If you think you're too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito

“If Gramsci has aged better than many of his peers, it is in part because he became a thinker for a defeated, rather than a trumpalist, left 

Netherlands seizes 14 megayachts linked to Russian, Belarusian sanctions

DIMINISHING RETURNS: 4th booster protects the elderly… for four weeks.

Will Smith’s slap heard ‘round the world was an insult to the Oscars

Did you ever think we would have a more bizarre Academy Awards moment than 2017 when the wrong name was announced for Best Picture?

 Tom Jones

One stop shop for Covid Information

Axios: “President Biden on Wednesday announced the launch of COVID.gov, a website intended to be a “one-stop shop” for COVID resources, including vaccines, tests and masks. The website includes a tool to help people find locations where they can get tested and receive oral antiviral treatments if needed.

• “The bottom line, no longer will Americans have to scour the internet to find vaccines, treatments, tests or masks, It’s all there,” Biden said Wednesday.”

Fatigue is more than being worn out or sleepy. It's an excessive tiredness that persists despite resting or good sleep. It's likely a result of our body's strong immune response to the virus.

But in some people the fatigue drags on even when the infection is gone. This can be debilitating and frustrating. Simply resting more makes no difference.

Fatigue after COVID is way more than just feeling tired. Five tips on what to do about it

US, Australia concerned at proposed sanction-skirting Russia-India banking scheme Sydney Morning Herald

Russia sanctions threaten to chip away at dominance of US dollar, says IMF FT

Kremlin furious as Russian Army suffers ‘significant losses’ after bombing own unit, mistaken regiment for Ukrainian troops

Queen of the con: why the Melissa Caddick mystery captivates me as much as you

• ~by Kate McClymont

• 
  

Sloppy sanctions will blunt themselves 

The Dying Art of Friendship

Russia-West: Is It Possible to Lift the Sanctions?Valdai Discussion Club

Russians expect Western businesses to returnBNE Intellinews

Katelyn Jetelina – Your Local Epidemiologist: “…Should I get a fourth dose? – The original booster continues to do a great job at preventing hospitalization and death. There is some evidence that this is waning over time, though. Your decision should be driven by weighing benefits with risks:

• Benefit: There is evidence from Israel (2 studies here, here) that shows a fourth dose provides additional protection for older adults. The benefit isn’t nearly as drastic as a third dose, but benefit is there. For example, among a sample of 1,138,681 Israelis aged 60+ years, a fourth dose reduced the rate of infection by 2 times and reduced the rate of severe disease by 4 times. Preventing infection will also reduce chances of long COVID.
• Risk: The vaccine poses very, very low risks. Some people (like me) do experience side effects, which puts you out of commission for a few days. If you can’t miss work or don’t have sick time then this may outweigh the benefits for healthy individuals right now. (Although you would have to miss more work if you were infected.)

To me, the benefits of a fourth dose outweigh the risks, so I’m supportive of a fourth dose booster for those who are eligible…”

Two recent cases in which taxpayers have taken on the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) have lessons for all taxpayers, and highlight concerns about the machinery of our tax system.

In the first case, a taxpayer had a rare win against the ATO in the Federal Court. Taxpayers don’t often win in the courts because they bear the burden of proof why the ATO’s tax assessment is excessive.

In other words, the ATO can act on suspicion in assessing a tax liability, and it’s the taxpayer’s job to prove why the tax payable should be less. That’s usually a very high bar to jump. We regularly have to remind taxpayers that the three “E’s” of winning a tax case are: evidence, evidence and evidence.

Odds are firmly stacked against the taxpayer, and it’s time to fix this

ALA – New report spotlights creative library broadband services during the pandemic – “America’s libraries have long been a cornerstone for equitable access to information and broadband services. The country’s nearly 17,000 public libraries offer no-fee internet access, Wi-Fi, and devices, such as computers and tablets. Many offer formal digital skills building classes, informal assistance with digital tasks, as well as hotspots and devices for loan—helping to connect underserved communities, bridge the digital divide, and empower people online. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic a majority of libraries were temporarily forced to close their buildings to the public.1 Acutely aware of their role in providing essential connectivity to jobseekers, students, parents, older Americans, veterans, small business owners, the homeless, and many more, the nation’s libraries
quickly pivoted to continue to offer public internet access and other services while adhering to public
health guidelines. As it became clear that the pandemic would not be over soon, libraries again adjusted to offer relevant services over the longer term…”