Mik B

Organizations sound alarm as nearly 32% of Calgarians struggle to afford food | CBC News A growing number of Calgarians are facing food insecurity, says poverty reduction organization Vibrant Communities Calgary, which is sounding the alarm over how many people in the province are struggling.

Nearly 1 in 3 Calgarians can’t afford enough food. Danielle Smith’s UCP has let food insecurity spiral out of control.

No one should have to choose between rent and dinner. Albertans deserve better.

I worry about this in regard to many things we took for granted, and what the future holds for our children. Are the best days behind us?

When Covid started, society largely came together. A shared sense that we could act in a way that helped us all; especially the most vulnerable. When Gov's realised this threat was here to stay they had 2 choices: 1) Lie 2) Be honest Which do you think they chose? 1/ They effectively threw tear gas canisters into the crowd. They needed to break the togetherness and get people to disperse and back into their old way of life. They knew it was airborne. They knew it was, and remains debilitating and causes all manner of long term harms. 2/ But they needed people back at work & spending as usual. Kids back at school. This could've been achieved by being honest but this would have required investments & unpopular mitigations. Education & truthful messaging would've been paramount to success; yet it was possible. 3/ But this would have reduced people's willingness to socialize as before or to send kids into schools badly equipped for safety. So they chose to lie. Because that's really easy. Just don't tell people the true harms. Downgrade it. Confuse. Misdirect. Throw shade on vax too. 4/ Tell people mitigations don't work. That infection is inevitable; even good for you. Have a media blackout. Reduce testing to next to nothing. Remove all information. Make levels seem low. Insignificant. Make things observed seem normal or attributable to anything else. Etc. 5/ But to lie on this scale needs evilness. To abandon people and put them at risk of death or disability. It also needs international collaboration. If you believe that Gov's don't do this; I suggest you look at other things they do. Things that most likely & rightly enrage you. 6/ Puppeteers need puppets. If you think covid is nothing, I'm afraid they've been pulling your strings. I just want you to consider this: If I am right and they lied to make you ignore this; what do you think they would have done differently to persuade you to? Think hard. 7/end

🎯🧵from @peteuk7.bsky.social on Twitter earlier today:

"When Covid started, society largely came together.
A shared sense that we could act in a way that helped us all; especially the most vulnerable.
When Gov's realised this threat was here..."

Full thread here:
threadreaderapp.com/thread/19540...

Penguin’s reaction when her favorite human comes to check up on her... 🥹 #bluesky

This list—predominantly managers of hospital infection control programs—are undermining revisions to a Canadian standard for workplace respirator personal protective equipment (PPE) that would improve safety grounded in science and engineering. /1

Motherfucking wind farms…

Long COVID: SARS-CoV-2 persists in the brainstem in the long term and deregulates neuronal activity Symptoms can persist in some SARS-CoV-2 patients several months after infection. Scientists at the Institut Pasteur have demonstrated in an animal model that SARS-CoV-2 infects the brain and persists ...

1. 'They observed that genes associated with neuronal metabolism and activity are deregulated in these animals' brains in a way that is reminiscent of the molecular signatures...

www.pasteur.fr/en/home/pres...

Carl Sagan explains how the ancient Greeks knew the Earth was round and calculated its circumference over 2,000 years ago.

The Income Gap In Canada Has Reached A Record High The wealthiest amass more through higher salaries and passive income, while workers face stagnating wages.

The Income Gap In Canada Has Reached A Record High www.readthemaple.com/the-income-g...

1/ Respiratory protection (including respirators)

The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has released CSA Z94.4, a draft revision of its standard on respirators and respiratory protection.

For the first time they are including healthcare settings in the new draft standard.

Guest column | I’m a microplastics researcher. Here’s how I limit the plastic in my life. Microplastics are everywhere. But there are simple ways to lower your exposure.

Some good tips for reducing your microplastic exposure
wapo.st/4o35OId

A blue, black and yellow graphic features a hand-drawn illustration of a headstrap N95 mask entwined with a stethoscope, with tubing coiled in the shape of a heart. Text reads, Support a National Standard for N95s (asterisk - and other respirators!) in Healthcare. Have your say by August 19, 2025. Summary and template answers available at www.DoNoHarmBC.ca In the corner is the DoNoHarm BC logo and a QR code leading to their website

Advocacy alert 📣 Until August 19, you can give input on a game-changing national standard requiring N95s & other respirators in healthcare (and beyond)!

To make it easier to take part, we've created a plain-language explainer that includes some sample feedback: donoharmbc.ca/national-sta...

Good News!

Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has called for universal respirator use in healthcare settings & when performing patient care outside of healthcare settings (eg – in the home) in the latest edition of CSA Z94.4, Selection, use and care of filtering respirators.

If you need a resource to send to family and friends to try and enlighten them about the dangers of COVID, this is a terrific, comprehensive one that’s still regularly updated. Thank you so much for this, @durianliftoff.bsky.social.

Risk Factors for COVID-19–Related Hospitalization and Death in Patients With Cancer This prospective cohort study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on patients with cancer, including risk factors for hospitalization, treatment disruptions, and death.

“COVID-19 infection had a significant impact on patients with cancer, and risk factors for hospitalization and mortality were identified.”

jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

The Jasper Wildfire review is damningly clear about one thing: the UCP government exploited a life-and-death moment to play political games.

And in their response to this report, rather than accepting responsibility and promising to do better, they lash out, insult others, and refuse any blame.

Facing more questions about her ethics & judgement today, Smith defended using her husband as an advisor on rail projects despite his having no experience in that field...

Then justified it by citing American "First Spouse" practices, saying "politics it's a family affair".

#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

Last night’s Alberta Next town hall ‘couldn’t have been more contrived if it were a one-star Fringe show’ - Alberta Politics Despite the United Conservative Party’s best efforts to do so, there’s no way Premier Danielle Smith’s “Alberta Next” travelling townhall tour can be described as a public consultation on this provinc...

“It couldn’t have been more contrived if it were a one-star Fringe show,” observed Public Interest Alberta Executive Director ⁦‪Brad Lafortune.

#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

albertapolitics.ca/2025/07/last...

Nearly half of Albertans are $200 or less away from financial insolvency each month, more than any other province, amid ongoing economic uncertainty Nearly half of Albertans (47%, +2 pts) report they are $200 or less away from financial insolvency each month — more than those in any other province — according to the latest MNP Consumer Debt Index.

A new report from MNP says nearly half of Albertans are living on a $200 edge of financial ruin. Not something you would expect from such a great province.

A lot to answer for when it comes to paying the bills, Danielle.

Fatigue, Brain Fog And A Racing Heart — What Doctors Are Learning About Post-COVID Neurodivergence By Nancy Doyle, Contributor. Organizational Psychologist specializing in neurodiversity Follow Author Jul 15, 2025, 10:29am EDT Jul 15, 2025, 01:12pm EDT

Fatigue, Brain Fog And A Racing Heart — What Doctors Are Learning About Post-COVID Neurodivergence.

"There is emerging, but compelling, evidence that the overlap between of neurodivergence, hypermobility, MCAS, POTS, and dysautonomia is not a coincidence, and has a lot to do with COVID"

NPR had a quick, upbeat mention about how farmwork could function as healthcare with people "prescribed" to do it and it feels maddening that a significant swath of elite opinion seems to be trying to soft relaunch serfdom.

Alberta has now reported more cases than the ENTIRE United States. This measles outbreak was preventable, but the UCP chose not to prevent it.

Danielle Smith is ignoring health experts and putting our lives at risk to fuel her separatist drama.

This crisis needs action now.

Profiles of Individuals With Long COVID Reporting Persistent Cognitive Complaints AbstractObjective. A subset of COVID-19 patients continues to experience cognitive difficulties 24 months post-infection. The factors driving these symptom

1. The most important point in this article is the 20% study group prevalence of anosognosia: having cognitive dysfunction but not being aware of it.

academic.oup.com/acn/advance-...

Here’s the thing about people who stopped masking… they did a numbers calculation.

They decided their personal risk was low, and the risk to the disabled and elderly was “acceptable” to avoid having to change or adapt their behaviour.

They chose “you do you” over public health 🧵

People have no idea how hard it is to be a complex chronic illness patient.

They always think they will be the exception.

That we aren’t trying hard enough.

That help exists but we don’t want it.

There is no help.

Many of these conditions have no cure & few treatments. 🧵

Cognitive impairment 2 years after mild to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection in a population-based study with matched-comparison groups - Scientific Reports Scientific Reports - Cognitive impairment 2 years after mild to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection in a population-based study with matched-comparison groups

So this adds to a substantial body of knowledge that covid can cause brain injury, what stands out about this one is the length of time after the infection & the fact that your first infection is probably the most dangerous for your brain.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Keep away from wokeness and DEI, new minister warns municipalities Major municipalities should steer clear of creating drug injection sites, licensing body rub parlours and banning plastic straws, says the first municipal affairs minister from rural Alberta since Jan...

Dislike the US Republicans?

Why would you consider voting for the Alberta equivalent?

They are basically the same people.

Cynthia Olivera is a Canadian who’s been living in the US since she was 10

She’s in ICE custody, after being grabbed at her green card interview.

The 45 year old wife & mother has been moved between facilities while her husband begs ICE to let her get on a plane to Canada. 🧵

We really live in the era of we couldn't be bothered to do something about people dying because it would be admitting uncomfortable truths. I hope it's a short era.

COVID Pandemic Fatigue Has Left the U.S. Vulnerable to New Threats The “quarantine fatigue” of 2020 became an ongoing “pandemic fatigue,” a complex set of emotions that continues to affect the nation

“I’m concerned today with pandemic defeatism—where rather than maintain systems prepared for another pandemic or continue combating COVID, we might be too quickly choosing to ignore the real risks that are out there and instead throw up our hands, suggesting that there’s perhaps nothing we can do.”