Notices by Augie Ray (augieray@mastodon.social)

"Why are so many children getting Long COVID?"

We pretended COVID is gone. We've avoided masks. We've done nothing to clean the air in classrooms. Very few children are getting vaccinated. We do nothing to change kids' activities to keep them safer during surges.

Yes, it sure is a mystery why so many children are getting Long #COVID19. Get your children vaccinated, opt for more outdoor activities, and ask about ventilation and filtration in your children's classrooms.

https://www.newsweek.com/why-are-so-many-children-getting-long-covid-2080950

And I'm sure it is purely coincidental that Trump calling in the National Guard is occurring the week after an embarrassingly childish feud between he and Elon musk and as his "big beautiful bill" is being embarrassingly shredded for weakening the US with long-term economic damage. Distract, distract, distract!

How much is the US spending on failed court cases, performative immigration raids, military parades, and golf vacations that could go to improve Americans' health, safety, and finances? Asking for 340 million Americans.

Nothing says "We're an ethical company with nothing to hide" like kicking journalists out of your tradeshow booth and threatening to call the cops if they return.

https://www.wired.com/story/palantir-defense-conference-journalists/

An entire article about the rise of strokes among younger people between 2020 and 2022--a 14.6% increase of strokes among people aged 18 to 44--and not a single mention of the HUNDREDS of studies that show every #COVID19 infection increases the risks of strokes, embolism, and other cardiovascular risks.

We can ignore COVID, but it is not ignoring us.

https://nypost.com/2025/06/03/health/doctor-on-whats-causing-spike-of-stroke-cases-in-young-people/

That escalated quickly.

#ElonMusk now calling for #DonaldTrump's impeachment.

Dan Savage on his latest podcast notes he got #COVID19 while traveling and says:

"So to these small number of people out there, I saw in those airports and on those planes and in those trains and on those train stations wearing masks, you were right to be wearing masks. And the rest of us, myself included, who were not wearing masks, we were wrong."

I've been warning you that a summer surge of #COVID19 is imminent. Saying that doesn't require ESP or analysis--we've had summer surges of COVID infections for years, and last year's summer surge was worse than our winter.

But, we're beginning to get some idea of the new COVID variants that may cause this surge. A lot of media attention has fixated on NB.1.8.1 (nicknamed "Nimbus" in the COVID-aware community). (1/4)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2025/05/27/nb181-covid-variant-vaccine-test-booster/83876443007/

It's likely a long way from hitting the market--assuming it would even be approved in the US--but a French company has successfully tested a nasal vaccine that blocks transmission of #COVID19. It involves two nasal immunizations delivered three weeks apart

https://www.inrae.fr/en/news/french-nasal-vaccine-project-against-covid-19-blocks-all-transmission-virus-another-step-taken

Seems fair.

Police pepper-sprayed, tased, and hit a 93-year-old disabled man in a wheelchair. He ended up in the hospital where he contracted #COVID19 and died.

How many people could've prevented this chain of events from occurring?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/may/19/police-pepper-sprayed-and-tasered-93-year-old-disabled-man-court-hears-east-sussex

This is the way.

A high school freshman track athlete took second place behind a trans athlete, and a Republican leader used the situation to push hateful propaganda. The girl responds:

"I don't feel like first place was taken from me. Instead, I feel like a happy day was turned ugly by a bully who is using children to make political points... No one was harmed by Soren’s participation in the girls’ track meet, but we are all harmed by the hateful rhetoric of bullies, like Rep. Libby."

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I don't think I've ever seen a politician go from being an interesting Democratic presidential candidate to one completely unworthy. Every single thing Newsom does these days seems to push him further from the Democratic faithful. He's turning into the west-coast Fetterman, and I can't tell if that's a misguided strategy, a desire to run as an independent, a strategy to shift parties, or some sort of brain damage.

https://abc7.com/post/california-governor-newsom-proposes-pausing-expansion-health-care-low-income-immigrants/16413283/

Love this.

1,000 US cases and three deaths from Measles, and it's in all the headlines.

2.7 million US #COVID19 cases in 2025 causing 13,415 deaths, and it's complete silence from the media.

Make it make sense.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/09/measles-hits-1000-cases-for-the-second-time-in-30-years-00337905

https://x.com/BNOFeed/status/1919179417856676072

A sign of a great song is when other artists do great cover versions of it.

Here is Aha's Take On Me done by The Dreggs. It features banjo, cello and great vocal harmonies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11aaY0kY7lM

A couple of months ago I shared another great cover of Take On Me by a punk band from Argentina, Pacifica.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw2uwo6CPKs

The good stock market in 2024 was his doing. The bad stock market 100 days into his term, after his tariff chaos, is someone else's fault. The buck stops somewhere else.

This is who we are now. ICE deported three children who are US citizens and denied their families access to attorneys. One of the children has a rare form of cancer and was deported without their medication or access to their doctor.

If you object and say, "this isn't who I am," let me ask if you are marching, speaking up, or reaching out to your elected officials? If not, then yes, this is who you are--government of the people, by the people, for the people perishes when we remain silent.

I didn't mind if leopards ate other people's faces, but I never thought they'd eat mine!

"Abandon Twitter and go to Bluesky," they said. "It's a better version of Twitter."

News: Bluesky restricts access to 72 accounts in Turkey amid government pressure

Bluesky is just another VC-funded, profit-seeking social platform. The fediverse is inherently better.

https://stockholmcf.org/bluesky-restricts-access-to-72-accounts-in-turkey-amid-government-pressure/