Love Those Nerds

NASA

The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took this shot, capturing its own shadow, while hovering over the Martian surface on April 19, 2021, during the first instance of powered, controlled flight on another planet. It used its navigation camera, which autonomously tracks the ground during flight.

The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by JPL, which also manages this technology demonstration project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, and Space Technology Mission Directorate. NASA’s Ames Research Center and Langley Research Center provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity’s development.

A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).

Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.

They flew an RC helicopter on Mars -

on fucking Mars, man

COVID-19 Update

World

New Cases:    709,476 (⬆︎ .50%)
New Deaths:       9,454 (⬆︎ .31%)

USA

New Cases:    43,181 (⬆︎ .13%)
New Deaths:        310 (⬆︎ .05%)

Vaccination Scorecard

Total Vaccinations:           131.2 million (⬆︎ 1.24%)
Total Eligible Population:    49.1%
Total Population:                 39.5%

Papers please - yeah yeah - we get it. You're funny. Shut up.

You insist that brown people should have to prove they have a right to vote. All I'm saying is that I have the right not to be contaminated by your dirty infectious ass when I get on the airplane or the bus or go out for dinner.

WaPo:

All about your coronavirus vaccine card (and what to do if you lose it)

There are various ways to document that you received a coronavirus vaccine. Some people have snapped selfies proudly displaying the Band-Aid on their upper arm. Some vaccination sites are handing out stickers. But the official form of documentation is the small white vaccination record card issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which you receive after your first shot.

“You do want to make sure you keep it safe,” says Kelly Moore, deputy director of the Immunization Action Coalition. “You do want to make a copy of it and keep that on file, not because it’s the only record, but because it’s the one that you control.”

Here’s what Moore and other experts say you need to know about the cards and what you should do after receiving one.

What is the purpose of a vaccination card?

The primary function of a vaccination card is to serve as a personal immunization record, Moore says, much like your childhood immunization records. “These cards that you’re given when you’re vaccinated are important for you to keep up with because they’re your personal record of what you have had and they remind you of when your next dose is due.”

In its guidance on getting a coronavirus vaccine, the CDC says you should be given a card at your first appointment that tells you which vaccine you received, its lot number, the date and the vaccination site. If you need a second dose, referencing the card is a quick way for providers to make sure you’re getting the right shot at the right time without having to access your electronic records. The card should then be updated with details about the second shot.

The cards also can be convenient proof of coronavirus vaccination, but experts emphasize that they are not legal documents and should not be thought of as such at this point in the pandemic.

“It is not magical. It is not the only record that exists,” Moore says. Still, she notes, if you have the card, “it’s much easier than having to go back to your doctor’s office or to some health department to request a copy of your proof of immunization. It can save you a lot of hassles down the line if you maintain your personal copy of this official record.”

What should I do with my card after getting it?

It’s widely recommended to take a photograph of the card as a backup copy and keep the original stored in a safe place where you can easily access it if needed.

“It’s not something I recommend taking around everywhere, at least not at this point, because it’s not required,” says Michael Knight, an assistant professor of medicine and the patient safety officer at George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates. “I’d much rather you keep it with your secure documents.”

Neysa Ernst, nurse manager of the Biocontainment Unit at Johns Hopkins Medicine, says she keeps her card with her passport. In addition to taking a photo, also consider making hard copies of the card and keep those secure as well, Ernst says. Try to avoid losing the original or any copies and be careful about posting photos of your card on social media without obscuring your personal information.

“Your name is on there, your date of birth, the lot number of the vaccine that you receive,” Knight says. “You don’t want an opportunity for individuals to have personal information that they can use for identity theft or other untoward activities.”

Additionally, you may want to bring your card to your next appointment with your primary care provider, Knight says. Your doctor should be able to input your vaccination information into their records, which means you will have another way to access it.

Should I laminate my card?

Lamination could be a way to safeguard against wear and tear, but some experts have raised concerns that it may complicate updating the card if booster shots are needed in the future.

“When you get your booster dose, they can add that booster dose to your personal record, so you can keep all the information in one place,” Moore says. “For that reason, laminating it might not be the best idea because it is a living record.”

It is possible, though, that a new supplementary card will be issued for booster shots, so laminating the original would be fine, says William Schaffner, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. If you want to avoid modifying the actual card, Ernst suggests laminating a copy.

If you do choose to laminate, take care to ensure that it’s done correctly and doesn’t damage the card in the process. Companies such as Staples and Office Depot and OfficeMax are offering free lamination services for vaccination cards or copies for a limited time.

Will I need my card to get my second shot?

While it’s recommended that you bring your card to your second appointment so it can be updated, don’t panic if you don’t have it with you. “Don’t miss your appointment because you lost your card,” Ernst says.

Vaccination sites and state health departments are keeping electronic records of coronavirus vaccinations that have been administered. As long as you have a form of ID, the site should be able to pull up your name in their records and get you vaccinated.

“There’s a lot of reporting that we’re doing as health-care providers to make sure these records are accurate,” says Kevin Colgan, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at University of Chicago Medicine. “Not only is it good that we have a registry with people’s information, but we have a check system in place to make sure all the information is transmitting correctly.”

What happens if I lose my card?

First, try to go back to your vaccination site and see if they’ll give you a replacement. Bring an ID and try to recall the date you were vaccinated, Schaffner says.

If you received two shots at different places, Knight recommends returning to the site where you got the second dose, which may be able to provide the information needed for a complete card. “It all depends on the processes in place at their local vaccination sites and put in place by their local health department,” he says.

But there is no need to worry if you can’t get a replacement card, Colgan says. “What happens is that we record all of your vaccinations in your electronic medical record that has a link to the state’s vaccination registry,” he says, “so you can always get a backup copy of your vaccine administrations” through your state health department.

The CDC provides contact information for each state’s immunization information system on its website. How to access those immunization records differs by state, Colgan says, but you should be able to use a printout of that information in place of the card.

“The cards could be falsified,” he says, “but those electronic records cannot or it would be very difficult to do it.”

Where will I need to show my card?

The answer to this question is up in the air, and is much debated. “Right now, those policies are evolving, so we can’t really say where people might require proof of immunization,” Moore says.

New York state is the first to issue a vaccine passport, which people can show to obtain entry to sporting venues, concert halls and participating businesses, while the governor of Florida has banned them. As travel resumes, it’s possible tourists will need vaccine passports, particularly for international trips. A growing list of countries are welcoming fully vaccinated American travelers and the Royal Caribbean cruise line, which has announced plans to resume some operations from non-U. S. ports, is requiring vaccinations for passengers and crew who meet age requirements.

If you are traveling, you should bring your vaccination record, or at least a copy of it, just in case, Ernst says. Travel requirements are rapidly changing and it’s better to be safe.

In the future, experts say, it’s possible businesses could require staff to show proof of vaccination before allowing them to come back to work in-person, or that schools could add the coronavirus vaccine to the list of vaccinations required for students.

But for now, you might only need to show your card (or a copy of it) if you’re trying to claim free vaccine-related promotions, such as Krispy Kreme doughnuts or beer.

What is the difference between a vaccination record card and a vaccine passport?

The CDC card is “a simple medical record,” Schaffner says. The term vaccine passport or medical passport, on the other hand, could refer to a similar physical documentation of vaccination, such as the World Health Organization’s Yellow Card (Carte Jaune), as well as mobile apps where you can upload information about vaccinations, test results or health waivers.

“Your card is just a piece of paper with your information,” Knight says. Oftentimes a vaccine passport is “a document that’s more durable, that’s a little bit more secure” or it will be electronic.

“It’s unlikely that the actual paper that you have will be the passport if that is required in the future,” he says.

Sign Up

Let's get this shit done.

https://vaccinate.virginia.gov/

(877) VAX-IN-VA

(877) 829-4682

Overheard

If you're so worried about a background check that you absolutely refuse to go along with it, 

then you're not the good guy,

and I don't think you should have a gun.

Nature's Healing

The Possum Shanty

A Song

John Denver, from his album Poems Prayers & Promises, released in April 1971.

A very long time ago, a young woman asked me to learn to play this one for her. I didn't do it. I mocked the song and John Denver, and it's come to be something I regret.

Never trust anyone who claims they regret nothing. It means they have an incredibly bad memory, or they've lived a life totally unaware of their own imperfections, or that they're just an over-privileged arrogant asshole who thinks they shit ice cream.

Today's Tweet (NSFW)

NSFW

But always be aware of the Sunk Cost Fallacy

Once you got your Man trained... (Adult Content) pic.twitter.com/1zcnX5kk8c 01

— Tomthunkit™ (@TomthunkitsMind) April 18, 2021

Today's Eternal Sadness

We interrupt our coverage of the FedX shooting in Indiana, which interrupted our coverage of the police shooting of the 13-year-old in Chicago, which interrupted the coverage of the police shooting of Daunte Wright, which interrupted the coverage of the trial of police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, to bring you coverage of the shooting in Kenosha...

Axios:

3 killed, 2 wounded overnight in Kenosha bar shooting

Three people died and two were hospitalized with serious injuries after a gunman entered bar in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, the police department said in a statement on Sunday. Police responded to the shooting at around 12:42 a.m. and the suspect has not been found.

The big picture: The midnight shooting is the latest in a string of deadly mass shootings to hit the U.S. since March, fueling a debate in Washington about how to regulate the weapons.

What they're saying: Police described the suspect as "a black male over six feet tall wearing a light-colored hooded sweatshirt" and say the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident. Victims' names and ages are still being determined.

"We do not believe there is a threat to the community at this time," the department said in a statement.

The shooting occurred inside the tavern, Sgt. David Wright, a spokesperson for the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department, told CNN.

147 mass shootings have been reported this year as of April 16, according to the Gun Violence Archive

A mass shooting is define as one in which four or more people are injured or killed, not including the perpetrator.

And I'd be less than honest if I didn't say I'm a little worried about the "black guy with a gun" aspect here.

Cuz there's something very wrong with this country.

COVID-19 Update

World

New Cases:    784,527 (⬆︎ .56%)
New Deaths:     11,596 (⬆︎ .38%)

USA

New Cases:    63,625 (⬆︎ .20%)
New Deaths:        738 (⬆︎ .13%)

Vaccination Scorecard

Total Vaccinations:           129.5 million (⬆︎ 1.72%)
Total Eligible Population:   48.5%
Total Population:                39.0%

We need to immunize about 70% of the US population, and we're coming up on being 60% of the way to achieving that goal.

The good news is that we got over 2 million new vaccinations done yesterday, and the better news is that Tony Fauci is saying we should get the J&J vaccine back in the game pretty soon.

All of which means we're on track to hit the target before July 4th - just like Biden told us.

Reuters:

Dr. Fauci predicts resumption of J&J COVID-19 vaccine use

Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday predicted that U.S. health regulators will end the temporary pause on distributing Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, adding he expects a decision could come as soon as Friday.

"My estimate is that we will continue to use it in some form. I doubt very seriously if they just cancel it. I don't think that's going to happen. I do think that there will likely be some sort of warning or restriction or risk assessment," Fauci said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

U.S. health regulators recommended last week that use of the J&J vaccine be paused after reports of six cases of rare brain blood clots in women, out of some 7 million people who have received the shot in the United States.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory panel is set to meet on April 23 to discuss the next steps for the vaccine.

Fauci said he does not know what the final decision will be, but he predicts there will be a resumption.

"I don't know if there have been further cases. We will know that by Friday, and I would be very surprised ... if we don't have a resumption in some form by Friday. A decision almost certainly will be made by Friday," Fauci said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Fauci on Sunday also laid out a possible timeline for when children could be vaccinated against COVID-19.

"I would be surprised if we didn't have the high school kids being able to be vaccinated by the fall term," he told CBS. "I think by the time we get to the first quarter of 2022, we will be able to vaccinate children of virtually any age - hopefully before then," he added.

One indication of how well it's going:

I got my J&J shot in early March, through the Virginia Health Department's efforts to ramrod the project.

Yesterday, I got a second unnecessary call from the folks at UVa, asking if I wanted to schedule an appointment to get a shot.

So while it's obvious we could do better keeping track of the thing - coordinating the different healthcare entities with each other - I'll take it as a positive that they're kinda scouring the place looking for people to jab.

New Day - Same Old GOP

It has to be clear - even to the fog-brained radical right - that the GOP is just straight up flat out crooked.

At a certain point, we have to figure that's how they want it.

Axios:

Pompeo, wife misused State Dept. resources, federal watchdog finds

The State Department's independent watchdog found that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo violated federal ethics rules when he and his wife asked department employees to perform personal tasks on more than 100 occasions, including picking up their dog and making private dinner reservations.

Why it matters:

The report comes as Pompeo pours money into a new political group amid speculation about a possible 2024 presidential run.

What they're saying:

• "OIG found evidence of over 100 requests to Department employees that are inconsistent with the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch or raised questions about the proper use of Department resources," the State Department’s inspector general found as first reported by Politico.
• "These requests from the Pompeos, which fell into three broad categories —requests to pick up personal items, planning of events unrelated to the Department’s mission, and miscellaneous personal requests — had no apparent connection to the official business of the Department."
• Examples included taking care of their dog, helping write a letter of recommendation for a medical school application, booking salon appointments and making private dinner reservations, per the report.

Pompeo's attorney denied the allegations against his client and called the report "false."

“The poor quality of the report bespeaks not merely unprofessionalism in its drafting but also bias, which we are concerned may be politically motivated," Pompeo's lawyer, William Burck, said in a response appended to the report.

What's next:

The report did not call for any disciplinary action against Pompeo because he is no longer in office, but did recommend steps the State Department should take to "mitigate the risk of future senior leaders committing similar violations."

Top to bottom. Side to side. Front to back. CROOKED