The U.S. Postal Service is one of the oldest public institutions in the country. It’s self-funded and requires no taxpayer dollars
for its operating expenses, instead relying on the sale of stamps and
other products. It’s also legally mandated to serve every single
community regardless of cost. Rain or shine, the USPS serves Americans
in every ZIP code, delivering everything from postcards to veterans
benefits and lifesaving medications.
The USPS has struggled financially in recent years, in large part due to a 2006 mandate that required it to pre-fund retiree health care costs 75 years in advance. The coronavirus
pandemic has only accelerated the financial troubles faced by USPS; the
vast majority of mail is sent by businesses, many of which halted
operations. Without financial help from Congress, the agency could be
bankrupt by next year.
Recently, President Donald Trump seemingly admitted that he is withholding funds from the USPS in order to hinder mail-in voting in November. That, along with alarming moves by Trump’s appointed postmaster general, prompted concerned citizens to flock to the USPS online store
in hopes of giving the agency a financial boost. And there’s a whole
lot more than just stamps for sale ― the USPS released a wide variety of
products that had the internet shook. Among them was this rather
fabulous crop top.
Not surprisingly,
the top sold out quickly. We can only hope that it gets restocked soon.
In the meantime, there are plenty more items still available from the
USPS store and third parties that allow you to show your support for the
postal service, financially and otherwise.
U.S. Mail Carrier Dog Costume
store.usps.com
U.S. Mail Carrier Dog Costume, $17.99
Halloween is coming up ― if you haven’t already picked the perfect costume for your dog, the USPS you covered. This mini mail carrier outfit is equal parts adorable and hilarious. Currently, only the extra small is available for $17.99.
Magic Kit
store.usps.com
The Art of Magic, $34.95
There’s never been a better time to work on your magic skills. The USPS teamed up with magician Mac King to design The Art of Magic
kit, which will help you learn five card tricks. The kit costs $34.95
and includes a set of The Art of Magic Forever stamps, which served as
the inspiration.
3-D T. Rex Puzzle
store.usps.com
Tyrannosaurus Rex 3-D Puzzle Notecard Set, $16.95
If you’re looking for more quarantine activities, this 3-D puzzle should keep you occupied. It comes with a set of notecards and, of course, stamps. The set costs $16.95.
APWU Varsity Jacket
apwustore.org
APWU Varsity Jacket, $50
Crop tops are out, varsity jackets are in. This jacket
offered by the American Postal Workers Union is one of many
fashion-forward items it has for sale. It’ll run you a cool $50 ― a
reasonable price to help save the Postal Service.
Retro Mr. Zip T-Shirt
walmart.com
Mr. Zip T-shirt, $19.97
Mr.
Zip ― aka Zippy ― was a mascot used by the USPS in the ’60s to
introduce the ZIP code system. Today he’s become synonymous with the
dedication of postal workers, who trudge through rain and snow to ensure
Americans receive their mail. This shirt from Tee Luv is officially licensed by the USPS and available from Walmart starting at $19.97.
USPS Face Masks
Etsy / VintageVibe
USPS Face Mask, $12-$15
Show your support for the U.S. Postal Service from a safe distance with these handmade face masks.
Proceeds don’t actually go to the USPS, but no one you see will miss
your show of support. These masks come with a filter pocket and optional
nose wire and adjustable ear straps. Pricing is $12 to $15 per mask,
depending on customizations.
Actual Stamps
store.usps.com
Email
and texting may be the preferred modes of communication these days, but
it’s still nice to receive a letter every now and then. Add a little
flair to your mail with one of the many fun Forever Stamp collections,
including Hot Wheels, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, frogs or my personal favorite, spooky silhouettes. A book of 20 stamps will run you $11.
As the pandemic has moved south and west from its epicenter in New York
City, so have the unusual patterns in deaths from all causes. That
suggests that the official death counts may be substantially
underestimating the overall effects of the virus, as people die from the
virus as well as by other causes linked to the pandemic.
When the coronavirus took hold in the United States in March, the bulk
of deaths above normal levels, or “excess deaths,” were in the
Northeast, as New York and New Jersey saw huge surges.
The Northeast still makes up nearly half of all excess deaths in the
country, though numbers in the region have drastically declined since
the peak in April.
Counting deaths takes time and many states are weeks or months behind in
reporting. The estimates from the C.D.C. are adjusted based on how
mortality data has lagged in previous years. Even with this adjustment,
it’s possible there could be an underestimate of the complete death toll
if increased mortality is causing states to lag more than they have in
the past or if states have changed their reporting systems.
But comparing recent totals of deaths from all causes can provide a more
complete picture of the pandemic’s impact than tracking only deaths of
people with confirmed diagnoses.
Weekly deaths above normal in each state
The charts below show how much higher than usual weekly deaths have
been in each state. States with the most recent peaks — the week when
they saw the most excess deaths during the pandemic — appear first. For
each state, weeks in which data may be incomplete are excluded.
Nine of the 13 states in the South started seeing excess deaths surge in
July, months into the pandemic. A spike in cases in places like Texas
put pressure on hospitals, echoing the chaos that ensued in New York months earlier. South Carolina, among the first states to reopen retail stores, saw deaths reach 1.6 times normal levels in mid-July.
Unlike other states in this region, Louisiana saw its excess deaths peak
in April — when total deaths reached 1.7 times normal levels. Medical
experts said Mardi Gras gatherings most likely contributed to this spike.
In July, coronavirus deaths in Arizona surged, though new daily cases
have since decreased. In California, the first state to issue a
stay-at-home order this spring, coronavirus deaths climbed up in July,
after a reopening that some health officials warned was too fast.
Deaths above normal in the Midwest
In the Midwest, some states like Michigan and Illinois saw their peaks in April. Detroit was particularly hard hit by the virus.
New York City in the first few months of the pandemic was the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, and it was plagued by staggering death totals,
which peaked at more than seven times normal levels. Other areas of the
Northeast, including New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut also saw
early surges. Over all, rates have decreased significantly since then
in much of the region.
Methodology
Total death numbers are estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
which are based on death certificates counted by the C.D.C. and
adjusted to account for typical lags in the reporting of deaths.
Only weeks in which the C.D.C. estimates the
data to be at least 90 percent complete or estimated deaths were above
expected death numbers are included. Weeks in which reported deaths were
less than 50 percent of the C.D.C. estimate are not included. Because
states vary somewhat in their speed in reporting deaths to the federal
government, state charts may have data for different time periods.
Expected deaths were calculated with a
simple model based on the weekly number of all-cause deaths from 2017 to
2019 released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adjusted to account for trends, like population changes, over time.
Greed, sleaze, corporatism and capitalism ruin everything. IMO greedy sleazy money grubbing pigs deserve to have their balls cut off and fed to them at gun point. When a person's primary motivation is to obtain obscene weatlth at the expense of morals and the well being of others, the best thing for society is to throw the fucker off a cliff.
The reason you are no longer hearing any good music and why legit talented artists are getting buried is mostly because the industry is rigged by sleazy bastards. Turrn on your terrestial car radio and you won't find any new music. Why not? Nobody will listen to the slop being produced today so radio stations won't play it. You might hear some palatable new country music but most of it is quite formula and quite lame and as far as I know you won't be hearing any Hank 3 on the radio.
Nearly every popular artist today uses the sleazy practice of steam farmings. When you go to Youtube and you see that no talent fake ass artists like Nicki Minaj and asshole Kanye West has 100 times more clicks and views than real artists such as Eric Gales, Mark Kuhn and Joe Bonamassa you can bet most of the clicks a views are fake and the ad revenue is essentially stolen. Marginally talented Taylor Swift's videos have over 3 BILLION views on youtube alone.
As a listener or artist there there is not much you can legally do about it. Legit artists have been getting fucked by the recording industry since it began but now the advertisers are also getting fucked and fucked hard. What you can do is support live music and your musician friends. You can thumbs down fake music and thumbs up organic music even if it is not your taste. Seek out new old music. If you are a metal fan check out 70's or 80's funk or Mowtown. If you like hard rock check out jazz or modern instrumental surf. Check out opera, Middle Eastern, Indian, African, neo classical, blues, classic country, Texas swing, soul, rockabilly, blue grass, Southern Rock, blue grass, folk, soft rock etc... And by all means, stop listening to fake music by fake artists.
If you are not aware of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Google "Sinclair Fines". Sinclair is a corporate media gangster similar to News Corp the far-right Russian controlled lie machine behind Fox News. Unlike Fox News Sinclair has been illegally buying affiliates of legit networks such as ABC, CBS and NBC.
Dumb as Shit It should suffice to say that in most cases local news is a joke. WLOS is more than a joke. It's bullshit news stories are at best fluff and more often free commecials for local sponsors as well as bullshit stories sent to them by commecial propagandists and parroted by some airhead online personality (usually a blonde bimbo) as actual news in order to push some particular narrative. That's WLOS and stations like it. What's a Lie? A lie is a statement that you know is false but you make it anyway. That is exactly what WLOS and other local stations do. Usually lies disguised as news are subtle and contain enough hedge words to sorta pass the smell test. These lies a different. These lies come in the form of Republican campaign advertising so they are blantant and in the post truth era Republican lies have become the norm. One lies in question is a lie by Putin loyalist Traitorous Thom Tillis the US Republican Senator from North Carolina where Tillis falsely accused Democat Cal Cunningham of taking money from the Paycheck Protection Program. In spite of other stations pulling the ad, the filth at WLOS continue to run it. "Last week, at least three TV stations refused to air a NRSC commercial that falsely accused Democrat Cal Cunningham of personally benefiting from the federal coronavirus relief effort known as the Paycheck Protection Program."
The other ad is a Trump ad claiming Biden wants to defund the police. WLOS knows it is a complete lie but is broadcasting it anyway even though other stations have refused to air the lie filled ad.WLOS and its Sinclair pimp daddy are hiding behind the legalistic BS that running a lie filled political ad is not unlawful. In the minds of the amoral corporate types legality = morality.
What Should Happen to Liars?
I have my thoughts but for now let's see what the ancients would have done.
Jewish law enumerates 613 Mitzvot or commandments, including several commandments related to honest testimony as related to judicial procedure.
570. Anybody who knows evidence must testify in court (Leviticus 5:1) 571. Carefully interrogate the witness (Deuteronomy 13:14) 572. A witness must not serve as a judge in capital crimes (Deuteronomy 19:17) 573. Not to accept testimony from a lone witness (Deuteronomy 19:15) 574. Transgressors must not testify (Exodus 23:1) 575. Relatives of the litigants must not testify (Deuteronomy 24:16) 576. Not to testify falsely (Exodus 20:16) 577. Punish the false witnesses as they tried to punish the defendant (Deuteronomy 19:19)
Proverbs 19:9 – A false witness shall be punished, and a liar shall be caught. Proverbs 21:6 & 8 – A fortune made by people who tell lies amounts to nothing and leads to death. … But the conduct of those who are not guilty is honest.
In a list of things that the Lord hates we find lying. "These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren" (Proverbs 6:16-19). Lies make the list twice, so it is not something easily ignored. The reason for God's hatred of lying is simple, God is the God of Truth. "He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He" (Deuteronomy 32:4). God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). Hence, God abhors lying. "You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man" (Psalm 5:6).
The Psalmist warned, "He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; he who tells lies shall not continue in my presence" (Psalm 101:7). Hence, if Christians desire to be found faithful, they cannot engage in lying. "Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds" (Colossians 3:9). "Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another" (Ephesians 4:25).
Under the Law of Moses, a person who lied in court would receive the punishment the person on trial would have received if the lie was believed. "If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, then both men in the controversy shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil from among you" (Deuteronomy 19:16-19). Thus to falsely accuse a person of murder could bring the death penalty upon the liar's head.
Lying is a serious matter. It is not to be ignored. "A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will not escape" (Proverbs 19:5). "A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies shall perish" (Proverbs 19:9).
Ultimately, liars will be judged and sentence to eternity in Hell. "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Revelation 21:8).
Under Islamic law liars get their tongues cut out or stoned to death. Sounds a bit harsh? I guess that would depend on the severity of the lie. Lies that lead to the death of innocent people are as bad as it gets. We all know that the lies of Trump and other Putin pawns regarding COVID-19 being the "latest democrat hoax" has led to the deaths of 10's of thousands of innocent and not so innocent people. For now we are taking good with the bad. Me? I would say that liars are clear and present danger to life and liberty and that liars with the power of the electronic media and cyber media need to be brought to justice. With the rule of law breaking down at every level of society and the 1% aka the criminal elite, completely above the law the future for moral humans is bleak. In the past and not so distant past tyrants got their just punishment. Christ took a whip to the money changers, Robinhood stole from the greedy and gave to the poor but that is fiction. In the real world the opressors of humanity met with terrible fates. Through terror Robespierre dragged the oppesssors and traitors to the guillotine. William Tecumseh Sherman punished the savage South for it's holocaust. Then there was Neuremberg. Not much has happened since. Democracy won't becoming to Russia, China or the US if the 1% is allowed to remain in power and remain unpunished for their wickedness. People at the top don't become amoral, that's just what they are. Punishing the Wicked IMO what needs to happen is, WLOS and other media lie spreaders should be made examples of what happens to money grubbing broadcasters who betray the public trust. Punishment is the only tool civilization have to deal with the dangerous and the villianous. Many believe that not protecting good people from bad people is barbarity. This applies to the Machiavellian, contriving and unscrupulous like the thugs that run gangs like WLOS and SINclair Broadcast Group. A Lawful Star Chamber
When justice continues to fail to protect the people, groups are formed to insure the fair enforcement of law and punishment. When it comes to corporate crime justice is absent and the inadequate laws designed to protect the peasants from the corporate gangs are rarely enforced and if sentencess are handed down, they are farciful just like the clowns in the black robes who hand them down. Some would say do it yourself justice is as valid and righteous justice meted out by the courts.
“Peoples do not judge in the same way as courts of law; they do
not hand down sentences, they throw thunderbolts; they do not condemn
kings, they drop them back into the void; and this justice is worth just
as much as that of the courts.” -Robespiere-
Email lists of businesses that advertise with WLOS and other unscroupulous broadcasters in Western NC have been obtained. Emails will be sent to these advertisers offering them more cost effective way to reach customers. When you have a rat problem the first step is to try to starve them before trapping and poisoning them is employed. I think it is still possible to work within the law to end this fascism and post tuth era. Time will tell.
