Virus#26:Chapter 29: Was There any good from the COVIDs?: “A sense of community”

Chapter 29 “was there any good from the COVIDs?; A sense of community”

There is often some good in a bad situation. The COVIDs brought about a sense of community. It may have been brought about by emergency orders which imposed social distancing, closed nonessential businesses, and prohibited large gatherings all in the name of public good. All the activities we took for granted like going to the bank, getting a haircut, having friends over for dinner and many others were now denied to us so we really had very little of our regular activities to engage in. Our geographic range was limited.

It seemed as if there were hundreds of people strolling in the streets and complete strangers actually talked to each other! Yes it was a if our worlds became simpler. In many ways it also brought with it a sense of international solidarity where the enemy was not China or Russia but a virus the world was trying to beat.

It brought families closer together and made one realize you had to work on it to keep the family whole and that was often by Facetime or Zoom. The old-style family dinner with all present instead of mom or dad at the office. Yes it was like “Leave it to Beaver”. And the nanny, for the few that could afford it, slipped into the background.

There was a sense of repression, anxiety and fear and the dreaded line ups for grocery shopping all became the main topics of conversation. And the panicked toilet paper and baked bean purchases were good for a chuckle.

Yet you know in a small town everyone knows your business so with this sense of community there were those that ratted on others on complaint hotlines. There was social shaming of those partying at the beach on Memorial Day week-end.  Community can be stifling!

All said and done the enormous depravity caused by the COVIDs caused a universal and shared sense of community.

“I’ll See You Around”: Brilliant Portrayal of Numbness

The American film “I’ll See You Around” is a brilliant portrayal of numbness.

Lucas and his ex Luzifa

Lucas (Lucas Monroe) has had a horrific traumatic event that has somewhat set the direction of his life. His father was murdered when he was six years old. Perhaps the most important line in the film is when he admits to Mariah (Maria Wilson) his off and on girlfriend that after the death of his father that he had to learn on his own the stuff all other kids took for granted. Having lost my father at nine years old that struck a resonant chord with me that I will not delve into but his words ring very true for children struck with such traumatic events. You have been robbed and cheated and for some it makes some stronger and determined to escape that trauma with achievement that road is a rough one. But some like Lucas become stuck in a rut of numbness. A sort of post traumatic stress disorder.

Lucas can’t relate fully to just about everyone but does a very good job with his three-year-old daughter Zanura (Zanura Monroe) who lives with his estranged ex Luzifa (Luzifa Gurbanova). He simply seems to drift unable to open up and make any sort of a commitment to another human being.

This is a quiet film of alienation and numbness.

Unable to relate to his recently prison released brother Kenji (Kenji Monroe) when his off and on girlfriend Mariah (Maria Wilson) says to him as she is moving to Seattle from Ithaca New York, “I’ll see you around” means most likely I’ll never see you again.

 I have just finished today reading the “Last Tycoon” by Scott F. Fitzgerald about a Hollywood mogul making films for the masses. This is not for the masses as most can’t identify with Lucas’ trauma. Perhaps unfortunately I can. I can say brilliantly acted by “no name” actors worthy of more than runs on the festival circuit. Lucas Monroe would be on my list for best actor at the upcoming Oscars but indie films and their actors aren’t included a reason I rarely watch the Oscars.

The story is based on the life of Lucas Monroe whose father was murdered. Friend and director Daniel Pfeffer made a film “While I was Gone” which was a memoir of the life of Lucas. “I’ll see you around” continues the story. As Pfeffer remarks, “Sharing his personal life felt important and brave. I discovered that Lucas’ story and his natural talent on screen were a kind of hidden magnificence. He had so much to say about his past and constantly struggled to share his feelings. I was motivated to make this film for so many reasons but most deeply because I want to build empathy.”

You can see the trailer here

You can catch the film virtually https://www.bgpics.com/movies/ill-see-you-around/

Perhaps after seeing this film which I challenge you to do so you may think very closely of the lyrics of the Temptation’s song “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and understand Lucas a little more intimately.

And Mama just hung her head and said,
“Son, Papa was a rolling stone.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
(And when he died) All he left us was alone. “
“Papa was a rolling stone, my son.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
(And when he died) All he left us was alone. “

Virus#26: Chapter 28: “so what happened to Canada?”

Chapter 28: “so what happened in Canada”?

COVID carnage took its toll on Canadian COVID era politicians all of them going down to electoral defeat. The simple reason might be described as rage and displacement. Why did the medical system collapse so quickly? Where were the resources to fight COVID? It would seem that the current politicos had played a role in trimming the medical system and in all honesty it was a crew of prior politicians that had started the massive cuts of physicians, nurses and covered medical procedures but it was LIFO (last in first out).Like so many COVID deaths the politicians were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A National Commission of Inquiry about the devastation of COVID never convened but rather a few provincial inquiries about the devastation about COVID in long term care facilities. Several class actions were filed against provincial and federal governments for their actions that lead to a population open to the ravages of COVID but big government power and wealth stalled and choked these class actions.

The millions of unemployed Canadians and the families of COVID fatalities were not going back to the usual Conservative/Liberal mix and out of the chaos emerged the Democratic Health Alliance (DHA) with a goal to secure Canadian’s health in the future.

The main tenets of the DHA were to close all Canadian borders to immigration. Focus spending on rebuilding the Canadian medical system and proposing alternative medicine strategies to beat back future pandemics, Their goal was to build a strong immunity system through healthy food consumption, non Big Pharma supplements and yes, yoga and mindfulness meditation. Flaky you may say but in post COVID provincial and federal elections they easily formed majority governments.

The solution was rather simple. Diet, propping up a healthy immune system and ignoring the possibility of a foolproof vaccine.

The extradition of Meng Manzouh, the CFO of Chinese Huawei, to the United States in 2021 certainly sunk Canada as a Chinese ally and trading partner. Chinese authorities executed several “Canadian spies” as a result of this “sound judicial” but politically suicidal court ruling. The kidnapping of Meng by the Canadian government in order to please Americans was poor strategy.

So the end result of this extradition was really the death of Canadian-Chinese relations. Again a nasty tariff war except of course an insatiable demand for Canadian pork from the PRC.

And the political winner was Bonnie Henry the former Provincial Health Officer of British Columbia who won the DHA leadership convention and in 2023 became the next Prime Minister of Canada.

Virus#26: Chapter 27 “China Snuggles with TSAR Putin”

Chapter 27 “China snuggles with Tsar Putin”

China never forgave former Donald J. Trump for calling the COVID-19 virus the “Chinese virus” and blaming China for a cover-up. Even when Biden won the US presidential election in 2020 so much animosity had congealed that even Biden’s attempt at rapprochement was ignored by the Chinese. Then the all-out tariff war rocked both countries. In China consumers were warned not to buy American and China had the AI to easily identify offenders. In the United States the slogan was slightly different and that was, “Don’t buy from COVID killers”. Of course this did nothing but escalate very strong animosity which from the Chinese side hit the roof when Meng Wanzouh the CFO of Huawei, who had been extradited to the United States by Canada was convicted of multiple fraud charges in 2021 and sentenced to 45 years in a maximum security prison. Shortly after that 4 Americans in China were convicted of espionage charges and killed by a firing squad on national television. Wasting no time and seeing how decimated the American military was by the subsequent waves of COVID-19 and COVID Plus China “liberated” both Taiwan and Hong Kong. The new slogan was now “New Family, Peace and Power” while the unofficial slogan was Vietnam like, “Kill Americans”.

Americans pulled out of China all business operations which coupled with an effective blockade of Chinese goods into the United States put a crippling kick to the head of the Chinese economy. It wasn’t easy for China and Walmart to be so forcefully separated. The United States had been weaning off Chinese goods for a few years and in Trump fashion brought some manufacturing back to the United States so it was not hurting as badly as China was. Needless to say with so many consumers succumbing to the COVID virus and the execution of 4 American citizens by China the need for cheap Chinese goods dwindled

Now while Tsar Putin had done an exceptionally good job of sending hundreds of thousands to Siberia, executing many and putting on big Stalinist show trials as a true Russian monarch he knew full well he could trust no one. The Russians were at the top of the hacking game but on surveillance they were near the back of the pack and China was at the top aided at one point by Google when China and the United States were still conversing with each other.

So China and Russia up cozied to each other creating an Orwellian Eurasian military pact, free trade agreements and cultural exchanges. Putin installed the latest surveillance devices and equipment with the help of Chinese “advisors”.

The United States responded by forcing all Chinese Americans to go through an American “Loyalty” Programme”. Chinese Americans were subject to rampant racism.

What a tangled web COVID had woven!

COVID POETRY CORNER: “Long-Term Care in the Province of Ontario during these COVID times”

Long-Term Care in the Province of Ontario During COVID Times

Residing in a long-term care residence in Ontario is not so good
Over the years have they been managed by hoods?
Chronic budget cuts
by political and bureaucratic mutts
apparently perfunctory inspections were the rule
moldy Charles Dicken’s Oliver Twist gruel
our elderly and frail are taking a deadly hit
or left lying in their shit
a long term care commission was formed and they asked for an extension to prepare a full report
but Minister of Long Term Care gave no as a retort
Could it be a rushed report amounts to a weak attempt at a governmental cover up
Please don’t treat the public like a stupid pup
Who is to blame
those playing the cost cutting game
those people are always the same
to the family of the residents and family of the residents
please give a compassionate meditation or prayer to all of them
should Minister Fullerton resign?
I rather think months ago was the time
But that is simply punitive measure and it’s perhaps too late to have an impact
which will send a message to the people that perhaps the provincial government does care
and can perhaps starts its extraction from a nasty political snare

UK Prime Minister on the UK B-117 mutated COVID Virus

Speech

Prime Minister’s statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 22 January 2021

Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave a statement at the coronavirus press conference.Published 22 January 2021From:Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MPDelivered on:22 January 2021 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP

Since the beginning of this pandemic, we have tried to update you as soon as possible about changes in the scientific data or the analysis.

So, I must tell you this afternoon that we have been informed today that, in addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there is some evidence that the new variant – the variant that was first identified in London and the South East – may be associated with a higher degree of mortality, and I’m going to ask Patrick in a minute to say a bit more about that.

Because it is largely the impact of this new variant that means the NHS is under such intense pressure, with another 40,261 positive cases since yesterday.

We have 38,562 COVID patients now in hospital, that’s 78 per cent higher than the first peak in April and, tragically, there have been a further 1,401 deaths.

So, it is more important than ever that we all remain vigilant in following the rules and that we stay at home, protect the NHS and thereby save lives.

But I also want to answer a key question that I know will be uppermost in your minds.

All current evidence continues to show that both the vaccines we are currently using remain effective both against the old variant and this new variant.

And so, you will also want to know that our immunisation programme continues at an unprecedented rate.

5.4 million people across the UK have now received their first dose of the vaccine and over the last 24 hours we can report a record 400,000 vaccinations.

In England one in ten of all adults have received their first dose, including 71 per cent of over-80s and two thirds of elderly care home residents.

Having secured orders for hundreds of millions of doses, the U.K. government has supplied vaccines to the Devolved Administrations, according to population size.

First doses have been administered now to 151,000 people in Northern Ireland, 358,000 in Scotland and 212,000 in Wales.

And I am glad that the whole of the U.K. is able to assist the Devolved Administrations in deploying the vaccine and I know everyone across the country is grateful for the logistical skill of the British Army.

There is much more to do, and the target remains very stretching indeed, but we remain on track to reach our goal of offering a first dose to everyone in the top four priority groups by the middle of February.

And I want to thank all the doctors and nurses, especially at the GP-led sites who are vaccinating at a phenomenal rate, as well as, as I say, all those in our armed forces, our local authorities, our pharmacies and volunteers, who are making this extraordinary national effort possible.

And I want to thank all of you who have come forward to get your jabs, because, by doing that, you are protecting yourselves, your communities and, of course, our NHS.

And I say to everyone, when that letter arrives, please don’t hesitate to book that appointment and get this life-saving protection, because this is the best and fastest way for us all to defeat this virus and get our lives back to normal.Published 22 January 2021

Virus#26: Chapter 26 Vlad the Impaler becomes TSAR: Putin and Holy Mother Russia

Chapter 26 “Vlad the Impaler Becomes TSAR! Putin and holy mother Russia”

As Russia was pounded by COVIDs its poor medical system collapsed quickly leading to a huge death count. Perpetual President Putin had many physicians daring to criticize the Russian medical system unfortunately fall out of windows to their death. The much-touted Russian COVID vaccine “Sputnik” which the Russian government had boasted a 97% success rate was in fact as documented by other countries having an efficacy rate of just over 50%.

It was during the 2021 vicious second wave of COVID-19 in the midst of massive social unrest that Putin made his classical Russian move of adoration and comfort with absolute control and the arrest of any media he hadn’t already murdered or arrested. Siberia would soon be so full of malcontents it would have to turn its “No Vacancy” signs on.

To divert attention from a medical system that had fallen into disrepair he declared in 2022 Mother Russia and the Holy Russian Orthodox Church a necessity to defeat the unholy COVID-19 and declared himself the new Tsar of Russia with full support of the Russian Orthodox church. A grand coronation and millions of free vodka bottles were handed out to the masses. His trusted oligarch compadres were designated as counts and given political control over various regions of the country.

After the collapse of communism how did billions of dollars of state enterprises end up in the hands of a few oligarchs? Crime, corruption and theft of state property guided by Vlad the Impaler. My Russian cardiologist friends used this term after a few shots of vodka at international cardiologist’s conventions because opposition to Tsar Putin meant death not necessarily by impaling but death nonetheless. His credentials as former KGB head, protection of his clique of loyal oligarchs and perpetual leader of the government took us back to the good old days of Tsarist Russia.

Vlad’s ascension into the Holy Leader of Mother Russia did not quell the rising COVID death rate but insulated him against any criticism as the bearded priests of Russian Orthodoxy reinforced his holy presence.

Putin had been moving toward godliness over the past few years and he had finally attained it. A beautiful Stalinist movement combined with a true Rasputinistic character. A devil in revisionist Russian history. If you think Putin looked rugged bare chested on a horse he looked positively regal with his crown.

Virus#26: Donald J. Trump Assassinated

Chapter 25 “COVID political upheavals: Donald J. Trump assassinated.”

By the time the 4 waves of COVID thundered through the globe many political leaders had been assassinated primarily by family members of the fatalities. The common thread of the assassinations was based on political mismanagement and hatred.

As the former President of the United States that had witnessed close to 400,000 fatalities by the time the 2020 November presidential elections were in swing the Orange Toad refused any responsibility whatsoever for the American death count. At one point he boasted we have 5 cases and we are on top of it. With civil unrest burning up the nation it was noticeably clear he was insane.

That didn’t work so Trump blamed the Chinese in a great Wuhan cover-up. Then he blamed the WHO. Then he blamed Sleepy Joe Biden Then CNN. Then Fauci.  A master of the blame game? Or a stupid incompetent nasty television personality that couldn’t run any of his businesses without them declaring bankruptcy and screwing thousands of contractors. A successful businessman my ass! A successful President well no comment required.

Well as Donald J. Trump was golfing at Merde Lago in Florida in 2025, and cheating terribly with his scorecard, there was a secret service agent Buster Scruggs who walked up to Trump as he was taking the approach shot to the 18th hole and opened his jacket full of explosives packed in Lysol wipes containers and said stick these wipes up your ass. The Trumpster and his wife (and poor Baron ) who were in the golf cart were splattered all over it. Scruggs family had drunk a bottle or two of Lysol so yes Scruggs was a bit pissed off!

America continued its bloody thirst for presidential assassinations but this time there was joy. As the casket of the doubly impeached Presidential casket was drawn to a pauper’s grave in Newark, New Jersey there was a street party on the funeral route with empty liquor bottles thrown at the hearse. A send-off wholeheartedly deserved.

As for me I am so overwhelmed with grief I CAN’T BREATHE! The Hemorrhoid former President will be remembered as a crude piece of shit in American history.

“Love Child”: Toronto 18th Annual Human Rights Watch Film Festival Canada

“Love Child” is not some X rated film!

I could recite a ream of dates and stories to go with the documentary but I will let you take that journey as sometimes I prefer to go to the essence of the story told in the documentary.

Leila and Sahand are two Iranians who had an extra-marital affair in Iran and have a child out of wedlock, a boy called Mani.

Both are teachers.

Leila’s husband is an abusive rehab failure that beats his wife and after three years of marriage it has not been consummated. At the end of her wits she meets and falls in love with fellow teacher Sahand who is also a part time spy for the Iranian secret police.

In “progressive” Iran a Muslim theocracy rules the roost where adulterous women may be stoned to death and her fellow sinner could be hung in a football stadium like Christians be thrown to the lions in the Roman Colosseum.

Sahand and Leila flee Iran to Turkey in fear of their life and spend seven years trying to get processed by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Ankara so they can be released as refugees to any country willing to accept them.

Leila and Sahand eventually obtain their Iranian divorces so they are now a real family with a good crack at immigration from Turkey and finally Sahand is accepted by UNHCR after Leila and Mina. Sahand and Leila marry in Turkey so as a family it is beginning to look good but for some reason UNHCR now states they are ineligible to be sent to a safe country. It would seem if Sahand could establish he did work for the Iranian secret police he might have had a better chance at getting the family out of Turkey. Yes, and he can easily establish that!

I have no objection for strict and fair immigration policies provided they have a solid fabric of compassion and have no bleeding heart for those who jump the line, illegally enter a country then hope to sneak through to another country or somehow get an amnesty in the country they illegally arrived in.

Leila and Sahand played it by the book and after 7 years of trying they are still in Turkey and have filed two complaints against the UNHCR for mishandling their case. One can’t debate that the fact that Sahand worked for a secret police force in a country that has a shameful human rights record may have been a factor working against him.

I am not making any value judgements here but the documentary is priceless in that it very clearly documents the fact that refugees may experience terror, guilt, frustration, happiness, hope, despair and anger which is perhaps the strongest part of the documentary.

This 2019 Danish documentary is 112 minutes in length and is in several languages with English subtitles. A film by Eva Mulvad. This is a FREE FILM and will be screened virtually throughout Canada but you’ll need to reserve tickets at the Ted Rogers Cinema Website. The festival runs from February 18-22.

See the trailer here https://www.dropbox.com/s/8lwgvmvjo954804/Love%20Child%20-%20Trailer%20%28720p%20with%2025fps%29.mp4?dl=0

Poetry Corner: The forgotten COVID long haulers

The forgotten COVID long haulers

No I am not talking about long distance truckers
but those who were COVID vaccinated and left with many side effects from the vaccine
guaranteed no liability by the countries in which their vaccine was distributed was obscene

The politico-medico jumping for joy claiming the vaccine was the light at the end of the tunnel
proved in large part to be bullshit to be drained through a funnel

There were many that had side effects that made them look like the had been hit by a stroke
Slurred speech and horribly twisted limbs
obviously no more trips to the gyms

Some suffered cognitive impairment
was this due to vaccine fast track development by their government?

Some with cognitive impairment at the time of the jab
quickly developed advanced Alzheimer’s and ended up dead on a stainless steel slab

Others simply had difficulty in walking and talking
Neither government nor vaccine manufacturer in terms of any acceptance of liability was balking.

As herd immunity was developed the politico-medico elites were back slapping
of their fame and re-election they were mapping

Apparently, no funds for millions of unfortunates for rehabilitation
left behind at the victim’s station

The long haulers were quickly forgotten by the politico-medico elite that brought the numbers down
and without compassion let the long haulers drown

Robert K. Stephen