Druthers

 Newspapers

    So many newspapers have closed in recent years there is a Wikipedia entry for "The Decline of Newspapers." It is odd then, that I received another new one last week. You may recall my post about The Epoch Times back in January. This week our subject is Druthers which is pictured above. That is the third issue and 100,000 copies of it are being distributed across the country. The title, as the masthead indicates, means what it implies, as in "If I had my druthers, we all would know the truth," and apparently that is all that Druthers publishes.  You can decide for yourself at druthers.net where you can access and assess all the issues currently available. 

   Not only does Druthers give you the truth, it also points you to other places where more of it is found. On p. 5 of the issue above you will find "Websites of Interest" and the first one listed is "Vaccine Choice Canada" and the second is "The World Doctors Alliance." The first one cannot be said to be vaccine friendly and the second appeared in the headline: "World Doctors Alliance" Shares False and Misleading Claims About the Covid-19 Pandemic." Still, one wants to trust the publisher Shawn Jason Laponte, who says on the last page: "Please world, be kind to one another. We really are just one big earth family. Thank you. I love you. Keep on passing it on." He is publishing Druthers "Because Mainstream Media Sucks!" One London reader was impressed enough to offer to hand out copies at his place of work. Before you make such a decision do have a look at Druthers where you can also buy this T-shirt. 

Vaccines

   I thought most Canadians were worried about not getting the vaccine which, at this point, is a legitimate thing to be worried about. I forgot about the fact that vaccines cause autism and that many movie stars and wealthy and influential people like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are ardent anti-vaxxers. But, if you are a vaccine fence sitter, where can you go for the real truth?

      The few employees still remaining at Statistics Canada have been looking into it. That chart is from, "Misinformation During the Covid-19 Pandemic," by Karine Garneau and Clemence Zossu and here is some prose to go with it and the news is not good:

During the pandemic, nine in ten Canadians (90%) used online sources to find information about COVID-19. The three main sources were online newspapers or news sites (63%), social media posts from news organizations or magazines (35%), and social media posts from other users or influencers (30%).

The survey found that many Canadians were not in a regular habit of checking the accuracy of information they found online, with only 21% reporting they always check the accuracy and 37% saying they often check. However roughly 36% of Canadians reported that they only sometimes (24%) or rarely (12%) checked the accuracy of COVID-19 information they found online, which facilitates the sharing of potentially misleading, false or inaccurate information.

The most common reason identified by the 1.5 million (6%) Canadians who never verified the accuracy of the information was that they trusted the source (53%). Of the other reasons, 22% reported that they did not think about checking the accuracy of the information, 20% did not care about checking, 11% said they did not know how to check and 10% did not have time to check. Men and women both reported similar proportions for the reasons they didn’t fact check the information found online.

  While the pandemic is serious, the infodemic is as well and is likely to last longer:

An infodemic is an overabundance of information, both online and offline. It includes deliberate attempts to disseminate wrong information to undermine the public health response and advance alternative agendas of groups or individuals. Mis- and disinformation can be harmful to people’s physical and mental health; increase stigmatization; threaten precious health gains; and lead to poor observance of public health measures, thus reducing their effectiveness and endangering countries’ ability to stop the pandemic.

   

Sources:

  An early report about Druthers is found here: "New Covid Conspiracy Newspaper With Extremist Ties Eyes Canada-Wide Distribution," by Rayne, Dec. 18, 2020 at Antihate.ca.

  For a recent article: "How This Man's Newspaper is Pushing Anti-Covid-Restrictions Rhetoric Across Canada," Alex McKeen, The Toronto Star, Feb.7, 2021.

The Bonus: 

  You have probably read about the new Novavax, vaccine that is going to be produced here in Canada (in a Montreal facility still under construction.) See: "Novavax's Vaccine Will Be Produced in Canada. What Do We Know About It?" Patricia Treble, Maclean's, Feb. 4, 2021.

Novavax was developed in Maryland. This from Reuters:

Chief Executive Stanley Erck and three of his top lieutenants have sold roughly $46 million of company stock since the start of last year, according to a Reuters review of securities filings, capitalizing on a near 3,000% rally in Novavax shares fueled by investors betting on the success of the shot under development. The lucrative liquidations, which have not previously been reported, underscore the transformation in Novavax’s fortunes during the global pandemic and the opportunity for its executives to lock in big profits from market optimism.

The Gaithersburg, Maryland-based company was worth only $250 million until about a year ago, when news of its experimental vaccine and its participation in Operation Warp Speed drove its valuation up to as much as $11 billion.

At least there is some good news to report. 

More Flotsam

    I noticed this headline - "Maersk Ship Loses 750 Containers Overboard in Pacific Ocean" in the Wall Street Journal (Jan 21.), where it was reported that it was "the latest in a series of weather-related accidents at sea affecting millions of dollars in cargo." Looking for additional details, I found them in The Maritime Executive on Jan. 22: " Maersk Boxship Loses 750 Containers Overboard in North Pacific,"

Heavy weather in the North Pacific is being blamed for the loss of containers aboard one of Maersk’s containerships. This is the third container loss incident recently reported in the Pacific.Maersk is saying that approximately 750 containers were lost overboard from the Maersk Essen, a 148,723 dwt vessel with a capacity of 13,100 TEU. The loss occurred on January 16, but the line did not supply details on the vessel’s location. There have been several other incidents in recent month also on the North Pacific. On November 30, the ultra-large containership ONE Apus lost approximately 1,800 containers overboard and damaged scores more during reports of severe weather approximately 1,600 nautical miles northwest of Hawaii.

What's a TEU?

Two forty-foot containers stacked on top of two twenty-foot containers. These four containers represent 6 TEU.

   It is basically a container that is usually 20' long and 8' high, but sometimes they are 40' long. 'TEU" = TWENTY-FOOT EQUIVALENT UNIT. The ship, ONE Apus, lost 1800 of them and you can see a video of the ship, with the remaining containers in disarray, in this YouTube video from the South China Morning Post. 

What Could Go Wrong?

   If a ship could lose 1800 containers, which was only a portion of its load, how many can the largest ship carry? At this time, the largest container ship is the MSC Gülsün which can carry up to 23,756 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) a time. To translate that number into one we consumers can understand, it can carry 8.35 million microwave ovens or 2.94 million washing machines.

Sources: 

There is a Wikipedia entry for TEU - Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit

If you are now intrigued see this article at iContainers.com - "What is TEU? Learn About Its History and Meaning. 

I did not do the math to find out how many microwave ovens could be carried, it was in this article:

"Boat‑lovers Can’t Contain Enthusiasm as MSC Gülsün arrives in UK," Tom Ball, The Times, Sept. 7, 2019. (The ship is 1, 312 feet long.)

For more about the garbage floating and, perhaps soon to be piling up in the Pacific, see my earlier post: Flotsam and Jetsam.  Or this one involving cattle. 

For another post about the Pacific, see this one about a paraplegic woman who attempted to row across it: Angela Madsen (RIP)

   

LINE 5

    KEYSTONE XL  is probably more recognizable to folks around here than LINE 5 is, but the latter is located closer to our homes and maybe even closer to your cottage. Line 5 is a pipeline that carries lots of petroleum products from Superior, Wisconsin to Sarnia, Ontario and it passes under the Straits of Mackinac which is the focus of concern. It is closer than you think. If the pipes there were to burst, the oil could, depending upon the currents and weather, end up in a Great Lake near you. If it is shut down to prevent such a catastrophe, people around here will lose their jobs and the price of our gasoline will probably go up. 

   Those are the concerns expressed in the article from which the picture above was taken. In it, the Prime Minister is asked for help since Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has ordered that Line 5 be shut down, and it will be in early May unless something is done. Perhaps that is why some 'Yoopers' with long guns showed up at the state house in Lansing, since they may not have enough propane if Line 5 is put out of commission. Perhaps some Canadians would have joined them if the border had been open. There seems to be more concern on this side of the border about the loss of the energy source than there is about the potential despoliation of the environment. Those who favour keeping the pipeline open say it has been there since 1953. Those who worry about the environment say, well, it has been there since 1953!

   The noise over Line 5 and the news about it will surely increase over the next couple of months as will the arguments. So, here are a few sources that will give you a leg up when the subject comes up. I will start with the article containing the picture.

Sources: 

For the company view start here: ENBRIDGE. 
There is a Wikipedia entry: Enbridge Line 5 

"Prime Minister Asked to Help Save Line 5 Pipeline," Paul Morden, Sarnia Observer, Jan. 18, 2021.
Sarnia-area politicians and labour leaders want Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to appeal directly to U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to keep the Line 5 oil and gas pipeline running through Michigan, where the state’s Democratic governor has ordered it shut down....
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley wrote to the prime minister this month challenging the legality of the governor’s order and asking Trudeau to speak with Biden directly on the issue. Line 5 carries western oil and natural gas liquids to the refineries, chemical plants and propane users in the U.S. Midwest, as well as Eastern Canada....
This shutdown will put over 4,900 jobs at risk, and jeopardize Ontario and Michigan’s energy supply that we rely on daily,” Greg Rickford, Ontario’s minister of energy, northern development and mines, said in a statement, "Ontario’s four refineries ensure that Ontario, Quebec, Michigan and the entire Great Lakes region are supplied with essential products like home heating fuels, gasoline, diesel and jet fuel,” he said.

"Canadian Officials Displeased With Whitmer's Call to Shut Down Line 5 in Straits

Keith Matheny Nov. 16, 2020, Detroit Free Press.

"U.S. News: U.S., Canada at Odds Over Great Lakes Pipeline," Vipal Monga, The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 20, 2021.

TORONTO -- Canadian and U.S. officials are at odds over the fate of a pipeline underneath the Great Lakes, exacerbating disagreements over energy policy between the two nations as the Biden administration prepares to take office.

Citing environmental concerns, Michigan state officials have told Enbridge Inc. to close its Line 5 pipeline, which carries more than half a million barrels of oil and natural-gas liquids each day from Superior, Wis., to Sarnia, Ontario.

Canadian officials say closing the pipeline would choke off more than half the supply used to make gasoline, jet fuel and home-heating oil for the most populous parts of the country.

The 645-mile pipeline, which is part of Enbridge's mainline system that conveys oil and natural gas liquids from Alberta, feeds refineries in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Ontario and Quebec.

"Pipelines are so vital to the economy and the recovery," said Chris Bloomer, president of the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, a trade group. "We're hoping for some pragmatism."

 CBC: Enbridge sues Michigan over Line 5 pipeline shutdown order.

   Although the pipeline has been in place for over 60 years, a few years ago a ship dragging an anchor did some damage to it. At that time, there was talk about enclosing it in a tunnel which would have resulted in many jobs on both sides of the border.
"Coast Guard inspected ship before Line 5 anchor dragging,"Beth LeBlanc, Sept. 13, 2020, The Detroit News.

   You may also remember that Enbridge had a problem over a decade ago with the great Kalamazoo River Oil Spill. 

"Reeling’ From COVID, Great Lakes Biz Group Joins Call for Immediate Line 5 Shut Down,"by Andy Balaskovitz,  Tuesday, June 23, 2020.

This is from the Sierra Club - Michigan and it has good graphics and video: "EVERY DAY 67-YEAR-OLD PIPELINES PUSH NEARLY 23 MILLION GALLONS OF OIL THROUGH THE HEART OF THE GREAT LAKES. WHAT IF THEY RUPTURED?"

Decomission Line 5.

National Wildlife Federation

"Gov. Whitmer’s Historic Decision to Shut Down Line 5 a Game Changing Win for the Great Lakes, Wildlife, Climate." Mike Saccone Nov 13, 2020.

Canada to Michigan on Line 5: “We support its continued safe operation”

Here is a major study from the University of Michigan: "Worse Case Oil Spill Straits of Mackinac."

Here is another major study. It is behind a firewall, but the executive summary is provided here:
"Economic Damages From a Worst-case Oil Spill in the Straits of Mackinac. Journal of Great Lakes Research, Richard T. Maelstrom , et al 45, 2019, p.1130.

This paper presents research on the economic damages from a hypothetical worst-case oil spill at the Straits of Mackinac between Lakes Huron and Michigan. This spill could occur because the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline traverses the Straits between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsula. We quantify potential economic damages to outdoor recreation, commercial fishing, shipping, residential properties, and energy and water supplies. Damages are estimated for two spill scenarios occurring at the onset of the summer tourism season with extensive shoreline oiling. Using evidence from past spills, economic damages would last for between one and two years and would affect locations on the periphery of the spill area, depending on the activity. We project the loss from the worst-case scenario would be at least $1.3 billion.

To further complicate the controversy, there are also Indigenous issues to consider: "The Drilldown: Enbridge's Line 5 Pipeline to Be Challenged by Four Indigenous Nations," Felixe Denson, iPolitics, Aug. 20, 2020. 

To read about the Great Lakes, see my post on "The American Lakes" - Book Series.

The Bonus:

   I mentioned "YOOPERS" above and they are people from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and they likely weren't the only ones involved, if any actually were.  For more on YOOPERS and such things, see my post on UNOBVIOUS DEMONYMS.

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

    

   Enough words have been expended on this subject. The image is on the cover of The New Yorker, Jan. 25, 2021. It was done by Barry Blitt. who was born in Côte Saint-Luc, Quebec  and went to the Ontario College of Art. 

   The title is, appropriately enough, A Weight Lifted. 

The Bonus:

   Blitt has done many covers for The New Yorker, but none as controversial as this one which resulted in many harsh emails, such as: "I hope your wife gets ovarian cancer."

Source:
  The email to Blitt is found in this article: "Deconstructing Barry: Inside the Mind of Illustrator Barry Blitt: How He Created That Controversial New Yorker Cover, The Reaction It Provoked and What He Thinks About His Obama Fist-bump Now," Ashley Walters, Ryerson Review of Journalism, Summer, 2009. 

For an earlier post about Blitt see: Canadian Cartoonists.

American Guide Series

Another Pandemic Reading Project

       The "American Guide Series" is one of the results of the Federal Writers' Project which was part of the Works Progress Administration during the Roosevelt presidency. "The Guides" are works devoted to various states, regions, cities and other geographical topics and were produced by, as Time magazine indicated, “unemployed newspapermen, poets, graduates of schools of journalism who had never had jobs, authors of unpublished novels, high-school teachers, people who had always wanted to write,” and so on. Putting writers on the public payroll was controversial, but as Harry Hopkins, the administrator of the Works Progress Administration, said at the time, “Hell, they’ve got to eat just like other people.”  The Federal Writers' Project employed six thousand people. 

    We can't travel right now because of the Covid pandemic. When we are able to do so, I think it would be a good idea to consider employing unemployed journalists and graduate students for such an effort in Canada. Rather than simply handing out cheques, people could be put on the payroll for public projects from which we all would benefit.

   We can't travel, but we can read about travelling. The works produced under the auspices of the WPA were often written by people who later became established writers. As well, many of the Guides are remarkably detailed and cover subjects not routinely included in guidebooks. I happened upon The Ocean Highway: New Brunswick, New Jersey to Jacksonville, which ran through my hometown and I learned things about the local area of which I was unaware.  It is reported that Steinbeck carried these books when he travelled with Charley. 

   Provided below are examples of these books that are found up at Western University. Many of the publications produced by the Federal Writers' Project are available over the Internet. Reprints are also available and original editions can be found on Abe Books. 

   And, books written about the U.S., even during the Depression, are less depressing than reading books about the U.S. now.

   Since you cannot travel to Florida, read about it here: Florida: A Guide to the Southern-most State. 

Sources: 

   There is a Wikipedia entry for the American Guide Series. 

    See the Library of Congress: American Life Histories: Manuscripts From the Federal Writers' Project, 1936 to 1940.

     The Library of Congress has just completed digitization of the posters of the WPA. See Posters: WPA Posters

    Some libraries have produced guides for the series. For example see:

Utah State University: The American Guide Series: American Culture Explained. 

Rowan University: The WPA Federal Writers' Project: The Guides. 

NYPL: Better Know a State: See the Nation, Through the American Guide Series. 

   Listed here are books from the American Guide Series that are available in the Western Libraries in early 2021. For an accurate list, you should check with a librarian at Western University. For more bibliographic information about each title, search the Western Libraries catalogue. 
   Some of these books are available over the Internet through the google books project and others are available on HathiTrust, of which Western Libraries is a member. Those which are available for free in the Internet Archive are marked with an I.
   Most of the books below are about states, but there are a few about cities (NY, New Orleans, San Francisco,) and  a couple that are regional, the Berkshire Hills and New England. In some cases, there are duplicate copies and these print volumes are located in a storage facility. Two about Kentucky are available in a microformat.
    There are also books about the collection. For three see: The Dream and the Deal; The Federal Writers' Project, 1935-1943, by Jerre Mangione. Regular Loan E175.4.W9M3. The Federal Writers' Project : A Study in Government Patronage of the Arts / Monty Noam Penkower. -Weldon Library Regular Loan PS228.F43P4 and Portrait of America : a Cultural History of the Federal Writers' Project / Jerrold Hirsch. Archives Storage - Regular Loan E175.4.W9H57 2003

Alabama : a guide to the Deep South 
Archives Storage- Regular Loan F326.W7 1973
Arizona : a State guide
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F809.3.W7 1972
Arkansas; a guide to the state
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F411.W8 1973
Atlanta : a city of the modern South 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F294.A8W8 1973
The Berkshire hills...
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F72.B5F37
California; a guide to the golden state.  I
Storage Regular Loan F859.3.H35 1967
California: a guide to the Golden State
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F859.3.F4 1972
Colorado; a guide to the highest state. I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F774.3.W74 1973
Connecticut : a guide to its roads, lore, and people
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F100.F45 1973
Death Valley : a guide 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F868.D2F4 1978
Delaware, a guide to the first State.
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F164.F45 1955
Florida; a guide to the southern-most state,    I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F316.F44
Georgia : a guide to its towns and countryside    I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F291.W94 1973
Georgia ; a guide to its towns and countryside, 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F291.W94
A guide to Alaska, last American frontier    I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F909.F45
Here's New England! : a guide to vacationland
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F2.3.F42 1973
Idaho, a guide in word and picture.     I 
Storage Regular Loan F746.F44 1961
Illinois : a descriptive and historical guide    I     
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F539.3.F4 1973
Illinois, descriptive and historical guide 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F539.3.F4 1974
Indiana; a guide to the Hoosier state. 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F524.3.W75 1961
Iowa, a guide to the Hawkeye state. 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F621.F45 1976

Jefferson's Albemarle, a guide to Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville, Virginia  
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F232.A3W87 1978
Kansas, a guide to the Sunflower State.
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F686.F45 1973
The WPA Guide to 1930s Kansas
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F686.K164 1984
Kentucky, a guide to the Bluegrass state,     I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F456.F44 1973

Los Angeles; a guide to the city and its environs, 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F869.L8W74 1972
Louisiana : a guide to the state 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F367.3.W74 1973
Maine, a guide 'Down East,'
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F17.3.F42 1972
Maryland, a guide to the old line state, 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F181.W75 1973
Massachusetts: a guide to its places and people. 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F70.F295 1973
Massachusetts: a guide to the Pilgrim State 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F70.F295 1971
Michigan : a guide to the Wolverine state 
Weldon Library Regular Loan F566.W9
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F566.W9
Mississippi; a guide to the Magnolia State.    I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F341.F45 1973
Missouri, a guide to the "Show Me" State,    I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F466.W85 1973
Montana; a state guide book,      I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F731.F44 1973
Nebraska, a guide to the Cornhusker. 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F666.F46 1976
Nevada; a guide to the Silver State,
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F841.W77 1973
New Hampshire : a guide to the Granite State 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F39.F43 1974
New Jersey, a guide to its present and past
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F139.F45 1973
New Mexico : a guide to the colorful State 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F794.3.W7 1974
New Orleans City guide 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F379.N53F42 1972
New York, a guide to the empire state.   
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F124.W76 1962
New York : a guide to the Empire State 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F117.3.W75 1962
New York City guide I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F128.18.F37 1977
New York panorama : a companion to the WPA guide to New York City : a comprehensive view of the metropolis, presented in a series of articles / prepared by the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration in New York City ; with a new introduction by Alfred Kazin.
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F128.18.N435 1984
North Carolina guide    I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F259.F44 1976
North Dakota : a guide to the northern prairie state 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F636.F43
The Ohio guide.
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F496.W76 1962
Oklahoma : a guide to the Sooner State   I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F694.R8 1974
Old capitol and Frankfort guide / 
Series: American guide series.; Kentucky culture series ; 21278-LCP - 21281-LCP.Weldon Library Ground Floor Microcard - In-Library Use Only F446.K33 21278
Oregon; end of the trail, 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F874.3.W73 1972
The Oregon trail: the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean. 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F874.3.F4 1972
Pennsylvania : a guide to the Keystone State 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F154.W94 1976
Rhode Island : a guide to the smallest state   I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F79.F38 1976
San Francisco, the bay and its cities, 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F869.S3W95 1972
South Carolina : a guide to the Palmetto State    I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F267.3.W74
South Dakota : a guide to the state     I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F656.F45 1974
Tennessee; a guide to the state,   I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F436.F4 1973
Texas : a guide to the Lone Star State  I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F386.W72 1974
Union County, past and present 
 Kentucky culture series (microcard)
Utah; a guide to the State. 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F824.3.W74 1972
Vermont; a guide to the Green Mountain State.    I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F47.3.F42 1973
Virginia : a guide to the Old Dominion     I
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F231.W88 1941
Washington, a guide to the Evergreen state. 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F889.3.W74
West Virginia, a guide to the Mountain State. 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F241.W85 1974
Wisconsin, a guide to the Badger State. 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F586.W97 1973
Wyoming; a guide to its history, highways, and people, 
Archives Storage - Regular Loan F759.3.W75 1966

THE EPOCH TIMES

   These are indeed epoch times and many believe we are approaching the 'end time'.  We may be, but I will still take the time to review for you The Epoch Times which is also the name of a newspaper. It landed in the mailboxes here in the Wortley Village area of London and I gather its thud has been heard on porches around the country. It came to us free, but it is subscribed to by millions in over thirty countries. 

   I was glad to receive a print newspaper which is an almost extinct commodity. (As an aside for younger readers, newspapers used to be delivered twice daily by boys on bicycles - the same newspaper, in a morning and evening edition.) You also were probably happy and glad for a free diversion and, like most readers of newspapers, likely skipped to the "Mind & Body"section where you were greeted by this article: "A Loving Nudge Toward Healthier Habits." The last article in that section is a full page one,"Treat Her Like a Lady: Let's Bring Back Chivalry." There is even a crossword puzzle.

   In the news section you learn that "Snowbirds Lament Border Restrictions Derailing Annual Trek South" and that the "CFL Faces Challenges in Efforts to Stage Comeback." There is also an article suggesting that "Teachers Need to Speak Out" to improve our educational system. The fellow who wrote it is a high school teacher and "a senior fellow with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy." He is also the Deputy Mayor of Steinbach (I checked.) There are articles written by those whose names you will recognize, John Robson and Conrad Black, and another by a name you may recognize, Bruce Pardy, a law professor at Queen's. (He is, I checked. And, a warning: if your partner checks they are likely to subscribe, based on his picture alone. He is not a member of the unattractive cohort -although that may make him less attractive if you are a promoter of the disadvantaged.)

   By this time you may want to know more about the subscription information which reveals that "The Epoch Times was founded in 2000 as an independent newspaper with the goal of restoring accuracy and integrity in media." Under the the title on the front page are the words "Truth and Tradition." There is also a full page letter to readers found under the title "Read What Others Won't Report."

Should You Subscribe?

   Some of you may already have, based upon the information I provided above. I did not mention, however, that many of the articles have 'China' or 'Chinese' in the title: "Canadian Pension Money Keeps Pouring Into China as Risk Escalates" and "The Ties Between Canada's Elite and Powerful and the Chinese Regime." The Epoch Times is opposed to the current Chinese government. That is not a bad thing, given that that government has been holding our "Two Michaels" hostage for many months. It is also opposed to communism in general and perceives that it is a threat everywhere as the title of the article by the handsome Queen's prof. suggests: "The Cold War Continues, This Time Within Our Borders." The Epoch Times is not opposed to everything and is very supportive of still President Trump. 

   It is unfair to raise a question without answering it, so I will conclude by suggesting that you should subscribe if you are conservative and anti-communist and one of the many Canadians who is secretly supportive of the still President Trump. 

The Canadian Reaction

   I was curious about how our compatriots reacted to the reception of The Epoch Times and here are a couple of examples.  This one comes from out west where one finds in the Vanderhoof News this letter from someone who is not a fan of The Epoch Times:

LETTER: "Brainwashing comes to Canada and Nelson"

From reader: Mary Nishio

I was distressed to learn that my sister (73) was traveling to Washington, D.C. to participate in the pro-Trump a.k.a anti-Biden presidential confirmation demonstrations. She has feasted on a steady diet of one news source and has denied the truth of all other news media. Her source of information is The Epoch Times. This news source has distorted her view of the world so that she puts her life in danger due to COVID-19 and protest violence.

   I found other articles which also were anti-Epoch, some suggesting it not be allowed and others chastising our Posties for delivering it, to wit:

 OPINION: "Why Censoring Misinformation is a Bad Idea: The Epoch Times may be bad journalism but Luckily it is Allowed to Exist in Our Country," Paul Henderson, Jan. 8, 2021 Peninsula News Review

It has raised eyebrows here in Chilliwack with some residents posting online, some have asked me directly, about why copies of the newspaper are being delivered.

I asked Canada Post about the corporation’s policy on what they will or, more importantly, what they will not deliver. Media relations spokesperson Phil Legault said they always listen to complaints from customers or employees about controversial mailings. But: “As Canada’s postal administration, Canada Post is obligated to deliver any mail that is properly prepared and paid for, unless it is considered non-mailable matter. The Courts have told Canada Post that its role is not to act as the censor of mail or to determine the extent of freedom of expression in Canada. This is an important distinction between Canada Post and private sector delivery companies.

I agree with that stance and did not mind receiving The Epoch Times and have not attacked those who deliver The Watchtower. 

Speaking of The Watchtower

   The Epoch Times, like The Watchtower, is not without religious connections. It was founded at the beginning of this century (so far an epoch one indeed) by John Tang who was living in Georgia at the time and a follower of Falun Gong. The founder of that religion is the living messiah Li Hongzhi who is living next door in New York state. 

Sources: 

   The Wikipedia entries for both the paper and Falun Gong will do for most people, unless you are like me and are seeking more free diversions. If so read this:

"Epoch Times Revenue Soared on Trump Conspiracies," Lachlan Markay, Jan 12, 2021, Nieman Journalism Lab.

"The publisher of The Epoch Times, a stridently pro-Trump publication with a flair for conspiracy theories and links to Chinese dissidents, nearly quadrupled its revenue during the first three years of the administration.

Why it matters: The nonprofit Epoch Times Association’s 2019 revenue of $15.5 million, up from $3.9 million in 2016, shows how lucrative news coverage catering to the president's most fervent supporters could be — and will likely remain even after he leaves office.

Founded in 2000, The Epoch Times has ties to members of the Falun Gong, a Chinese religious movement that's been persecuted by the country’s ruling Communist Party.

In its annual tax filings with the IRS, the Epoch Times Association says its “purposes are inspired by the founders’ personal experiences in Communist China and their efforts to bring honest, uncensored news despite oppression and violence.”

The big picture: The Epoch Times has doggedly written stories indulging some of the most popular conspiracy theories floated by President Trump and his most ardent supporters."

The Bonus:

The Jehovah's Witnesses people haven't been to our door in quite a while. If that is true for you as well and you are missing The Watchtower, just click on that link and read it online. 

Okay. That is a joke. I want you to keep reading "The Bonus" section so here is the real bonus:

If you have subscribed to The Epoch Times and are seeking yet another conservative, religious-backed newspaper see this one which was founded by Sun Myung Moon and is strategically located in Washington, D.C.: The Washington Times - it contains "Reliable Reporting" and "The Right Opinion."

Who Should Get the Covid Vaccines First?

    

   In clear violation of the protocols I mentioned in the "About this Blog" section, I will focus on an issue that is both current and complex. I planned to eschew the present because most topical subjects tend to be ephemeral and this blog is designed to be eternal. In this case, however, the current issue has long been around, but avoided, and it will linger for a long time to come and will still be avoided. I also deliberately planned to avoid the difficult subjects because I am not equipped to handle them. I can't handle this one either, but at least I can point out the questions if not answer them. Perhaps you hadn't even thought about them, so I am at least helping in that regard.

   The 'issue' in this case we will define simply as the question raised above: Who Should Get the Vaccines First?  Complex ethical problems are involved, as are logistical ones which complicate further the ethical ones. I will avoid the problems associated with the rationing of the vaccines, if there are not enough of them and focus on how the delivery of them should be prioritized, which is what the question is getting at. I am sure most of you know the answer to the question - You Should.

   The problem with your solution is that there are several million people who disagree with you and that only includes the ones on this continent. The disagreements have started to surface and will, like the virus, increase exponentially as the vaccines are only slowly dispensed. To give one example, which is an irritating one if you are quarantined on a cold day in Canada, consider this question: "Why in the hell is that Snowbird in Florida, getting the vaccine before I do?" That question is not only being raised here. I have a relative in Florida, who indicated that she was not happy with those northerners who were getting the shot before she was unless, perhaps they owned property there. I have another relative in Maryland who is not too pleased that those who are in prison might be given a priority ranking higher than his. You may be getting the feeling now that the question is not so easy to answer.

   Increasing numbers of such questions will be asked with increasing urgency over the next few months. While I indicated I don't have the answers, I can at least list some of the questions that are going to be asked and direct you to some of the resources that will help answer them. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that they will indicate you should be first in line.

   This post was prompted by an article I read this morning. It provides a clear account of the ethical issues which are rather murky when examined closely. In the middle of the essay, which should be read if you are at all interested in the emotional costs of this pandemic, is this paragraph of questions:

"Given this, who should get the vaccine first? If we prioritize people who are more likely to contract and die from the illness—which is one common method of allocating vaccines—should Black, Latino, and Indigenous Americans be on the top of the list, given their documented vulnerability? Should the risks associated with being among the first to receive the vaccine be distributed more broadly? Should health-care workers get the first doses? What about schoolchildren, or teachers? Should we prioritize people most likely to die from the disease (say, the elderly) or those most likely to transmit it widely (say, college students)? Can a government compel some citizens to get inoculated? Should it? If the U.S. is the first country to develop the vaccine, should it share its limited early doses with the international community? Should the federal government get to decide how the vaccine is allocated among different states? What if multiple vaccines arrive on the market with different levels of effectiveness, or different side effects? Who gets which one?"

It is not very difficult to translate these questions into 'Canadian.' It is being suggested here, for example, that being in the older cohort, I should be vaccinated first. But, is not the student on campus more likely to spread the virus and have many more years to live and be more productive? Will the shot I get come when Trudeau, Ford or a local authority determines it will? Why did that province, get the vaccine first? Should those on P.E.I. be put at the end of the line because they are on an island? Should Canada outbid other countries for the limited supply? One could go on.

The good news is that there are plenty of bioethicists around and available to provide clinical advice in difficult situations. There are also well developed guidelines, protocols and "crisis standards of care" about such things as whether to bother with resuscitation or determine which of the five patients gets the last ventilator. The bad news is that the desperate decision will probably have to be made by a first year resident who to you, looks like an adolescent. No one wants to be in the position to make such a decision, just as our Prime Minister or Premier will have difficulty determining who gets the first vaccine.

The bad news continues. Even if there was conclusive evidence indicating exactly what should be done and a leader willing to make the decision required, there would be many followers who would object. There are some in communities close by who are not willing to obey the rules and there are many, particularly, south of our border, unwilling to submit to government protocols and trust the government even though they believe in The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

Sources:

The article: "What the Chaos in Hospitals is Doing to Doctors," Jordan Kisner, The Atlantic, Jan./Feb. 2021. On the cover, the question is raised: "Who Should Get the Vaccine First --- and Last?" I will not put the link in because it is unlikely to get you behind the firewall, but the article is very good.

"Guidance on the prioritization of initial doses of COVID-19 vaccine(s)," Government of Canada.

“COVID‑19 Vaccination Program Interim Playbook for Jurisdiction Operations” Center for Disease Control, Oct. 29, 2020.

"Fair Allocation Mechanism for COVID-19 Vaccines Through the COVAX Facility," World Health Organization, Sept. 9, 2020.

"National Academies Release Framework for Equitable Allocation of a COVID-19 Vaccine for Adoption by HHS, State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Authorities," The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, Oct. 2, 2020.

The Bonus:

Ethical issues can be perplexing and confusing and sometimes even symbols are not clear. If, like me, you associated the caduceus pictured above with the field of medicine, you were correct. But, apparently it is not a good choice. See: "Caduceus as a Symbol of Medicine", or "Things You Don't Learn in Medical School."