#If SA does not vaccinate soon

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/12/2022: THIRST (2009)

As I have a healthy respect for Park Chan-wook, I was embarrassed to realize that I couldn't really remember very much about this movie. Even when I've found his movies less successful emotionally or narratively speaking, they usually leave a stamp with their images and atmosphere. In my attempt to rectify the gap I had with THIRST, I remembered that there is just something about the whole movie and its motivations that eludes me. This may or may not be my fault.

Park Chan-wook's adaptation of the oft-adapted Emile Zola novel Thérèse Raquin, which he wrote for the screen with frequent collaborator Jeong Seo-kyeong, concerns a Catholic priest whose drive toward martyrdom accidentally renders him a vampire. Beset by ennui, Sang-hyun (the great Song Kang-ho) subverts his suicidal impulses into a more noble-sounding act of self-sacrifice, participating in an experimental vaccine test for the treatment of an Ebola-like virus. This nearly kills him, but he suddenly revives when he receives a blood transfusion—and thereafter he learns with horror that he has to keep drinking blood to continue staving off the virus. Though Sang-hyun feeds only on comatose hospital patients to avoid terrorizing or killing anyone, this doesn't totally cure him of his guilt, and he feels worse still when his "miraculous" recovery makes him into an involuntary faith healer with a powerful psychosomatic effect on his congregation. One of his new "patients" is an old friend, Kang-woo (Shin Ha-kyun), who lives with his overbearing mother Mrs. Ra (Kim Hae-sook) and his wife, the sullen, seductive Tae-ju. Soon, Tae-ju tells Sang-hyun that she was adopted as an orphan by Mrs. Ra, and she has been treated like a slave by the family all her life—especially by the sickly and feeble-minded Kang-woo, who does all sorts of perverted, sadistic things to her. With Sang-hyun and Tae-ju's inevitable affair comes the revelation that he is a vampire, and when Tae-ju witnesses his supernatural strength, she convinces him to kill her husband. The traumatic experience of the murder weakens the couple's bond, and Sang-hyun tries to resolve this by turning Tae-ju into a vampire, but this changes her into a remorseless monster—though perhaps she already was, as it turns out Kang-woo had never victimized her at all.

So that's a mouthful right there. On the one hand, THIRST is a familiar story about the moral conflicts of the vampire, wherein the monster clings to his humanity by "rescuing" his lover from her torment, and feeding in what he considers to be the least harmful way. There, Catholicism is leveraged to emphasize the guilt felt by the sinful creature that was once a man. On the other hand, we have a tawdry melodrama about a pair of selfish lovers who sacrifice another person to their forbidden affair, only to realize that their relationship can't bear the weight of their crime. There are connective threads throughout the piece: Intermittently, someone opines bluntly that suicidal ideation and ambitions of martyrdom are essentially the same. Occasionally, characters debate each other about whether an afterlife is possible, or whether death is the end. In the beginning, Sang-hyun notes the psychosomatic reactions of the faithful who beg him for healings, and then after the murder, he and Tae-ju struggle to convince themselves that the mocking apparition of Kang-woo that ruins their sex life is all in their minds. However, repetition of ideas doesn't always equal coherence, and I'm not sure all of these various philosophical musings really add up to a unified statement about anything.

While these diverse themes compete for dominance, the most consistent thing about THIRST is that it is intensely repulsive. In a way, this is refreshing for the vampire subgenre, which is so often sexy and elegant. Diseased blisters, peeling fingernails, bloody vomit, gnarly acts of flagellation, the snot-smeared Kang-woo sweating and farting and humping air, and even Sang-hyun's relatively sanitary method of feeding all make for an extremely queasy two hours and thirteen minutes. Sure there's a lot of steamy sex in the middle, but somehow, this tends to make the experience all the more noxious. Maybe that's part of the director's point—that we're supposed to participate in Sang-hyun's guilt (however wavering that guilt may be), that moral revulsion is the main mood here. But still, it was hard for this viewer to determine who she is meant to care about, and what she's supposed to hope will happen to them. Sang-hyun is a pious fop and a hypocrite who condemns others for their suicidal thoughts, while using the loophole of martyrdom to justify his own self-destructive urges. Tae-ju is at once infantile, and also cold and cruel, which we forgive when we think she's being abused—though that delusion is soon dispelled, and we're just left wondering what her problem is.

The Zola novel on which this is based met with disgust upon its debut, being called "putrid" by one prominent critic, so maybe all this ickiness is an appropriate way to honor the source material. Still, I'm not sure what Park Chan-wook is driving at, if THIRST isn't just a grand demonstration of abject cynicism. The moral conflict that he explores so deftly in his Vengeance trilogy seems to be replaced here by pure disillusionment. Familial love is rotten and incestuous, romantic love is just selfish ego-stroking, self-sacrifice is an act of vanity, and the body that gives and gets orgasms also produces pus, blood, mucus, and gas, while taking sustenance from the suffering of other living creatures. Sure, the movie is beautiful and inventive visually, aided by great performances from the ensemble, but I'm not sure what it ultimately wants from me. It's funny, sometimes when I see a movie that is populated by unlikable cretins and fueled by misanthropy, those things are exactly what I love about it. Other times, I can't tell what I'm supposed to get out of all that bitterness and loathing. THIRST, despite its creative pedigree, falls into the latter category.

[otakween]

Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01 - Disc 5

This volume is called "The legendary power of the digimental," so I guess we'll be getting an armor evolve? Also...what the heck is Taichi wearing on the cover. Looks kinda silly...

Ch. 29

-We get a Taichi-free chapter where it's Leomon's turn to shine! Of course he dies, because Leomon always dies lol. I felt bad for the baby digimon who lost their mentor :'c

Ch. 30

-Oh oops, I guess Leomon wasn't dead. Coulda fooled me! This time it was HolyAngemon/Seraphimon's time to shine. I thought it was interesting how HolyAngemon digivolved by removing his "seal." That's a new one.

-The "Super Ultimate" digivolution is confusing since "Ultimate" means something different in dub vs. sub of the anime. I guess they're going for the Japanese version where ultimate is usually the final digivolution.

-Seraphimon unleashes his attack!

(Does anyone else remember that show? I never watched it but it used to be on all the time lol).

Ch. 31

-They did the whole "this is my REAL body" thing with Venom Vamdemon. Still one of my least favorite digimon designs. It felt a little anti-climactic that Zero ended the whole thing in one blow, especially after Leomon and Holy Angemon struggled. Kinda sus power-levels there.

-They reveal that Neo needs to find a digimental to get Arkadimon to "super ultimate," which threw me off. I thought Arkadimon was a special, artificially created digimon that was special BECAUSE it could reach super ultimate. Now they're saying that any digimon can reach super ultimate via a digimental? Okaaaay...

-Hideto enters the scene with his Omegamon. Another digimon that feels weird to be partnered with a tamer. It also feels weird to demote these boss-level digimon to mid-bosses. Kinda makes them feel less impressive.

-Never heard the name "Hideto" before, but a quick Google suggests it's normal...sounds kinda weird to me.

Ch. 32

-So I uh...literally got spoiled about the siblings twist right before I read this chapter because I looked something up in the wiki and saw Rei's last name. D'oh! I guess it's not that shocking when we know next to nothing about her anyways...

-I found it kind of interesting how the gang question if they're on the right side or not since Omegamon is supposed to be "a force for justice." It's a little annoying that this franchise keeps flip-flopping on whether some digimon are just innately good or not. They also kind of implied that Omegamon being a vaccine digimon means he's good too...I just want some consistency.

Ch. 33

-So we get Hideto's backstory in the chapter. The fact that the first 2 Alias characters were all quirky and he's just some normal, cool guy tells me he'll be a little more fleshed out.

-They really thought "Warg" and "Melga" were good names for Digimon (I get that it's from WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon but still...I guess everything sounds better in Japanese).

-So Neo's main motivation for taking over the digital world is to cure his sister's paraplegia? Uhhh...pretty sure wheelchair bound people still live very fulfilling lives, so that's weak.

Ch. 34

-A very interesting explanation of how digimons' lifespans work. Essentially, digimon express themselves by rapidly overwriting their data and digimon that process these overwrites at a faster rate have the downside of have a shorter lifespan. They used the analogy of how overwriting DVDs/CDs can degrade them. The part that threw me off is that Hideto was like "that's right, Zero has a short lifespan, meaning he can't digivolve any further." I thought they meant short lifespan as-in, he'll die soon, not a digivolution limitation? (Do digimon die of old age in this universe?)

-I like that Hideto seems to have some compassion while battling and tries to get Taichi to give up. He's a nice contrast to Neo who's always in crazy villain mode.

This volume felt really short and like not too much happened, just a bunch of battles with some backstory peppered in. It seems like the whole Neo Saiba thing won't go on for 4 more volumes, so I wonder where the story will go after his defeat? Maybe Demon would be next? I honestly keep forgetting about him because he never shows up lol.

P.S. I still don't know what Taichi's wearing on the cover lol

[gomennasayra]

PT6 ni Yra sa COM01

Video #1: Jollibee, Sarap Kasama ang Pamilya by Jollibee

The advertisement that Jollibee aired during the early days of covid was a very heartwarming and wholesome advertisement, wherein a child was present thinking of what to do during the lockdown season here in the Philippines, then remembered that he has a family that he can spend time with during those hard days. As the ad plays, we can see that Jollibee is always present in all scenes, showing that anytime anywhere, Jollibee will be there.

As the viewers watch the advertisement, a catchy song is at present during the whole duration of it. The ad entices those who feel bored during the lockdown inside the country without knowing that family can significantly impact what you think. Since family and Jollibee bring happiness, it will never let you down when you feel uncomfortable during hardship. The ad aims at people who want to enjoy the family bond; as said, the family was present throughout the ad, which shows that having time with your fam will lighten up the mood.

The product is excellent since its food, Jollibee, is known to have a great-tasting chicken from the Philippines, and as you bite, it does bring happiness (except if it's hot). For the viewers that have watched the ad, it will attract them to eat at Jollibee with the fam, definitely yes, yes.

I do not think that false advertisements are at present since Jollibee is such a wonderful place to eat with your family or friends; spending time eating the crispy Chickenjoy while getting your lips red with the sweet spaghetti sauce, and also having family time will put a smile on your face which is so true, and that's pretty much it for this ad by Jollibee Philippines it was so great.

Video #2: We feel good, when you feel safe at McDonald's by McDonald's

This ad starts with a couple at the side of a slope looking at an incredible view beside the mountain. The music kicks in as the couple rides the motorcycle having a lovely time going to McDonald's. As they went inside the McDonald's, they showed how cautious the restaurant is about how customers react to their service. Showing vaccination cards, sanitizing, and observing social distancing as they go thru the quarantine standards inside McDonald's,

The ad aims at those who are very cautious during quarantine that wants to go out and eat outside; I know it's so great to have your jowa joining you eating at Mcdo, but I still don't have one, unfortunately, maybe soon. But it can also be for those who want to enjoy the great taste of McDo with their special someone. It is also significant for those who want to see how great McDonald's customer satisfaction is.

Yes, it is very much the same as how I see McDonald's today; they care for their customers and sanitize their stuff (seen in Guadalupe). But the job does well in seeking those who are covid cautious enough to step out and eat at their restaurant.

This commercial has no false advertisement, as McDonald's is just your typical fast-food restaurant chain serving the same menu in every corner of our country. So it is very likely that they want to show how great they can serve people who eat in their restaurant.

[morrislotto]

If SA does not vaccinate soon, it could face a third wave of COVID-19 cases – expert

If SA does not vaccinate soon, it could face a third wave of COVID-19 cases – expert

Expert virologist Professor Marc Mendelson is calling for rapid vaccination to achieve population immunity. Mendelson, head of the UCT’s Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine at Groote Schuur Hospital, said that without rapid vaccination of at least two-thirds of the population, South Africa would see yet another wave of cases. Mendelson was speaking during a virtual Summer School…

[samusisnotasextoy]

Metroid Dread Prologue

The X is a terrifyingly lethal parasite that takes over organic creatures, mimicking them afterward based on their genetic information.

It once infected me too. But my life was saved, thanks to a vaccine created from the X's natural enemy: Metroids. Not only that, it made me into the only being capable of fighting this creature that threatens the galaxy. After a deadly battle with the SA-X, a copy of me at my full capabilities, I finally succeeded in wiping out the X, along with the planet SR388.

However...

One day, the Galactic Federation received video footage from an unknown source indicating that the X still lived. The Federation dispatched a special unit consisting of seven E.M.M.I. robots to the remote planet ZDR, believed to be the source of the transmission.

Soon after arriving on ZDR, the whole unit mysteriously vanished.

Does the X truly still exist? And just what is happening on ZDR? It's up to me, the only one immune to the X parasite, to go find out...

[princesscordero]

Chasing Dreams amid the Pandemic

Ever since the pandemic broke the news in the country, it has been affecting the lives of every Filipino. Education, livelihood, and health became a worry to almost everyone. Wearing a face mask and observing social distancing are some of the safety protocols that must be followed. But despite these rules, the virus can still be transmitted. But that fact cannot simply stop someone who is making a living. For anyone unprivileged, money is always worth the risk.

That is exactly the case for Joven Orap who is a 21-year-old working student.

Joven taking notes during online class.

Joven is a 3rd-year Business Administration major at the Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (EARIST). He juggles his studies with his part-time job in a branch of McDonald’s in Cubao, Quezon City.

McDonald's in Farmers, Cubao.

McDonald’s lets their student employees work only on the days that they do not have classes. That seems great but not for Joven who really aims to earn since he is only supported by his aunt.

He only has two days of classes weekly but with the five available days for him to work, he is not always called to take a shift. Sometimes he can only come twice every week because there are not many customers like before, so the branch does not need many crews. When asked if he prefers the situation now over before, he firmly said that he would always pick being busy instead of staying at home earning nothing.

Joven applied as a service crew with the intentions to support himself with his studies, provide his wants to himself, and contribute financially to his family. Since he can barely report to his job these days, he grabs every opportunity to work whenever he could.

For him, working while studying is not so much of a hard task to juggle anymore in the New Normal. He said that the last time he had conflict with his work and studies was during the launch of the BTS Meal. There was a high demand for service crews, but since he had class that day, he rejected that. For Joven, education is his number one priority.

“Tingin ko pinakanakakatulong talaga sakin para kayanin (ang pagiging working student) is yung time management skills ko.”

Joven answering a question during interview.

His one tip to not cram school activities is to do it as soon as possible.

“Sa una ka lang magiging comfortable ‘pag nagprocrastinate ka eh. ‘Di worth it yung stress na mararamdaman mo kapag ica-cram mo na gawain mo.”

He also added that this technique is helpful for him since his work in McDonald’s could sometimes be a surprise. He said that there are days when he is suddenly called to report if they lack crews. So for him, he should always be prepared if that happens. Aside from being an obviously diligent student, Joven is also one of the scholars of the Quezon City municipality.

When asked about his dreams, he answered that he wants to become a successful person, in particular, he said that he wants to be an HR manager someday. He said that this is what really inspires him to stay driven.

Although he admitted in the interview that he still feels scared about his health. What scared him the most was when a crewmate tested positive of the COVID-19. Luckily, none of the other crew members, including him, got a positive result when they were tested. He said that that was a relief, but he knows that he could still be infected so he leveled up his protection.

He got his first dose of the vaccine last month and is about the get the second shot this month. He also added that he takes Vitamin C now to strengthen his immune system. On top of this, he always makes sure that he properly wears his complete PPE when he is at work.

Joven riding a train going home after a 5-hour shift.

Joven knows that he is still not completely safe from the virus in spite of all the ways he does to avoid it. But then again, life goes on for him even if there is a pandemic. He said that the pandemic cannot stop him from continuing and fighting for his dreams. But just like everyone else, Joven hopes for this dilemma to end.

“Sana matapos na (itong pandemic) kase ang hirap lumabas at magtrabaho na may takot na baka mahawaan ng virus.”

Joven, just like many others, strives to continue to live the normal life in the midst of the pandemic. Except for the fact that unlike before, lives are more at risk now.

Time might have paused for people lucky enough to have breaks but not for someone who still got a lot of dreams to chase. For people like Joven, wasting time is not a choice. To survive is not only to not be infected by the virus. To survive is to finally achieve the dream you have always worked hard for. The risk of earning might not be an assurance for getting dreams to come true. But money will help along the way, so for Joven and all the other people like him, it will always be worth the risk.

[newstfionline]

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Electoral College makes it official: Biden won (AP) The Electoral College formally chose Joe Biden on Monday as the nation’s next president, giving him a solid electoral majority of 306 votes and confirming his victory in last month’s election. The state-by-state voting took on added importance this year because of President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede he had lost. Heightened security was in place in some states as electors met on the day established by federal law. Electors cast paper ballots in gatherings with masks, social distancing and other virus precautions the order of the day. The results will be sent to Washington and tallied in a Jan. 6 joint session of Congress over which Vice President Mike Pence will preside. For all Trump’s unsupported claims of fraud, there was little suspense and no change as all the electoral votes allocated to Biden and the president in last month’s popular vote went officially to each man. Biden renewed his campaign promise to be a president for all Americans, whether they voted for him or not, and said the country has hard work ahead on the virus and economy.

The Electoral College, an unlovable compromise (AP) For a compromise that has lasted more than 200 years, the Electoral College doesn’t get a lot of love. According to the National Archives, more Constitutional amendments have been proposed to alter or abolish the Electoral College than on any other subject—more than 700 proposals in the nation’s history. It was James Madison who drew up the system, a compromise between those who wanted the states to select the president and those who wanted direct election by qualified voters. Each state was to select a number of electors equal to its representation in Congress (senators and representatives). Under the Constitution, the president must be elected with a majority of electors. If no one wins a majority, the House of Representatives decides. The national popular vote plays no part; five men have been elected president though their opponent won more votes, most recently Donald Trump in 2016. The electors meet and vote in their states on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December.

Hospitals Prepare for First Shots as Virus Vaccine Shipments Blanket U.S. (NYT) Trucks and cargo planes packed with the first of nearly three million doses of coronavirus vaccine fanned out across the country on Sunday as hospitals rushed to set up injection sites and their anxious workers tracked each shipment hour by hour. The distribution of the first federally approved vaccine marked the start of the most ambitious vaccination campaign in American history, a critical, complicated feat that one top federal official compared to the Allied landings at Normandy during World War II. Now, the United States is trying to turn the tide of battle against a virus whose spread has killed nearly 300,000 people, ravaged the economy and upended millions of lives. The first doses will go to health care workers, who could start receiving shots by Monday. Residents of nursing homes, who have suffered a disproportionate share of Covid-19 deaths, are also being prioritized and are expected to begin getting vaccinations next week.

Lessons (Pew Research Center) A large majority of U.S. adults (86%) say there is some kind of lesson or set of lessons for mankind to learn from the coronavirus outbreak, and about a third (35%) say these lessons were sent by God. In open-ended survey responses collected by the Center in the summer, Americans pointed to practical lessons, such as wearing a mask; personal lessons, such as remembering the importance of spending time with family and loved ones; and societal lessons, such as the need for universal health care. Other responses were political in nature, including criticisms of both major parties and concerns about the politicization of the pandemic. Among those who say there is a lesson about religion within the pandemic, some respondents point to the role God has in humans’ lives. For instance, a 53-year-old woman writes that “whether you believe it or not, God is in control and we must have God at the center of our lives. He is our savior.” Many respondents mention lessons about changes people should make in their personal lives and relationships with others. One 46-year-old woman says people need to “think about what is REALLY important and how your time is REALLY spent … hopefully this is an opportunity for people to rethink their priorities.” Similarly, a man in his 40s writes, “Life moves too quickly and people don’t slow down long enough to see their lives pass by. The virus has shown us that life doesn’t need to fly by so quickly. We can enjoy the moment more.” Many respondents also frame the coronavirus as a simple reminder to treat others well. A 54-year-old woman says that “we should always be kind to one another regardless of race, religion, or political belief. The virus does not discriminate, and neither should we.”

Russian Hackers Broke Into Federal Agencies, U.S. Officials Suspect (NYT) The Trump administration acknowledged on Sunday that hackers acting on behalf of a foreign government—almost certainly a Russian intelligence agency, according to federal and private experts—broke into a range of key government networks, including in the Treasury and Commerce Departments, and had free access to their email systems. Officials said a hunt was on to determine if other parts of the government had been affected by what looked to be one of the most sophisticated, and perhaps among the largest, attacks on federal systems in the past five years. The motive for the attack remains elusive, two people familiar with the matter said. One government official said it was too soon to tell how damaging the attacks were and how much material was lost, but according to several corporate officials, the attacks had been underway as early as this spring, meaning they continued undetected through months of the pandemic and the election season.

Blocked to fly, free to sue (CNN) In an 8-0 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that three Muslim men who wanted to sue FBI officials for financial damages were clear to proceed, finding that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act allowed suits against individual agents. It’s a really interesting case: in 2013, Muhammad Tanzir, Jameel Algibhah and Naveed Shinwari say the FBI attempted to recruit them to become informants, and when they declined the offer they allege the agents retaliated by putting them on no-fly lists, preventing them from getting on any plane that arrives, departs, or passes through the U.S. This, they argue, carried significant financial damages, and they would like to sue to get them. The Justice Department wanted the case thrown out, though the court unanimously held the case could proceed.

Venezuela’s Isolation Increases After Panama Suspends Flights (Bloomberg) Panama has suspended flights from Venezuela, cutting off one of the few remaining air corridors out of the country. Panama’s aviation authority said Sunday that it took the measure after Venezuela restricted access to a Panamanian airline while demanding increased slots in Panama for Venezuelan airlines. The suspension will apply from Sunday until Panama receives “equal and fair treatment,” the authority said in a statement. More than a dozen foreign airlines have stopped servicing Venezuela since 2014, including Delta Air Lines Inc., Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Avianca Holdings SA.

Bolsonaro bump (Foreign Policy) Even as a local newspaper blames his “homicidal negligence” in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is seeing record approval ratings. A recent poll by Brazilian firm Datafolha found that 37 percent of Brazilians see his government as great or good, while the number viewing it as bad or terrible reduced 2 points to 32 percent. Bolsonaro’s relatively solid approval is likely due to his support for a cash benefit for low-income residents hit by the pandemic, which Bolsonaro recently extended until the end of the year.

Daytime darkness: Total solar eclipse wows in Latin America (AP) Thousands of people gathered in the Chilean region of La Araucanía on Monday to witness a solar eclipse, rejoicing in the rare experience even though visibility was limited because of cloudy skies. Skies were clear in northern Patagonia in Argentina, where people also watched the moon briefly block out the sun and plunge daytime into darkness. Many people wore masks to curb the spread of COVID-19, though they crowded together in some places in Pucón and in other areas of La Araucanía, 700 kilometers (430 miles) south of Santiago, the Chilean capital. Thousands jumped and shouted happily in the drizzle when the sun was completely covered by the moon and then silence descended for a few moments. People again screamed and whooped excitedly when the sun appeared again. During the brief period of darkness, only the lights of cell phones were visible. The next total solar eclipse in Chile is expected to occur in 28 years. Another is expected to be visible in Antarctica by the end of 2021.

Ministers warn supermarkets to stockpile food amid no‑deal Brexit fears (Times of London) Supermarkets are this weekend stockpiling food and other goods after being told by ministers that a no-deal Brexit is on the cards. Food producers have warned there will be shortages of vegetables for three months and emergency planners predict that no-deal would spark panic-buying on a scale that could dwarf the coronavirus crisis. In a sign of what might be to come, lorries were backed up for three miles on the A20 outside Dover yesterday, after Calais suffered 10-mile tailbacks on Friday. Hauliers blamed the jams in Kent on “stock-building”.

Protesting Indian farmers call for 2nd strike in a week (AP) Tens of thousands of protesting Indian farmers called for a national farmers’ strike on Monday, the second in a week, to press for the quashing of three new laws on agricultural reform that they say will drive down crop prices and devastate their earnings. The farmers are camping along at least five major highways on the outskirts of New Delhi and have said they won’t leave until the government rolls back what they call the “black laws.” They have blockaded highways leading to the capital for three weeks, and several rounds of talks with the government have failed to produce any breakthroughs. Protest leaders have rejected the government’s offer to amend some contentious provisions of the new farm laws, which deregulate crop pricing, and have stuck to their demand for total repeal.

China’s Combative Nationalists See a World Turning Their Way (NYT) In one Beijing artist’s recent depiction of the world in 2098, China is a high-tech superpower and the United States is humbled. Americans have embraced communism and Manhattan, draped with the hammer-and-sickle flags of the “People’s Union of America,” has become a quaint tourist precinct. This triumphant vision has resonated among Chinese. China’s Communist Party, under its leader, Xi Jinping, has promoted the idea that the country is on a trajectory to power past Western rivals. China stamped out the coronavirus, the messaging goes, with a resolve beyond the reach of flailing Western democracies. Beijing has rolled out homegrown vaccines to more than a million people, despite the safety concerns of scientists. China’s economy has revived, defying fears of a deep slump from the pandemic. “In this fight against the pandemic, there will be victorious powers and defeated ones,” Wang Xiangsui, a retired Chinese senior colonel who teaches at a university in Beijing, averred this month. “We’re a victor power, while the United States is still mired and, I think, may well become a defeated power.” The firm leadership of Mr. Xi and the party has earned China its recent success, say newspapers, television programs and social media. “Time to wake up from blind faith in the Western system,” said a commentary in the state-run China Education News last week. “Vicious partisan fighting has worsened in certain Western countries, social fissures have deepened, and a severe social crisis is brewing.”

Europe-Iran relations (Foreign Policy) European nations have pulled out of a Europe-Iran business forum in protest over the execution of dissident journalist Rouhollah Zam over the weekend. Zam had been kidnapped from Iraq and taken to Iran to face charges of fomenting dissent during anti-government demonstrations in 2017. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was also due to take part in the forum, which has now been cancelled. Iran summoned the German ambassador to Tehran over the European actions, and blasted the “interventionist statements” made in the wake of the execution.

Oil tanker attacked in Saudi Arabian port by “booby-trapped boat” amid ongoing war in Yemen (CBS News) An oil tanker off Saudi Arabia’s port city of Jiddah was attacked on Monday by smaller “boobyt-trapped boat” rigged with explosives, causing a small fire on the ship, Saudi state TV reported, citing an official from the state energy ministry. Earlier a shipping company said the tanker had suffered an explosion after being hit by “an external source,” suggesting another vessel had come under attack amid Saudi Arabia’s years-long war in Yemen. The attack on the Singapore-flagged BW Rhine, which had been contracted by the trading arm of the kingdom’s massive Saudi Arabian Oil Co., marks the fourth assault targeting Saudi energy infrastructure in a month. It also apparently shut down Jiddah port, the most-important shipping point for the kingdom. The United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations, an organization under Britain’s royal navy, urged ships in the area to exercise caution and said investigations were ongoing. It later said Jiddah port had been shut down for a “duration unknown,” without elaborating.

[marketresearchindia]

Global Influenza A Treatment Market Report Outlook: Ken Research

Buy Now

Generally, the people who have flu are infected with the influenza type A virus. Symptoms of Influenza A are chills and fever, sneezing, coughing, and a sore throat. However, the coronavirus also showed the same symptoms. This has caused a sense of fear among people, nowadays even if they get little flu, they get paranoid and some even go for covid tests. Earlier most of the people affected by influenza used to treat themselves at home but now a significant amount of increase has been seen in its treatment market in the medical industry.

According to the research report, ‘Global Influenza A Treatment Market Report 2020 by Key Players, Types, Applications, Countries, Market Size, Forecast to 2026 (Based on 2020 COVID-19 Worldwide Spread’ states that Abbott Laboratories, Nanotherapeutics Inc., Protein Sciences Corporation, Biocryst Pharmaceuticals Inc., CSL Limited, Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd., Shionogi & Co. Ltd., GlaxoSmithKline PLC, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Roche Holding AG, Sinovac Biotech Ltd., Chiron Corporation, AstraZeneca PLC, Sanofi SA are some of the key companies operating in the market. The report covers all the important sections like corporation trends (under covid-19), treatment news and policies, cost structure analysis, sales, and marketing model, and much more. The report also does complete company profiling of each player mentioned above based on the parameters like a company overview, its performance, Production Capacity, Revenue, key business strategy, key product offerings, financial performance, risk analysis, recent developments, and regional presence, SWOT analysis. The report further tells how far along the player stands in the competition.

Furthermore, the report also has dedicated sections that focus on the covid-19 outbreak in the Influenza A Treatment Market. These sections include market dynamics and historical and current market trends. Along with this, it also throws light on the consequences of covid-19 by discussing application details, forecast predictions, data on sales and demand, recent technologies, various features of the market, and investment opportunities of the market. The report also mentions several growth drivers, challenges, and restraints of the market.

Moreover, the global market is classified into various segments that are based on Type (Vaccines, Drugs), based on Applications (Hospitals, Clinics, Pharmacies, and others), and based on Region (North America, Europe, Middle-East and Africa, Asia-pacific, South-America, and the rest of the world). The report discusses all the repercussions of covid-19 for each segment individually. It also covers an in-depth study of the market spread over different countries present in the aforementioned regions. The countries included in the report are the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and many others.

All in all, the global market is set to keep expanding and it will attain a significant value in terms of revenue in USD million by the end of the year 2026. The market will reach this at a double-digit CAGR by the end of the evaluation period 2020-2026. As mentioned above, people are highly paranoid due to covid-19 and its presence is not diminishing anytime soon. People are more careful now and they take proper medications which leads to the growth of the market.

Fore More Details-

Global Influenza A Treatment Market

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Dancing on Quicksand

“Ang buhay po ninyo, ang buhay ng inyong mga pamilya nakasalalay po iyan kung ano ang gagawin natin sa mga susunod na araw…..” 

As long as there is no vaccine, one should not shove his way into the world. What could be the strength of someone who could not simply follow social distancing and minimum health protocols? Grim reaper might throw a welcome party. 

With the large portion of the country being granted the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine, people rushed over to malls as if the rising cases are just a speck in the eyes. It was a matter of life and death, yet they played along; pushing, pulling and squeezing themselves like canned sardines. 

The presidential spokesperson reminded again on national television, despite a little dose of release and relief, quarantine does not shake off the cities while the virus spreads like wildfire across cities and provinces.

Things took an unfortunate turn when he soon said the government actually wasn’t planning to conduct mass testing, hence the cases leaping up more than a frog hops. 

“........hindi po required na magbigay ng COVID testing ang mga employers, pero mayroon pong initiatives ang private sector na ang kanilang mga miyembro ite-test pa rin ang kanilang mga empleyado bago papasukin gamit po ang karamihan ay rapid testing kits,” he stated.

In a fit of trying to pass on the blame, the government left their responsibility at the hands of private sectors, wiping their hands clean to say they’ve done a great job. 

With the supposed ‘clean slate’ of the government, a wave of different reactions became overwhelming after the revelation, of which students, professors, and professionals hailing from the University of Santo Tomas, also butted in. 

“....the IATF is not doing a good job of communicating with the public and is oftentimes on the defensive. The IATF spokesman, Harry Roque, who is also the Malacañang spokesman, is sometimes forced to walk back his statements because of misunderstandings or confusion over definitions of terms,” the coordinator of the Journalism Program said. 

“A big part of the problem is the inefficient, uncompetitive, and overly-politicked approach that our government is doing right now….It is the prime duty of the government to serve and protect the people,” voiced the president of the central student council. 

“The government mandate is to heal, to serve, and to lead. We can’t defer to the private sector the responsibility of caring for the people,” added Dr. Tony Leachon, a Thomasian physician and special adviser to the IATF-EID.

 With a lot of infected, making an empty promise is like deepening the knife, then adding salt to the wound, and letting bodies lay dying. Mass testing actually became equivalent to mass burials. 

“Ang ating kinabukasan po, kung mabubuhay tayo o hindi, nasa kamay natin iyan,” the presidential spokesperson advised. 

Long live....to death and all his friends.

[erikacousland]

British State Media Attacks Chinese State Media ... It Doesn't Go Well - YouTube

The BBC wants you to know that vaccines are dangerous, and CNN and ABC Australia have launched an "all-out information offensive," because they report on stuff.

"Yes, China is helping others out of the crisis.

Damn you, China?"

Radio027 Better than some big ass country just donated 80vials of Pfizer without chillers. Lol......

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Global Pete When a truck load of illegal immigrants were found dead inside it, BBC straight away claimed they were Chinese. When they found out they were Vietnamese, they must be hugely disappointed. What....no Chinese running away from the cruel Chinese government.

Q: A question about the 39 bodies that were found in the truck just outside London. Are you able to confirm yet whether or not these 39 bodies were Chinese nationals? If you can confirm they were Chinese nationals, do you know where in China they came from? Were they from Fujian Province? Does the Chinese government suspect that they were indeed trying to illegally enter the United Kingdom?

A: I know many are following this like you. We noted the media reports with a heavy heart because it is indeed a sad tragedy.

I'd like to share with you the information I have. Upon noting British media reports on "39 people found dead in Essex" on the morning of October 23 local time, the Chinese embassy in the UK immediately contacted the British side to confirm the identities of the dead. The British police promised to notify the Chinese side as soon as it it has any information.

On October 24, at 10:40am local time or 5:40pm Beijing time, the Chinese embassy received a phone call from the police saying that the dead are believed to be Chinese nationals. The embassy immediately sent officials to gather information on site and asked the British side to confirm all victims' identities as soon as possible and to keep the Chinese side updated.

The Chinese embassy in Belgium also asked the Belgian police and relevant departments to conduct a thorough investigation.

A Chinese consular official from our embassy in the UK arrived in Essex and made contact with the local police on the afternoon of October 24 local time. The British police said they were still verifying the identity of the victims and could not confirm at that moment whether they were Chinese nationals.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to this case. Our relevant departments are working in close collaboration. We hope the British side will confirm the identity of the victims as soon as possible, find out what happened, bring those responsible to justice and properly handle the aftermath. This is all I can update you at the moment.

The British police are working against the clock to verify the victims, but currently they are not able to confirm their nationalities. No matter where they are from, this is a great tragedy that draws international attention on the issue of illegal migrants. The international community should step up cooperation and exchange of intelligence in order to address similar issues at an early stage and prevent a repetition of such tragedies.

Q: Regarding the tragedy in the UK, I understand details are limited at this point, but perhaps you can help me with some context in understanding. As you laid out, there have been many successes, advances and progress of the past 70 years with the People's Republic of China, and that was celebrated earlier this month with the national day. Hearing that and then from an outside perspective, what would then motivate people from China to want to leave in such a risky way?

A: You are with CNN, right? You asked this question out of turn and earned no credits at all.

First, like I said earlier to the Reuters journalist, we are in close contact with the British police who are still verifying the identity of the victims and could not confirm whether they were Chinese nationals at this point.

Under the current circumstances, I believe everyone is saddened by the 39 lost souls, wondering what happened to them. We hope all countries will step up cooperation in countering human trafficking and illegal migration, don't we? The urgent task is to find out what actually happened and find ways to address similar issues.

In your question you presumed those victims were Chinese and linked this case with the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PRC. This is a problem. It exposes something in your mind or rather, in the mind of some American media that you represent. What kind of answer did you hope to get from that?

Like I said earlier, as we are now in the 70th year after the founding of the PRC, the Chinese people's happiness, satisfaction, fulfillment and security comes at an unprecedented level. All 1.4 billion Chinese are proud of our country's great achievements. If you look around, you'll know that China is not the country with serious illegal immigration issues. In fact, I know that a growing number of foreign friends want to study, travel, work and even live permanently in China. I believe this simple fact speaks volumes.

This is why I think your question is indeed inappropriate.

-  Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on October 25, 2019

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Osin Oz I live in Australia, it's always just like a one-man battle in the battlefield, whenever talk about China. I simply just want to talk about with proof, but mostly they just based on local brainwashed media. When I provided some information, they believe it's a lie. Common sense never being used. When I politely listen to their point of view, they never return any courtesy to my side of the story. When I witness how corrupted and how stupid the local government is, then they have nerve to finger point China? Everything they accused is based on no-proven  facts, then if some evidence provided by China, then it's a lie??? Simply just can't win.

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Flx You're talking about a thing about media that always irritates me when talking about China. So woaw some Chinese people said something on Twitter, it's China that is doing a massive propaganda campaign duhh. China is more than one billion people and yet media like BBC treat it as one single voice....

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Duncan Udawatta I have to admit. Thanks to western media I am saving a lot of money these days. I don't need to pay for stand up comedy shows. I just watch western news!! Sorry stand up comedy people :D On a more serious note, what amazes me is there any many people who will blindly accept these lies. This also means they will believe any lies they are told about their own internal situations. We have a saying where I come from - frogs in a well.

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ziggy j "Credit 1".  The person that produced this poor BBC video probably felt so ashamed of it; knew how unconvincing it was, he simply left the "Credit 1" as the name.  That person was just trying to go thru the motions... there's really no professionalism, journalism, nor much effort put into producing a propaganda video.  Even the anti-China audience should demand a refund on their BBC subscription fees.   Now we know what a P of S video is supposed to look like.

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Mushroom Piggy They want put Chine on the evil side so they have right to do anything to China. They were doing this to many countries already.

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Osin Oz I'm not from China. China has demonstrated the highest freedom of speech. BBC has bad mouth China and lies about it all these years, and it's getting worse. Nevertheless, the reporters still freely live in China and being treated nicely as a guest. These reporters are here for one purpose, lie about everything, and bad mouth every possible way they can. It's impossible that there is not one good thing that happened in China? Are you blamed? Seriously guys, use your brain before it turned pea-size.