones die, suffer with long-term Covid symptoms or from other illnesses". Documents seen by the BBC, understood to be part of a presentation by the government's pandemic modelling group SPI-M shown to Mr Johnson, show projections by several different groups of the likely course of the disease. All models predict that hospitalisations are likely to peak in mid-December, with deaths rising until at least late December before falling from early January. A separate document circulating in government - based on NHS England modelling from 28 October - warns that the NHS would be unable to accept any more patients by Christmas, even if the Nightingale hospitals are used and non-urgent procedures cancelled. It warns that south-west England and the Midlands will be the first to run out of capacity, potentially within a fortnight. These latest papers come after a statement from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) revealed that Covid is spreading much faster in England than the predicted "worst-case" scenario.

^ Sadly, this doesn’t come as a real surprise. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54763956

Brandenberg Airport Opens

From the DW:

“Berlin's new airport finally opens: A story of failure and embarrassment”

Conception to operation has taken 30 years, with seven missed opening dates — rather than a symbol of a revitalized German capital, the new airport has been one of Germany's most glaring public scandals in recent memory. June 3, 2012 was the date slated for the opening of the Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER). It was not the first, but the most memorable. So great was the anticipation, public broadcaster rbb planned to go live for 24 hours covering it. So great was the disaster thereafter, the German satire site, The Postillon, proposed a new grammatical form for discussing the airport's conditional opening — an event repeatedly kicked down the tarmac never to actually happen. Just before the opening date, inspectors reported some 120,000 defects, including fire safety issues, automatic doors that didn't open and sagging roofs. Around 170,000 kilometers (106,000 miles) of cable installed in and around the airport were found to be dangerously wired. Some lights couldn't turn on; others couldn't turn off.

It has taken more than nine years, and a series of well-paid airport company managers, to sort out the problems at Berlin's new international airport — also called Willy Brandt Airport, after the late leader of West Berlin and then West Germany. And now that airport officials say it is ready for takeoff, few airplanes are likely to do so. The coronavirus pandemic has thrown the airline and travel industries into disarray. Through August, Berlin's air passenger traffic is down nearly 70% from the same period last year.

Too small — and already bankrupt In terms of capacity, that may be good news, even if it's for the wrong reason. BER was designed to handle 27 million passengers a year. In 2019, more than 35 million people passed through Tegel and Schönefeld, Berlin's existing overburdened airports, which are set to respectively close and merge with BER. Pandemic fears aside, tourism analysts project steady growth in visitors to the German capital. An expansion is already in the works to meet the extra demand, should it ever return. That could cost another €2.3 billion ($2.7 billion) by 2030, or about as much as the entire project's original budget. Actual costs stand at over €7 billion ($8.2 billion), a bill shared between the states of Berlin and Brandenburg and Germany's federal government. Together they back the FBB, the company that operates Berlin's airports and has overseen construction of the new one. The delays and cost overruns have dovetailed with the pandemic losses. Without an additional €300 million in grants and loans from the state, Germany's Finance Ministry reported in September that the FBB would be bankrupt before the airport opens on October 31. It may need more than €1 billion over the next few years to stay aloft. If the state does not want to find a way to privatize the company, even partially, those costs remain the taxpayers' to cover.

Inauspicious start The airport was meant to stand for everything Berlin has hoped to become — a reunited global city worthy of serving as the capital of one of the world's largest economies. Instead, the Berlin-Brandenburg Airport has come to represent everything Berlin has been long mocked for: inept public administration and financial mismanagement, incapable of seeing big projects through. The project got off to a rocky start. First dreamed up in 1990, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification, it took six years to settle on a spot to build. The official groundbreaking didn't happen for another decade. Private investors scattered when their risk alarms flashed red, leaving the state alone to finance and oversee construction. Even the airport's original code, BBI (Berlin-Brandenburg International), had to be changed because an airport in India was already using it. Whether due to new requests from the state or updated safety regulations from the European Union, the airport's architects had to regularly amend their plans. In 2011 one of the project's main contractors went under. More bankruptcies would follow. In his book "Black Box BER," chief architect Meinhard von Gerkan blamed political pressure to get the job done, despite "protest from project management." He and others have accused the FBB of trying to cover up problems, manipulating reports before they reached the oversight board, which was at the time led by then Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit, a big-time airport advocate.

Things fall apart Wowereit had resigned from the oversight board by the end of 2014. Gerkan and his team were sent packing. Their replacements searched in vain for the building plans, only for some of them to turn up in a dumpster, an incident that triggered a police investigation. Engelbert Lütke Daldrup, a mid-level career civil servant, has been FBB chairman since 2017 — the fourth person to fill that role since the airport's initial delayed opening. Aside from public shaming, three parliamentary committee investigations along with years of general uproar and eye-rolling have led to no consequences for anyone involved in the decades-long, state-funded debacle. The fiasco may not end with BER's opening on November 1. Critics wonder whether an airport designed in the early 2000s is compatible with the technology and travel habits of 2020 and beyond. Germany's rail company, Deutsche Bahn, has no immediate plans to offer a high-speed rail connection, as other major German airports enjoy. Just one long-distance train will stop at BER; otherwise, passengers will have to take commuter or regional rail into Berlin and change at the central station for onward travel — or go the climate-unfriendly route by connecting to a domestic flight.

Government officials including Chancellor Angela Merkel may face some travel inconvenience, too. When Germany moved its capital from Bonn to Berlin after reunification, its fleet of aircraft did not come along, due to lack of space at Berlin's smaller airports. BER was meant to change that, but Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr, says there is only enough space to keep seven of its 19 planes there. The rest will have to keep flying in, empty, from the Cologne-Bonn Airport — on the other side of the country — to pick up VIP passengers, much to the dismay of climate activists and government accountants. The most airport investigators and oversight authorities have been able to conclude from years of setbacks and unmet promises is that the BER epic is a top-to-bottom, start-to-finish failure. Many of those responsible for it will be on hand to celebrate its unfashionably late opening. It may be a more muted moment for those close to the airport's famous namesake, Willy Brandt. While a spokesman for the Willy Brandt Foundation told DW it welcomes the airport's opening and its association with the late chancellor, his children reached for comment preferred to stay silent.

^ So much for the idea of German ingenuity and on-time performance. The idea for the Berlin Brandenburg Airport was created shortly after German Reunification in October 1990 when the Capital of Reunited Germany moved from Bonn to Berlin. It has taken 30 years to finally open a modern airport in Berlin. Before today there were 3 other airports serving Berlin:

Berlin Tegel Airport (1948- November 8, 2020) is a soon-to-be-closed airport. It was created in 90 days by the US Military during the 1948-1949 Berlin Blockade and helped end the Soviet and East German Communist starvation of West Berlin then in reunified Berlin since 1990.

Berlin Schönefeld Airport (1934- October 25, 2020) was used heavily by the Nazis from 1934-1945 and then by the Soviet Union and the East Germans from 1945-1990 and the in reunified Berlin from 1990-2020.

Berlin Tempelhof Airport (1923-2008) was used heavily by the Nazis from 1933-1945 and then by the US Military from 1945-1990 - including the 1948-1949 Berlin Blockade and helped end the Soviet and East German Communist starvation of West Berlin then in reunified Berlin from 1990-2008.

It seems that the Germans should have asked the US Military to build the new airport since we were able to build an airport in 90 days that is still in use today – until November 8, 2020. That airport may have been built in 90 days but lasted for 72 years. ^

https://www.dw.com/en/berlins-new-airport-finally-opens-a-story-of-failure-and-embarrassment/a-55446329

Hidden Covid Costs

From News Nation:

“The cost of COVID-19 hospital care and surprise bills”

This might spook you more than Halloween. There are some new frightening figures out of the costs of COVID-19 hospital care. A new study has found the average cost is around $40,000 and for some senior patients, it can be even higher.

Fair Health, an independent nonprofit that works to bring transparency to health care, took a look at private health care claims for patients hospitalized with coronavirus around the nation. The nonprofit found the median charge amount for hospitalization of a COVID-19 patient ranged from $34,662 for the 23-30 age group to $45,683 for the 51-60 age group. Fair Health also found costs varied by region. For someone over the age of 70 hospitalized in the West, the costs could top $90,000. “Thankfully, Congress did put safeguards in place for patients that are receiving COVID treatment or care,” said Clare Krusing with The Coalition Against Surprise Medical Billing. Krusing is talking about a provider relief fund set up by Congress to help hospitals and doctors. In addition, most insurance companies promised to cover coronavirus hospital stays in full, even out-of-network costs. Yet, Krusing says some patients rushed in for COVID-19 and who needed additional care for existing health conditions are getting a rude awakening in the mail. “Often times that’s when surprise bills can happen,” she explained.

Plus there’s been some gaps in those promised to cover out-of-network costs that are leaving patients saddled with debt. “In many cases, we are talking hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Krusing. Some out of network specialists like anesthesiologists and medical labs didn’t get any help from Congress and now patients are getting hit with surprise bills. “Those anesthesiologists are one of the specialist that often times do operate out outside of the insurance networks,” Krusing said. Krusing suggests if you get hit with an outrageous bill to try and negotiate with all involved. She also advises you to know your rights to appeal. “Most Americans right now can’t afford a $400 surprise bill,” said Krusing.  The Coalition Against Surprise Medical Billing has more suggestions and questions to ask, if you can, ahead of a surgery or medical procedure. You can find that on their website.

There was a bipartisan bill in Congress to put an end to surprise medical bills, ironically it got postponed just before the pandemic struck. Krusing believes legislation is key. Her group is hopeful Congress can pass the Stop Surprise Medical Bill Act this year.

^ This is a disgrace. There should not be any hidden hospital or medical costs for Covid-19 or any other time. There needs to be Federal Laws that require Medical Transparency. ^

https://www.newsnationnow.com/health/coronavirus/the-cost-of-covid-19-hospital-care-and-surprise-bills/

Expanded Free Parks

From Military.com:

“Veterans and Gold Star Families Will Soon Have Free Admission to All National Parks”

National Parks, wildlife refuges and other federal lands will all be free for veterans and Gold Star family members to use starting Veterans Day, Interior Department officials announced today. The change extends to veterans and Gold Star families the existing free admission policy already in play for active-duty troops and their families, as well as Guard and Reserve members. It waives both entrance and day use recreation fees for lands managed by the Department of the Interior nationwide.

While not all of the system's 2,000 public recreation areas charge entrance fees, many of the more popular destinations do, such as Yellowstone National Park and Grand Canyon National Park. The fees vary by location. Instead of paying individual entry fees, visitors can purchase an annual "America the Beautiful" pass for $80. Seniors over age 65 can purchase a lifetime pass for $80.

Disabled veterans qualify for the Access Pass, which gives free admission and a 50% discount on some costs such as camping or boat launch fees. Other passholders pay out of pocket for those costs.

The new program expands free park access to millions of honorably discharged veterans. To gain access, veterans can present a DoD ID card; a Veteran Health Identification Card; a Veteran ID card; or a state-issued card displaying veteran status, according to the release. While the free pass for active-duty troops can be used by their dependents, the new free-access rule for veterans does not extend to their immediate family members. That means that at parks where entrance fees are paid per vehicle, veterans and their families will be able to enter free using the veteran pass. At parks where admission is paid per person, however, only the veteran will be able to enter free.

Free entrance for Gold Star family members is limited to those designated as "Gold Star" by law. To meet the definition, families must be the "next of kin of a member of the United States Armed Forces who lost his or her life in a 'qualifying situation,' such as a war, an international terrorist attack, or a military operation outside of the United States while serving with the United States Armed Forces," according to the release. But Gold Star family members will not be required to produce proof of qualification -- at least for now.  "For the time being, we will be using an honor system," Ben Goldey, a spokesman for Interior told Military.com in an email. "An individual who identifies themselves as a Gold Star family member at an entrance facility will be thanked for their service and sacrifice and admitted free of charge."

^ Veterans, Gold Star Families and the Active-Duty Military deserve these kinds of benefits. I’m glad to see they are being extended to them. ^

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/10/28/veterans-and-gold-star-families-will-soon-have-free-admission-all-national-parks.html

500 Mile Awareness

From GMA:

“Homeless college student walks over 500 miles to raise awareness, funds for homelessness”

One college sophomore went beyond just walking a mile in someone else's shoes. Gordon Wayne walked more than 500 miles on foot to raise money for The National Alliance to End Homelessness, a cause that Wayne has been affected by personally. "Every time I want to quit I just think about the people I'm doing this for and this is bigger than myself and I have to keep going," Wayne told "World News Tonight." A year ago, Wayne was homeless and applying to colleges out of his car while he worked 10-hour shifts at an amusement park. Over the summer, Wayne found out he had been accepted to his dream school -- Boston College -- on full scholarship.

In an effort to recognize an estimated 500,000 Americans affected by homelessness, Wayne decided to walk from his hometown in Caroline County, Virginia, to his college in Massachusetts. Along with his journey, Wayne started a GoFundMe page that has since raised more than $100,000 for The National Alliance to End Homelessness. In August, Wayne began his trek and walked close to 30 to 40 miles a day. "I'm taking a break. I just walked for about 10 miles straight," Wayne recorded in a video diary for "World News Tonight." Even through the exhaustion, he did not give up and found support from good Samaritans along the way. "Today, Ashley and her mom brought me some supplies," Wayne said in a recording. After a 16-day journey, Wayne marched through the Boston College stadium. "I'd like to welcome you to the most beautiful campus in the universe: Boston College," Wayne shared with "World News Tonight." Now on campus, Wayne said that he's finally home. He told "World News Tonight" that he hopes others will have that same chance. "I hope that I can inspire people to keep walking. You know, keep taking that extra step," he said. "Even when it hurts. Even when it's hard and you don't want to. There's no other choice. You have to keep going if you want to achieve what you want in life."

^ Homelessness is a major issue that the majority of people and politicians do not talk about. I’m glad to see this kind of awareness and help being made. ^

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/homeless-college-student-walks-over-130412611.html

Halloween Traditions

15 Spooky Halloween Traditions and Their Origins

Trick-or-treating, Jack-O'-Lanterns, and creepy costumes are some of the best traditions of Halloween. Share these sweet facts with friends as you sort through your candy haul.

1. CARVING HALLOWEEN JACK-O'-LANTERNS:  Jack-O'-Lanterns, which originated in Ireland using turnips instead of pumpkins, are supposedly based on a legend about a man name Stingy Jack who repeatedly trapped the Devil and only let him go on the condition that Jack would never go to Hell. When he died, however, Jack learned that Heaven didn’t really want his soul either, so he was condemned to wander the Earth as a ghost for all eternity. The Devil gave Jack a lump of burning coal in a carved-out turnip to light his way. Eventually, locals began carving frightening faces into their own gourds to scare off evil spirits.

2. SEEING GHOSTS:   Celtic people believed that during the festival Samhain, which marked the transition to the new year at the end of the harvest and beginning of the winter, spirits walked the Earth. Later, the introduction of All Souls Day on November 2 by Christian missionaries perpetuated the idea of a mingling between the living and the dead around the same time of year.

3. WEARING SCARY COSTUMES:  With all these ghosts wandering around the Earth during Samhain, the Celts had to get creative to avoid being terrorized by evil spirits. To fake out the ghosts, people would don disguises so they would be mistaken for spirits themselves and left alone.

4. GOING TRICK-OR-TREATING, THE PAGAN WAY:   There is a lot of debate around the origins of trick-or-treating. One theory proposes that during Samhain, Celtic people would leave out food to placate the souls and ghosts and spirits traveling the Earth that night. Eventually, people began dressing up as these otherworldly beings in exchange for similar offerings of food and drink.

5. GOING TRICK-OR-TREATING, THE SCOTTISH WAY:  Other researchers speculate that the candy bonanza stems from the Scottish practice of guising, itself a secular version of souling. In the Middle Ages, soulers, usually children and poor adults, would go to local homes and collect food or money in return for prayers said for the dead on All Souls’ Day. Guisers ditched the prayers in favor of non-religious performances like jokes, songs, or other “tricks.”

6. GOING TRICK-OR-TREATING, THE AMERICAN WAY:   Some sources argue that our modern trick-or-treating stems from belsnickling, a tradition in German-American communities where children would dress in costume and then call on their neighbors to see if the adults could guess the identities of the disguised guests. In one version of the practice, the children were rewarded with food or other treats if no one could identify them.

7. GETTING SPOOKED BY BLACK CATS:  The association of black cats and spookiness actually dates all the way back to the Middle Ages, when these dark kitties were considered a symbol of the Devil. It didn’t help the felines’ reputations when, centuries later, accused witches were often found to have cats, especially black ones, as companions. People started believing that the cats were a witch’s “familiar”—animals that gave them an assist with their dark magic—and the two have been linked ever since.

8. BOBBING FOR APPLES:   This game traces its origins to a courting ritual that was part of a Roman festival honoring Pomona, the goddess of agriculture and abundance. Multiple variations existed, but the gist was that young men and women would be able to foretell their future relationships based on the game. When the Romans conquered the British Isles, the Pomona festival was blended with the similarly timed Samhain, a precursor to Halloween.

9. DECORATING WITH BLACK AND ORANGE:    The classic Halloween colors can also trace their origins back to the Celtic festival Samhain. Black represented the “death” of summer while orange is emblematic of the autumn harvest season.

10. PLAYING PRANKS:   As a phenomenon that often varies by region, the pre-Halloween tradition, also known as “Devil’s Night”, is credited with a different origin depending on whom you ask. Some sources say that pranks were originally part of May Day celebrations. But Samhain, and eventually All Souls Day, seem to have included good-natured mischief. When Scottish and Irish immigrants came to America, they brought along the tradition of celebrating Mischief Night as part of Halloween, which was great for candy-fueled pranksters.

11. LIGHTING CANDLES AND BONFIRES:   These days, candles are more likely than towering traditional bonfires, but for much of the early history of Halloween, open flames were integral in lighting the way for souls seeking the afterlife.

12. EATING CANDY APPLES:   People have been coating fruit in sugar syrups as a means of preservation for centuries. Since the development of the Roman festival of Pomona, the goddess often represented by and associated with apples, the fruit has had a place in harvest celebrations. But the first mention of candy apples being given out at Halloween didn’t occur until the 1950s.

13. SPOTTING BATS:   It’s likely that bats were present at the earliest celebrations of proto-Halloween, not just symbolically but literally. As part of Samhain, the Celts lit large bonfires, which attracted insects. The insects, in turn, attracted bats, which soon became associated with the festival. Medieval folklore expanded upon the spooky connotation of bats with a number of superstitions built around the idea that bats were the harbingers of death.

14. GORGING ON CANDY:   The act of going door-to-door for handouts has long been a part of Halloween celebrations. But until the middle of the 20th century, the “treats” kids received were not necessarily candy. Toys, coins, fruit, and nuts were just as likely to be given out. The rise in the popularity of trick-or-treating in the 1950s inspired candy companies to make a marketing push with small, individually wrapped confections. People obliged out of convenience, but candy didn’t dominate at the exclusion of all other treats until parents started fearing anything unwrapped in the 1970s.

15. MUNCHING ON CANDY CORN:   According to some stories, a candymaker at the Wunderlee Candy Company in Philadelphia invented the revolutionary tri-color candy in the 1880s. The treats didn’t become a widespread phenomenon until another company brought the candy to the masses in 1898. At the time, candy corn was called Chicken Feed and sold in boxes with the slogan "Something worth crowing for." Originally just autumnal candy because of corn’s association with harvest time, candy corn became Halloween-specific when trick-or-treating rose to prominence in the U.S. in the 1950s.

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/626270/tidyboard-bamboo-cutting-board-meal-prep?utm_content=infinitescroll1

Happy Halloween!

Solid Start

From Military Times:

“Check-in calls to new veterans could become a permanent VA program”

A new Veterans Affairs program requiring phone calls to all recently separated service members to discuss potential benefits and support services could be made into a permanent mandate for the department under plans being supported by lawmakers in the House and Senate.

The Veterans Affairs' Solid Start program, launched last December, has drawn praise from lawmakers as critical outreach to the new veterans, among the most vulnerable groups for increased stress, mental health issues and suicidal thoughts. Department officials said through September, the first nine months of the program, VA officials contacted nearly 70,000 individuals through the phone calls, the majority of them on the first attempt. The goal of the calls is to “help you better understand the benefits available to you and help you get a solid start on your civilian life.” The new Solid Start program promises phone calls to recently-separated service members to talk about assistance programs and see how they're doing. Of the individuals contacted, more than 12,000 were individuals who had a mental health appointment with military specialists in their last year of service, a group seen as particularly vulnerable for transition-related stress problems. At least nine veterans have been connected to the VA’s suicide hotline during the Solid Star calls to deal with emergency mental health situations, department officials said. The successes thus far have led lawmakers to try and codify the program, ensuring that future administrations or budget changes at VA won’t shutter the effort.

Last month, a bipartisan group of senators offered new legislation to make the program permanent, including requiring more public advertising of the program, mailed follow-ups to veterans if phone calls are unsuccessful, and analysis of information collected through the program to help with future transition issues. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. — who introduced the measure with Republican Sens. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana — praised the “significant strides” made in the program already and said officials now need to build on that work. “Veterans who bravely sacrificed for our country often face significant struggles as they return to civilian life, and we have an obligation to do everything that we can to support them in this transition,” she said in a statement. In September, House lawmakers passed separate legislation to require annual reports on the program’s effectiveness, including the number of veterans contacted and data on referrals to other VA services. “Veterans often need a little extra support and encouragement as they transition to civilian life,” Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill. and one of that measure’s sponsors, said in a statement earlier this year. “This program seeks to support veteran mental health and has reportedly shown positive results already. It’s time for Congress to get in the game and support this program while providing Constitutionally-mandated oversight.” Whether that will happen remains unclear. Both the House and Senate are currently on election recess, and face a compressed legislative schedule for the rest of 2020. The measures could be included in wrap-up legislative packages later this year, which would require full support from both chambers' members. Advocates say they are confident that the proposals could gain that level of support, given the bipartisan effort thus far to make changes.

^ This program sounds like it does a lot of good work for Veterans that recently left the Service. I would like to see this program made permanent. ^

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/10/30/check-in-calls-to-new-veterans-could-become-a-permanent-va-program/

NZ's Assisted

 From the BBC:

“New Zealand euthanasia: Assisted dying to be legal for terminally ill people”

New Zealand has voted to legalise euthanasia in what campaigners have called "a victory for compassion and kindness". Preliminary results showed 65.2% of voters supported the End of Life Choice Act coming into force as a new law. The law will allow terminally ill people with less than six months to live the opportunity to choose assisted dying if approved by two doctors. Its opponents say the law lacks adequate safeguards. The referendum results announced on Friday do not include an estimated 480,000 special votes, including overseas ballots, so the final outcome will not be confirmed until 6 November. But with such strong support, the decision is not expected to change. The referendum is binding and the law is expected to come into effect in November 2021. It will see New Zealand join a small group of countries, including the Netherlands and Canada, which allow euthanasia.

What is assisted suicide and euthanasia? The referendum on assisted dying was held alongside the general election earlier this month. In a separate non-binding referendum held at the same time, New Zealanders narrowly rejected a proposal to legalise recreational cannabis. The preliminary results on the cannabis vote was 53.1% no and 46.1% yes - though this result may be subject to change when the special votes are counted.

What has the reaction been? The "yes" verdict had been anticipated after polls suggested strong public support for the law, which was also backed by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the opposition leader, Judith Collins. But it was the result of an emotional, years-long campaign with strong views on both sides of the debate. For Matt Vickers, who took on his late wife Lecretia Seales' fight to legalise assisted dying, the result is "a victory for compassion and kindness". "I am grateful that terminally ill New Zealanders will have a say about the ends of their lives," he told the BBC after the announcement. Ms Seales was a lawyer who launched a legal challenge for the right to end her life with medical assistance after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. But her case was unsuccessful and she died of her illness five years ago, aged 42. Mr Vickers pressed on with her campaign and in 2016 his book, "Lecretia's Choice: A Story of Love, Death and the Law", was published. The day before the result Mr Vickers told the BBC that ultimately his late wife's goal was for terminally ill people to have the choice that she was denied. "She didn't want to die. No one does. That's a popular misconception. The problem was the choice to live had been taken away," he said. "She wanted a choice on how death happens so if things got bad she could end the suffering at the time she wanted." Ms Seales' case went on to play a pivotal role in raising awareness about assisted dying, catalysing New Zealand politicians to address the issue.

What is the new law? The End of Life Choice Act was passed by parliament in 2019 after years of heated parliamentary debate and a record number of public submissions. But there was a proviso that it would first be put to a referendum, only coming into force if more than 50% of voters ticked "yes".

There are a number of criteria a person must meet to ask for assisted dying. These include:

suffering from a terminal illness that's likely to end their life within six months

showing a significant decline in physical capability

being able to make an informed decision about assisted dying

The legislation authorises a doctor or nurse to administer or prescribe a lethal dose of medication to be taken under their supervision if all the conditions are met. The law also says a person cannot be eligible for assisted dying on the basis of advanced age, mental illness, or disability alone.

What do opponents say? While there is widespread support for euthanasia reform, there has also been vocal opposition. As MPs voted on the bill last year, protesters had carried placards stating "assist us to live not die" and "euthanasia is not the solution" outside parliament. Euthanasia-Free NZ, a group that campaigned to vote "no", has said that euthanasia poses a threat to the well-being of society. Among its concerns are that the legalisation of assisted dying would contradict and undermine suicide prevention. Others have voiced worries about people with chronic conditions potentially feeling obliged to use euthanasia to avoid being a burden on their families. On Friday Euthanasia-Free NZ said it was "disappointed that the New Zealand public voted to pass a flawed euthanasia law". In a statement it added that parliament "could have made this law safer" by passing further amendments.

Which countries allow euthanasia? The referendum result in New Zealand will be closely watched by advocates for and against assisted dying throughout the world. By voting "yes" the country is joining a small group of nations and territories that have passed similar legislation. Euthanasia is legal in Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, while assisted suicide is permitted in Switzerland. A number of states in the United States and the Australian state of Victoria have also made assisted dying legal. Euthanasia is the act of deliberately ending a life to relieve suffering, while assisted suicide is the act of deliberately assisting another person to kill themselves. In contrast to euthanasia and assisted suicide, assisted dying would apply to terminally ill people only.

^ Terminal people every where should have the right to decide if and when they end their life in a peaceful way. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-54728717

Southwest's New Routes

From Business Insider:

“Southwest Airlines just announced 10 new routes and has a new shortest that's only 73 miles long — here's the full list”

Southwest Airlines is adding 10 new routes to its network in 2021 as aviation enters the first full year of its recovery.  The route additions center around Southwest's two newest airports in Colorado and Illinois.  Southwest will also have a new shortest route at just 73 miles long between two Colorado cities. Airlines are declaring 2020 a wash and already looking to 2021 for new routes and destinations in what will be the first full year of aviation's long recovery. Southwest Airlines is adding 10 new routes to leisure destinations across the US, with new airports in Colorado and Illinois as its the primary focus.

The expansion will add one new destination, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and a new airport in an existing city, O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. Routes to Colorado Springs will offer yet another gateway to the mountains, where travelers can socially distance in nature. All the routes will start just over a week before the beginning of spring.  Starting service to O'Hare, however, is a major departure from Southwest's original low-cost business model. Southwest already has a major base in Chicago but at the smaller Midway International Airport, 15 miles to the southeast of the bustling international airport that United Airlines and American Airlines call home. While Southwest has historically steered clear of major international airports largely because of the costs associated with using them, the pandemic is forcing the low-cost carrier to change it up. Southwest reported losses of $1.2 billion in the third quarter thanks to the continued decline in traffic. CEO Gary Kelly also announced the airline would stop limiting capacity and blocking seats on December 1, a policy that cost $20 million in lost revenue for the quarter.

Here's where Southwest Airlines is flying in 2021.

Between Chicago and Baltimore  Southwest will begin flying between Chicago and Baltimore on February 14, with service four times daily from O'Hare International complementing existing service from Midway International.  Three other airlines serve the route, with Southwest going up against American Airlines, United Airlines, and Spirit Airlines.

Between Chicago and Nashville, Tennessee  Southwest will begin flying between Chicago and Nashville, Tennessee, on February 14, with service four times daily from O'Hare International Airport complementing existing service from Midway International Airport.  Three other airlines serve the route, with Southwest going up against American Airlines, United Airlines, and Frontier Airlines.

Between Chicago and Denver  Southwest will begin flying between Chicago and Denver on February 14, with service six times daily from O'Hare complementing existing service from Midway.  Four other airlines serve the route, with Southwest going up against American Airlines, United Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and Frontier Airlines.

Between Chicago and Phoenix Southwest will begin flying between Chicago and Phoenix on February 14, with twice-daily service from O'Hare complementing existing service from Midway.  Four other airlines serve the route, with Southwest going up against American Airlines, United Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and Frontier Airlines.

Between Chicago and Dallas Southwest will begin flying between Chicago and Dallas on February 14, with service four times daily from O'Hare complementing existing service from Midway. The Chicago-Dallas route is one of the most lucrative air routes in the country, so much so that American Airlines often flew its wide-body aircraft on the route in pre-pandemic times.  Four other airlines serve the route, with Southwest going up against American Airlines, United Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and Frontier Airlines. Southwest will use Dallas Love Field Airport, however, while its competitors operate in the larger Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, further from downtown Dallas.

Between Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Denver Southwest will begin flying between Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Denver on March 11, with service four times daily. At only 63 nautical miles long (73 miles), the flight will be the shortest in the Southwest route network, taking the spot of the intra-Hawaiian Kahului-Kona route, according to route data from Cirium. Only one other airline serves the route, with Southwest going up against United Airlines, which operates regional jets between the two cities, connecting Colorado Springs with the world through Denver. Much like United, Southwest is opening the route to feed flyers into its Denver route network that includes flights to both coasts and international destinations in Mexico.

Between Colorado Springs and Las Vegas Southwest will begin flying between Colorado Springs and Las Vegas on March 11, with twice-daily service. Only one other airline serves the route, with Southwest going up against Frontier Airlines, which operates five-times-weekly service between the two cities.

Between Colorado Springs and Phoenix Southwest will begin flying between Colorado Springs and Phoenix on March 11, 2021, with twice-daily service. Only one other airline currently serves the route with Southwest going up against Frontier Airlines, which operates five-times-weekly service between the two cities.

Between Colorado Springs and Dallas Southwest will begin flying between Colorado Springs and Dallas on March 11, with service three times daily. Only one other airline serves the route, with Southwest going up against American Airlines, which operates daily service between the two cities. Southwest will use Dallas Love Field Airport, however, while its competitor operates into the larger Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, further from downtown Dallas.

Between Colorado Springs and Chicago Southwest will begin flying between Colorado Springs and Chicago on March 11, with twice-daily service through Midway International Airport. Two other airlines serve the route, with Southwest going up against American Airlines and United Airlines. Its competitors use O'Hare International Airport, however, further from downtown Chicago.

^ I have flown Southwest countless times over the years and while it’s not the best airline it is a good and inexpensive airline. I wish you could reserve a seat beforehand on Southwest though – even for a fee. As it is now I buy the Early Bird add-on and then wait in mu numbered-spot to board and then look for a seat that is open and that I want. I used to be able to fly non-stop from my home State airport to Denver (to visit my Brother, his family and my Sister who live in Colorado Springs.) Then Southwest stopped those direct flights and I have to fly through another airport (usually BWI) to get to Denver. In 2021 I will be able to still have one layover and fly right into Colorado Springs. That will be so nice. I have flown out of that airport a few times (but had to have 2-3 layovers) and it is small and clean. I like it a lot better than having to deal with driving to Denver and then deal with all the chaos and over-crowding the Denver Airport has. I would like to see Southwest increase it’s flights to/from my State to other places around the US. ^

https://www.yahoo.com/news/southwest-airlines-just-announced-10-154830013.html

Election Since 1845

I don't understand all the complaining and confusion about voting. The Federal Election is always on the first Tuesday after November 1st and has been since 1845. If you don't know that then you aren't the brightest apple in the bunch.

With that said I believe that only Votes received (In-Person or by Absentee Ballot) by 11:59 pm on Election Day - this year Tuesday, November 3rd - should be counted. The only extension should be given to Polling Places that have long lines or technical problems on Election Day.

In my State only Absentee Ballots received by 5 pm on Election Day are counted.

Netflix Increase

From the AFP:

“Netflix shares rise as it lifts prices on US subscriptions”

Shares of Netflix jumped Thursday after the streaming service raised prices in the US for two of its subscription offerings. The new prices, listed on the company's website, increase the monthly price for its "standard" service by $1 to $13.99, and raised the "premium" service $2 to $17.99. The products allow subscribers to view or download shows on more than one screen at the same time and provide high definition broadcast.  These features are not available on the "basic" streaming service, for which the price remained unchanged at $8.99 a month. Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The streaming service, which has been seen as a big winner during the coronavirus pandemic with more consumers at home, hinted that higher prices could be coming during an earnings conference call earlier this month. Company officials said at the time that Netflix had resumed production for hit shows including "Stranger Things" and "The Witcher," as well as on an action film starring Gal Gadot, Dwayne Johnson, and Ryan Reynolds. On Tuesday, Netflix announced a deal with video game company Ubisoft to create shows based on its hit "Assassin's Creed" franchise. Shares of Netflix ended the day at $504.21, up 3.7 percent.

^ Netflix should have given its current customers more notice about this price increase. ^

https://news.yahoo.com/netflix-shares-rise-lifts-prices-201326666.html

Snow Friday!

 

Candy Truth

Candy Corn

Repression Remembrance

Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repressions

Today is Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repressions in Russia (День памяти жертв политических репрессий.) It was officially remembered in the Soviet Union from October 30, 1991 to December 25, 1991 and in Russia since December 26, 1991.

The repressed were called the “Enemies of the People” (Враги народа) by the Soviets. Punishments by the State included summary executions, sending innocent people to Gulags, forced resettlement, and stripping of Citizen's Rights. If one member of the family was found to be an “Enemy of the People” then the whole family was considered one and punished.

Repression was conducted by the Cheka, the NKVD, the KGB and other State Organs. While Political Repression was an everyday occurrence in the Soviet Union - as in all Communist countries - there were special campaigns throughout the USSR’s existence (1917-1991.)

The Red Terror (1917 to 1922): 3,284,000 people murdered.

The New Economic Period (1923-1928): 2,200,000 people murdered.

  Collectivization (1928-1935): 14,400,000  people murdered.

Forced Psychiatry Treatments Part 1 (1921-1955): 1,802 people murdered.

The Great Purge (1936-1938): 4,345,000 people murdered.

Holodomor Man-Made Famine (1932-1933): 3,500,000 people murdered.

Katyn Massacre (1940): 22,000 Poles murdered.

Forced Population Transfers (1930-1952): 389,521 Kulaks murdered, 400,000 Chechens murdered, 90,000 Poles murdered, 40,000 Soviet Koreans murdered, 5,400 Estonians murdered, 17,400 Latvians murdered, 28,000 Lithuanians murdered, 18,800 Finns murdered, 20,000 Hungarians murdered, 19,000 Karachais murdered, 228,800 Soviet Germans murdered, 360,000 non-Soviet Germans murdered, 16,000 Kalmyks murdered, 23,000 Ingush murdered, 11,000 Balkars murdered, 195,471 Crimean Tatars murdered, 50,000 Meskhetian Turks murdered.

 Gulags (1919-1953): 1.7 Million died as a direct result of their detention (doesn’t include those who died from starvation, the extreme cold, forced labor, etc.)

Forced Psychiatry Treatments Part 2 (1964-1989): Out of the 10,347 officially punished people 96% of them were murdered through extreme usage of dangerous chemicals and medicines.

After Joseph Stalin died in 1953 and until Nikita Khrushchev was overthrown in 1964, the Soviet Government had a process called Legal Rehabilitation (Юридическая реабилитация) in which innocent men, women and children that were tortured, imprisoned and/or killed or their relatives could apply to have them officially made full legal Soviet Citizens again (with all the pensions and other benefits restored.

-  32 million men, women and children were officially Rehabilitated by the Soviet Government from 1953-1964. 13 million of those were from the Russian Civil War Period (1917-1923) alone. The vast majority of the Rehabilitated had died during their official imprisonment.

From 1988-1991 different Soviet Republics (like the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republics in April 1991) of the Soviet Union created different Political Rehabilitation Laws. In 1993, the Russian Federation created their first Rehabilitation Law. 

-  From 1993 to 2004, the Russian Prosecutor's Office reviewed 978,891 applications for Legal Rehabilitation of which 797,532 were allowed and 388,412 were satisfied, 636,335 cases against 901,127 people were reviewed and 634,165 were recognized as victims of Political Repression and Legally Rehabilitated. In 2004 the Russian Government stopped announcing official Legal Rehabilitation numbers. That is when President Putin moved away from blaming Stalin and the USSR to praising, promoting  and rehabilitating Stalin and the USSR.

Note: These are only the men, women and children that the Russian Government has declassified that the Soviet Communists officially admit to murdering from 1917-1991. The actual number is much higher. It also doesn’t include the millions upon millions of men, women and children that the Soviet Communists repressed and imprisoned and that survived.

 

 

 

Repression Day

Nice Attack

From the BBC:

“France attack: Three killed in 'Islamist terrorist' stabbings”

Three people have died in a knife attack at a church in Nice, in what French President Emmanuel Macron said was an "Islamist terrorist attack". He said France would not surrender its core values after visiting the Notre-Dame basilica in the southern city. An extra 4,000 troops are being deployed to protect churches and schools. In Nice, one elderly victim was "virtually beheaded", officials said. Another woman and a man also died. A male suspect was shot and detained. Anti-terror prosecutors have opened an investigation into the attack and France has raised its national security alert to its highest level.

Police sources named the suspect as Brahim Aioussaoi, a 21-year-old Tunisian who arrived by boat on the Italian island of Lampedusa in September. He was placed in coronavirus quarantine there before being released and told to leave Italy. He arrived in France earlier this month. Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi spoke of "Islamo-fascism" and said the suspect had "repeated endlessly 'Allahu Akbar' (God is greatest)". Two other attacks took place on Thursday, one in France and one in Saudi Arabia. A man was shot dead in Montfavet near the southern French city of Avignon after threatening police with a handgun. A guard was attacked outside the French consulate in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. A suspect was arrested and the guard taken to hospital. Speaking after visiting Nice, President Macron said: "If we are attacked once again it is for the values which are ours: freedom, for the possibility on our soil to believe freely and not to give in to any spirit of terror. "I say it with great clarity once again today: we won't surrender anything." The president said the number of soldiers being deployed to protect public places across the country would rise from 3,000 to 7,000. Mr Estrosi compared the attack to the recent murder of teacher Samuel Paty, who was beheaded close to his school outside Paris earlier this month. Police have not suggested a motive for the attack in Nice. However, it follows days of protests in some Muslim-majority countries triggered by President Macron's defence of the publication of cartoons that depicted the Prophet Mohammed. There have been calls in some countries for a boycott of French goods.

Who were the victims? All three were attacked inside the basilica on Thursday morning before the first Mass of the day. Two died inside the church: the woman in her 70s who was "virtually beheaded", and a man in his 40s or 50s whose throat was cut, reports said. The male victim is believed to have been a lay member of staff responsible for the upkeep of the church and had a wife and two children. Another woman in her 30s or 40s managed to flee to a nearby cafe after being stabbed several times, but died later. It later emerged that a witness had managed to raise the alarm with a special protection system set up by the city. Chloe, a witness who lives near the church, told the BBC: "We heard many people shouting in the street. We saw from the window that there were many, many policemen coming, and gunshots, many gunshots." Tom Vannier, a journalism student who arrived at the scene just after the attack, told the BBC that people were crying on the street. The attacker was detained by police at about 09:10 local time (08:10 GMT), reports said. Four years ago Nice was the scene of terrorist attack, when a Tunisian drove a truck into crowds celebrating Bastille Day on 14 July, killing 86 people.

Disorientated and frightened The terrorist threat level in France is as high now as it was in 2015-16, the terrible days of Charlie Hebdo, Bataclan, the Nice lorry-killer and the murder of Father Hamel in his church in Rouen. Things were bad enough then - and many more people died in those attacks. So why does this outbreak of Islamist violence feel somehow more scary? One reason must be the symbolism of the Samuel Paty beheading. That a simple history teacher could be murdered - and not randomly but actually selected for murder - has been deeply unsettling for French people. Likewise the targeting today of Christian worshippers in Nice. But it is also the context: the instant logic of action-response that followed President Macron's robust defence of secularism at Samuel Paty's memorial 10 days ago. All it took was a speech, then there were the threats, then there were the deaths. With a new Covid lockdown providing an eerie backdrop to these events, small wonder the French are feeling disoriented and frightened.

What has the reaction been? A minute's silence was held in the National Assembly. The French Council of the Muslim Faith condemned the attack and spoke of its solidarity with the victims and their families. Turkey, which has seen ties with France sour in recent days over remarks by Mr Macron, strongly condemned the "savage" attack. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the killings had "brought death to a place of love and consolation".

What's the context? Thursday's attack has echoes of another attack earlier this month near a school north-west of Paris. Samuel Paty, who was a teacher in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, was beheaded days after showing controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad to some of his pupils. The murder has heightened tensions in France and the government's attempt to crack down on radical Islam has angered Turkey and other countries. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was among those calling for a boycott of French goods. The situation worsened after a cartoon on Mr Erdogan appeared in the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

A timeline of recent attacks in France

September 2020: Two people are stabbed and seriously hurt in Paris near the former offices of Charlie Hebdo, where Islamist militants carried out a deadly attack in 2015

October 2019: Radicalised police computer operator Mickaël Harpon is shot dead after stabbing to death three officers and a civilian worker at Paris police headquarters

July 2016: Two attackers kill a priest, Jacques Hamel, and seriously wound another hostage after storming a church in a suburb of Rouen in northern France

July 2016: A gunman drives a large lorry into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, killing 86 people in an attack claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group

November 2015: Gunmen and suicide bombers launch multiple co-ordinated attacks on the Bataclan concert hall, a major stadium, restaurants and bars in Paris, leaving 130 people dead and hundreds wounded

January 2015: Two Islamist militant gunmen force their way into Charlie Hebdo's offices and shoot dead 12 people

^ It seems France is now dealing with two pandemics: Covis-19 and Islamist Terrorist Attacks. Hopefully they will be able to eliminate both soon.  ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54729957

Virtual Return Of Names

From the BBC:

“Stalin Victims Commemoration Moves Online Due to Coronavirus”

An annual commemoration held in honor of victims of Stalinist repressions has moved online Thursday due to the coronavirus pandemic, its organizers said. Participants of the “Returning the Names” ceremony traditionally gather outside the former KGB headquarters in central Moscow every Oct. 29 to read the names, ages and professions of those who died in Stalin’s purges. As many as 30 million are believed to have been killed during the Soviet-era repressions. “We can’t gather with you today at the square by the Solovetsky Stone, but each of us, wherever we are, can remember these people,” Memorial’s co-founder Yelena Zhemkova said at the launch of the event.

The Memorial human rights group said on the event’s website that Russians wishing to commemorate the date could bring flowers to the monuments for victims of repression in their cities. Other cities where mass gatherings are not banned could file for permission to hold in-person commemorations, said Memorial, which has organized “Returning the Names” on the same date for the past 14 years.  Cities including St. Petersburg, Ufa and Rostov plan to commemorate the victims in-person on either Thursday or Friday, the Kommersant business daily reported.

On This Day Victims of Political Repressions Are Honored Authorities in Russia’s fourth-largest city of Yekaterinburg cited the coronavirus pandemic when banning the in-person gathering, the publication said. Authorities in the city of Kirov 800 kilometers east of Moscow reportedly banned “Returning the Names,” saying it could disrupt a nearby drama theater which had canceled its performances due to Covid-19. Memorial, which has been labeled a "foreign agent" in Russia for receiving money from abroad, has been increasingly targeted by the Russian government and pro-Kremlin vigilantes over its work.   In 2018, Amnesty International called on the Russian authorities to put an end to what it called a coordinated assault on the NGO.

^ At least they are still holding some kind of remembrance although I don’t know why they do it on October 29^th and not October 30^th. ^

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/10/29/stalin-victims-commemoration-moves-online-due-to-coronavirus-a71894

Jerusalem, Israel

From Politico:

“U.S. to allow 'Israel' to be added to passports of Americans born in Jerusalem”

The Trump administration is expected to soon announce that the U.S. passports of Americans born in Jerusalem can now mention Israel as the country of birth. The decision, confirmed by a U.S. official Wednesday, is the latest by President Donald Trump that favors Israel in the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It could be revealed as early as Thursday, just days before next week’s U.S. presidential election, and it could help Trump as he seeks to turn out evangelical Christians and other voters in his base who strongly support Israel.

American passports have not used the phrase “Jerusalem, Israel” because the exact status of the city has long been disputed as part of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Prior to Trump, U.S. policy had been that the city’s borders and status are issues subject to negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Thus, U.S. passports have simply stated their bearers were born in “Jerusalem.” But in December 2017, Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. The U.S. has since moved its Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Last year, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said changing the policy on the passports was under consideration.

The U.S. official said the new policy, at least as of Wednesday, is that U.S. passport holders who were born in Jerusalem will have the option of having Israel listed as the country or simply leaving it as “Jerusalem.” The State Department is expected to make the announcement. The question of how to list Jerusalem in U.S. passports fueled a 2015 Supreme Court decision in which the majority ruled that the president, not Congress, had the sole authority to bestow recognition on the city’s status.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman has been a major proponent of changing the passport rules to allow the listing of “Jerusalem, Israel.” On Wednesday, Friedman joined Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a ceremony announcing that the U.S. had agreed to lift restrictions on federal investments for agriculture, science and research projects in Israeli settlements located in the West Bank, territory Palestinians claim for a future state. The soon-to-be announced passport change is just the latest of numerous moves the Trump administration has made that favor Israel in the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Trump has cut off aid to Palestinians, shut down their offices in Washington and downplayed talk of a two-state solution. The Trump administration has proposed a peace plan for the Palestinians and Israelis, but it, too, is heavily weighted in favor of Israel’s positions. More recently, the administration has helped persuade Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Sudan to move toward normalizing their diplomatic relations with Israel, another blow to Palestinians’ hopes of international backing for their cause.

^ This is long over-due. The US Congress declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel on November 8, 1995 with the Jerusalem Embassy Act. Trump was the only President since it was signed to enact the Act moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem – which I fully support. An American born in Jerusalem before Israel was created in 1948 should have Palestine (Israel) as their birthplace I know they can now only have either “Palestine” or “Israel” but not both. A person born since 1948 should be able to have either “Jerusalem” or “Jerusalem, Israel” printed. On another note (since there are so many former Soviets in Israel) I think that any American born in the Soviet Union should have USSR and the current name of their country - ie. if they were born in the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics there Passport should say: USSR (Russia.) Instead the US only has the current name of the country even though it is not the same (being born in the USSR which was a Communist Dictatorship is not the same as being born in Latvia – which was part of the USSR from 1940-1941 and 1944-1991 – since Latvia is now free, independent, part of NATO and the EU. Getting back to Jerusalem: No one born in Jerusalem at any time should be forced to have a certain designation on their Certificate of Birth Abroad or their US Passport, but they should be given the option to have “Jerusalem”, “Palestine”, “Palestine (Israel)” or “Jerusalem, Israel” recorded on their documents. ^

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/28/us-passports-israel-jerusalem-433324

Moldy Military Food

 From Military.com:

“A Navy Veteran Exposes the Gross Food Served on Warships in a Viral Facebook Post”

(Photo of moldy pita bread from a Facebook page displaying examples of questionable food being served on U.S. Navy ships.)

A Navy veteran has posted pictures and videos capturing the rotten, unhealthy, and quite frankly disgraceful food that sailors and Marines are forced to eat while embarked on the service's warships. The compilation of nauseating imagery, most of which were taken aboard multiple surface vessels, includes pictures of lettuce with insects, hair on food, and raw chicken, among other egregious examples. Kevin Selfaison said he documented the awful food over a period of three years. Many of the pictures and videos were taken aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, on which Selfaison served from 2017 until 2020, but there are also videos and pictures of disgusting food from elsewhere in the military, including the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.

"I want people to know about this -- and I want somebody higher than me to know about this," Selfaison, a former petty officer second class, told Task & Purpose. "On a ship, if I were to report this, the highest it's going to go is to our captain. And there's no way our captain is going to turn around and tell his superior: ‘Hey, the food on my ship is f---ed up;' because they're not going to rat on themselves like that." When asked about the imagery that Selfaison posted on social media, a Navy spokeswoman said the service takes all reports of poor food aboard ships very seriously.

"We cannot confirm the authenticity of the photos posted by the sailor," said Lt. Emily Wilkin. "Nimitz was awarded the 2020 Captain Edward F. Ney Memorial Food Service Award for best aircraft carrier food service and our standards for cleanliness, service, and food quality are extremely high. The health and wellbeing of our crew is a top priority." Wilkin also said the Navy leaders often perform spot checks of food and the cleanliness of dining facilities, and sailors are encouraged to report issues with their food to their chain of command or provide anonymous feedback by using suggestion boxes.

According to Selfaison, however, sailors' options for reporting rotten food are so limited that the Navy leaders who could actually fix the pervasive problems with the food served to sailors are not seeing what needs to be done. Selfaison also said he waited until he left active duty on Oct. 3 to post the imagery of the gross food on Facebook so that the Navy could not retaliate against him. "There's no way it would still be on the internet now if I was still in the military," Selfaison said. "I would have been forced to take it down." Not every meal Selfaison received during deployments was bad, he said. During holidays and Sundays, the chow was decent, showing it is possible for the Navy to prepare food correctly. But overall, the quality of the food served while he was underway was consistently poor, he said. "It's always like cold or it's burnt -- or it's burnt but cold on the inside. Like, it doesn't make sense," Selfaison said. Whatever standards are supposed to apply to Navy food are simply not being applied, said Selfaison, who noted that if aircraft maintainers did their jobs as poorly as the sailors in charge of preparing food for crew members, they would be held responsible for falling far short of quality assurance standards.

Since he posted the evidence of unhealthy food served by the Navy, Selfaison has heard from older veterans who have said that food in the military has always been poor, he said. Selfaison has countered by asking them why the standards for food served to service members be that low. "It all has to do with quality of life," Selfaison said. "I feel like: When we're out there, a lot of times all we have to look forward to is a meal -- and when that meal is as messed up as some of these meals, it's messed up. It kills morale."

^ Being a Military Brat these reports and pictures sadly do not surprise me. When you have seen firsthand (or hear the reports) of mold and other issues on Military housing across the US and around the world having moldy and gross food served by the US Navy or any US Military Branch is not that far-off. If the US Navy and other US Military Branches actually took this health issue seriously then Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen/Airwomen wouldn’t fear retribution for showing these disgusting evidence to their superiors or to the public. I don’t blame Selfaison for waiting to show this evidence until after he left the US Navy. We can not expect those in the US Military to risk everything – including their own lives – if we give them unhealthy, moldy housing and food. It’s time the President, Congress and the Military wake-up and fix these disgusting, unhealthy and demoralizing problems that have long-plagues the Branches. ^

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/10/28/navy-veteran-exposes-gross-food-served-warships-viral-facebook-post.html