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Je Suis Charlie
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Alleluia! Moonhowlers are gunning for you
Barbwire by Andrew Barbáno / Expanded from the Wednesday 4-7-2021 Sparks Tribune / Expansions in blue

It came in over the transom. Or e-mail. Or death lasers from a Jewish spaceship over Georgia.

"COVID TEST KIT SWAB INFECTS YOU with NANO WORMS (made in CHINA)."

Wait, it gets better.

"NANO WORMS! OMG...infecting you with Test Kits from CHYNA! Guy shows that the Covid Test Kit, unopened, sealed from China already infected with worms so user infects self when using nasal swab! VIDEO LINK to see nano worms present in masks seen under Microscope."

That was forwarded by a highly intelligent local woman who, like some of my Italian relatives, is very susceptible to sci-fi writing, even the unimaginative variety.

I guess we now know what the headline item will be when defrocked Czar Donaldov launches his new AntifaTwitter service.

The fake news New York Times ran a more sobering story this week: "White Evangelical Resistance Is Obstacle in Vaccination Push."

Good God.

A Christian lady in forward-thinking Edmonton, Oklahoma, said she believed vaccines contain aborted cell tissue. (Susceptible to being eaten by nano worms that look like Dr. Hannibal Lecter, perhaps?)

"The vaccine is not the savior," said a Tacoma holy man, adding that God is the ultimate healer and deliverer. (The delivery business has indeed been great of late.)

"Lauri Armstrong, a Bible-believing nutritionist outside of Dallas, said she did not need the vaccine because God designed the body to heal itself, if given the right nutrients..."It would be God's will if I am here or I am not here," she told the Times.

Pretty good double-down definition of fatalism.

That would not be so worrisome were it not that there are about 41 million white evangelicals in the U.S. Put another way, that's well over half of Trump's losing total of 74 million voters. (Yeah, yeah, I know, fake news.)

Some ministers, including the Rev. Franklin Graham, have endorsed vaccinations and said Jesus would agree.

"White pastors have largely remained quiet," The Times noted, "because wariness among white conservative Christians is not just medical but also political."

Dr. Jamie Aten of Wheaton College, an Illinois evangelical school, said "If we can't get a significant number of white evangelicals to come in on (vaccinations), the pandemic is going to last much longer than it needs to."

Chillingly, Dr. Aten added "there are people in the pews where you've just attacked their political party and maybe their whole world view."

Sounds a lot to me like people refusing to wear masks on local buses.

Evolution denial has played a big part in all this anti-intellectualism.

This raises a no-win situation for fundamental creationists. If they are right and the world is about 5,500 years old according to the Judaeo-Christian Bible, then the fossil record, our DNA and the observable universe, which all appear to be...er, somewhat older, are part of some perhaps clever hologram programmed to fool us.

Either way, somebody's version of the Almighty is lying.

"Distrust of scientists has become part of cultural identity, of what it means to be white and evangelical in America," The Times summarized the opinion of Rice University religion Prof. Elaine Ecklund.

I'll back Pope Francis on this one: "“The Vatican has made it clear that all the Covid vaccines, recognized as safe and effective, can be used in good conscience. There is no moral need to turn down a vaccine.”

The above came in a bulletin from Catholic Diocese of Reno Bishop Randolph Calvo.

Just as I detested self-described God-fearing Christians supporting an amoral criminal like Donald Trump, I claim righteous rage in the face of anyone who wants to kill me by spreading our modern day plague while in the thrall of ancient science fiction.

There are lots of vax freebies coming online this week. Take advantage. Your life really does depend on it. And so does mine.

HOLIER THAN THOU. I wondered what happened to a new show entitled " 'Til Kingdom Come" which was scheduled for KNPB TV-5 last week, so I asked.

"We had this Independent Lens film scheduled to air Saturday, April 3 at 12 (midnight). PBS decided to pull the broadcast rights late last week," stated PBS Reno Director of Programming Barbara Harmon.

Apparently, the beef revolved around edited comments by (whom else?) Donald Trump about Israel keeping the disputed West Bank land conquered during the 1967 Six Day War.

It "examines the close relationship between American evangelicals and Israel," according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency website.

Curiously, Israel has the highest vax success rate in the world. But land is a different issue.

BAD WRITING R US. Recent headlines creating serious head scratching.

"Reno welcomes two new tech companies to fold." If we want them to fold, why invite them?

"Why assisted suicide bills are bad law for Nevadans." Of course they're bad. People who commit suicide can't pay their bills.

"Woman says she found human flesh in a smoothie she made from ingredients purchased at a North Las Vegas Walmart."

This case has no chance in court. She's obviously a liar. If there were chunks, it cannot be a smoothie. (Dr. Lecter, your order is ready.)

The papers in Gomorrah South have reported that original stars William Petersen and Jorja Fox will lead the TV reboot of "CSI/Las Vegas." No word if Walmart flesh was found in the reboot.

Was it in the water or just April Fools' Day, Serious Edition?

Was the moon full?

I'm staying inside with two masks on.

¡Sí se puede!

Take care of each other and be careful out there.