Spreadnecks: COVIDIOTS, Anti-Maskers, Anti-Vaxxers, Etc.

[Foggy]

Probably WLM, too also.

[Dave from down under]

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2022-02- ... /100826132

Some countries might send in a riot squad to disperse trespassing protesters, but New Zealand authorities turned on the sprinklers and Barry Manilow.

Key points:

Parliament speaker Trevor Mallard says he activated the sprinklers to dampen protests in Wellington
A loop of Barry Manilow songs and vaccine messages further discouraged demonstrators
The protesters responded by playing We're Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister
A demonstration against New Zealand's vaccination mandates and tough COVID-19 restrictions was held outside parliament in Wellington for the fifth day.

The ongoing protests came as the nation recorded a daily record of 454 community COVID-19 cases.

[raison de arizona]

[keith]

EXCELLENT story in "The Age" today. (Sunday 13 Feb)

Might be paywalled, but I think you get one article for free.


Resurfacing: Falling into the ‘freedom’ movement ... and getting out

At the height of Melbourne’s anti-lockdown protests, Ash Jackson was a familiar face. Front and centre of screaming crowds, she dutifully waved flags, clashed with police and was arrested several times.

For almost a year she was totally consumed as a follower of the ‘freedom’ movement – entire days were spent online, reading and watching anti-government videos and posts on encrypted social media apps, becoming increasingly paranoid, angry and obsessed. Jackson turned up on the news more than once after being arrested and was shunned by family and friends.

But now she’s out. About eight months after leaving the movement, she still can’t believe the grip it had on her life.

Jackson says if you had asked her a year ago where she might be in 2022, she would have said in a concentration camp for the unvaccinated or engaged in an insurrection after a communist takeover.

“I was thinking by this time ... that we’d have an underground movement with weaponry,” says the 48-year-old.

[Phoenix520]

Thanks Keith.

So many things packed into that article -

The loneliness of many Qultists prior to Q
Mental health issues
Shaming doesn’t work
Shunning might

Those who come out of the rabbit hole should be able to find a path back to normality without being shamed, he says. “There has to be some sort of pathway back to polite society for most of these people because most of them haven’t done anything. If there isn’t, then there’s no incentive for them to come back.”

From the linked reditt post by a man who fell in and got out:

I feel so fucking stupid but I deserve this. I know I do. I deserve this pain, this anger, this hollow void of darkness and despair. I hate myself so much right now. I don’t deserve to have an opinion on anything anymore, no one should ever listen to anything I have to say, I should be shunned and ridiculed relentlessly, I should be made an example of, a warning to others of everything a thinking, rational, intelligent human being shouldn’t do. A perfect example of the Dunning-Kruger effect.

[Dave from down under]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-14/ ... /100827258

Four people were arrested as police removed a small group of protesters from the Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC) campgrounds, after their booking expired yesterday.

Key points:
Police told protesters they must leave the Exhibition Park in Canberra campsite
One woman says protesters interrupted her getting to her son's wake on Saturday
Lifeline says despite the cancellation of their book fair, they were able to raise $500,000
Thousands of demonstrators who are in the capital to protest against a range of issues, including COVID-19 vaccine mandates, were camping at the EPIC showground.

But they were told last week their booking would expire on Sunday and would not be renewed.

[RTH10260]

‘Don’t take the damn thing’: how Spotify playlists push dangerous anti-vaccine tunes
Conspiracy theory songs claiming Covid-19 is fake and calling vaccine ‘poison’ are being actively promoted in Spotify playlists

Shanti Das
Sun 13 Feb 2022 09.00 GMT

Songs that claim Covid-19 is fake and describe the vaccines as “poison” are being actively promoted to Spotify users in playlists generated by its content recommendation engine.

Tracks found on the world’s largest music streaming service explicitly encourage people not to get vaccinated and say those who do are “slaves”, “sheep”, and victims of Satan. Others call for an uprising, urging listeners to “fight for your life”.

“They fooled the whole world with PCR testing. The thought police are patrolling. Can’t you see what’s unfolding?” say the lyrics of another, adding: “The whole thing ends once the people have risen.”

Spotify this weekend removed several of the songs flagged to it by the Observer, which it said breached rules banning content that promotes “dangerous, false, or deceptive content about Covid-19” that may pose a threat to public health.

Before being removed, the songs could be easily found using keywords through Spotify’s search tool. But they were also actively promoted to users who express interest in similar songs via automatically generated playlists, potentially bringing them to a far wider audience.

One user who played a song containing anti-vaccine lyrics was given a personalised playlist directing them to even more extreme songsOf the 50 songs in that playlist, 19 included explicit references to anti-vaccine and Covid misinformation, including claims the vaccine is being used to microchip people.



https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... cine-tunes

[Luke]

The president of Levi's quit over COVID and says she refused a $1M settlement because she won't sign an NDA. She posted her story on a Substack blog. Now she's a superstar at Gateway House of Boys.

Yesterday I Was Levi’s Brand President. I Quit So I Could Be Free.
I turned down $1 million severance in exchange for my voice.
Jennifer Sey Feb 14
https://bariweiss.substack.com/p/yester ... -president

[neeneko]

I really wish I could travel to the future so I could see how history books handle the connection between modern recommendation systems and the spiral of extremism.

[Azastan]

WaPo has an article up about an anti-vaxxer and his wife. This morning comments were being allowed. Now comments have not just been closed, the comments have been completely removed.

There was not much sympathy for them, and in particular, people were outraged at the undeniable fact that taxpayers are going to be paying for the millions of dollars this family incurred, simply because they didn't want to get vaccinated.

https://wapo.st/3LyMJKNhttps://wapo.st/3LyMJKN

[AndyinPA]

WaPo has an article up about an anti-vaxxer and his wife. This morning comments were being allowed. Now comments have not just been closed, the comments have been completely removed.

There was not much sympathy for them, and in particular, people were outraged at the undeniable fact that taxpayers are going to be paying for the millions of dollars this family incurred, simply because they didn't want to get vaccinated.

https://wapo.st/3LyMJKNhttps://wapo.st/3LyMJKN

I read that last night, and there were thousands of comments. I wasn't surprised to see the comments, as they've done these stories before about anti-vaxxers who get covid, and it really gets bad for them. Generally speaking, comments have not been sympathetic. I'm more surprised that they allow comments with these stories. By now, WAPO should understand that there's little sympathy.

I left my page open when I went to bed, so the comments are still there for me.

[raison de arizona]

Not even all of their idiot family who witnessed all the needless drama and near death learned a damn thing.

Most of their extended family who had resisted vaccines have now gotten them after learning of Diana’s ordeal, but a few remained reluctant. In January, they got word that Gilbert, one of Diana’s favorite relatives on Chris’s side who was also unvaccinated, had covid. He was one of the first people Chris had told about his feelings for Diana, and he was always joking to Chris that he had done well for himself in finding her.

Shortly before Gilbert was put on a ventilator, he sent a video to relatives describing his condition. Diana texted encouraging messages. “God is going to hug you very tight,” she typed into her phone, and sent a video of Miranda saying they were praying for him.

He died in late January, and Diana cried all night.

[AndyinPA]

My brother-in-law's unvaxxed family had Covid run through it over the holidays. In the end, one of them died. I unfollowed him on Facebook a long time ago, but I look at his page occasionally. Despite the relative's death by Covid pneumonia, the BIL was proclaiming that there is no such thing.



There's no understanding these people.

And when it comes to her tears, did she give any thought to those she may have infected when she went out in Las Vegas with a bad headache?

[Azastan]

And when it comes to her tears, did she give any thought to those she may have infected when she went out in Las Vegas with a bad headache?

You're joking, right?

[raison de arizona]

And when it comes to her tears, did she give any thought to those she may have infected when she went out in Las Vegas with a bad headache?

You're joking, right?

At least they stayed at the Trump hotel. Too bad his police dept. didn't fire him when he refused the vax initially, maybe that would have motivated him. Especially with Covid being the leading cause of death for law enforcement, it seems like Covid vax should be a minimum.

[AndyinPA]

And when it comes to her tears, did she give any thought to those she may have infected when she went out in Las Vegas with a bad headache?

You're joking, right?

Nope.

[LM K]

WaPo has an article up about an anti-vaxxer and his wife. This morning comments were being allowed. Now comments have not just been closed, the comments have been completely removed.

There was not much sympathy for them, and in particular, people were outraged at the undeniable fact that taxpayers are going to be paying for the millions of dollars this family incurred, simply because they didn't want to get vaccinated.

https://wapo.st/3LyMJKNhttps://wapo.st/3LyMJKN

There are times when I think that covid antivaxxers shouldn't receive financial forgiveness for their extensive, expensive, but ultimately free medical treatment. It's my understanding that uninsured/underinsured don't have to file bankruptcy for covid related medical expenses. The federal gov established the Provider Relief Fund. Providers are compensated for unpaid covid related bills. I think patients, if they submit financial documentation, don't even receive a bill.

Typically I think it's egregious that anyone has to file bankruptcy because of medical debt. There are so many layers of medical inequity and financial abused in our healthcare system.

But the vaccine keeps people out of hospitals. We're in the middle of a pandemic. Unless there is a legitimate medical reason for not vaccinating, every eligible person should be vaxed. This goes beyond individual health.

By giving a complete write-off to covid antivaxxers, we reinforce antivaxxers actions negatively affect everyone's health and financial wellness. On the other hand, the data is solid; the financial abuses in our healthcare system are devastating.

It's a pickle.

Perhaps we should require community service to those uninsured antivaxxers who run up enormous medical debts due to covid.

Shouldn't there be some consequence for covid antivaxxers who run up enormous medical debt?

[PaulG]

Those weepy "I wish I got vacc'd" videos don't do any good? Say it ain't so. (I have my share of Trumpy relatives, but they are all vaccinated. Well, they say they are anyway.)

[Azastan]

And when it comes to her tears, did she give any thought to those she may have infected when she went out in Las Vegas with a bad headache?

You're joking, right?

Nope.

Article doesn't say that she spent any time thinking about how her actions that day affected anyone else, so I would say, no, she didn't give any thought to those she may have infected.

[LM K]

WaPo has an article up about an anti-vaxxer and his wife. This morning comments were being allowed. Now comments have not just been closed, the comments have been completely removed.

There was not much sympathy for them, and in particular, people were outraged at the undeniable fact that taxpayers are going to be paying for the millions of dollars this family incurred, simply because they didn't want to get vaccinated.

https://wapo.st/3LyMJKNhttps://wapo.st/3LyMJKN

The above link took me to WaPo's home page.

For those who may have the same problem:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2 ... kes-texas/

[Azastan]

The above link took me to WaPo's home page.

For those who may have the same problem:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2 ... kes-texas/

Thanks, I clicked on the 'gift' article link, so apparently it doesn't work for it being read multiple times!

[LM K]

[W. Kevin Vicklund]

The above link took me to WaPo's home page.

For those who may have the same problem:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2 ... kes-texas/

Thanks, I clicked on the 'gift' article link, so apparently it doesn't work for it being read multiple times!

It worked for me, after I realized you had double-pasted.

[Dave from down under]

I'm sure that you will all give him the sympathy he deserves...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-16/ ... /100834174

Novak Djokovic says he felt 'powerless' in Australian detention before being deported

In previously unreleased footage from an exclusive interview with the BBC, Djokovic said he felt powerless throughout the process, as his visa was revoked, then reinstated, then revoked again.

"It definitely wasn't pleasant," Djokovic said.

"I don't want to be sat here and complaining about conditions in that detention centre because I stayed seven days.

"Yes I did feel powerless. When I arrived I was not allowed to use my phone for three, four hours. It was the middle of the night from 1am to 9am. I didn't get any sleep because I was going through questioning every 30 minutes basically.

"I had many, many interviews. They started, and then stopped, and then paused, and then I would wait for the person to speak to his superiors and then he would come back and it went on for the entire night."

[AndyinPA]

Poor baby.