Teacher Free Speech Spring 2021 News + Views!

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OH CANADA

Kinda Sorta Stay At Home: Ontario Premier Doug Ford finally issues another last minute stay at home order. It's for the next four weeks, as the third wave of the pandemic comes comes crashing down upon us. Meanwhile, there's a huge outbreak in our north west end Toronto condo, like in many of the more challenged parts of the city. The local park is packed with kids and lots of folks are walking about the streets without masks, enjoying the spring weather. His latest "plan" is wishy washy. Enforcement dicey at best. It's clearly another case of too little, too late @ On.Ca @ CTV 

Sick Daze: Tragically, there's still no readily accessible, paid, provincial sick days or mass vaccinations available for Ontario's most challenged, frontline workers @ CBC @ Canada Press @ CTV

School Daze: The staff and students at our schools still haven't been vaccinated. The classroom are overcrowded, understaffed and lack proper HVAC [heating, ventilation and air conditioning]. But Ford still refuses to close them down. Fortunately, our local public health boards are starting to do so anyway. More under "EduBeat below" and @ Globe  

Nope! Nothing Ads Up!

Move It: A new, home eviction ban has also been put in place, on paper anyway @ BlogTo

Covid Fever: As spring arrives, Ontario's daily Covid rate snowballs past the 3000 mark! What does Doug Fraud do? Issue a "stay at home order'? Nope! He applies an "emergency break". Orders a third province wide "shutdown", if we can call it that! Basically, Ford's closing our outdoor patios, tattoo, barber shops and other personal care services in Toronto again. While the rest of the province joins us in the already ineffective, half measures, still in place here since Christmas. While our schools remain open and his vaccine roll out stumbles out the gate. It's super scary! The pandemic has spun totally out of control @ CTV @ CBC @ CP24 @ BlogTO

Canadian Muddle: Sadly Canada's province's aren't working together to eliminate the Covid virus. Each is merely content with trying to contain or live with the pandemic instead. The third wave shouldn't be any surprise. It's like the premier's are playing whack-a-mole. While the cross country muddle of business and school openings and closures simply continues to feed the pandemic's exponential growth @ Tyee 

Surf's Up: As spring arrives, the third wave of the Covid pandemic hits Ontario with a  spike in new variants. It's now been a year now since Premier Doug Ford first declared a province wide state of emergency. He's still playing the same, political con games with the statistics, endlessly tinkering about with his confusing opening and closing orders, as he panders to his big business cronies. Luckily here in Toronto, Mayor John Tory continues to rely a lot more upon the medical experts advice instead, largely helping keep our winter lockdown in place, for now anyway @ Global @ CBC @ CTV @ NP @ CP24

Send Vaccine! The US recently helped out by donating 1.5 millions of AstraZeneca vaccine to Canada. We're scheduled to receive 2 million doses from India this spring. Sadly, there's an international shortage of vaccines, including Pfizer, Modern, and J+J, which are also authorized for use in Canada. They continue arriving from around the world in ribs and drabs, underscoring Canada's inability to manufacture them here ourselves. Tragically, our lack of a cohesive vaccine strategy is a federal problem, dating back to the 1980's, through successive Liberal and Conservative governments @ CNN @ Global @ Conv

Ford's Rollout Follies: In Doug Fraud's Ontario, online booking glitches, freezer failures, broken vials and long line ups for a vaccine shot, are the order of the day. Incapable of distributing what we've got, Ford instead deflect's the issue, blaming Prime Minster Justin Trudeau for not sending more @ CTV @ Narc

Hillier Express A Go Go: Retired General Rick Hillier, the head honcho of Ford's vaccine rollout, resigns just 4 months into the highly inept campaign. Worry not! Rick the Trickster has still got his side job as an international arms salesman to fall back on. Won't need to worry much about it anymore. Unlike the rest of us, left wondering what the F$!# Doug Fraud will do next?!? @ CTV @ OC

AstraZ: According to Health Canada, the evidence doesn't suggest that Astrazeneca is any more dangerous than the other Covid vaccines. That despite a mad flurry of suspensions across the European Union. Now, their initial concerns have been discounted by the medical experts too. 

Beware of Big Pharma! There's lots of nasty, fear mongering, competition and interference, as the inoculations begin! From my own experience, the end result was very unsettling, for those of us stuck awaiting our shot this week! See "Covid Beat". More @ CBC @ Global @ Reuters

Lilley Gate 101!

In Bedded: Meet Toronto Sun reporter Brian Lilley; chief Doug Fraud butt kisser and alt right kook. Lilley loves to expose the Libtard's shortcomings. Nor is he one to let the truth get in the way. Now it turns out that he's quite literally in bed with Ivana Yelich; the Conster's Media Relations Director! Shamelessly, Lilley claims not knowing what she does at work, even though the two are living together! Have been for awhile. Pffft! Goes to show just how complicit the Sun is in Ford's big Covid lies. Read the whole sordid tale @ DB 

"Lilley-Gate" or "Compromising Positions": How come nobody has said anything about the Lilley Gate scandal until now?!? Think conflict of interest! And it still isn't breaking news!!! Nor is Doug being questioned about it at his various, daily media ops. Duh. Our Queens Park media gallery, what a sad, sorry, f'n lot @ Passage

Anti Asian Racism: Sure it's terrible in the states. But let's not get too smug about the recent shootings south of the Canadian border. Say it can't happen here. Trump's off colour, racist "China Flu/ Kung Flu" references and jokes, were often eagerly echoed across Canada. Anti-Asian sentiments run deep throughout our history too. From the Chinese head tax, to prohibition, fears of the  "yellow menace" and the Japanese internment camps in WW2. It's a horrible problem of our own making, that mustn't be ignored @ CBC @ CTV @ TO

Border Walls: The Canada US border remains tightly shut for at least another month. Yup! It's been closed to all non-essential travel for over a full year now, by mutual agreement, due to the pandemic. Rest assured, out of sheer necessity, very few of us are arguing over this @ CTV

Much more to come ...

IN THE NEWS

Keeping It Competent: US President Joe Biden quickly reverses many of Trump's most offensive policies on climate, Mexico and the WHO. He's taken decisive action on the Covid pandemic and an economic relief package, as promised during the fall election. He's even surpassed a promise to inoculate 100 million Americans within his first 100 days in office. Also, the lack of embarrassing tweets, hissy fits, cronyism and presidential attempts at fomenting insurrection are a great relief. More @ CTV @ CNN @ MSNBC 

American Justice On Trial: Think OJ Simpson. Or the police beating of Rodney King! The US remains deeply divided along racial lines. Hold on tight! Former cop Derek Chauvin's trial in the death of George Floyd, has just begun @ BBC @ NYT

Trump -Welcome to 2021: the US + Abroad Revisited: President Biden might be getting onboard with the international community, by rejoining the Iranian JCOAP nuclear deal. So maybe the Iranians won't assassinate Trump after all, now that he's no longer president, like I said in my new year's blog? No more drone strike on the golf course at Mar-a-Lago?!? Hmmm. Let's see @ AP @ Politico My @ Blog

More On My Trump Musings: Turns out that Trump was a whole lot sicker than he let on, when he caught the Covid virus last fall. Apparently he's "recovered" now, but watch carefully. I still bet that he'll eventually succumb to the various medical complications, like I said in my Welcome to 2021 blog. Won't be around in 2024. Maybe? Maybe not? @ Global My @ Blog

What Next 4 Donald?!? 

Biden,Trudeau and Cuba: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Joe Biden continue to parrot Trump's lies and banalities about Cuba. That despite the socialist state's new constitution, election process and move to a mixed economy. Seems Cuba still isn't "free". It continues to resist the Neo-Liberal agenda, most notably the unfettered flow of US capital in and out of the country. Wonder how many of our human rights we'd still enjoy here, if Canada like Cuba was living under a permanent state of emergency? Due to an illegal American economic embargo? The very real threat of military attack? 

Sadly, despite Obama's effort to normalize relations, Biden's aggressive tone towards Cuba, coming Post Trump, isn't much of a surprise, especially in the swing state of Florida [Blog]. However, Trudeau's lackey response remains downright perplexing, given our policy of constructive engagement with Cuba since the 1959 revolution. So too, his toadyism within the "America First" Lima group's Neo Lib offensive against Venezuela and Bolivia @ CD 

Read more about the new "Canada-US Agreement on the America's" @ Global Affairs Canada

Dept of Socialista Vaccine: Cuba is rushing to develop and distribute 2 new Covid vaccines; Soberana 2 and Abdala. Venezuela is participating with the stage 3 trials, as they race to get access to a vaccine too. Hopefully, Cuba will be immunized by this August. Meanwhile, it's also thinking ahead by working with China to develop the Pan Corona vaccine, to protect against the new, more dangerous SARS-CoV-2 strains @ Global @ Telesur @ Telesur

Covid Cuba: Cuba is trapped in a desperate race against time to develop it's own Covid vaccines. It also wants to share them with it's Latin American and Caribbean neighbours in the developing world. Offer them to any tourists visiting their country. But sadly, the US embargo is cutting off the medical supply of equipment and raw materials needed to quickly test and produce the new vaccines. While Pfizer and Moderna are bowing under pressure and refusing to export theirs to the beleaguered socialist state. It's truly a horrific and frightenly overlooked state of affairs @ Granma @ Pleng

Bobi Wine Rocks: Uganda's defacto President-in-Waiting is bravely standing up eyeball to eyeball against Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, a notorious Idi Amin style dictator, unwilling to blink. Museveni still enjoys strong US and World Bank support, despite ruthlessly kidnapping, torturing, and murdering his political opponents with complete impunity. But is anybody even paying attention in the west?!? How long until Bobi Wine [aka Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu] disappears too?!? What next for the struggling African nation? @ BBC @ AF @ Ugmon @ PRI

Much more to come ...

COVID BEAT

When I'm 64: Out the blue, those of us aged 60 to 64 suddenly get to line jump in Ontario for a surprise shot of the Astrazeneca vaccine. I had a sore arm, a mild fever and chills for the next few days. Overall, a minor discomfort, in exchange for some sorely needed peace of mind! Still, one can't help but wonder why the surplus shots didn't go to our frontline teachers and education workers instead?!? It just doesn't seem right! Now, I've got a much sought after Ontario Ministry of Health vaccination certificate. With the promise of a second needle sometime within the next four months. Very strange and Sgt Pepperish. Yours sincerely wasting away @ CP24 A Beatlesque interlude @ Youtube Now I'm 64 @ Youtube

DIY Risk Assessment:  Premier Doug Fraud is playing real loose with Ontario's daily Covid facts and figures, to further his own highly dubious political agenda. You can better assess the actual risks for yourself! To help you out, Teacher Free Speech will continue to monitor and post lots of helpful charts and timely tips on Twitter @ Here! Often they're from family Doctor Jennifer Kwan @ Twitter Biostatician Ryan Imgrund @ Twitter  and Covid Schools Canada @ Twitter 

Vax Time: Dr. Makhija and Dr. Kwan Show Us How it's Done!

Expert Advice: Much more on Dr. Jennifer @ Global and Ryan Imgrund @ CTV 

Contact Highs + Lows: Ryan Imgrund's daily charts let us know how many people we can come in contact with, before we seriously risk catching the virus @ Outline

New Addition! Crush The Curve: Retired statics prof Bill Comeau also posts a handy, daily Covid's dashboard! He quickly shows us the latest numbers at a glance. Then his colourful charts and graphs break them down, so that they're easier to understand and make a whole lot more sense. Highly recommended @ Twitter

Women and Covid: Covid has had a disproportionate effect on women both at home and in the workplace throughout the pandemic. It's exasperated a wide variety of gender equity, human rights and social justice issues that remain largely unaddressed @ CTF

Better hear this ....

Third Wave Blues: So far the Covid pandemic is unfolding remarkably like the 1918 Spanish Flu. But we're very lucky. It's not nearly as virulent, or we'd be royally screwed. Still, contrary to popular opinion, we might very well not be out of harms way just yet! 

In 1919, the virus returned for the children and younger folks -those whom it missed the first two times around. A real horror show! Formerly "recovered" patients sometimes began to bleed from their eyes and ears. They were kind of lucky. Many others died suddenly in huge waves, from heart attacks and other lingering, medical complications, little understood at the time. Some cities got hit extra hard with signicifantly higher fatality rates than during the first two waves. While others escaped completely unscathed. Afterwards, the virus kept returning pop-a-mole style, for a few years to come, seemingly at random, all over the place. 

We're in a mad race now, to hopefully get everyone vaccinated asap. Perhaps modern science can better deal with whatever follows next. But maybe not right away. Will our politicos be listening? Will they follow their advice? 

Better safe than sorry! For a great history lesson and insightful read, I again highly recommend John Barry's The Great Influenza, as we now enter the third wave @ Amazon

History Repeats: No? Think it's BS? Then check out how the third wave of the 1918-19 pandemic in Hamilton Ontario, mirrored what's happening today. Very eerie @ McMaster

Dept of Covidiot Rebukes: Help end the big lies about Covid-19 in the Post Trumpian Age! Here are 3 steps to stop the wild conspiracy theories, alt facts and talk of fake cures @ WF

Dear Post Covid Me: Writing letters to yourself in the future, about the crisis we are now in, is a great way to reduce stress @ NaPo

Much more to come ....

EDUCATION BEAT

Education Minister Lecce's Got A "Plan" ...

How Safe Are Ontario's Schools? Why so safe, they're being closed indefinitely, after the April break! Yup! It's official! Education Minister Stephen Lecce finally closes the our public elementary and secondary schools @ CTV @ CBC

School's Out: Toronto Public Health follows the lead of other local boards across the province. They finally issue a Section 22 order under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, closing our public schools while they investigate the safety concerns. However, it's only until spring break next week. After that, who knows what comes next? But at least they're exercising some leadership, in an otherwise gaping void @ Global @ CBC @ Globe

Teacher Vax: AEFO, CUPE, ETFO, OECTA and OSSTF finally make a concerted, collective pitch for the province's teachers and education workers to be vaccinated during the break. The Ford government agrees, or "promises" to do so anyway. However, the devil as aways, is in the details. Special education teachers, workers and those in a few, high risk areas come first, the rest by mid May. The vaccines will take at least 2 weeks to kick in, as the school year rapidly draws to a close. Better late than never, I suppose, but the Ford government still won't close the province's schools even for now, to really make sure everybody is safe @ CTV @ Global

Lecce's Safety Plan!

Sick Daze: Our school boards are so desperate that they're getting lunch supervisors and admin staff, to fill in when a teacher is away. Hardly anybody wants a full-time teaching position in Ontario anymore. Even retirees, like myself, won't supply teach. Who wants to risk going into a Covid infected classroom, when the student's teacher is off sick?!? By the way, do you really think it's a good idea sending your kids to school, when even the teachers are super scared to go in?!? Just saying @ CBC

2021 Bludget Cuts: Both the Ontario's school boards and the Ontario Teacher Federation are speaking out against Ford's projected $1.6 billion dollar education cut! Beware of how the big Fraudster is using the pandemic! He's hellbent on destroying our world class, public education system, so he can privatize it later on @  PP@ OTFEO 

Back 2 School: US President Joe Biden's "Five Step Plan" has everything Ontario Premier Doug Ford's school re-opening plan lacks; inoculations, testing, tracing, proper PPE's, teacher consultation, on and on the list goes! More @ Biden @ NBC @ EdWeek

On Right Wing Populism: Think Donald Trump. Erin O'Toole. Or even Doug Ford. The alt right is feeding on the very sense of disenfranchised public discontent with the status quo, that was once the left's exclusive domain. We desperately need a find a coherent response to this new brand of right wing populism, before it's too late @ Passage

KULTURE KULT INK

Toronto, Eh: Is it pronounced "T-ronto", "T-ron-o" Or "T-raw-nah"? Hmmmmm .... the "6ix" is completely bogus. It's a useful, if not fake marketing handle. Only goes back a bit at best! So here's yer first lesson on how to really speak like a local, so you can ... er ... er ... ummm. Well, anyways @ Beaverton

Wag The Doug: Check out this monthly podcast on all things Ford @ CL

Escape From Toronto: Threatening to leave is a beloved past time, here in the city Canada loves to hate. Matter of fact, I can hardly wait to leave for the Land o' Lakes, as soon as the weather's nice. Here's how our rite of passage works @ Beaverton

Blogger Milestones: April marks the 10th anniversary of my site. I've also reached 2 million views. You can see the counter and archive links at the top right and left of your screen. Many thanks for reading me! Please stay tuned for more .....

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