BetterMost, Wyoming & Brokeback Mountain Forum
Our BetterMost Community => Chez Tremblay => Topic started by: Penthesilea on March 22, 2020, 07:07:27 am
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Hi BetterMostians,
I thought this topic is so important nowadays, it deserves its own thread.
You can share your experiences, your thoughts and fears on the whole mess. Tips are also highly welcome: what keeps you sane while in (more or less) lockdown?
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I'll go first: since yesterday I live under (limited) curfew. The curfew is for my county and the neighboring counties, it's not for whole Germany.
We're still allowed to leave the house for work, grocery shopping, doctor visits and going for walks alone or with members of the same household.
The nursery I work at has been closed for a week now and will remain closed for at least another four weeks. Last Friday, I had to go in for one day and suddenly realized how much I like going to work, how much I like my coworkers, how much the social contacts at work are part of my life. There were only six of us and the boss sent three back home shortly after they arrived, but we three staying had a great day together, each sitting in a different room but the doors between open and we moved our tables in the line of sight of each other. Lovely. We had lots of fun.
One thing that really keeps me sane is going for long walks with my dog. I live in a small village in a rural area; I'm out in the fields and woods within five minutes from my house. I'm thankful for that.
Another plus is of course not living alone, but being part of a family in the same household. My girls are back from university, daughter's BF is mostly here, so we're six people, a dog and a kitty. Not so lonely now.
I've also started some serious spring cleaning ::) :laugh:
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That was a lovely story about your threesome at work, Chrissi. We are truly learning to value our interactions with our fellow human beings.
My daughter and I were going to cook together for a little party on her birthday March 12. I gathered corned beef, cabbage, eggs, butter, potatoes and broccoli. But she was too ill to have the party, so we postponed it. We didn’t know at that time that the party would have to be postponed for a long time. Everyone is now quarantined because of the corona virus. Her housewarming party and grandson’s birthday party are also postponed indefinitely.
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Recently tested positive: the mayor of Vail, Colorado; Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky; Plácido Domingo.
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Hello.
New numbers for my state of NJ. We are now up to 4,402 positive cases, and 61 deaths.
My county in NJ (Essex) just announced they are opening a drive-thru testing area.
I've been working from home for the past 14 days (that includes weekends for the day count, but I don't work weekends) and before the panic shopping started, I had managed to get to the grocery store and bought what I needed, so I'm ok, as is my family.
My middle brother (Michael) is a Lt. in the police force, so as a first responder, he has to be at work.
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LOL!!
You have to see this 30 second video!
It's a video of a priest from Italy, who is live streaming his service via Facebook Live, due to CoronaVirus.
The issue? He unknowingly had filters on at the time. As he talks, confetti falls, he suddenly had a headband and lifts weights, even at one point gets glasses and a fedora.
He has no clue, and just keeps on preaching. :laugh:
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Here in Colorado, we now have more than 1,086 cases, and 19 deaths. The cases are growing rapidly now, and there is a "stay at home" order issued by the governor for the entire state. :'(
Governor Polis said he has been checking transportation records as well as data from the phone companies that indicate who is moving about and how well they are distancing themselves, and he has concluded that efforts thus far are not enough to give him a comfort level that lives can be saved.
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Governor Polis said he has been checking transportation records as well as data from the phone companies that indicate who is moving about and how well they are distancing themselves, and he has concluded that efforts thus far are not enough to give him a comfort level that lives can be saved.
Wait. Your governor is tracking the movements of the citizens of Colorado? :o
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I will be working at home until April 30 (unless things change), and already I feel it's not going well. I've reached a point in my life and my job where it's already difficult enough to stay focused in the office, and it's even more difficult to stay focused at home and honestly put in the seven hours I need to put in.
I have no problems accessing the company network in order to do my regular work, but meetings are now problematic. There are certain technologies involved that I never learned because in the usual course of my work I don't need them. Yesterday for an hour I was in a situation where someone was trying to use one technology I don't know to teach me another technology I don't know. I wish I had brought more office supplies home with me, and it's inconvenient not to be able to print some things. I get along fine with my coworkers, but I don't miss them. They're "work friends," not "friend friends." It's the "friend friends" I will miss seeing this weekend.
I'm having trouble falling asleep, which is sort of funny because I just started a new medication for my neuralgia, and my doctor told me to take it at bedtime because it would make me drowsy. Well, guess what? :laugh:
My dad is a constant worry more so than usual because the trains aren't running. I have not tried to look into a one-way car rental to get to his place.
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My dad is a constant worry more so than usual because the trains aren't running. I have not tried to look into a one-way car rental to get to his place.
We are not allowed to travel anywhere except to supermarket, chemist, pharmacy and for fuel. Although the whole country went into lockdown at midnight last night, they have extended travel for 48 hours to allow people eg university students trying to get home. The airports and the ferry terminal between the islands was chaos. We have to form 'bubbles' but I am a bubble of only 1. The only 'bubbles' allowed between homes is where essential service workers may need grandparents to look after children (all schools etc are closed) or where separated parents have shared access to their children.
I have had 3 phone calls over the 2 days, friends I would not usually talk to on the phone but go walking with or meet for coffee. I am not a phone person. One of my friends wanted to have us drive separately to a forestry reserve about 30 km away and walk 2 metres apart but that is not allowed, we must walk in our local area. Fortunately I have a reserve nearby with a steep path along a stream so I will go there tomorrow. I can keep busy in the garden and today I have done 2 stints of about 1 and half to 2 hours but then my back aches and I need to come in for a coffee and a lie down. I think I have enough supplies until next Monday. Milk might be the problem. I do not like long life milk but do have several packs of soy milk. My skype with my sister in Sydney is longer than usual. Usually only 15 to 20 minutes each morning but has been nearer 30 the last 2 days. That is my biggest worry. I always thought I was just 4 to 5 hours by plane away and could organise to get there in 24 hours if necessary.
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It was reported on local TV news this morning that the head of Infectious Diseases at the University of Pennsylvania predicts the pandemic will not peak in Philadelphia until the middle of May.
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One thing that really keeps me sane is going for long walks with my dog. I live in a small village in a rural area; I'm out in the fields and woods within five minutes from my house. I'm thankful for that.
That sounds very, very nice. The weather here today is very nice, and it's tempting to go for a walk, but I'm not sure if I should. When I went out at lunchtime yesterday, it was eerie how empty the streets were. It was also cloudy and threatening rain, so that added to the eerie atmosphere.
I've also started some serious spring cleaning ::) :laugh:
I wish I had the motivation to start that this weekend, but I don't. :(
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What helps me?
Certainly not a daily body count; I can do without that. I limit the news to my daily fix of NPR. No TV news, ever.
I still go to work every day, and deal with constantly changing conditions.
At home, I've been cooking a lot, not so much cleaning. Nice to work on the garden in early spring.
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Working in the garden sounds very nice.
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I've enjoyed facetiming with friends who live abroad.
Also, I've been ordering dvds. In honor of Terrence McNally, I've ordered "André's Mother" and "Love! Valour! Compassion!" Amazon's delivery times are really long right now; eBay is must faster and often has the same price.
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Couriers in NZ are only allowed to deliver essential items. Doubt DVDs are considered essential. Fortunately I had not got round to clearing out my large library of books. Many have not been read of over 30 years.
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I've enjoyed facetiming with friends who live abroad.
Also, I've been ordering dvds. In honor of Terrence McNally, I've ordered "André's Mother" and "Love! Valour! Compassion!" Amazon's delivery times are really long right now; eBay is must faster and often has the same price.
You mean I'm not the only one who still uses dvds? ;D
I remember seeing Love! Valor! Compassion! in a movie theater.
Ebay is my usual go-to because mostly I can find things more easily there. When I'm looking for something specific, usually the number of listings isn't overwhelming, which I find is often the case--for me, anyway--at Amazon.
Even before COVID-19 hit the fan, I was rereading mystery novels in my library. It's been so long--maybe, indeed, 30 years or more--since I last read them that they're new stories again. I don't remember whodunnit. :laugh:
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You mean I'm not the only one who still uses dvds? ;D
I use DVDs too. I also still buy CDs. I get that probably almost everyone downloads music and movies, but I want to have a physical copy of the movie or music in my posession.
I've been texting and chatting with people on forums or via Facebook.
Another thing I've been doing during alone time is working on online jigsaw puzzles.
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I use DVDs too. I also still buy CDs. I get that probably almost everyone downloads music and movies, but I want to have a physical copy of the movie or music in my posession.
Me, too. :)
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I have a Nespresso Machine which is my favourite household item. I buy hot chocolate capsules which fit but are produced by a NZ company. I had a 3 month delivery of coffee capsules from Nespresso at the end of February but let the chocolate capsules run down over summer. Now that it is autumn (only 12'C today and the same forecast for tomorrow) my thoughts turned to hot chocolate for lunch. I just checked the website for the NZ coffee and hot chocolate company and learnt that coffee has been declared non-essential so they are closed but have applied for reconsideration. Coffee is most essential for me ;D
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and learnt that coffee has been declared non-essential so they are closed
:o
Totally agree with you. Coffee is essential. Over here, things have not shut down as much as in NZ apparently. Restaurants, bars, hotels and shops have been closed for a while now, but supermarkets, weekly markets, drugstores and pharmacies are open. And all groceries are regarded essential, including coffee of course.
As for the producing sector: they're all allowed and encouraged to keep producing as good as they can while regarding the 2 meter distance rules (also as good as they can).
I'm having somewhat of a problem with this double standard: in private, you are allowed to be with maximum one other person (except members of the same household), but at work you're still in a much bigger group, albeit trying to keep the 2 meters distance.
Meanwhile, my Hannah has been working at a hospital for the last four weeks. It's a regular clinical traineeship. Thankfully she's on the gynecology ward, so no corona patients for her. My inner mama bear is soothed by that. Anyway, she says the same as the news: things are okay at German hospitals at this point.
Nonetheless, Universities are recruiting medical students just for the case when push comes to shove. Hannah put her name on the volunteer list, but so far no students have really been put to emergency work. I sincerely hope it stays that way.
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Really. How can anybody consider coffee as not essential? NZ will have a whole nation in caffeine withdrawal!
I couldn't say about companies that provide coffee for businesses, but here it can still be bought in grocery stores. You might be stuck with a brand you don't like, though. That happened to me this week. I'm supposed to be drinking decaf (blood pressure), but the only decaf they had was a brand I don't like. I bought the decaf. I wish now I hadn't. I should have ignored the decaf and gone with regular coffee from the brand I prefer. I'm stuck now--I won't waste the money I spent on the decaf.
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Really. How can anybody consider coffee as not essential?
Maybe people from Texas? ;) ;D
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I have a Nespresso Machine which is my favourite household item. I buy hot chocolate capsules which fit but are produced by a NZ company. I had a 3 month delivery of coffee capsules from Nespresso at the end of February but let the chocolate capsules run down over summer. Now that it is autumn (only 12'C today and the same forecast for tomorrow) my thoughts turned to hot chocolate for lunch. I just checked the website for the NZ coffee and hot chocolate company and learnt that coffee has been declared non-essential so they are closed but have applied for reconsideration. Coffee is most essential for me ;D
I think there are a lot of people who would agree with you.
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I can still buy coffee at the Supermarket but cannot have it delivered from a company that speciaiises in coffee (and chocolate) capsules. Couriers are restricted to essential items. As I said, thankfully I had 3 months supply (200 capsules) delivered at the end of February. Only supermarkets and dairies (small corner food shops) are allowed to be open. Butchers and fruit markets have been closed. Dairies have been allowed to stay open but must only have one person in the shop at a time. This is because people without cars might have problems getting to a large supermarket. However in Dunedin the buses are still running but on a weekend timetable (so my bus is once per hour not 2 per hour). They are free and you must use the back door unless problems, our buses 'kneel' for prams and elderly so these would have to use the front door near the driver. You must not sit in the seat behind the driver and must not sit next to anyone (except family). While I normally use the bus to go to the city as it is free for my age anyway, I will not be using it as my only reason for leaving the house is to go to the supermarket or for exercise. I went for a walk yesterday down through the streets and laneways and back up a track beside a stream. I would have climbed about 150 metres and walked about 4 and half km. I passed about a dozen people, half with dogs, but we moved to far sides of the track or path and said hullo. I only actually knew one guy but did not stop to chat. Unlike Germany we are not allowed to be with anybody outside our 'bubble' so for me that is no-one.
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chemist, pharmacy
What's the difference between these? I'm not familiar with the word chemist (used this way) but I would have guessed the chemist was the pharmacist.
supermarkets, weekly markets
And what's the difference here? I'm not familiar with weekly markets. (ETA: maybe they're what we call farmers markets over here? Weekly gatherings of booths where farmers and others sell fresh produce, meat and eggs and sometimes handcrafts like soap and jewelry. They're usually open weekly. I really hope they can open this summer, for the sake of both customers and farmers!)
Here everything is closed except the essentials, which I think are more or less the same as you all have listed. The big question was whether liquor stores would stay open. MN is so straitlaced about alcohol that even beer and wine are not sold in grocery stores. Sale on Sundays has only been allowed for the past couple of years (they had to change the law when the Superbowl was held in Minneapolis! :laugh:). Thankfully, the governor has deemed liquor stores essential. :laugh:
Newspapers are considered essential, but we're all working from home whenever possible. I've left the house for work twice in the past two weeks, and two or three other times for errands.
I went out on the 14th for a story about what was happening out there, as things like theaters and art galleries were starting to shut down but most stores and restaurants were still open. These two women had just opened a new pie shop and had a line out the door and down the street. They'd been selling pies out of a church basement for three years and had built up a big fan base -- they sold out of pies by noon. I spoke to people in line at close quarters and stood inside the small crowded shop. One of the owners, who is very warm and extroverted, was literally hugging many of the people in line. I wrote a story with a kind of wry humor -- the term "social distancing" was still brand new. The women had just received their license the day before, and this coincidentally happened to be Pi Day. "It's the perfect time!" one woman said. "Well, kind of -- except for [blah blah blah about the coronavirus]," my story said. I noted that she wasn't practicing social distancing, that people in line were blithely saying things like "Nothing should stand in the way of pie."
"This story won't age well," someone wrote in the comments. They were right. I didn't worry much about it at the time, but even by the next day it had become kind of shocking that people were cramming into a tight spot. Now, of course, it would be outright illegal.
I sometimes wonder how the pie shop is doing. They were takeout only, so hopefully their shop can stay open and still get business.
The only other time I've been out for work is to go to a historical museum where they were cleaning and sorting little pieces of prehistoric artifacts that archaeologists had found on an island. There were three other people in the building and we sat six feet apart as we talked.
Everything else I've done by phone. The challenge is to find things to write about when nothing is open, governments have mostly shut down and people aren't leaving their homes. I'm not on the team specifically covering COVID, thank god.
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Imagine how much worse this situation would be without social media, Skype, Zoom, texting, etc.
As far as I know, there were no lockdowns during the 1918 flu. Just think -- people would have been stuck in their houses with no internet, no TV, no radio, no recorded music. Many homes probably even lacked books, magazines and newspapers.
They probably couldn't have had lockdowns anyway because there'd be no way to get the word out to everybody. But if they had, they'd be miserable.
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Thankfully, the governor has deemed liquor stores essential. :laugh:
As far as I know, the governor of Pennsylvania has not changed his mind about that. Liquor stores are not essential. Gun shops are. ::)
When the governor listed gun shops as not essential businesses, some shit-for-brain tried to sue him for infringing Second Amendment rights. The state Supreme Court threw out the suit, but apparently the justices suggested the governor rethink his decision about gun shops. So now you can buy a gun in Pennsylvania, although you have to have an appointment to do so. ::)
And, to me, the weird things is, the state is losing revenue keeping liquor stores closed because hard liquor is a state monopoly in Pennsylvania.
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We generally say 'chemist. I added 'pharmacy' to explain. I think the word pharmacy is up on the front of most chemists but we rarely use the term in general conversation. Markets may have lots of stalls selling all sorts of things. Our Saturday Farmers market, which has now sadly closed for the time being, only sells food and it must be grown or made locally. They are very strict on that. Although locally is quite broad. I buy lamb from Cardrona Farms and Cardrona is nearly 300 km away but is still in the Otago Regional Council. Our city newspaper is considered an essential. I do not have it delivered but read on line. The big downside is the online version does not have funeral notices and I missed the funeral of a dear friend last year because my other friends in that walking group just assumed I would know. They all have it delivered. I was sad to see that our weekly free paper has been stopped.
No restaurants or cafes are open, no takeaway and no delivery of cooked food with the exception of meals on wheels for the elderly.
I have read at various times about the Spanish Flu. I know theatres and gatherings were banned, do not know about churches, they would have been more important in those days. It would have been much harder without modern communication.
Yesterday was overcast and cool, the sun came out about 3.30pm, too late for me to be bothered going into the garden. Hopefully better today -Sunday
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I have just had a discussion online with an Australian telling them that here only pharmacies, supermarkets and fuel are essential. The person asked how we could buy liqueur in a supermarket or have a car serviced there. Our supermarkets sell beer and wine. The only time I have been to a liquor store since I moved to NZ was to buy a bottle of port. Auto repair shops here are only allowed to open and repair a car belonging to an essential worker. If my car breaks down, bad luck.
Just been skyping with my sister. Her husband has a nephew, Graham, about my age, mid 70's. He lives in Prague with his Czech wife, but is still an Australian tax resident so returns twice a year and stays a few months. He is quite wealthy. His wife was out here but went home about a week before all the flights were cancelled so they are separated. She is isolated at home like if in NZ, cannot even see her sister.
One of Graham's best mates here in Australia has just been diagnosed with cancer and given only a few months. Graham wants to visit him but he lives about 100km south of Sydney in a city with a cluster of Covid19 and Graham would have to catch the train. Forbidden in NZ but not yet in Australia. Both my sister and his wife have asked him not to go.
In NZ only one relative is allowed to attend a funeral, very upsetting for Maori who always have a Tangi which lasts 3 days of the community gathering and the family sitting with the body before it is buried. It is just so terrible in all sorts of ways.
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As far as I know, the governor of Pennsylvania has not changed his mind about that. Liquor stores are not essential. Gun shops are. ::)
This seems not only needlessly cruel but a health risk. For serious alcoholics it can be dangerous to stop drinking cold turkey. Do your grocery stores sell beer and wine, at least?
I think I saw in an article earlier today that PA is the only state that's closed liquor stores.
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This seems not only needlessly cruel but a health risk. For serious alcoholics it can be dangerous to stop drinking cold turkey. Do your grocery stores sell beer and wine, at least?
It's funny, I guess, but because I don't drink either beer or wine, I'm not sure if you can buy both in a supermarket. I presume you can. The supermarket where I shop has a huge wine section--it's impossible to miss--but I've never really noticed if they sell beer. The convenience store on the street level of my building has a license to sell beer, but they don't sell wine. The state liquor stores sell wine and hard liquor but not beer. There have always been beer distributors; they're businesses where you go to get a keg or a carton of beer. I really don't think we have places where you can buy all three.
A week, maybe two weeks ago already, I remember seeing a TV news story about just that, about alcoholics not being able to get alcohol.
I think I saw in an article earlier today that PA is the only state that's closed liquor stores.
Figures.
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I also drink decaf for the same reason, and I agree with you that it varies wildly in quality.
For the first time in decades, I have time to watch cooking shows! I'm watching a video about making fresh pasta now. Apparently, in Denver, the pasta aisles are empty. Getting the illusion of self-sufficiency really helps.
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It's funny, I guess, but because I don't drink either beer or wine, I'm not sure if you can buy both in a supermarket. I presume you can. The supermarket where I shop has a huge wine section--it's impossible to miss--but I've never really noticed if they sell beer. The convenience store on the street level of my building has a license to sell beer, but they don't sell wine. The state liquor stores sell wine and hard liquor but not beer. There have always been beer distributors; they're businesses where you go to get a keg or a carton of beer. I really don't think wue have places where you can buy all three.
Here, the only off-sale alcohol you can get outside of a liquor store is beer, and no stronger than 3.2%. That's at least a percentage point below beers in the liquor store, which typically run 4-7%. Liquor stores can sell any kind of alcohol but have traditionally been subject to pretty rigid rules about what hours and days they can be open.
I've seen or lived in places with all kinds of different arrangements. In NOLA, you can get any kind of alcohol at a drugstore or grocery store. They have liquor and wine stores where you'd go if you wanted something fancier than they sell at the CVS. In Chicago, you can get at least beer and wine, and sometimes hard liquor, at grocery stores.
My family once traveled from Las Vegas, where you can get anything, anywhere, 24/7, to southern Utah, where if you and your spouse want to get a six-pack of beer, and you ask the cashier at a gas station where in town they sell it, she'll pretend to have no idea -- even though it's a town of about 5,000 people -- and toss you a yellow pages. (This was back in the day when yellow pages and public pay phones were still commonplace.) The store itself will be an unadorned barn-like building and the cashiers will be stern and subtly disapproving, as if they worked in a methadone clinic and the customers were heroin addicts.
In Tennessee, the laws differ by county and some are "dry counties," including the one where they make Jack Daniels. So you can tour the distillery but not sample the product, as is the usual custom in tours of breweries and wineries. I put this in present tense, though it was based on a couple of visits 25 and 30 years ago -- laws may have changed since then. :laugh:
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Imagine how much worse this situation would be without social media, Skype, Zoom, texting, etc.
As far as I know, there were no lockdowns during the 1918 flu. Just think -- people would have been stuck in their houses with no internet, no TV, no radio, no recorded music. Many homes probably even lacked books, magazines and newspapers.
They probably couldn't have had lockdowns anyway because there'd be no way to get the word out to everybody. But if they had, they'd be miserable.
I haven’t read a lot about the 1918 flu, but there were lockdowns, at least in some localities. This actually included some churches. Some areas were less hard hit because of these measures.
As for home, 1918 was too early for radio. But many households had gramophones for playing records. Also, many households had a piano then, along with stacks of sheet music.
And as for getting the word out, there was word of mouth and newspapers were very popular.
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Also, many households had a piano then, along with stacks of sheet music.
They had player pianos, too.
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Also, many households had a piano then, along with stacks of sheet music.
That much I knew. When I was a kid I read (and reread) this series of books about a girl growing up in the early 1900s, based on the author's life. As teenagers, the girl and her friends were always gathering around the piano and singing -- songs included Merry Widow Waltz and Morning Cy -- while her sister played. But then her sister went on to be an opera singer. Not everyone would have a musician of that caliber available. (Though some, as Jeff mentioned, might have or be able to hear player pianos.)
I've often wondered what it would be like to live in the days when if people wanted to hear music (outside of church) they'd have to make it themselves, like Pa Ingalls on his fiddle.
And as for getting the word out, there was word of mouth and newspapers were very popular.
Of course you're right about newspapers. At first I wasn't sure how common they were in average households in smaller cities and towns, but by then they probably were, at least on a weekly basis. I was thinking about how long it might take news to travel -- the origins of Juneteenth being one example, though I guess that was 50+ years before the 1918 flu.
Sidenote: I've recently realized that one reason so few people in the Confederacy questioned the morality of holding slaves is that most residents of southern states had little to no access to arguments against slavery. Everyone around them would (presumably) believe it was OK, and no media would carry opposing views from elsewhere, since of course even local newspapers supported slavery.
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Oddly enough, I've been thinking about weird old songs I was forced to learn in my elementary school music class. A teacher would come with her pitch pipe once a week and lead us through a book of very ancient songs whose meanings we could not fathom until much later. So, there was one that began, "Casey would dance with the strawberry blonde, and the band played on." The lyrics seemed nonsensical to me and I couldn't fathom the reason for a song dedicated to that. Most of all, I couldn't figure out what a "strawberry blonde" was, neither species nor genera.
Well, I just looked it up and it appears that everyone else is confused too. I've seen pictures of (mostly) women with reddish hair, and some with golden blonde hair. I wonder if (the former) Prince Harry would be considered a strawberry blonde. If he danced with someone named Casey, would people write a song about it? And what's all this about the band playing on? Were they supposed to stop because Casey was dancing with a specialty fruit?
I think the self-isolation stuff is getting to me!
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Most of all, I couldn't figure out what a "strawberry blonde" w
as, neither species nor genera.
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rdrZ5dEGK70/hqdefault.jpg)
Nicole Kidman's natural color is red, and she often dyes hers blonde, but when she pauses halfway between them her hair is strawberry blonde.
I wonder if (the former) Prince Harry would be considered a strawberry blonde.
I think his hair is just red. As is Amy Adams', although her picture comes up if you google the term.
I think the self-isolation stuff is getting to me!
:laugh:
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Oddly enough, I've been thinking about weird old songs I was forced to learn in my elementary school music class. A teacher would come with her pitch pipe once a week and lead us through a book of very ancient songs whose meanings we could not fathom until much later. So, there was one that began, "Casey would dance with the strawberry blonde, and the band played on." The lyrics seemed nonsensical to me and I couldn't fathom the reason for a song dedicated to that. Most of all, I couldn't figure out what a "strawberry blonde" was, neither species nor genera.
I remember teachers with pitch pipes! Are they even a thing anymore? I guess I thought a strawberry blonde was someone with pale red hair, or blonde hair with red highlights.
I always figured the band played on because it was past closing, but I've always wondered why she married Casey if he was an alcoholic who frightened her.
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I guess I thought a strawberry blonde was someone with pale red hair, or blonde hair with red highlights.
Yes to the first, but as for the second it would be the other way around. Highlights are made by bleaching streaks in darker hair. I have lightish red hair that might in itself qualify, but sometimes I have added blonde highlights, and then it definitely qualifies.
I vaguely knew the song ATBPO but not all the lyrics. Bleak song! When I hear And the Band Played On, I think of the book, which of course is bleak in a different way.
For some reason I literally woke up today thinking about how "The Green Green Grass at Home" is about death -- the green green grass and the old oak tree and the loved ones all being in Heaven. When I got to my computer I reread the lyrics and saw that while it partly does suggest that interpretation, I had forgotten the surprise twist at the end about the guard and the sad old padre. With that, the earlier lyrics could be interpreted more straightforwardly.
Maybe a year ago or so I was involved in a conversation, I think on Facebook, about seemingly jolly old Americana songs that are actually about death. "She'll Be Comin Round the Mountain" was one ("she" being death); I looked it up and found that at least some versions are, and were intended to be, about death.
But there was another song that was even more surprising, a seemingly cheerful song but once you thought of it in that way it definitely fit. Trying to figure out what it was; if you google "songs about death" you mostly get rock songs.
Well, on that depressing note! Let's get back to the much more cheerful topic of a worldwide pandemic of a highly fatal and highly contagious virus that the country's most prominent expert says may kill 100,000 people in the US alone!
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Yes to the first, but as for the second it would be the other way around. Highlights are made by bleaching streaks in darker hair. I have lightish red hair that might in itself qualify, but sometimes I have added blonde highlights, and then it definitely qualifies.
I know how highlights are created now artificially, but when I was a teenager and hadn't yet begun to lose my brown hair, depending on how the light struck my hair, you could see red shades--not like fire engine red or Prince Harry red, but definitely red, a sort of dark red. My mother always called that highlights, so that was what I was thinking of.
I vaguely knew the song ATBPO but not all the lyrics. Bleak song! When I hear And the Band Played On, I think of the book, which of course is bleak in a different way.
That's what I always think of.
For some reason I literally woke up today thinking about how "The Green Green Grass at Home" is about death -- the green green grass and the old oak tree and the loved ones all being in Heaven. When I got to my computer I reread the lyrics and saw that while it partly does suggest that interpretation, I had forgotten the surprise twist at the end about the guard and the sad old padre. With that, the earlier lyrics could be interpreted more straightforwardly.
Not doing the research, but my impression always was that it was about somebody about to be executed.
Maybe a year ago or so I was involved in a conversation, I think on Facebook, about seemingly jolly old Americana songs that are actually about death. "She'll Be Comin Round the Mountain" was one ("she" being death); I looked it up and found that at least some versions are, and were intended to be, about death.
I can see that for some, even verse by verse, but not others.
But there was another song that was even more surprising, a seemingly cheerful song but once you thought of it in that way it definitely fit. Trying to figure out what it was; if you google "songs about death" you mostly get rock songs.
Well, on that depressing note! Let's get back to the much more cheerful topic of a worldwide pandemic of a highly fatal and highly contagious virus that the country's most prominent expert says may kill 100,000 people in the US alone!
On another forum somebody wrote something about social distancing can save lives. My response was, "The life you save may be your own."
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I got to wondering if this one has to do with death. I guess the third verse does, but I really had no clue what the song is about generally. This was fascinating to read.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Old_Kentucky_Home (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Old_Kentucky_Home)
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Katherine, you might have been thinking about "Ring Around the Rosy" which is about the plague I guess.
Although Snopes discounts the idea. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ring-around-rosie/
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I know how highlights are created now artificially, but when I was a teenager and hadn't yet begun to lose my brown hair, depending on how the light struck my hair, you could see red shades--not like fire engine red or Prince Harry red, but definitely red, a sort of dark red. My mother always called that highlights, so that was what I was thinking of.
Oh, OK, your mother was right. In darker hair, highlights often are red -- they needn't go all the way to blonde; just lighter than the surrounding hair. And they need not be artificial; they can just be different shades of hair.
Not doing the research, but my impression always was that it was about somebody about to be executed.
Oh, you're right! For some reason, until this moment I've always thought the line was, "there's the guard, and the sad old padre, arm in arm, WE walk at daybreak." Meaning, they were in the habit of taking their daily constitutionals together early in the morning. But now I see it's actually "WE'LL walk at daybreak," suggesting, well, a final constitutional.
I can see that for some, even verse by verse, but not others.
Apparently there are many different versions of it, some darker than others.
I got to wondering if this one has to do with death. I guess the third verse does, but I really had no clue what the song is about generally. This was fascinating to read.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Old_Kentucky_Home (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Old_Kentucky_Home)
Remember how in the movie of Gone With the Wind, Prissy sings "just a few more days for to tote the weary load"? Somehow I didn't realize it was from MOKH until I read the lyrics just now.
I'm learning a lot here!
It's funny how at least some of those Americana oldies are from African-Americans' points of view, treated pretty sympathetically if not with the outrage they would get today. Wonder why. Maybe because some grew out of slave songs, I suppose.
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Katherine, you might have been thinking about "Ring Around the Rosy" which is about the plague I guess.
Although Snopes discounts the idea. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ring-around-rosie/
That's not the one I was thinking of, because I've known about that one forever (though incorrectly, if Snopes is right). I even told my kids about it when they were little and we'd go to the beach and play it in the water -- "we all fall down" being the cue to plunge underwater. Gruesome backstories didn't bother then.
No, this was from another old folk song and much more shocking. I did some googling and couldn't find it, so maybe it actual was SBCATM and I'm thinking it was something different.
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Katherine, you might have been thinking about "Ring Around the Rosy" which is about the plague I guess.
Although Snopes discounts the idea. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ring-around-rosie/
That's interesting. Too bad the author doesn't address "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary." I've heard tell that refers to Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots.
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Oh, you're right! For some reason, until this moment I've always thought the line was, "there's the guard, and the sad old padre, arm in arm, WE walk at daybreak." Meaning, they were in the habit of taking their daily constitutionals together early in the morning. But now I see it's actually "WE'LL walk at daybreak," suggesting, well, a final constitutional.
Yup, directly to the gallows, hence the presence of the priest.
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I don't if I find that Snopes article totally convincing. Nursery rhymes, like "She's Comin Round the Mountain," have lots of different versions and sometimes spring from sources seemingly unrelated to the version we know. But also, this sentence
The word “ashes” cannot be “a corruption of the sneezing sounds made by the infected person” and a word used for its literal meaning. Either “ashes” was a corruption of an earlier form or a deliberate use; it can’t be both. Moreover, the “ashes” ending of “Ring Around the Rosie” appears to be a fairly modern addition to the rhyme; earlier versions repeat other words or syllables instead (e.g., “Hush!”, “A-tischa!”, “Hasher”, “Husher”, “Hatch-u”, “A-tishoo”) or, as noted above, have completely different endings.
is kind of funny. All of those other words could represent the sound of a sneeze!
Also, I've always found the idea (mentioned later in the article) that characters and things in The Wizard of Oz represent political figures and entities fairly plausible. The other things about Mary Queen of Scots and so on also seem like they'd be possible.
Just because John Lennon says interpretations of some Beatles songs were invented by critics doesn't mean interpretations of songs and writing are never valid.
What's he going to tell us next -- that "American Pie" has no connection to Buddy Holly, Elvis, Mick Jagger, etc.? That the coffee pot and kettle and fan are just ordinary household objects?
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And what's the difference here? I'm not familiar with weekly markets. (ETA: maybe they're what we call farmers markets over here?
Yes, you'd call ithem farmer's markets. At first I wondered why they didn't close them, but actually it's clear: they're not crowded places over here and they're in fresh air - much less likely to be a hot spot for Corona than inside buildings.
I remember teachers with pitch pipes! Are they even a thing anymore?
Not sure about the pipe part of pitch pipes. My son uses a tiny electronical device for tuning his viola. It also serves as a metronome.
When I think back at my own school days, the teacher always used the piano to give us an a for tuning. I've never seen a pitch pipe in my life :laugh:
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Yes, you'd call ithem farmer's markets. At first I wondered why they didn't close them, but actually it's clear: they're not crowded places over here and they're in fresh air - much less likely to be a hot spot for Corona than inside buildings.
Everything is much more locked down in NZ. No Farmers markets, no butchers, no fruit and vegetable shops, no restaurants or cafes, no takeaways. The only cooked food which can be delivered are meals on wheels for the elderly. The only businesses open are pharmacies, supermarkets, banks, petrol stations and dairies. Dairies are corner stores and they must only let in one person at a time and not sell any cooked food. At the supermarket you queue 2 metres apart and must sanitise your hands before being allowed to enter then keep 2 metres apart while in the store. We are not allowed to meet with anyone other than the people of our household and as I live alone, I am not allowed to meet with anyone but pass them at a 2 metre distance. I must only leave the house for food and medical supplies and exercise. I must only drive the car for food and medical supplies not for exercise. Playgrounds are closed, we should not sit on park seats, no games, swimming etc just walking/running. They are now allowing online or phone ordering of white goods but they must be delivered using social distancing.
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Everything is much more locked down in NZ. No Farmers markets, no butchers, no fruit and vegetable shops, no restaurants or cafes, no takeaways. The only cooked food which can be delivered are meals on wheels for the elderly. The only businesses open are pharmacies, supermarkets, banks, petrol stations and dairies. Dairies are corner stores and they must only let in one person at a time and not sell any cooked food.
What's their problem with cooked food? I would think that would be safer than non-cooked. Maybe because more people are likely to touch it as it's being made and dished out?
At the supermarket you queue 2 metres apart and must sanitise your hands before being allowed to enter then keep 2 metres apart while in the store.
My son in Chicago goes to a corner store that requires customers to go immediately into a room in back upon entering and wash their hands. I haven't seen any such requirements here, though some places at least put a container of sanitary wipes at the door.
I must only drive the car for food and medical supplies not for exercise.
??? :laugh: :laugh: For a second there I wondered, how is driving a car a form of exercise? Then I realize you must mean you can't drive to a place where you would get exercise outdoors.
They are now allowing online or phone ordering of white goods but they must be delivered using social distancing.
What are white goods?
Your rules sound pretty strict. Our public parks are open, though their buildings -- and restrooms -- are not. And we can get takeout. Although as my son and I discovered last night when trying to get a pizza, the takeout hours are pretty restricted. Places that normally might be open until 10 or 11 are closing by 8. We missed the deadline because we both eat dinner late -- me between 9 and 10, him at 3 a.m. ::)
There's a really poplar pizza/pasta restaurant near here that was doing a lot of takeouts, then suddenly closed temporarily. Their website says it's because they were overwhelmed with orders and needed to change their system or something. But we suspected that somebody on their staff might have been diagnosed.
I have yet to know anyone personally, to my knowledge, who has tested positive, including friends on Facebook.
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I don't order in cooked food--never have, not even pizza--and I keep forgetting to check if the take-out place where I get pizza and cheese steaks is open. But I have wondered about how sanitary it is right now to have hot food brought in--not the food itself per se, but the delivery person. I could also, I suppose, extend my concern to the people who prepare the food.
Usually I just prepare my own meals because I'm cheap. :laugh: Right now I feel safer with food I prepare myself. Fresh fruits and vegetables can at least be washed before you use them. They should be, anyway, anytime.
Of course, my dad receives Meals on Wheels. We have to trust that. At least in the case of his Meals on Wheels, the food is actually prepared in a hospital kitchen, which, presumably, is more sanitary than other places might be.
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White goods are refrigerators, washing machines, microwaves etc. It seems to also be covering heaters at the moment as winter approaches, and baby car seats. Thankfully I do not need any of those, fingers crossed, as I bought most things brand new when I migrated 10 years ago.
I think the cooked food is the delivery aspect. I have several friends whose children drop their groceries on the front step, ring the door bell and leave. One lady told me she has asked them to stop at the gate and talk a while. I guess they do talk on the phone but talking face to face is nice. I have not done that with anyone (except good morning while walking) for 10 days now and have at least 18 more days to go.
I also do not do takeaway except I go to the local fish 'n chips shop usually on Tuesday night after hiking. I buy a piece of blue cod and chips. I laugh as I have been buying exactly the same nearly every week for 10 years yet the lady stands, waits till i order and writes it down on the piece of paper. I just eat one third of the chips then freeze the rest to have with chicken on Friday and something else during the week. The minimum is $3 worth and I cannot eat all that. It use to be $2 worth and I threw over half out but started freezing when It went up to $3. I do buy blue cod which is the most expensive, now $6 for a piece. I think just asking for a piece of fish is $3.
In NZ there is a fish'n chips shop in every suburb. They do not deliver, many people ring and it is ready when they arrive but I am happy to sit for 10 minutes. They also sell Chinese food which I do not eat, also hamburgers which I like but cannot eat anymore. Of course other types of sea food. I like calamari but occasionally buy that frozen in the supermarket and heat myself, do not like shellfish much. I have never had a takeaway delivered.
At least it is a bit lighter this morning, DLS just ended. However I slept in until 7am the last couple of days in preparation, not as if I have anywhere to go. Up at 6.15 am this morning like normal.
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I don't order in cooked food--never have, not even pizza--and I keep forgetting to check if the take-out place where I get pizza and cheese steaks is open. But I have wondered about how sanitary it is right now to have hot food brought in--not the food itself per se, but the delivery person. I could also, I suppose, extend my concern to the people who prepare the food.
Oh, I know. But I get the mail and pick up the paper that the people who delivered them touched. I'be been in stores where cashiers aren't very separated from customers.
In the case of the pizza, my son was going to go pick it up. I would imagine a pizza oven would take care of any germs, and I believe the cooks pull it out on one of those big things like giant spatulas and slide it right into the box. They'd then have to shut the box, I guess, but hopefully they wear gloves.
I've read that although coronavirus can live up to three days on metal, two on plastic and so forth, its half life is actually really short, so the surfaces are probably fairly safe after a few hours, after which the virus germs dwindle so fast they might not be enough to infect you.
Also, I have read there's a theory that the fewer germs get into your system, the milder your case if you do get it. Perhaps picking up something that someone else has touched would minimize your exposure, so even if you did get sick it would be a mild case.
I'd run that past Dr. Fauci, though, before I'd go around licking doorknobs or anything. :laugh:
Yesterday I saw a scary story about how people who recover from the virus but spend a couple of weeks on respirators wind up in bad shape because of the respirators themselves: PTSD, Alzheimer-like symptoms, trouble dressing and bathing! Apparently they're fine for a couple of days but long-term use is not great.
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White goods are refrigerators, washing machines, microwaves etc.
I guess in this country we'd have to call them stainless-steel goods. :laugh:
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I hardly get any mail. We only get deliveries 3 days per week and I think the only thing I have received in the 10 days since this all began was a pamphlet from the government about the virus. Our post offices are shut anyway. I no longer get my newspaper delivered, read it online but there was an article about how the deliverers are wearing gloves etc. I was disappointed that our local free weekly paper was stopping, it is also online but I have not checked if there was an edition online this week. They have put up plastic screens at the supermarket checkouts, asked that no cash and preferably Paywave but my shop last week was over $100 and Paywave cannot be used for amounts over $100, should be less next week. Not sure if you have Paywave, in Australia it is called Tap 'n Go. You just hold your card to the reader, no pin needed. Signatures went years ago unless you are an American tourist. ;D
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the deliverers are wearing gloves etc.
Hope it's the same here. I picked up my paper, in its plastic bag, with more trepidation than usual. I dumped out the paper, put the bag in the recycling and washed my hands.
Doesn't Apple have a Paywave-like app? I've never used it, but it's an idea to consider these days.
I use the card machines, some of which still require you to sign with a stylus that of course has been touched by others. I never even write my own signature anyway -- just make a scribbly mark. If anyone ever steals my card and tries to use it, they'd probably write out my name and could be easily identified! 8)
]
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Doesn't Apple have a Paywave-like app? I've never used it, but it's an idea to consider these days.
The description reminded me of my mass transit pass. It's a card like a credit card. All I have to do is tap it against the reader to go through the turnstile for the subway or where you would pay when you get on the bus.
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I just learned how to make a face mask out of a bandanna and two rubber bands. I have so many different bandannas left over from the days of the Hankie Code that I can color coordinate my face masks with what I'm wearing. ;D
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I just learned how to make a face mask out of a bandanna and two rubber bands. I have so many different bandannas left over from the days of the Hankie Code that I can color coordinate my face masks with what I'm wearing. ;D
:laugh: :laugh:
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Yeah, I have those. One for transit, one for my car garage, one to get into my office.
The newspaper is located on the 11-13th floors of an office tower. You have to hold your card up to those readers at least twice to get in.
One morning I was in the elevator with a guy who saw me hold up my card and said "On my floor, we don't need a card to get in." I said, "Well, I guess no one wants to shoot you."
He looked a little shocked, we talked for a couple more minutes and as I got out he said "Thank you for your work." That was nice -- I felt a little like a veteran being thanked for his/her service. Not that my work is especially dangerous. Or at least it wasn't before now -- but even now it's not really, especially compared with, say, store cashiers.
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I have used a whole collection of those transport cards. For some reason many start with O. Sydney is an Opal card, London an Oyster card, Hong Kong an Octopus card. Here in Dunedin it is just a GOcard. At the moment in Dunedin, you still have to put it on the machine and the driver punches in the price. I have to do that even though buses are free for me except before 9am and between 3 and 6.30pm weekdays. They were going to make them completely automatic with top up online this month but I guess that has been put on hold. Transport is free for everyone at the moment but I am not using the buses. I also have cards for Vancouver, Brisbane and Paris.
In Sydney and London at least you can now use your regular contactless card and still get the same discounts but I have a seniors card for Australia (as well as NZ) so need the card. In Sydney I pay no more than $2.50 per day for travel for 100s of kms. When I lived there, I was 80 km from the city but still just paid $2.50. However there is a surcharge of $15 for using the airport station (privately owned). My card is topped up automatically ($20 when it goes below $5) from my sister's credit card and I joke that she can tell I have passed through customs and am on the train by seeing the $20 go off her credit card. Generally that $20 lasts me the 7 or 8 days I stay with her.
I was last in Sydney on April 28, 2019. I was booked to fly Tuesday week but do not know when I will be able to do so again. I am glad my sister spent 10 days here last December.
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I just learned how to make a face mask out of a bandanna and two rubber bands. I have so many different bandannas left over from the days of the Hankie Code that I can color coordinate my face masks with what I'm wearing. ;D
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
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He looked a little shocked, we talked for a couple more minutes and as I got out he said "Thank you for your work." That was nice -- I felt a little like a veteran being thanked for his/her service. Not that my work is especially dangerous. Or at least it wasn't before now -- but even now it's not really, especially compared with, say, store cashiers.
Thank you and all the journalists for your service! I was just reading where Trump was found to have a financial interest in those drugs he keeps touting. Amazing work by the journalists because I'm sure Trump's people do everything they can, and then some, to hide his misdeeds.
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I'm reading three books right now that I find very helpful:
Where the Wind Leads, by Vingh Chung, about a Chinese family living in Viet Nam when the war breaks out. When the U.S. leaves the country to the Viet Cong, the Chinese are driven out and their property and assets are seized. So, the family becomes part of the boat people, sailing around the South China Sea at the mercy of pirates and with no place that will accept them.
Sacred Instructions, by Sherri Mitchell, about the Penobscot tribe of Maine, their trials during and after colonization, and their disappearing way of life.
The Martian, by Andy Weir, about a botanist/mechanical engineer who is abandoned on Mars by his team who thought he died when some debris ripped a hole in his space suit. Miraculously spared, he figured out a way to make 6 months of supplies last for four years when the next team would arrive from Earth.
Reading about these people who persevered in straits far more dire than we're facing today has weirdly buoyed me up and given me more stamina to withstand the little ordeals of our present circumstances.
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The Martian, by Andy Weir, about a botanist/mechanical engineer who is abandoned on Mars by his team who thought he died when some debris ripped a hole in his space suit. Miraculously spared, he figured out a way to make 6 months of supplies last for four years when the next team would arrive from Earth.
That one has been made into a movie with Matt Damon.
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NZ Police filmed this in Arrowtown, a heritage gold mining town
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/queenstown/cop-outguns-covid-arrowtown-quickdraw
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The Martian, by Andy Weir, about a botanist/mechanical engineer who is abandoned on Mars by his team who thought he died when some debris ripped a hole in his space suit. Miraculously spared, he figured out a way to make 6 months of supplies last for four years when the next team would arrive from Earth.
That one has been made into a movie with Matt Damon.
Yup. I love Matt Damon. After seeing the movie I ordered the book and as so often it's better than the movie. And in my head, the book also has Matt Damon in it ;) :laugh:
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I just learned how to make a face mask out of a bandanna and two rubber bands. I have so many different bandannas left over from the days of the Hankie Code that I can color coordinate my face masks with what I'm wearing. ;D
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
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Yup. I love Matt Damon. After seeing the movie I ordered the book and as so often it's better than the movie. And in my head, the book also has Matt Damon in it ;) :laugh:
I liked the movie. I don't know if I liked it enough to read the book, but I agree -- sometimes it's nice to see the movie first so you can imagine the roles in the book being played by the actors.
I just went down a rabbit hole; I thought of one movie/book that worked especially well that way: Wuthering Heights. I saw the movie when it came out in 1970, then read the Emily Brontë book about 12 times, always picturing young Timothy Dalton in the role of Heathcliff. I just googled it and found that you can not only watch scenes from the movie, but you can watch the whole movie on YouTube. Maybe I'll do that sometime.
Anyway, WH the book is very good, but it's got some difficult language and a really complex structure, so as a 12-year-old I might not have finished it if I hadn't first seen the movie. Then it would be like Jane Eyre, the more famous Brontë classic, which I never saw as a movie and never read as a book.
Also, WH the book is not as openly romantic as WH the movie, and I liked having the romantic version established first, setting that tone in my mind.
I can think of one other movie/book (well, short story) that worked that way for me! :laugh:
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Yup. I love Matt Damon. After seeing the movie I ordered the book and as so often it's better than the movie. And in my head, the book also has Matt Damon in it ;) :laugh:
I get that. I can't possibly read Gone With the Wind without seeing Vivien Leigh as Scarlett--which is kind of ironic, I guess, because the first line of the novel is "Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful.".
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I had a surprise this morning. I got to the supermarket where I shop at about 9:45. I figured I was going to have to wait in line outside the store to get in and shop, but there was no line, there were few shoppers in the store, and the bread shelves were fully stocked--the store must have had a bread delivery this morning.
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Our supermarkets were closed on Good Friday as normal. They will be open on Easter Sunday which is not normal. The buses were running on Good Friday. They normally do not and a heritage bus fleet runs on the two main routes but it was decided they would not this year and essential service people might need a bus. I saw a bus when I was on my walk and am pretty sure it was empty. Buses are running on a weekend timetable (hourly where I live) all week.
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I have never read 'Gone With the Wind" but have watched the movie several times. I have the DVD. I remember the first time was when I was a university student and it was a Friday afternoon movie at the university theatre so must have been 1963-64
I have read Wuthering Heights many times, may have seen one of the movies (haven't there been several?)
I have a very good friend, Trudy. She was my assistant in the library from 1995 to 2002 and we have remained friends. I always take her out to lunch when I go back to Sydney. Like many women of that time, she had a basic education, left school, married and brought up children then went back to school and to college to become a library technician because she loved reading. She had never read WH and came to me after reading it and said something like "I was told it is the greatest love story ever written but it is a miserable story" I had to laugh, I do love it myself. Perhaps I am attracted to sad love stories which is why I am here. Actually Trudy is the only person to whom I have ever lent my DVD of BBM. Cannot remember her comment now.
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I don't believe I've ever read Wuthering Heights, the various movie installments having put me off to the story. Someone at The Guardian feels similarly:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jul/21/emily-bronte-strange-cult-wuthering-heights-romantic-novel (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jul/21/emily-bronte-strange-cult-wuthering-heights-romantic-novel)
I like Tom Hardy in the PBS version best.
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Hello everyone!
Just checking in to make sure everyone is ok!
Isolating and social distancing seems to be working for me. I've managed to stay healthy and safe, as have my parents. We all have masks that my brother Chris was able to secure for us, so I have one to wear when I go outside, which is very rarely.
I've made the occasional run to the grocery store, and each time I've pretty much found everything I need, so I'm not going without, so I consider myself lucky.
Even working from home seems to be a benefit. When I work at the office, I have to leave my apartment by 7:15, to be there by 8:00. I leave at 4:30 and get to Verona by 5:00 to meet my friend Tina to walk around the park for some exercise. Bed by 10:00. However, I now get up at 7:45 to sign on by 8:00. I stay up until midnight. During the day I take two exercise breaks by using the Leslie Sansone Walk from Home video series. I'm currently up to the 3 Mile Walk version, which takes 45 minutes.
With schedule, I'm working out more than I did before the virus, which is good.
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How do you walk to a video? Just pace back and forth in the room?
You and Tina could still walk around the park staying 6 feet apart, right? Or is your park too crowded?
There's a lake a few blocks away I could walk around, but I think too many other people would be doing the same.
Ellemeno said on Facebook that she and her husband go out for drives, and when they get anywhere they think someone might have walked or biked, they close the windows. I'm not being that cautious, but then I don't live in Seattle.
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You and Tina could still walk around the park staying 6 feet apart, right? Or is your park too crowded?
I haven't been walking with Tina in a while, she's been in quarantine. Her husband had caught the virus, and since she had been exposed, we stopped meeting. As of now, he has recovered, and she either managed to not get it, or she got it and was asymptomatic.
There's a lake a few blocks away I could walk around, but I think too many other people would be doing the same.
That's another reason to avoid the park where Tina and I meet. I get that it's outdoors, but the park can get pretty busy, and it just doesn't seem to make sense to stay away from everyone during work hours, and then after work go to the park and get exposed.
Ellemeno said on Facebook that she and her husband go out for drives, and when they get anywhere they think someone might have walked or biked, they close the windows. I'm not being that cautious, but then I don't live in Seattle.
I'm thinking I may go for a ride tomorrow, after I leave mom and dad's place. Nowhere special, just out for a little spin.
How do you walk to a video? Just pace back and forth in the room?
The workout series I'm using is called "Walk Away The Pounds" by Leslie Sansone. She has 4 basic moves that you follow along with. Walking in place, kicks, knee lifts, and side steps. She rotates through those four moves, in tandem with using hand weights, at different tempos. Between the arm movements and the leg movements, in under 15 minutes, you've burned the calories you would for a 15 minute walk.
She has workouts that range from 1 mile to 5 miles (time is 15 minutes to 75 minutes).
I've been doing the 3 mile walk, twice a day for the past few days. Here is a link to that video. You don't need to watch the whole 45 minutes, but if you give it a minute or two, you'll get the idea.
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Yesterday I planted 50 bulbs, 20 daffodils, 20 Freesia and 10 Tritonia and did some weeding. Then I painted the lattice work on another panel of my front fence. With preparation, it took about an hour. I have now painted 3 large panels and one small. I have two large and one small to go.
Today I will do my walk for the 6th time since the lockdown started, now Day 16. The walk is just under 5km. I installed an altimeter app on my phone and when I did it on Friday, my front gate was 268 metres. After going down the roads and laneways to the park it was 136 metres. I climbed the track by the stream to the top and it was 287 metres then back across streets and through the school to my house. It takes about an hour and a quarter and I sit about half way and have a few mouthfuls of water. I take my stick and do not touch anything except sitting on the bench. I probably pass about a dozen people and half a dozen dogs. Only one man had a scarf over his face. Our government recommendation is not to wear masks as it makes you touch your face and they are fairly useless unless you take them off property then wash them. I have been to the supermarket twice on Day 5 and Day 14 and will not need to go again until the week after next. The checkout has plastic screens, most of the staff wear masks but less than half the customers. One young guy had a full gas mask. Fortunately I skype with my sister every morning, I have not heard from any friends for 3 days now.
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I keep hearing dire predictions that Philadelphia will become, or already is, the next Covid-19 hot spot, so I just did a little research.
According to the city's own website, as of 1 p.m. today (4/11), the city has 5271 cases (positive tests) of Covid-19. There have been 160 deaths.
According to Wikipedia, the city's population in 2018 was 1.58 million.
This is not downplay the seriousness of the situation but my impression still is that Montgomery County, the suburban county immediately to the northwest of the city, has to date been hit harder, though I have not done any research.
The city is preparing in case there is an explosion of cases. The athletic center on the campus of Temple University has been set up as a field hospital, and a Holiday Inn Express hotel two blocks north of my place has been taken over for use as a hospital.
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I haven't been walking with Tina in a while, she's been in quarantine. Her husband had caught the virus, and since she had been exposed, we stopped meeting. As of now, he has recovered, and she either managed to not get it, or she got it and was asymptomatic.
Wow, scary! I still have yet to know anyone who said they had coronavirus in their immediate family. I've seen a few of my social-media friends mention their grandmother or a friend. But in many cases, I don't even know the social-media friend that well. Among the people I regularly talk to, nobody has gotten it as far as I know, or at least not mentioned it, nor has anyone in their immediate family.
That's another reason to avoid the park where Tina and I meet. I get that it's outdoors, but the park can get pretty busy, and it just doesn't seem to make sense to stay away from everyone during work hours, and then after work go to the park and get exposed.
I wonder how it is for people living in dense areas. Yours sounds pretty dense, Chuck, though perhaps no worse than Jeff's in Philadelphia. I can't imagine Manhattan -- how could anyone possibly keep 6 feet away from everyone on the sidewalk? I get that the sidewalks aren't as busy as usual at the moment, but still!
When I walk my dog around my neighborhood, we walk for about 45 minutes, and I probably pass 6 or 8 people (especially these days) typically. It's very easy to keep a distance away unless they're being inconsiderate and hogging the sidewalk, but most of the time they at least go to the edge of the sidewalk, if not even into the grass.
I've always been a big fan of density. I like the idea of multi-use neighborhoods with great walkability, as it sounds like you and Jeff have. I can walk to parks, bus stops, grocery store, hardware store, liquor store, car repair shop, library, drug store, at least six nice restaurants. Except they're all 7-10 blocks away, so really slightly short of "walkable." I mean, walking that far is not a huge deal if it's nice out, but enough of a hassle that in most cases I just drive there.
Anyway I've always loved the idea of denser neighborhoods. But recently a right-wing columnist wrote a scathing newspaper column about density and walkability -- she sides with affluent people in single-family neighborhoods who don't want multi-unit housing near them -- and that we're now seeing its disadvantages. I never agree with anything this writer says, but in this case I had to admit she had a point.
I'm thinking I may go for a ride tomorrow, after I leave mom and dad's place. Nowhere special, just out for a little spin.
In the '60s, my parents used to do that almost every Sunday afternoon. I would often go with, but now, even though I'm still living not far way, I don't even remember where they went.
The workout series I'm using is called "Walk Away The Pounds" by Leslie Sansone. She has 4 basic moves that you follow along with. Walking in place, kicks, knee lifts, and side steps. She rotates through those four moves, in tandem with using hand weights, at different tempos. Between the arm movements and the leg movements, in under 15 minutes, you've burned the calories you would for a 15 minute walk.
Sounds pretty good! I'll look for her.
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Someone at The Guardian feels similarly:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jul/21/emily-bronte-strange-cult-wuthering-heights-romantic-novel (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jul/21/emily-bronte-strange-cult-wuthering-heights-romantic But-novel)
That is one of the weirdest takedowns I've ever read. So the writer hates Wuthering Heights. Fine, I completely get that. It's not everybody's cup of tea and it's not easy reading. But her reasons for insisting that Emily Brontë herself was a terrible person:
-- She insisted that her music students take their lessons after school, cutting into their playtime. And she did it "to suit herself" so she could study earlier in the day. Wow -- practically child abuse! I took my piano lessons after school and did not even realize I should have called child protection.
-- Her clothes were "deeply unfashionable." Whoa -- another major strike against Emily Brontë.
-- She was "testy" with her sisters. OMG. Who can imagine anyone ever being less than pleasant with their siblings!
-- Her real life does not exactly fit the way it has been portrayed elsewhere. I don't know enough about it to judge the truth of that, but how is it a fault of hers that others have misrepresented her life? My impression is that all the Brontë siblings lived a fairly isolated life, but were all unusually bright and imaginative, so as small children they made up their own elaborately detailed country and eventually turned to writing, two of them turning out timeless classics of English literature.
But here's what I thought was the weirdest part of all:
And to offset her lack of income, she became an expert financial investor, studying newspapers to ensure that the family’s modest savings were placed in the best-performing railway stocks. She was cannily alert, too, to the way that the literary market worked. When the Brontës’ first book, a joint collection of poetry, sold only a handful of copies, she was quick to turn to the much more profitable genre of fiction.
... The family at the parsonage enjoyed no such financial elasticity, which makes Brontë’s insistence on the right to abandon her economic obligations all the more audacious. There is a certain topsy-turvy irony too in the fact that, unlike Nightingale and Barrett, Brontë was actually pretty sick. Yet she refused to use her rackety health as an excuse, instead throwing herself into strenuous physical domestic labour.
She apparently did make money with investments and worked hard to do the same by writing a novel (the exact reason Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women, BTW). Yet she's also a useless deadbeat because she didn't take an unpleasant job as a governess. And the fact that she was very sick is no excuse to live at home, nor does her ignoring health problems to perform strenuous domestic labor count for anything.
She even leaps to the conclusion that Brontë -- a woman living in the early 1800s who taught herself to be an expert investor, wrote a book that was considered shockingly unfeminine, who disliked the limited work opportunities available for women in that time, was strong-willed enough to arrange her life so she could write a masterpiece -- would definitely hate feminism. Yet this writer, who presumably considers herself a great feminist, I guess, considers it perfectly valid to snark about another woman for dressing unfashionably. Umm ... OK?
That's probably the weirdest collection of reasons for disliking a person I've ever seen.
I once had a copy of Wuthering Heights -- and may still, though I'm not sure where I put it -- that included Charlotte's piece defending it, which seemed at the time i read it (I was 10 or 11) unnecessary but I guess, as I said, the book was seen as shocking in some almost immoral way. There's no sex, very little violence, but her characters are rough around the edges and emotional, I guess. By today's standards, needless to say, it's nothing.
Also, the professors were both men and women, contrary to the writer's insistence that the only people who like WH are women (a curious criticism from somebody who implies she's a feminist, but whatever). Many male professors do have incredibly male-skewed literary tastes, but WH often makes the cut even in those. Maybe for the reasons readers in the 1830s were shocked by it?
I will agree with the takedown writer that it's weird so many characters have the same names. I think maybe Emily had some subtle metaphorical reason for that -- I've probably seen one explained at some point -- but I agree that it unnecessarily complicates things without adding much.
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We can now return to our previous discussion of coronavirus. :laugh:
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Wait a minute! I thought your reasons for thinking the critique weird were very valid...and hilarious to boot! There's a column in there somewhere, don't you agree?
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Every day at 1 p.m. the City of Philadelphia published its latest coronavirus statistics. As of 1 p.m. yesterday (4/11), the city reported 5271 cases, with 160 deaths. That's sad and terrible--and things can conceivably get worse--but I think it's also worth noting that in 2018 the city's population was 1.58 million.
As for density, Center City Philadelphia is a ghost town, with all the businesses, bars, and restaurants closed, and there are very few people out on the streets. I'm going out as little as possible, and covering my nose and mouth with a bandanna when I do--but I will confess that right now I feel vaguely silly doing it since there is so little opportunity for close contact--except in the supermarket.
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Wait a minute! I thought your reasons for thinking the critique weird were very valid...and hilarious to boot! There's a column in there somewhere, don't you agree?
Thanks, maybe! I'll give that some thought! It was fun to critique. :D
Plenty of classic writers were/are unlikable, and that's not usually considered a reason to dismiss their work if their work is good (assuming their unlikable qualities fall short of, you know, heinous). But in this case, Emily's unlikable attributes are pretty average human traits. Based on her novel, she doesn't seem like an average human, so she may very well have been odd in some ways -- this piece just doesn't make a good case for what those ways were or that they were bad enough to damage her reputation.
It's interesting; this isn't the first time I've read a lame takedown in which I came away having more respect for the person than I had before.
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Cases in Colorado seem to be plateauing, now standing at 8K cases and 330 deaths. New cases seem to be located in the most densely populated areas and places like nursing homes. I'm glad my mother is not still alive. :'(
The small town in AZ where I'm staying is really pretty and tranquil but I must admit I'm getting bored. I'm thinking more and more often about when I'll be able to head home.
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We've had about 1,700 cases and 80 deaths. They aren't plateauing, but they're growing at a slower rate. The paper has a map with a line showing numbers of new cases that goes straight up at first then starts to curve.
On a national map, looks like Wyoming has had only about 20 cases and one death.
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LOL, a group of men gathered at a Steamboat Springs house and refused to leave, so the female roommate called the police. They were arrested for violating the stay-at-home order, hauled in to the pokey and had to spend the night in jail. Hopefully in a small cell, haha.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/colorado-arrests-coronavirus-stay-at-home-order-steamboat-springs (https://www.foxnews.com/us/colorado-arrests-coronavirus-stay-at-home-order-steamboat-springs)
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Cracks are appearing...they're honking, congregating and protesting in Michigan even though there are 25K cases there and 1,600 deaths.
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I took a walk around my neighborhood this afternoon because I hadn't been out of my building since, I think it was, Friday. It's quite eerie how few people are around. Even eerier is how businesses have their windows boarded up. I'm sure it's because the owners are afraid of looters (frightening that they're afraid of looters), but it makes the neighborhood look abandoned.
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Our PM just gave the regular 1pm briefing and it has made me more miserable.
While numbers are continuing to decline, just 15 new cases today, she outlined level 3 which we may go down to next Thursday, they will make the decision on Monday.
It will hardly make a difference to me. Cafes etc will remain closed, cooked food deliveries may be allowed, not sure about my local fish 'n chips shop as they do not deliver, I have to collect. Retail shops other than supermarkets will remain closed, I was hoping I may be able to go to the garden/hardware store. I may be able to get a delivery of an online order.
Schools will reopen for younger children (under 15) whose parents cannot stay home, but keeping them home is preferable.
I may be able to get my lawn mowed as long as I keep away from the guy when he comes. It just needs one more tidy up before winter really sets in. It has been cold with inland snow over the last few days.
Exercise is still not to involve driving anywhere
I can open up my bubble to a visit by one or two relatives, but my only relatives live in Australia.
She acknowledged it was hard for older people living alone.
Funerals and weddings can have up to 10 people, at the moment weddings banned and no-one except priest and undertaker at funeral. However only a service, no food .
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When I spoke to my father last evening, he told me that whenever he goes to the supermarket where he shops (and uses the pharmacy for his meds), the store is out of toilet paper. As much as I hate to think of him running around to stores, I told him he is going to have to start checking other places (pharmacies and supermarkets).
So jokes about people hoarding toilet paper are no longer funny when a 90-year-old man can't find any and has to risk his health and safety traveling from store to store to look for some.
(He's down to three rolls. I'd be hunting for it, too, if that was all I had.)
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Could you order some for him online and have it delivered?
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Could you order some for him online and have it delivered?
I don't know. Interesting thought.
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I think you can find TP on amazon, and have it delivered to him.
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I think you can find TP on amazon, and have it delivered to him.
If you can find someone who has it for sale. A neighbor told me yesterday that they couldn't find any on Amazon anymore. But that's anecdotal. I have not tried to look myself.
I guess I'm the last person on earth who almost never shops Amazon. Whenever I've tried to look for something other than a book or a movie, the search returns have been so overwhelming that I gave up--which, of course, I realize, does not improve my Amazon search skills. But who has time to search through hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of entries?
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If you can find someone who has it for sale. A neighbor told me yesterday that they couldn't find any on Amazon anymore. But that's anecdotal. I have not tried to look myself.
I guess I'm the last person on earth who almost never shops Amazon. Whenever I've tried to look for something other than a book or a movie, the search returns have been so overwhelming that I gave up--which, of course, I realize, does not improve my Amazon search skills. But who has time to search through hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of entries?
I'm on an Amazon "subscribe and save" plan that regularly delivers staples monthly or every few months, depending on how you set it: coffee, dish soap, hand soap, paper towels and, until now, toilet paper. You get a small discount on the items and save having to either contantly refill those supplies or wrestle giant packages home from Target. Conveniently, I happen to have over-ordered toilet paper before the virus hit -- I had two 27-roll packages -- so I had, and still have, plenty. I noticed, though, that around that time they removed TP from the products available through the S&S program.
OK, I just looked up toilet paper on Amazon. There are a lot of different kinds -- brands, sizes of packages, etc. -- and some say "currently unavailable," but others seem to be available. They seem kind of expensive, although I don't remember how much TP cost before. And the brand selection isn't very big. But it seems like this could be a solution for you and your dad.
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OK, I just looked up toilet paper on Amazon. There are a lot of different kinds -- brands, sizes of packages, etc. -- and some say "currently unavailable," but others seem to be available. They seem kind of expensive, although I don't remember how much TP cost before. And the brand selection isn't very big. But it seems like this could be a solution for you and your dad.
How many listings did you have to look at to get that information? Or is this something you are able to do quickly because of the "Subscribe and Save"?
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How many listings did you have to look at to get that information? Or is this something you are able to do quickly because of the "Subscribe and Save"?
I just went to the website and searched for "toilet paper" then scrolled down the list. The brands, prices and quantities are all included on this first list, as well as whether they're currently unavailable. So you can just decide how many rolls you want or how much you want to spend, then click on items that fit those parameters to get more information and/or order.
Some of the brands seem kind of obscure; to be safe you'd probably want to choose one you're familiar with. If you have a particular kind you prefer, as I do, you can search for that specifically. But some may have a longer wait time -- I didn't investigate that. I assume if it's not marked "currently unavailable" you'd get it fairly quickly, but if your dad's down to three rolls, probably should order soon.
They also offer a free kindle book that tells how to make your own. I have no idea what that would entail and I'm guessing you don't have kindle anyway, so you can probably skip that. :laugh:
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I just went to the website and searched for "toilet paper" then scrolled down the list. The brands, prices and quantities are all included on this first list, as well as whether they're currently unavailable. So you can just decide how many rolls you want or how much you want to spend, then click on items that fit those parameters to get more information and/or order.
Some of the brands seem kind of obscure; to be safe you'd probably want to choose one you're familiar with. If you have a particular kind you prefer, as I do, you can search for that specifically. But some may have a longer wait time -- I didn't investigate that. I assume if it's not marked "currently unavailable" you'd get it fairly quickly, but if your dad's down to three rolls, probably should order soon.
This afternoon I briefly checked my default, eBay. There seemed to be a number of listings of the preferred label that showed it was available. I took a quick look at the sellers' ratings, too. In at least one or two cases, shipping was more than the price of the toilet paper.
I'm giving my dad one last chance. When I talk to him this evening, if he has not found any--has not even looked for any--I think I will buy him some if I can. I'll tell him it's his belated birthday present. ;D
I was tempted to buy myself a roll with Trump's picture on every piece.
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Dear friends, I bring you here the ultimate Corona instructions!
Here are the official Coronavirus guidelines:
1. Basically, you can't leave the house for any reason, but if you have to, then you can.
2. Masks are useless. But they will protect you. They can save you, no they can’t, they’re useless, but wear one anyway. Now they’re mandatory. But maybe. Or not.
3. Stores are closed, except for the ones that are open.
4. You should not go to the hospital unless you have to go there. Stay out of the ER at all costs unless you’re having a medical emergency then it’s okay.
5. This virus is deadly but still not too scary, except that sometimes it actually leads to a global disaster. Stay calm.
6. Gloves won't help, but they can still help. Especially if you wear the same pair for hours and everywhere you go, then you can not spread germs, nope. #science
7. Everyone needs to stay home, but it's important to go out to get exposure to the sun. Sunlight will kill the virus but not if the virus kills you first by walking in the sunlight where you may be exposed to the virus.
8. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarket, but there are many things missing when you go there in the evening, but not in the morning. Sometimes.
9. The virus has no effect on children except those it has affected or will affect.
10. Animals are not affected, but there is still a cat that tested positive in Belgium in February when no one had been tested yet, and a tiger.. and one really deadly but also possibly fictional but very sick bat.
11. You will have many symptoms when you are sick, but you can also get sick without symptoms, have symptoms without being sick, or be contagious without having symptoms.
12. In order not to get sick, you have to eat well and exercise, but also never go out to the grocery store so just eat processed crap and stay inside your four walls but also stay healthy.
13. It's better to get some fresh air, but you may be arrested if you’re getting fresh air the wrong way and most importantly, don't go to a park, the fresh air there is deadly.
14. Under no circumstances should you go to retirement homes, but if you have to take care of the elderly and bring them food and medication then fine. Just wear gloves. The same ones. All day.
15. If you are sick, you can't go out, but you can go to the pharmacy to get your medications. Just don’t make eye contact cause you may spread your sickness that way.
16. You can get restaurant food delivered to the house, which may have been prepared by people who didn't wear masks or gloves. But you have to leave your groceries outside for 3 hours to be decontaminated by the fresh air that also may have virus particles floating around in it.
17. Taxi drivers are immune to the virus apparently since you can still take a taxi ride with a random taxi driver. Just don’t take the taxi to your mom’s house because you know. Stay away from your mom.
18. You can walk around with a friend if you stay six feet apart but don’t visit with your family if they don't live under the same roof as you. Even if you’ve all been locked inside for two months already. You may still have the virus and just not know it yet. You’ll find out. Wait another week. Wasn’t that a week? Might be the next one. Keep waiting.
19. You are safe if you maintain the appropriate social distance, but you can’t go out with friends or strangers at the safe social distance. Social distancing means you shouldn’t leave your house and don’t be social, except you may go to the liquor store but don’t socialize there while you’re being socially distant.
20. The virus remains active on different surfaces for two hours, no, four, no, six, no, we didn't say hours, maybe days? But it takes a damp environment. Oh no, not necessarily.
21. The virus stays in the air - well no, or yes, maybe, especially in a closed room, in one hour a sick person can infect ten, so if it falls, all our children were already infected at school before it was closed. But remember, if you stay at the recommended social distance you should be ok, however in certain circumstances you should maintain a greater distance, which, studies show, the virus can travel even further, maybe.
22. We count the number of deaths but we don't know how many people are infected as we have only tested so far those who were "almost dead" to find out if that's what they will die of…
23. The virus will only disappear if we achieve collective immunity.. but stay inside until the virus disappears.
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Hilarious! Thanks, I needed that!
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:)
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When I spoke to my father last evening, he told me that whenever he goes to the supermarket where he shops (and uses the pharmacy for his meds), the store is out of toilet paper. As much as I hate to think of him running around to stores, I told him he is going to have to start checking other places (pharmacies and supermarkets).
This afternoon my dad had to go out yet again ::) :( to pick up a prescription. He told me that today the supermarket was well stocked with toilet paper. He bought 10 rolls, so I will not be trying to buy him any online.
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Well, bummer that he had to go out, but at least he found his TP!
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What Chuckie said.
Amazon is, like Ebay, quite overrun by Chinese companies/sellers. But on Ebay, you can set your settings to "sellers from within Germany [US for you] only", which excludes most (but not all) Chinese sellers.
Sadly, on Amazon you can't do this, at least not in Germany. So no matter what your search is, you always get tons of irrelevant Chinese stuff offered. Frustrating.
A few tips to minimize all those crap search results:
- you can put your search words in quotation marks. For example: "Berrybear toilet paper". If there's a brand named Berrybear selling TP, LOL :laugh:
- it also helps to narrow down the categories. Instead of looking for "Addidas sneakers" in all categories, narrow it down to Addidas sneakers in Men's shoes then in Men's sneakers.
- mostly, after searching for a specific brand, you get that brand offered on the left hand side. If you check this box, you'll get offers from this brand exclusively.
- click on "available via Prime", even when you don't have a Prime subscription. This sorts out all obscure goods that are located somewhere, anywhere on the globe and need months to reach you. It leaves only those items, which could be sent to you in a very quick time frame (as Amazon promises this for their Prime customers)
This way, you get good or at least okay search results with few crap/spam in between on the first two pages. Should be enough for most everyday decisions.
And of course you can sort your results from lowest to highest price. You will have more crap in your search results again, but that's easy to overlook when you're searching for something specific and it gives you the advantage of finding the cheapest Addidas sneakers etc. quick.
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Good point, Chrissi. I'd never thought about excluding Chinese sellers per se, but the more specific your search terms the more efficient the search, if they have that item in stock. And good tip about zeroing in on Prime products.
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I guess if the casinos in Las Vegas open, there will be plenty of stupid people who will flock there.
I wonder if there has been a growth of online gambling through all this? Is that how people with gambling addictions are coping?
I guess maybe people with alcohol addiction aren't having issues unless they live in a state like Pennsylvania, where liquor stores are closed and online ordering has been overwhelmed.
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I guess maybe people with alcohol addiction aren't having issues unless they live in a state like Pennsylvania, where liquor stores are closed andI th online ordering has been overwhelmed.
I believe I read that PA is the only state where that's the case (though you'd think maybe Utah, too). It's actually dangerous for severe alcoholics to stop drinking cold turkey, at least without medical supervision, so that's a terrible decision.
I have heard the shutdowns ares exacerbating alcoholism -- both because people are upset about what's happening and because they're home with plenty of time to drink -- and more people are entering treatment centers.
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I believe I read that PA is the only state where that's the case (though you'd think maybe Utah, too). It's actually dangerous for severe alcoholics to stop drinking cold turkey, at least without medical supervision, so that's a terrible decision.
I've heard that, too, right after the governor closed the Pennsylvania stores, but I've heard nothing more since.
I have heard the shutdowns ares exacerbating alcoholism -- both because people are upset about what's happening and because they're home with plenty of time to drink -- and more people are entering treatment centers.
That doesn't surprise me.
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Today is ANZAC day and for the first time in over 100 years there are not the ceremonies and marches in towns and cities across New Zealand and Australia.
I have just taken part in 'Stand at Dawn" as throughout both nations (well in another 2 hours in Australia) we have stood at our front doors, gates or letter boxes and listened by radio as the Last Post, Ode of Remembrance, Reveille and both National Anthems were broadcast. I have both flags flying from my gate. When possible I have been in Sydney and gone into the city with my sister on special train for the Dawn Service at 4.30am. She will be standing on her balcony at 6am Eastern Australia Time.
This year I was to miss as I should have been on a tour in Transylvania and would have felt a bit guilty at missing.
On the few times I have not been in Sydney, I have gone to the Dawn Service at 6am here in Dunedin. In 2015 I was on a bus from Paris at 1am to attend the Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial in Villers Bretonneux not far from where my uncle, who was killed on the Somme in 1916, is buried. In 2002 I attended the Dawn service at Gallipoli, Turkey where it all began.
Sadly none of those services are possible this year. I am always most moved at singing both the anthems of my dual nationality.
Lest We Forget
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... my uncle, who was killed on the Somme in 2016...
That recently?
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Here is an excellent article on the success of women government leaders especially in times of crisis.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/boris-can-bring-home-a-baby-but-for-true-cool-in-a-crisis-you-want-a-woman-20200430-p54osk.html
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That is a good column Brian, thanks for posting it! I was afraid it would suggest that women are somehow inherently better at handling a situation like this. I don't like speculation that women are biologically better at something any more than I do when it's about men. As far as anyone knows, they're equally skilled at most things, maybe with the exception of weightlifting.
But she didn't do that, she pointed out reasons why women who manage to get into positions of leadership in the first place -- despite all the obstacles and being held to a higher standard -- would be particularly skilled. And that countries progressive enough to elect women are likely to be progressive in other ways. And that voters tolerate a lot from men like Trump and Johnson that they wouldn't accept in women, leading to ineffective male leaders who can get away with doing stupid things.
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Here is an excellent article on the success of women government leaders especially in times of crisis.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/boris-can-bring-home-a-baby-but-for-true-cool-in-a-crisis-you-want-a-woman-20200430-p54osk.html
Good piece, thanks for sharing.
I may have said it before, but here goes: while I've never voted for Angela Merkel, and never would, I'm pretty happy with her in this crisis. I'm glad she's a scientist, I'm happy with her serious, clear decisions and her way of communicating them. I watched her address to the country a few weeks ago in full length and was impressed.
Meanwhile, schools start to re-open tomorrow. Only for graduating classes respectively the two most senior classes. My son is among them. The schools have cleared out the classrooms, only 15 tables in each room, there is a complete mandatory hygiene schedule in place, one-way walking paths laid out and marked, lots of extra-ordinary school memorandums and so on.
While I think they're well-prepared, I think the weak point will be the school buses. I'm not sure the bus companies are equally well prepared.
I'm in a position to keep my son at home for the time being, since we have higher-risk persons in our household. For pupils with a higher risk, or with such household members, compulsory schooling has been paused. The parents decide whether the kids will go to school or not.
But he hasn't spoken to any person outside the six of us in seven weeks (except online), he really wants to go to school and I'm afraid his grades would suffer if he stayed home while the others go back to school.
So I'm willing to give it a try and see how school and bus services are doing. If I get the feeling the risk is too high, I'll talk to him and may reverse my decision.
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With all the ways I think my country is handling this crises in a good way, there are also ways I'm pretty pissed about:
all teachers belonging in a higher risk group (or having higher risk household members) won't come back to school for the rest of the school year at least, maybe longer.
That's fine with me. But educators of smaller children (kindergarten teachers or however you call them) don't have the same privilege. I'm working with 1 to 3 years old children, they're basically still babies when they come to us. Thus I'm much closer to them than a school teacher is to 16+ year old teenagers: I get coughed on, spit on, peed on, vomited on, and everything else. We cuddle with the little ones, we have them on our laps half of the day, we carry them on our hips, in our arms - whatever is necessary to make the little ones comfortable and feel loved and safe. No social distancing possible.
And I do have diabetes, therefore I am a higher-risk person. But guess what: once my kindergarten will re-open, I'll have to work. I talked with my diabetes doctor this week and she told me it has been a simple economic decision: there are too many people with diabetes in Germany, it's too expensive to keep them all from working for a long(er) time.
So yes, I'm pissed about that. When the times comes, I'm thinking about asking my employer to transfer me to an office job where I don't have such close contact to other people.
OTOH, I'm an instructor (trainer?) for an apprentice. She already had to change instructors last year (difficult situation) and I obligated myself to be her trainer for the next two years. She's in transition from female to male, so it's a difficult time in her life. Things between us go well, work now goes well for her, as does the theory part of her apprenticeship. I'd feel like leaving her in the lurch if I switched to an office job now.
I do love my work with children, I do love being a trainer for young professionals, but I'm not sure about going to work in this Corona shituation. :-\
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That is quite a sticky situation, friend. I know what you mean about social distancing being impossible with small children. My youngest grandchild is only 19 months old and toddles to me as soon as she sees me, wanting to be held. The only answer is to stay out of her sight.
There are some things you can do to minimize the risk; you probably know them already, such as using a strong mouthwash, drinking hot liquids, disinfecting your toothbrush every day. Also taking Vitamin D, taking showers frequently and getting a lot of sunshine. You will hopefully be allowed to wear a mask.
Sending hopes for your continued health and that of your family!!! :-*
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Meanwhile, schools start to re-open tomorrow. Only for graduating classes respectively the two most senior classes. My son is among them.
And I remember when he started school. And now he's graduating. ...
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Meanwhile, schools start to re-open tomorrow. Only for graduating classes respectively the two most senior classes. My son is among them. The schools have cleared out the classrooms, only 15 tables in each room, there is a complete mandatory hygiene schedule in place, one-way walking paths laid out and marked, lots of extra-ordinary school memorandums and so on.
While I think they're well-prepared, I think the weak point will be the school buses. I'm not sure the bus companies are equally well prepared.
Sorry about your position. Here the opposite is occurring. Only classes up to age 15 are open but then the end of our year and final exams are not until October/November. Only children of people who cannot find any alternative form of supervision are suppose to attend. When they opened last Wednesday I think I read only 1% attendance at primary school but 3% at early childcare. I guess it is much harder for parents who are working at home to care for the very young, they need more attention. But in the same way it is harder to keep them doing the right things health wise at the centre. I live opposite a primary school with an early childcare centre attached and walk through the grounds at the end of my walk. On Friday I could hear children in the early childcare centre but no evidence of anyone in the primary school.
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I was talking about this issue with my mother. She works in a daycare. There is no way to make young children understand social distancing.
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Gov. Phil Murphy announced today that schools would not resume sessions until September of this year.
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Gov. Phil Murphy announced today that schools would not resume sessions until September of this year.
Wanna bet they don't open then, either?
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New Zealand had 0 new cases yesterday. The first time in about 50 days. However one swallow does not a summer make. There is pressure from the leader of the opposition and mayors of regions which can be isolated to go down to a lower lockout level(2) but the Prime mInister is staying firm that no decision will be made until next Monday. I hope she can stay firm. They will announce on Thursday what will be allowed in level 2.
I would love to go out and have a coffee sitting in a cafe. Takeaway is not much use to me as I would have to drink it sitting in the car. I can make a good coffee with my Nespresso machine at home but, even if not meeting friends, it is nice to be sitting out with other people. It is 6 weeks now since we went into lockdown.
The Prime Minister of NZ is meeting today (by video link) with the National Cabinet of Australia (the Australian Prime Minister and all the State Premiers), the first time in history. They will discuss what would be necessary to open up travel between the 2 countries. I would love to visit my sister before October when it stars to get too hot in Sydney. I have vouchers for the air fares.
If Level 2 allows us to travel here within NZ, I would like in June to go to some National Parks and do some hiking although it will be winter and I would not decide based on weather forecasts until a few days before. Although I have a lot of money tied up in vouchers for travel to Europe next year, I have cancelled a lot as well so money is there and the government wants us to spend money in NZ.
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EdelMar called me with the news that he had bought 2nd row seats for Sunday in the Park with George with Jake Gyllenhaal on our European trip for my birthday! :D But because of the corona virus, the show was cancelled! :(
So, this makes it likely that the Oktoberfest in Luzerne on September 5 will also be cancelled and many other things that he has so meticulously planned. Possibly we will have to put off our whole trip for a year, but we were planning to go to Scotland and around the Baltic Sea next year and spend the summer solstice in Finland. ???
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Wanna bet they don't open then, either?
God, I hope it doesn't last that long.
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The original Oktoberfest in Munich has been cancelled but from memory it is in late September. They have just cancelled the big A&P show in Christchurch for November.
I finally received an email last night from the UK company organising my 16 night tour of Albania and Kosovo which was to start today. I can rebook up until July 31 after that they will refund me the Au$3860. I am quite sure I will not be clear about the situation for next year by July 31. They are only just discussing about possibilities of travel between NZ and Australia sometime this year. You cannot travel between states within Australia at the moment so those borders will have to open first.
We will find out tomorrow whether we will be allowed to travel within NZ after we go from Level 3 lockdown to level 2, possibly next Tuesday.
I would not even contemplate travel to Europe in 2020. We had a second day with 0 new cases yesterday so fingers crossed.
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The original Oktoberfest in Munich has been cancelled but from memory it is in late September. They have just cancelled the big A&P show in Christchurch for November.
I finally received an email last night from the UK company organising my 16 night tour of Albania and Kosovo which was to start today. I can rebook up until July 31 after that they will refund me the Au$3860. I am quite sure I will not be clear about the situation for next year by July 31. They are only just discussing about possibilities of travel between NZ and Australia sometime this year. You cannot travel between states within Australia at the moment so those borders will have to open first.
We will find out tomorrow whether we will be allowed to travel within NZ after we go from Level 3 lockdown to level 2, possibly next Tuesday.
I would not even contemplate travel to Europe in 2020. We had a second day with 0 new cases yesterday so fingers crossed.
Fingers crossed for NZ!
tour of Albania and Kosovo which was to start today.
Aw, that sucks! Sorry to hear.
We're scheduled to travel to Scotland mid-July, but now I doubt it. Everything is already booked since last December, sigh.
Monika and I had plans to travel to Canada mid-August. We were just about to book our flights when Corona hit big time, so nothing is booked yet. If we can't travel in August, we hope for later in the year, maybe end of October/November.... But who knows.
If the family vacation in summer gets cancelled, I'm hoping for early October because my son has another period of school holidays at the time.
So basically, I think July might be too early but I'm still holding on to our bookings.
Our German government says international travel might not be possible for the whole year… But I'm stubborn and refuse to give up hope for a fall vacation.
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A friend at work had plans to travel to Italy. When the virus started getting bad there, she realized she'd have to cancel her plans. So she consoled herself with a spur-of-the-moment long weekend in New Orleans. This was right around Mardi Gras.
Louisiana now has almost 30,000 cases and almost 2,000 deaths, the majority in New Orleans -- partly just because it's the biggest city, but also because the crowds at Mardi Gras helped spread it.
The mayor of NOLA has been criticized for not canceling Mardi Gras, But it was on Feb. 25, before anyone was talking about closing public places or canceling big events. It also draws well over a million visitors and billions of dollars.
My coworker is fine, though.
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/travel/new-orleans-mardi-gras-parades-local/img/1800/XXBVEWSXF4I6VDX5B6IEXXMAK4.jpg)
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I've been thinking, we are hearing that beef and chicken are getting scarce and more expensive because processing plants are closing because of Covid-19 infections among the workers. But I have not yet heard anything about what effect these scarcities will have on manufacturers of prepared foods. I'm not joking. For example, if chicken becomes expensive, will Campbell's still be making chicken noodle soup--or, what effect will that have on prices to consumers? Or, what will happen with frozen entrees that include beef or chicken? Or things like canned chili or beef stew?
To be sure, diets are healthier without these things, and that could be part of the answer, but that's really not what I'm getting at here. I simply wonder what effect these scarcities will have on other consumer products besides fresh beef and chicken.
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BTW, have any of you folks on Facebook heard anything from Meryl?
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BTW, have any of you folks on Facebook heard anything from Meryl?
Yup. As recently as 10 hours ago, she posted a photo of herself -- with a group of Brokies, in fact!
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(https://scontent.fzty2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/96364383_2872622912833904_2607714888692269056_o.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_sid=8024bb&_nc_ohc=XB7GB_30H6QAX8oZuFv&_nc_ht=scontent.fzty2-1.fna&oh=22cab60a225e6e97efb1b36c5f7d1880&oe=5ED725AB)
Here we are! Madrid, 2014, back stage after the BBM opera. The very tall fellow in the back is Daniel Okulitch, who played Ennis.
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(https://scontent.fzty2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/96364383_2872622912833904_2607714888692269056_o.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_sid=8024bb&_nc_ohc=XB7GB_30H6QAX8oZuFv&_nc_ht=scontent.fzty2-1.fna&oh=22cab60a225e6e97efb1b36c5f7d1880&oe=5ED725AB)
Here we are! Madrid, 2014, back stage after the BBM opera. The very tall fellow in the back is Daniel Okulitch, who played Ennis.
I can't believe it's already 6 fucking years ago!
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We're scheduled to travel to Scotland mid-July, but now I doubt it. Everything is already booked since last December, sigh.
Monika and I had plans to travel to Canada mid-August. We were just about to book our flights when Corona hit big time, so nothing is booked yet. If we can't travel in August, we hope for later in the year, maybe end of October/November.... But who knows.
If the family vacation in summer gets cancelled, I'm hoping for early October because my son has another period of school holidays at the time.
So basically, I think July might be too early but I'm still holding on to our bookings.
Our German government says international travel might not be possible for the whole year… But I'm stubborn and refuse to give up hope for a fall vacation.
The UK company who arranged my Albania/Kosovo trip gave me a credit note to decide by July 31 but I told them I could not make any decision about next year by then so they have just sent me a form to apply for a full refund. I have vouchers for use on Emirates, Air New Zealand, Qatar Air and Aegean Air but do not have to make decisions about rebooking until March next year. I have applied for a full refund with Qatar (I had splurged on a business class fare coming home from Athens to Sydney in June).
As you know, I liked to take one big tour each year for as long as my health holds up. In 2017 when I met you and Monika in Jasper was Canada and Alaska then 2018 was mainly in London and nearby but I did take 7 days on the West Coast of Scotland. In 2019 I decided to pay for a hernia op (it had given me grief while hiking in the UK) so just went to Sydney for 10 days and some short trips here in NZ. Then I planned this big trip to the Balkans and Greece this year but I am feeling my age hence the business class flight on the way home (I was quite ill after flying back from Dubai to Sydney in 2018). Now back to the drawing board for 2021 but it will not be the 10 weeks away planned for this year.
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I've been thinking, we are hearing that beef and chicken are getting scarce and more expensive because processing plants are closing because of Covid-19 infections among the workers. But I have not yet heard anything about what effect these scarcities will have on manufacturers of prepared foods. I'm not joking. For example, if chicken becomes expensive, will Campbell's still be making chicken noodle soup--or, what effect will that have on prices to consumers? Or, what will happen with frozen entrees that include beef or chicken? Or things like canned chili or beef stew?
To be sure, diets are healthier without these things, and that could be part of the answer, but that's really not what I'm getting at here. I simply wonder what effect these scarcities will have on other consumer products besides fresh beef and chicken.
On our news last night, we were told that there is no problem with meat production as we are a large exporter to the rest of the world but, because of overseas demand, we can expect our local prices to go up. The value of exports actually increased in April despite lockdown. There was a decline in March as China stopped importing our timber but that is now starting up again. Our big loss is in tourism income.
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Yup. As recently as 10 hours ago, she posted a photo of herself -- with a group of Brokies, in fact!
Thanks! Really glad to know she's OK.
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The UK company who arranged my Albania/Kosovo trip gave me a credit note to decide by July 31 but I told them I could not make any decision about next year by then so they have just sent me a form to apply for a full refund. I have vouchers for use on Emirates, Air New Zealand, Qatar Air and Aegean Air but do not have to make decisions about rebooking until March next year. I have applied for a full refund with Qatar (I had splurged on a business class fare coming home from Athens to Sydney in June).
As you know, I liked to take one big tour each year for as long as my health holds up. In 2017 when I met you and Monika in Jasper was Canada and Alaska then 2018 was mainly in London and nearby but I did take 7 days on the West Coast of Scotland. In 2019 I decided to pay for a hernia op (it had given me grief while hiking in the UK) so just went to Sydney for 10 days and some short trips here in NZ. Then I planned this big trip to the Balkans and Greece this year but I am feeling my age hence the business class flight on the way home (I was quite ill after flying back from Dubai to Sydney in 2018). Now back to the drawing board for 2021 but it will not be the 10 weeks away planned for this year.
What a hassle to deal with all those companies.
In 2017 when I met you and Monika in Jasper was Canada and Alaska
I remember that. Great memories! :)
I hope you'll stay in good health and can make up trip-wise next year!
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(https://scontent.fzty2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/96364383_2872622912833904_2607714888692269056_o.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_sid=8024bb&_nc_ohc=XB7GB_30H6QAX8oZuFv&_nc_ht=scontent.fzty2-1.fna&oh=22cab60a225e6e97efb1b36c5f7d1880&oe=5ED725AB)
I can't believe it's already 6 fucking years ago!
What Sonja said!
I remember applying for my job at the end of 2013: in the job interview I told my boss I'll have to take a week off during my first month of working for them because the Madrid trip was already booked. Normally a total no-go, but I didn't depend on that job and by boss is very cool. :laugh:
And I remember the oyster you gave me, Paul! ;D Fun times O0
We should do something once this Corona shituation will be over. I know London was planned, but it doesn't look like it could happen. I sure miss Brokie gatherings!
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We should do something once this Corona shituation will be over. I know London was planned, but it doesn't look like it could happen. I sure miss Brokie gatherings!
What Chrissi said!
The way I see it, we'll likely have to wait til next year to plan another gathering :'(
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We should do something once this Corona shituation will be over.
Wow, great portmanteau! I'd never heard that one before. And here I learn it from a non-native-English speaker! :o :D
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Meryl posted in her birthday thread in February:
http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,8233.msg704771.html#msg704771 (http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,8233.msg704771.html#msg704771)
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Wow, great portmanteau! I'd never heard that one before. And here I learn it from a non-native-English speaker! :o :D
Why thank you. It occurred to me a couple of days ago, right here on this thread ;D
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We should do something once this Corona shituation will be over. I know London was planned, but it doesn't look like it could happen. I sure miss Brokie gatherings!
Yes, the London gathering has been postponed, the play Saturday In The Park with George is not happening now until some time in 2021.
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My friend was going to surprise me on my birthday with tickets to SITPWG. It's the thought that counts.
Friend Meryl is famous! She's working for a documentary company coming out with a film about Quakers!
More info here: https://quakersthefilm.com/about/ (https://quakersthefilm.com/about/)
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Friend Meryl is famous! She's working for a documentary company coming out with a film about Quakers!
More info here: https://quakersthefilm.com/about/ (https://quakersthefilm.com/about/)
That's awesome!
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You must see Animals Reclaiming their World!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdjSxjybSds (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdjSxjybSds)
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You must see Animals Reclaiming their World!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdjSxjybSds (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdjSxjybSds)
That was great, thanks for posting it! Perfect musical accompaniment, too.
I've always wanted to write about how animals adapt to cities full of humans. I've seen a deer galloping down a residential city street on a Sunday afternoon. And when I lived in Duluth, I once looked out the window and saw a bear lumbering around in the yard.
And I've heard that urban sprawl actually increases the deer population, because people with big yards lay out tempting buffets for them.
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And I've heard that urban sprawl actually increases the deer population, because people with big yards lay out tempting buffets for them.
I have two suburbanite coworkers who complain about deer eating their flowers.
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Well, here's some concerning news. My dad told me last evening that he has been notified that the volunteer who delivered his Meals on Wheels one day last week has tested positive.
The volunteers wear masks and gloves. They leave the meals beside the front door, ring the doorbell, and then step back to see the recipient opens the door to pick up the meal. Dad says the volunteers who deliver his meals step back to the edge of the front patio, which is about 6 feet. He doesn't seem overly concerned, but I told him if he has concerns to call his doctor.
Just what I need: something else to be anxious about.
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Oh, no. Fingers crossed for your dad. I'm glad to hear he's getting meals, though. I worried about that.
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Oh, no. Fingers crossed for your dad. I'm glad to hear he's getting meals, though. I worried about that.
Thanks, FRiend.
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Oh, please keep us posted on how he is doing!
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With 6 feet distance and just a short encounter he should be fine, but I understand that it's worrisome. Fingers crossed for your dad :-*
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I agree with Chrissi. From what you've described the encounter doesn't seem cause for undue anxiety. Hoping the best for your dad, but sounds like he'll be fine.
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In recent days I've been reading about the possibility that many people have COVID-19 and have no symptoms. The fact that they could carry and spread the virus, and other people could get it and have a more serious illness, is distressing. Also, the idea that the virus should just be allowed to make its way through all populations unrestricted, so that we could develop a "herd immunity" is worrisome.
There are more voices saying that many of us might have had COVID-19 already. I wish testing for the presence of antibodies could be universally available. My son is one who thinks he has already had it. He attended a convention in late February and there were many people from Asia attending. Then, he was sick for two weeks. He feels fine now. His symptoms didn't match the COVID symptoms, though. I myself was kind of sick in the last week of February and first week of March.
Some places in Colorado have opened for business and there was a photo on Facebook of a restaurant in Castle Rock that was packed on Mother's Day. The very next day, Governor Polis held a press conference and publicly announced that the restaurant's license had been revoked indefinitely. Now, people are coming and taping messages and money to their door. As I was driving to the grocery store yesterday, I saw quite a few places that had "Open" signs on them, though there weren't any cars in the parking lots. One was a bar and grill.
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With 6 feet distance and just a short encounter he should be fine, but I understand that it's worrisome. Fingers crossed for your dad :-*
I agree with Chrissi. From what you've described the encounter doesn't seem cause for undue anxiety. Hoping the best for your dad, but sounds like he'll be fine.
Thanks. That's what I'm hoping.
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I haven't corroborated this yet, but I heard that 72 of the people who attended a Wisconsin protest have now tested positive.
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I saw something today that I thought was rather peculiar.
I went to my bank on my lunch break. On my way home, a young woman dressed in a cap and academic gown was having her picture taken in the middle of South Broad Street. The location wasn't odd. Lots of people have their photos, even their wedding photos, taken standing on the median in the middle of the street with our Renaissance Revival City Hall as a backdrop.
What was peculiar was that the young woman was dressed as if for her college graduation, when nobody is holding graduation ceremonies.
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Many Graduation ceremonies, which are common in May as our education year ends in Nov/Dec, have been cancelled here. Disappointing for the graduands as well as the city. The University is our biggest employer and graduation ceremonies bring many families into the city from all over the country. There is always a procession of graduands and staff in gowns down our main street led by a bagpiper, sometimes 2 in one day.
Apparently some have been postponed until later in the year, not possible for everyone.
However there was a story in our paper about one student who was given a surprise graduation in the park by her fellow students (at 2 metres distance). They were unable to hire a gown and hood so made one up, apparently a colander was involved in the headwear. The student was American (so could not hang around) and already had several degrees, I think this was her doctorate so not particularly concerned but enjoyed the surprise party.
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I still have my Bachelor of Arts hood (ermine, well rabbit fur) and gown hanging in the cupboard from 1966. I borrowed the mortar board. I use to wear it at Speech nights but that went out of fashion over the years. I also wore the hood when preaching but have not done that for 50 years. I should try to see it I can sell it to one of the hire firms in the city. Although from Sydney University, the University of Otago has much the same.
My sister has a photo in her lounge room of my whole family at my graduation ceremony with me wearing the academic robes. I looked so young and only she (86 today) and I are still alive.
My 2nd post graduate diploma in library and information science was in 1995 and completed by correspondence from a regional university 450 km from Sydney. I was going to attend but could only get one day off work so was going to drive down the night before. My sister planned to take my mother a day earlier but Mum was in her late 80's and they decided it would be too much for her so I did not attend. Disappointed now.
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What was peculiar was that the young woman was dressed as if for her college graduation, when nobody is holding graduation ceremonies.
I'm sure there are lots of such women around the country. High school and college graduates are really bummed out about not having ceremonies or parties or any of the other stuff most graduates do. So different communities are trying different ways to make the best of it with remote events and so on. And some young people doing stuff like the woman you saw to compensate.
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I'm sure there are lots of such women around the country. High school and college graduates are really bummed out about not having ceremonies or parties or any of the other stuff most graduates do. So different communities are trying different ways to make the best of it with remote events and so on. And some young people doing stuff like the woman you saw to compensate.
All ceremonies for the graduates are cancelled here, too. I feel bad for them. You go to school for 13 effin' long years and then get 'robbed' of all the different festivities at the end. I remember what an important and joyous time it was for my daughters.
I've just had an idea: this year's graduates should be invited for all events along with next year's graduates. Just make it a huuuuge double fête. :D
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I've just had an idea: this year's graduates should be invited for all events along with next year's graduates. Just make it a huuuuge double fête. :D
Good idea, at least for many. It would be a nice reunion for graduates a year later, too.
(Assuming large gatherings are OK a year from now. :-\)
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I noticed that President Obama is scheduled to give a broadcast this evening as a commencement speech to all the graduates. I'm going to try to catch it. Later on, the Dalai Lama will have a podcast on his web site and Facebook page. Some high-class entertainment for a Saturday evening!
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I saw something today that I thought was rather peculiar.
What was peculiar was that the young woman was dressed as if for her college graduation, when nobody is holding graduation ceremonies.
Happened again today. I went out for a walk this afternoon and saw another young woman in a cap and gown.
The temperature was, like, 80 F here this afternoon. When I went for my walk, the park in Rittenhouse Square had a lots of people in groups of two or three or more--but the groups all seemed to be spread out to keep a distance from each other.
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Lots of reports of places opening up. I'm still following precautions and wearing my masks, and washing and using alcohol on my hands and face.
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Happened again today. I went out for a walk this afternoon and saw another young woman in a cap and gown.
Have you seen the cover of the latest New Yorker?
In our paper today is a story about a family with a graduating kid watching some remote graduation program in their living room. I haven't read it yet but I'm sure that's going on all over the place. And I saw a story in which a photographer made portraits of graduates -- cool ones, outdoors and in interesting places, wearing interesting outfits -- as a gesture to make up for what they're missing.
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I plan to have my hair cut this morning. It has been 11 weeks but they only reopened last Thursday. I usually go every 5 to 6 weeks. I planned to go the day before Good Friday as I was leaving for Sydney and Europe the following Tuesday. I was concerned that, as I would be away 10 weeks, I would need to get a haircut in Athens and I do not speak Greek.
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Wow, that's kind of daring compared to how buckled down NZ was recently. You can't cut somebody's hair from six feet away.
Hair stylists here are not yet permitted to return to work. Nor are restaurants, which is sad because a lot of restaurants are closing permanently.
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Haircut done and I feel much better. Usually you just walk in and wait no more than 10 minutes except during school holidays which I avoid but not possible in January.
I arrived at 10 am and was told I had to book now but got a booking for 10.45am I went and had a coffee at Muffin Break nearby in the Food Court and wandered around the Mall. I actually got a free coffee (every 5th one free). I usually go there about 3 times per month. The only person wearing a mask in the Food Court was the lady cleaning tables and I saw her scratch her nose once. The girls cutting hair had masks but not the girl on the desk and the girl cutting mine pushed hers off her face so she could talk. She has cut my hair before and she did a good job. I gave her a $10 tip, we rarely tip in NZ, they get good wages. I am not sure during lockdown but the government provided 80% wages to all employees who were unable to work and it was up to the employer whether they would make it up or not. I do not usually chat much but did today as I told her I lived alone and had not seen any of my friends for 7 weeks. Have not had a phone call for over a week now. I do talk on skype with my sister in Sydney every morning.
My area - the South of the South Island (25,500 sq miles and 340,00 population) has not had a new case in 29 days and only 1 remaining at the moment. I think the whole of NZ (just announced we have reached 5 million people due to so many returning home) has only had about 5/6 new cases in the last week and 96% of cases have recovered (21 died). I just hope we are not relaxing too early. I kept my 2 metre distance while walking around the mall except, of course, with the hairdresser.
Restaurants opened last Thursday. I have only been to cafes for coffee and cake. You sign in (as at the hairdresser). Groups cannot be more than 10 and tables are more spaced than normal so that groups are at least a metre apart. Bars are opening next Thursday but people have to be seated to be served, no standing around.
Our Prime Minister Jacinda and her partner were turned away from a cafe on Saturday morning as there were no spare tables but then the manager chased them down the street because a table became available. Said he had done the same for other people. Cannot imagine that happening to Trump. Jacinda's partner, Gayford, said it was his fault in not booking.
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While I was typing, the 1pm news conference was held. There was an item last week that the 1pm news conference has replaced the sports report for everyone. More people are back at work and schools returned today so numbers watching are probably lower now. Anyway no new cases in NZ today. We had 3 days with no cases then sadly a 4 year old boy yesterday.
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I feel so sorry for the young people of the world. Today the news came out from my local parks and rec: summer camps, activities, sports...all cancelled. The pools will be closed all summer. Pickleball and basketball courts will be open but no more than 4 people can use them at a time.
I was gardening and noticed that my neighbor's daughter, who looks to be college age, was sleeping in a lawn chair. Later, she got up and walked into the house. She lives in the basement of her parents' house. Such a sorry sight, all slumped over and with a big frown on her face. :'(
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I feel so sorry for both young people and old people. (And, well, I guess some in-between people, too.)
But young people are at their prime socializing/dating/learning/career building years, and they're being thwarted.
Old people already suffer, as a group, from intense and harmful social isolation. Now they can't even see their family members.
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Old people already suffer, as a group, from intense and harmful social isolation.
I wouldn't agree that all old people suffer from intense and harmful social isolation. Or even a majority of them us. But I'm sure you didn't mean that.
I've learned to live with it, but I used to get annoyed by people who would look at me and see my gray hair and pity me. There have been those who seemed resentful that I even exist, because I remind them of how they've neglected their older loved ones.
My friend M, who just turned 80, has a refreshing point of view. He says there are people who are cats and people who are dogs. In these days of self quarantine, the dog people are going stir crazy, whereas the cat people are serene. He's a very social person, but is able to satisfy his needs online and with phone calls. He lives alone, and his doctor has forbidden him to go anywhere or have anyone come into his house. People can visit if they stay outside, 6 ft away, and wear a mask.
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Well I must be a dog person. I do hate cats ;D. I am 76 and was going crazy.
Thankfully I am going to the Farmers Market today, usually every 2nd week but last was March 21. It reopened last Saturday but I thought I would let it settle down a bit.
At the moment we cannot meet in groups more than 10. My walking group which I co-ordinate has over 40 on the email list and can have from 16 to over 30 on any one walk. I am waiting to hear the new announcement on Monday regarding group size. If it goes to 20, I will take names for June 2. The next level difficulty group above ours walked last Tuesday but they were going to split into 2 groups and rarely have more than 12-14.
Some of my friends tell me they are being cautious about going out, they did not go to the Supermarket like me but they are all couples so have a partner to talk to.
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My friend M, who just turned 80, has a refreshing point of view. He says there are people who are cats and people who are dogs. In these days of self quarantine, the dog people are going stir crazy, whereas the cat people are serene. He's a very social person, but is able to satisfy his needs online and with phone calls. He lives alone, and his doctor has forbidden him to go anywhere or have anyone come into his house. People can visit if they stay outside, 6 ft away, and wear a mask.
Oh, I like that theory!!! Very interesting! I would be a cat person. I'm perfectly fine in my apartment, chatting with friends online, and watching TV, doing my daily workouts would be my ball of string. LOL
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I wouldn't agree that all old people suffer from intense and harmful social isolation. Or even a majority of them us. But I'm sure you didn’t mean that.
Oh sorry, you’re right. I meant that older people as a demographic, statistically speaking, are more likely to describe themselves a feeling socially isolated. Which makes sense given their circumstances in modern Western culture. Within that group are a range of preferences just as in other age groups.
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Oh, I like that theory!!! Very interesting! I would be a cat person. I'm perfectly fine in my apartment, chatting with friends online, and watching TV, doing my daily workouts would be my ball of string. LOL
Yes, but you are working from home so that keeps you occupied a lot of the time. Until things started opening up last week, I only had my walks around the area, gardening until my back gives way, and the supermarket. I forced myself to watch more TV in the evening and go to bed a bit later than normal. I chatted with my sister by Skype each morning for nearly 30 minutes. Usually it is only about 10 to 15 minutes. I get about 2 phone calls per week and a few emails from friends. I read and slept a lot of the time.
In the last week, I have been able to go out for coffee and I was able to drive to the beach for a walk as I was a bit sick of my local area then bought lunch at a cafe on the way home. I had the Farmers Market this morning. The Library opened on Thursday and museums and art galleries are opening this weekend. Cinemas are remaining closed until mid-June. They are allowed to open now with distances between seats but apparently there are no new movies available so not worth the hassle for them. All my concerts have been cancelled at least until end of July, some for the rest of the year as overseas artists are not allowed in. My subscriptions have either been refunded, held over to next year or donated.
Refunds from my overseas trip are trickling in.
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It was wonderful yesterday to have an almost normal visit to the city. I drove and parked, am not ready to catch the bus yet. However, being over 75, parking is free but I have to keep to the time limit. I was able to park in a 4 hour spot just a block away. I would have to pay for the parking stations in the centre.
I went to the Library which opened last Thursday, had to sign in and of course use sanitiser and I think could not stay more than 30 minutes but no one was actually checking. They now have QR codes everywhere. I downloaded the Government official tracing app on Saturday but the Library had a private app system which came out earlier so I still had to sign in. They are suppose to be going to link them. I only stayed 20 minutes at most because I waited for a book to be brought from the stacks. Then I went to the Mall and bought a cappuccino and date scone, they used the government tracing app and I watched the lady in front of me use it and it worked for me. Then I wandered around the department stores, looking at specials in menswear and checking some kitchen appliances. I did not buy anything but it was wonderful to be able to do that again. Unfortunately I could not go to the cinema. They are allowed to open but apparently they have no new films so it will be mid June. I could have gone to the art gallery or museum but enough excitement for one day.
From Midday Friday we can meet in groups up to 100 (now only 10) so our walking group ( usually in the 20s, sometime in the 30s) will be meeting next Tuesday. It will have been 11 weeks and we usually meet every week (weather permitting) except for a 4 week break at Christmas so it will be exciting.
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Denmark has started to somewhat loosen up its border protection, which means I'll hopefully be able to visit my mum at her nursing home in Copenhagen.
I'll need proof that she is my mum, which I've ordered from the Swedish National registration, plus proof that she lives in Denmark which I hope to get from the nursing home.
I'll also need my passport, which we haven't ever needed between the Nordic countries since the war.
Then I have to book a 30 min time slot at the nursing home, go around the building and be let in directly into the garden, where I'll be able to see my mom in a tent with a pane of plexiglass between us.
So, quite a bit of a hassle, and not exactly the sort of meeting we're used to, but at least I'll be able to visit her again!
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Glad you will be able to visit. I am sure she will be happy to see you. These are such strange times. My sister and BiL in Sydney are in their mid 80's, still live in their own apartment. I always thought that if something happened to one of them, I could be there in 48 hours at the most. Now, because of my dual citizenship, I would be allowed to travel (if I could find a flight, there are a few) but would have to go into quarantine for 14 days on the way over and again on the way back.
They are discussing creating a Trans-Tasman bubble but I think it will be September at the earliest, some of the Australian states are not allowing people to visit from other states yet.
I first visited Scandinavia in 1974. I remember queueing at the German/Danish border. I had a campervan and an Australian guy asked if he could go through the border with me. He was on foot and they would not let him through. I told him I would drive him to Copenhagen AFTER he crossed the border but I was not going to take the risk that he might be carrying drugs. Never saw him again.
I also remember showing my passport at the Sweden/Norway border as the officer said "Ah Australia, capital Wellington" and I had to say No that is New Zealand, our capital is Canberra" ;D
However I had to show my passport on the train from Oslo to Gothenburg in 2010 but not from Gothenburg to Copenhagen.
I took the ferry from Helsingor to Helsingborg, cannot remember if I had to show my passport there.
Until now, it has been much easier travelling in Europe this century than in the 1970's.
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Brian, I do hope that if and when something happens to your sister or b-i-l, you'll be able to get there quickly. These times are so worrisome when you have close relatives in another country.
Interesting memories from your Scandinavian sojourn back in the day!
When I said we didn't need passports, I meant citizens in the Nordic countries. It's different for tourists.
How they establish who's a citizen and who's a tourist without people showing their passport I don't know! ;D
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How they establish who's a citizen and who's a tourist without people showing their passport I don't know! ;D
I wondered that when I took the ferry from Wales to Ireland. They had a lane in Dublin for Irish and UK citizens to walk straight through while I had to take the lane for other citizens and show my passport. As my great grandparents come from the North of England, I wondered how they would tell if I did not open my mouth. My accent would give me away.
However, when I took the ferry from Denmark to England, everyone just waved their passports. Leaving Denmark (Esbjerg), the guy noticed mine, smiled and said "Ah Australian, Princess Mary." Now that I have a NZ passport, I always say I will only use my Australian passport for Australia (that is the law) and Denmark.
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My, life is complicated these days! I'm so glad you can visit your Mum, Sonja. Let us know how it goes.
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Brian, what is the government tracing app? Is that something that shows the government where everyone has been so they can keep track of their movements?
On another topic, I find myself feeling a little worried when I hear people and governments looking forward to things getting better soon so they can start opening places and pretty soon we'll be able to do A, B and C. I fear there's a chance things won't return to normal nearly that fast. I've heard of experts saying anywhere from four years to never. By then, I can't even imagine what will have happened to national economies.
Others say cases might decline over the summer, giving everyone a false sense of security, then resurge in the fall.
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Brian, what is the government tracing app? Is that something that shows the government where everyone has been so they can keep track of their movements?
That's the sort of thing that worries me. A lot. About Big Brother being able to trace all of us, using the excuse that they need to trace contacts.
On another topic, I find myself feeling a little worried when I hear people and governments looking forward to things getting better soon so they can start opening places and pretty soon we'll be able to do A, B and C. I fear there's a chance things won't return to normal nearly that fast. I've heard of experts saying anywhere from four years to never. By then, I can't even imagine what will have happened to national economies.
Others say cases might decline over the summer, giving everyone a false sense of security, then resurge in the fall.
You know I'm a pessimist. When I see things like a crowded swimming pool, I'm sure it will come roaring back. I don't think we're ever going back to what things were like in, say, this past December.
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About the tracing, it's done through your cell phone. Smart phones work by contacting the nearest tower or satellite and so movements of the population can easily be tracked. Even if you turn off your location in Settings, it can still be determined how far and how much people are moving about. I'm not sure about flip phones, but they can be roughly tracked also. Since 99% of the population carries a mobile phone, this is an accurate determinator of movement.
As far as "returning to normal", what is normal? After cataclysms like this in the past, some whole industries collapsed, while others surged. My fear is that if we try to return to the normal of the past, we'll just fall into a Depression, because the past ways of doing things don't work anymore. This was evident way before the pandemic but now we have the perfect opportunity to sweep the old ways away. In some cases, technology will help us build whole new industries and networks. In other cases, we'll be wise to return to heirloom approaches.
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Off on a tangent. As you know, I put in a security system a year ago. I keep track of all the door and window statuses on my phone. Last night I checked it as I went to bed and noticed that it said my car was parked 50 feet away.
During the night, I woke up and checked my phone. It now said my car was parked 60 feet away. My car must have been trying to creep away under cover of darkness!! :laugh:
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I wondered that when I took the ferry from Wales to Ireland. They had a lane in Dublin for Irish and UK citizens to walk straight through while I had to take the lane for other citizens and show my passport. As my great grandparents come from the North of England, I wondered how they would tell if I did not open my mouth. My accent would give me away.
However, when I took the ferry from Denmark to England, everyone just waved their passports. Leaving Denmark (Esbjerg), the guy noticed mine, smiled and said "Ah Australian, Princess Mary." Now that I have a NZ passport, I always say I will only use my Australian passport for Australia (that is the law) and Denmark.
:laugh:
They might give you VIP treatment because they think you're one of her closest friends!
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My, life is complicated these days! I'm so glad you can visit your Mum, Sonja. Let us know how it goes.
Thanks Lee. I sure will.
It will take some time still, there's only a limited number of time slots in the tent in the garden.
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About the tracing, it's done through your cell phone. Smart phones work by contacting the nearest tower or satellite and so movements of the population can easily be tracked. Even if you turn off your location in Settings, it can still be determined how far and how much people are moving about. I'm not sure about flip phones, but they can be roughly tracked also. Since 99% of the population carries a mobile phone, this is an accurate determinator of movement.
I've heard that, about tracking by tracking your cell phone. (In fact, we see this all the time as a plot point in scripted TV "procedurals.") This is not reassuring. Once we begin doing this with cell phones, the government will see this as a opportunity to use it for far more purposes than just tracing people who have been exposed to a disease.
As far as "returning to normal", what is normal? After cataclysms like this in the past, some whole industries collapsed, while others surged. My fear is that if we try to return to the normal of the past, we'll just fall into a Depression, because the past ways of doing things don't work anymore. This was evident way before the pandemic but now we have the perfect opportunity to sweep the old ways away. In some cases, technology will help us build whole new industries and networks. In other cases, we'll be wise to return to heirloom approaches.
Sure enough, we do have "the perfect opportunity to sweep the old ways away," but don't forget, when we do this, people get swept away along with them.
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Brian, what is the government tracing app? Is that something that shows the government where everyone has been so they can keep track of their movements?
The Australian and the NZ seem to be different. From what I read the Australian uses blue tooth and records any other phones you have been close to for more than a certain period of time. The NZ one I hold up to the QR code which is appearing at front doors of shops and cafes everywhere and my phone keeps a record of where I have been. It is suppose to disappear from your phone after 30 days.
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That's the sort of thing that worries me. A lot. About Big Brother being able to trace all of us, using the excuse that they need to trace contacts.
This does not worry me in the least. I am amazed at the detail about their lives people put on social media. I should be in Greece now. In Greece everyone, not just tourists, must carry ID and show it to any police person who requests it. They can be arrested if not. It would not worry me as I never go much beyond my front gate without my wallet and drivers licence.
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With their GPS systems, smart phones show where you are within about 10 feet. If you're coming up to an intersection, it says "turn left" at pretty much the moment you arrive at the intersection. If you ask your phone something like, where's the nearest Target store? It doesn't show you a random assortment of Targets in your city. It shows you the one that's 1.2 miles from your current location, then one that's 3.6 miles and so on.
So since they have that underlying ability, there's no reason to think it couldn't be used or accessed by others.
As far as "returning to normal", what is normal?
Exactly. I think most people would start with something like, "being able to see my friends and family in person from fewer than 6 feet away and hug loved ones." And of course, people who are out of work or whose businesses are failing will want those industries to go back to normal. And most people would like to go to restaurants and theaters and sports events.
With a vaccine or medical cure, that kind of normal could come back fairly quickly, although by then many individual businesses, if not whole industries, will have been destroyed.
After cataclysms like this in the past, some whole industries collapsed, while others surged.
That's already underway. Restaurants, travel and hospitality: collapsing. Zoom and apps like that, delivery systems like Amazon: surging.
(New theory: the pandemic is a hoax by the Washington Post to boost Jeff Bezos' business. :laugh: I have met people in recent weeks who would believe that the minute they heard it.)
My fear is that if we try to return to the normal of the past, we'll just fall into a Depression, because the past ways of doing things don't work anymore. This was evident way before the pandemic but now we have the perfect opportunity to sweep the old ways away. In some cases, technology will help us build whole new industries and networks. In other cases, we'll be wise to return to heirloom approaches.
Sure enough. Now all we have to do is figure out what old ways should be swept away, what whole new industries we should build, and what heirloom approaches are worth preserving.
Considering we've only been dealing with this for a few months yet are having to make decisions on the fly while trying to minimize human deaths and economic collapse, that will be the tough part.
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(New theory: the pandemic is a hoax by the Washington Post to boost Jeff Bezos' business. :laugh: I have met people in recent weeks who would believe that the minute they heard it.)
I thought it was a Democratic plot to defeat the Great Orange Satan? ??? ;D
Seriously, here's something I've been wondering about the past day or two:
I'm hearing that, around here, anyway, restaurants, when they open at all, will be required to use disposable menus. So, I'm thinking, that's a lot of paper, even at 50% capacity. Why can't they just use laminated menus that can be wiped down or otherwise disinfected between use? ???
I haven't heard anything yet about paper plates and plastic utensils.
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We are allowed to meet in groups up to 100 from midday today but must keep records.
My walking group will meet again next Tuesday. We have 67 on the roll but many have not walked for a long while. I tend to cull the roll in July every year. The maximum has been 36, usually in the mid 20's.
We usually meet at the same spot and car share but I have told people to organise their sharing with friends or drive themselves to the start point. It is only 15 km this time.
I always just mark the roll during morning tea and most would not notice I am doing it. I have announced that there will be a formal roll call before we start walking so I have a proper list. It is the start of winter so we will finish by lunch and I have suggested many may want to go to a local tavern but to email me and I will let them know approx how many are coming, many will go straight home. The Tavern will have to take names or use the QR code for those of us who have the app. I went to a cafe in the nursery/hardware store yesterday and used the app, saved writing my details in the book. I was served with proper cup, saucer and plate, no menus, they are on the wall. I often go to 'Muffin Break' in the city mall food court and last week they gave me my muffin in a paper bag and my coffee in a paper cup which I do not like.
We have now had 6 days without any new cases and there are no active cases in the South Island but i we have to remain vigilant. There is a lot of unemployment.
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It’s funny, QR codes were big here for a short period maybe 5 years ago but I don’t know how much they’re used now.
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They seem to be common on concert tickets, scanned at door entry. Also on tickets I have bought when touring in Europe. I thought they were an advance on the barcodes that I used as a librarian. I did not know the correct term for them until now.
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It’s funny, QR codes were big here for a short period maybe 5 years ago but I don’t know how much they’re used now.
When I go to the ballet, the ushers and "ticket takers" have some sort of device (looks vaguely like a handgun) that they use to scan tickets, which have bar codes. They don't take or tear the tickets anymore. (Fine with me; I use the tickets as bookmarks. ;D )
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Uh-oh. Looks worse and worse for our family vacation.
While most European countries start to loosen up travel restrictions (taking effect mid-June) the good ole Brits just have to do it vice versa! ::)
So far, Brits allowed foreign people into their country, pandemic be damned, but scanned their temperature and reserved the right to refuse entry when someone seemed to be sick in any way.
Now, when everybody else opens back up, they demand every person coming into UK to strictly quarantine for two weeks. Coming into effect next Monday, June 8th.
At the end of June we have to make a definite decision whether we can travel or not. I doubt the quarantine measures will be lifted until then. That will be the end of our family vacation, sigh. :(
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At the end of June we have to make a definite decision whether we can travel or not. I doubt the quarantine measures will be lifted until then. That will be the end of our family vacation, sigh. :(
I'm sorry to hear that, Chrissi. Fingers crossed for you.
I've always envied Europeans for being able to go from country to country as easily as Americans go from state to state. But I guess in this case, it's a disadvantage.
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I am sorry, Chrissi but I would not want to go to the UK this year anyway. Can't you go to one of the many lovely places in Germany?
I should be in the Greek Islands at the moment. I had already paid Au$12,000 (US$8.500). I have received about $3000 refund so far and am waiting on another $4000 (they say August). The rest is in credit vouchers, hopefully I will lose less than $500.
However I am not sure if I will be able to travel to Europe next year or ever again. I have fingers crossed for Australia in late September or October ( I have vouchers for the flights). We have had no new cases for 14 days and there is only 1 actual case left in the country. Australia is not so good but improving and there is hope that travel between us will be allowed, some say July but more likely September.
I transferred AU$4000 from Australia to New Zealand last week and have booked accommodation for 5 nights in the Mountains next week. Prices are low as there are no international travellers, usually you have to book months in advance. I will drive about 900km. I am also looking at a new TV.
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OH Chrissi, I'm sorry to hear about the family vacation.
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I really hope my European vacation isn't cancelled, starting in mid-August. Anything to get out of the ununited states.
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I really hope my European vacation isn't cancelled, starting in mid-August. Anything to get out of the ununited states.
Good luck!
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There are a number of reports showing that Covid-19 cases are on the rise in the US due to the recent crowds out to celebrate Memorial Day two weeks ago.
Now, with these protests, I'm sure we'll see another increase.
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Pennsylvania has gone Yellow (at least for now, anyway). I can now eat at a restaurant, but I still can't get a haircut.
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Restaurants are opening here -- widely spaced tables -- and the university plans to hold in-person classes this fall. Today's headline is that the virus seems to have stabilized.
We'll see. The BLM protests, as I've probably said here before, have created the same crowded streets you'd see at Mardi Gras, which turned NOLA into a hotspot. Some people were wearing masks, so maybe that helped a little.
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I don't know what's going on here today. Businesses that were open during this past week are locked up with "Temporarily Closed" signs on their doors.
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I can now eat at a restaurant, but I still can't get a haircut.
Apparently you can get haircuts here now. I saw a picture somewhere of the governor sitting in a barber's chair getting a cut.
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https://www.reuters.com/video/watch/new-zealanders-proud-to-have-their-lives-idRCV008BL1
"New Zealanders hugged and kissed, shopped, and planned parties on Tuesday as the country took off all coronavirus restrictions for the first time in more than three months."
Eighteen of us walked and I did not need to take the roll. A few of us went for lunch in a very crowded cafe Then I went to the supermarket which was like it was back in March. I used the sanitiser at the door but there was no-one there to insist on it or count numbers in and out. Wonderful to be back to normal.
It is 18 days since the last new case and there is no-one in the country with an active case. Our only restriction is the borders which are very strict, only NZ citizens and permanent residents are allowed in and everyone is tested and goes into 14 day quarantine.
Today I set off on my 5 night 900 km drive with hiking if the weather allows but it is winter.
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Fantastic, Brian! NZ really did a good job of using strict rules to keep it under control. I hope it stays that way, and I hope harder-hit countries eventually get to where you are now.
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https://www.reuters.com/video/watch/new-zealanders-proud-to-have-their-lives-idRCV008BL1
"New Zealanders hugged and kissed, shopped, and planned parties on Tuesday as the country took off all coronavirus restrictions for the first time in more than three months."
Eighteen of us walked and I did not need to take the roll. A few of us went for lunch in a very crowded cafe Then I went to the supermarket which was like it was back in March. I used the sanitiser at the door but there was no-one there to insist on it or count numbers in and out. Wonderful to be back to normal.
It is 18 days since the last new case and there is no-one in the country with an active case. Our only restriction is the borders which are very strict, only NZ citizens and permanent residents are allowed in and everyone is tested and goes into 14 day quarantine.
Today I set off on my 5 night 900 km drive with hiking if the weather allows but it is winter.
Great job NZ! Enjoy your trip and good luck with the weather :)
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I'm sure I'm not the first to say this -- perhaps even on this thread -- but when I'm watching a show or movie on TV and characters get right up close to each other or even hug, for half a second I think, wait, they shouldn't do that! :laugh:
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It is strange here now that we no longer have any restrictions except we are asked to keep a record of where we go and to wash our hands. At the Supermarket on Tuesday, I asked the checkout lady if I could start loading my items on the belt. I am used to waiting for her to spray and wipe it and waiting for the customer in front to collect all purchases and move away. Then when I bought coffee yesterday morning , I used my phone app to record where I was. It is no longer compulsory. I said to the lady serving, I might not remember as I was not in Dunedin (my home town) but 115 km north. At lunch I stood back in the queue waiting to be served leaving a 2 metre gap. It has just become 2nd nature to keep away from people. I am still sanitising a lot.
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In the US there is quite a lot of complaining about face mask wearing. In fact, some people call those who wear masks "sheeple" and will yell out "baa, baa" when they see someone wearing one.
In states like Florida, new cases have been over 1,000 each day for the past two weeks. Some officials say it's because of more testing but my hunch is that there is, if not a spike, then a surge of new cases.
Do you think some of the reason people object to wearing a face mask is that the lack of it outs them as a Trump supporter? These days, many Trump supporters like to hide that fact.
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In the US there is quite a lot of complaining about face mask wearing. In fact, some people call those who wear masks "sheeple" and will yell out "baa, baa" when they see someone wearing one.
[...]
Do you think some of the reason people object to wearing a face mask is that the lack of it outs them as a Trump supporter? These days, many Trump supporters like to hide that fact.
Wow, I've been in crowds of very pro-Trump anti-shutdown COVID-denying mask-eschewing crazies activists but I've never heard anyone be rude enough to yell out "baa baa"! In fact, even in those crowds you'd see a scattering of masks but those wearing them did not seem to be taking any heat for it.
In my part of a very blue city, there are very few Trump supporters, closeted or otherwise. But on Nextdoor. com, people bicker back and forth about mask-wearing for dozens if not hundreds of comments. Ranging from those who feel masks are a completely ineffective waste to those who probably wear theirs in the shower.
So I think there are multiple reasons people would decline masks. In my neighborhood, I rarely see anyone in stores without masks, and when I do I am disapproving, if only because it's rude to make others uncomfortable that way. On the streets I see people both ways. But it's never difficult to get six feet or more away from others. So I don't wear a mask myself when walking my dog.
So long story short, if I see an unmasked person in a store, I don't immediately think, "Trump supporter." More like "thoughtless jerk."
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In my neighborhood, I rarely see anyone in stores without masks, and when I do I am disapproving, if only because it's rude to make others uncomfortable that way.
Yes. That alone should be reason enough to wear a mask in stores, etc. Be considerate, no matter whether you 'believe' in masks or not. Could be so simple.
On the streets I see people both ways. But it's never difficult to get six feet or more away from others. So I don't wear a mask myself when walking my dog.
There's no advice about masks on the streets, so (almost?) nobody wears them on the street. I also don't wear one when walking my dog. I live rural and am out in the fields in two minutes.
In stores however, they're mandatory and it's against the law not to wear them.
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There's no advice about masks on the streets, so (almost?) nobody wears them on the street. I also don't wear one when walking my dog. I live rural and am out in the fields in two minutes.
My neighborhood is residential, with yards, sidewalks, boulevards, wide streets, bike lanes, etc., so it's completely easy to socially distance; people frequently start walking in the middle of the street. Within five minutes from here are a creek, two lakes, and parks in every compass direction. Besides, I rarely pass more than 6-10 people on my walks. Still, I do see a few people wearing masks when they're not remotely close to anybody. They're usually older and may have other health conditions.
As you get closer to downtown, the streets are more congested. They're denser and busier, if you're walking you're passing people constantly, there's no yard to step up in, and veering into the street isn't an option. In those sorts of neighborhoods I see many more people masking at every age. Many people, especially young adults and old adults, like that denser development, as do I myself. I wonder if that will change.
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Well, there are stories circulating now about 8 Trump staffers that were at the Tulsa event testing positive for Covid-19.
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After almost three weeks without any new Corona case in my county plus the two neighboring counties, we're back to one new case. This sh*t ain't over yet. :(
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All our new cases are from New Zealanders returning home. They all have to spend 14 days in a guarded hotel. More and more are returning because they think back home is safest even if they have made a life overseas. However I think my vague plans to visit Australia (I have the credit with the airlines) in late September are less and less likely.
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After almost three weeks without any new Corona case in my county plus the two neighboring counties, we're back to one new case. This sh*t ain't over yet. :(
Only one new case? Wow. I didn't realize the spread was that slowed down anywhere (except New Zealand :)).
Looks like Ennis made the right decision to stay in Wyoming. Only 20 deaths there -- the lowest state in the U.S., though followed closely by Montana with 21.
No other state comes close; only about three others are less than 100.
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Hiya!
Lee, I'm moving this quote from my blog to here, as I thought you may see it here first.
Today I met with my traveling buddies who I'm going to Europe with (hopefully) in mid-August. We've kind of put off looking at the lodging photos and the itinerary because we didn't want to get our hopes up too much. But if all goes well, we'll be visiting nine countries! England, France, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy and Spain. Oh, and San Marino!
I saw this on the site for the New York Times. I had to do a quick grab, as I'm not a subscriber there.
E.U. May Bar American Travelers as It Reopens Borders, Citing Failures on Virus
European Union officials are racing to agree on who can visit the bloc as of July 1 based on how countries of origin are faring with new coronavirus cases. Americans, so far, are excluded, according to draft lists seen by The New York Times.
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Hiya!
Lee, I'm moving this quote from my blog to here, as I thought you may see it here first.
I saw this on the site for the New York Times. I had to do a quick grab, as I'm not a subscriber there.
E.U. May Bar American Travelers as It Reopens Borders, Citing Failures on Virus
European Union officials are racing to agree on who can visit the bloc as of July 1 based on how countries of origin are faring with new coronavirus cases. Americans, so far, are excluded, according to draft lists seen by The New York Times.
Yes, I've read that, too. It irritated the heck out of me because it's only half correct.
So far: - all borders have been closed since mid or end March, even within the EU (exceptions for trade in goods and business commuters living near borders).
- Then single countries started to re-open some borders to selected neighboring countries.
- Now (recently) all borders within the EU plus 4 associated countries (Norway, Switzerland, etc) are open again, even for touristic purposes.
For the rest of the world, the EU borders stay closed so far (more or less, there's exceptions). Hence it's nothing new that the EU plans to bar US travelers from coming over. They have been barred for months already.
The difference is that now they're contemplating to re-open to some non-EU countries, and if so, under which circumstances and to whom they should open.
Since the US is doing really bad regarding Corona, they're surely not among the countries who can hope to visit the EU soon.
And just for the sake of completeness: the US has barred all travelers from the EU since back in March, too. And doesn't have any plans to change that anytime soon.
Bonus fact: your beloved orange one (satire!) has barred all EU inhabitants, but explicitly not the British, as a kind of reward to them since they left the EU. A big show was made of that. But it didn't last long. British people have then been barred from entering the US, too. Only the orange one didn't tout it as loudly.
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In terms of what this means for Lee's and Adam's trip: I don't know. Things are changing fast and are changing all the time.
But I do have a gut feeling: I think that this summer and early fall it won't be possible to travel between our continents. Monika and I also had travel plans for Canada in August. I don't think it will come to pass.
But you never know, like I already said: maybe things change for the better faster than I think. I wish you good luck for your travel plans!
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In terms of what this means for Lee's and Adam's trip: I don't know. Things are changing fast and are changing all the time.
But I do have a gut feeling: I think that this summer and early fall it won't be possible to travel between our continents. Monika and I also had travel plans for Canada in August. I don't think it will come to pass.
But you never know, like I already said: maybe things change for the better faster than I think. I wish you good luck for your travel plans!
Even if it becomes possible, is it wise to do it?
Is your health--indeed, your life--worth a visit to Lichtenstein? I'm not saying that in an attempt to be funny. Right now I'm very reluctant to travel anywhere in the U.S., even here in the Northeast, other than to visit my father.
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Bonus fact: your beloved orange one (satire!) has barred all EU inhabitants, but explicitly not the British, as a kind of reward to them since they left the EU. A big show was made of that. But it didn't last long. British people have then been barred from entering the US, too. Only the orange one didn't tout it as loudly.
When I read your first sentence I thought it was going to say that Trump approved that because the British people are about as white Anglo-Saxon Protestant as you can get and they speak English. So, unlike people from "shithole countries," they're OK. But I guess the other explanation is more timely.
I don't think it will come to pass.
:)
Even if it becomes possible, is it wise to do it?
Is your health--indeed, your life--worth a visit to Lichtenstein? I'm not saying that in an attempt to be funny. Right now I'm very reluctant to travel anywhere in the U.S., even here in the Northeast, other than to visit my father.
My thought was that if Americans were to enter another country, we'd probably be more dangerous to them than they to us.
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My thought was that if Americans were to enter another country, we'd probably be more dangerous to them than they to us.
That's probably true.
It would just be like The Great Orange Satan not to realize how much immigration Britain has had from the Commonwealth countries.
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Bonus fact: your beloved orange one (satire!)
A much nicer than than I would've given him! LOL
Thanks for the clarification, Chrissi! I tried to find other sources for the story, but at that time I couldn't, and since I don't have a NYT subscription, I couldn't read the full story.
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A much nicer than than I would've given him! LOL
That’s for sure!! No need to be polite, Chrissi!
Thanks for the clarification, Chrissi! I tried to find other sources for the story, but at that time I couldn't, and since I don't have a NYT subscription, I couldn't read the full story.
I have one. Post the link and I’ll cut and paste.
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Newest developments re border openings:
In accordance with the EU regulations, citizens of the following countries can now visit Germany again:
Australia, Georgia (country, not US state), Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay, China.
For China, South Korea and Japan there's a condition however: the opening of EU borders to those three countries must be mutual. If they stay closed, they can't come here either.
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It has been a long time coming, now the decision is made: we can't go on vacation in Scotland this year. GB still has a two week quarantine for incoming people.
Stupidly, I can't reach the agency where we booked our holiday cottages.
I can cancel the booking online, that's not the problem. But then I will lose all payments I already made. That's 1/3 of the whole costs, plus 100€ booking fee.
I'd rather postpone the holiday for a whole year and book the same cottages for next year's summer. I already know the dates we could travel in 2021.
In that case, I wouldn't lose the money; it would just stay with the company and count as deposit for next year. Fine with me.
But I can not reach them I tried email and phone several times. They're totally overrun with enquiries, their website says as much. :-\
I can cancel the booking online, but I can't change the dates online, I need a staff member for that. >:(
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When I had to cancel my vacation last fall, the folks who run the guest house where I stay more or less offered to hold my deposit for another visit. I thanked them, but I had and have no idea when I might return, so I felt I had to decline.
It never occurred to me to ask them to hold it for a year. Covid-19 had nothing to do with it then. The issue was that I came to feel that as long as my father is still living, I can't plan any vacation. As rough as that is for me emotionally, it would be worse if I had to cancel at the last minute again.
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It never occurred to me to ask them to hold it for a year.
Me neither. That's a new development, coming with Corona, that businesses in the travel sector try to delay existing bookings into next year. So I'd be happy to do that, if only I could reach them... :(
The issue was that I came to feel that as long as my father is still living, I can't plan any vacation. As rough as that is for me emotionally, it would be worse if I had to cancel at the last minute again.
That IS rough. Sorry, bud.
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Right now, I'm currently watching to see if more states start to spike like Florida, Texas and others are.
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Newest developments re border openings:
In accordance with the EU regulations, citizens of the following countries can now visit Germany again:
Australia, Georgia (country, not US state), Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay, China.
For China, South Korea and Japan there's a condition however: the opening of EU borders to those three countries must be mutual. If they stay closed, they can't come here either.
I find this rather amusing as Australians are not allowed to travel and Kiwis are advised not to do so and anyone returning will have to go into 14 days government administered quarantine at our own expense. There has been a spike in cases in Melbourne over the last week and as a result any talk of a cross Tasman bubble has disappeared and I doubt I will be able to visit Sydney this year.
My brother-in-law's nephew has finally been given permission to return home to his wife in Prague and is flying today via Doha but he is very nervous. However he has not seen her since early March.
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We just had a bulletin on the news about a cluster of Covid-19 cases in NY.
Apparently someone had a house party on June 17th in the West Nyack area. The host had Covid-19 and was symptomatic, and had the party anyway, and now 8 guests have tested positive for the virus, and there is another test pending.
The eight partygoers were not cooperating with tracers seeking to reach out to anyone they had come in contact with, and face $2,000-a-day fines and subpoenas compelling them to cooperate. all those that have been tested are in their early 20s.
(https://media0.giphy.com/media/6yRVg0HWzgS88/200w.gif)
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It's enough to make even Simon Cowell cringe in frustration!
Kidding, but that sounds awful. The host had symptoms and held a party anyway? What is wrong with people?
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I realized yesterday that if I believed in a God who micromanaged human affairs to punish people or teach them lessons, I would suspect this is related to that time Donald Trump called other places "shithole countries."
Now we're the shithole country.
Not that we weren't going in that direction even at the time, what with higher infant mortality rate and other undesirable statistics relative to other developed countries.
But now it's so, so much worse.
I read about kids in Alabama who hold "COVID parties" where they TRY to get it. I can see why people elsewhere think Americans are idiots. Many of us are! (Present company excepted, of course. :))
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Alabama college students are throwing 'COVID parties' where they invite infected people and gamble on who gets sick first, officials say
(Ashley Collman) 1 day ago
College students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, have been throwing parties where they invite people infected with the coronavirus and gamble on who comes down with the illness first, city officials said.
Tuscaloosa City Councilor Sonya McKinstry told ABC News about the practice on Wednesday. Tuscaloosa Fire Chief Randy Smith first reported the parties at a pre-council meeting on Tuesday, according to WBMA.
Smith said the fire service had received reports of students throwing parties and inviting "known positives," but thought it was "a rumor at first."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/alabama-college-students-are-throwing-covid-parties-where-they-invite-infected-people-and-gamble-on-who-gets-sick-first-officials-say/ar-BB16fpPo
(https://media0.giphy.com/media/6yRVg0HWzgS88/200w.gif)
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(https://media0.giphy.com/media/6yRVg0HWzgS88/200w.gif)
You'd better keep that gif handy at least through November. :-\
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Unfortunately, I think you're right.
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This makes me so proud and thankful to live in my adopted country.
https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1280426694680158215
It was hell for 7 weeks but now everything is normal except for our borders. They are now restricting NZ'ers from coming home as so many want to get back but the quarantine hotels cannot cope with the numbers.
I wish Australia had gone as hard. Numbers are rising again in the southern state of Victoria and state borders have been closed. They have just gone back to level 3. NZ went to Level 4, Australia never went that hard. NZ was 5 weeks at level 4 then 2 weeks at level 3 before another 2 weeks at level 2, now we are at level 1. At level 4 nothing as allowed open except medical centres, pharmacies and supermarkets, no other type of food shops and no restaurants and no takeaways.
I am just sad that it is unlikely I will go back and visit my sister and friends in Australia this year and just hope that the border restrictions between states keep Sydney safe for them.
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that's great, Brian.
Leaders over there did what they needed to do, and kept their citizens safe.
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Just look what's happening in the US...disgraceful how we've dropped the ball.
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Seriously, I was thinking last night that the United States has indeed become a shithole country.
The supposed most advanced country in the world has fallen into chaos because we have an insane clueless wannabe-dictator leader and a lot of extremely not-bright voters. And while I would hope that much of the rest of the world knows not all Americans are on board with Trump, it might not be that simple. When another country is taken over by an insane dictator in a coup, I assume many citizens aren't on board. But Trump was put into office by the very political system people thought was the best anywhere.
Obviously we'd have been better off today under Hillary Clinton or just about anybody. I used to toy with the notion that having, say, Ted Cruz or Paul Ryan in office would be as bad or worse than Trump, because they'd hold the same draconian policies but make it all look more respectable and presidential. But I don't think they would have gotten us into this. And at this point, I'm not even sure their policies would be as draconian. Certainly not as racist and idiotic.
I sometimes wonder what Derek Chauvin, the cop who killed George Floyd, thinks as he sits in his jail cell, about what his murder has wrought. It literally changed the nature of the country and the world. Trump has done the same on an even broader scale.
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You may recall my friend M. who used to be a suitor, then found a more suitable girlfriend, broke up with her and asked to come back to me, and I said yes, but just as friends. He has just turned 80 and is celebrating two years of being free from throat cancer. He's also asthmatic, so his doctors have forbid him to be out in society during these plague times.
That was a hard sentence for him because he is very outgoing and social. So last week, a museum that he is a member of called him and said they would open up the museum for him only. He was free to walk around among the exhibits all by himself for as long as he liked. It was the highlight of his week!
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Oh, that was really sweet of them to do that for him! I'm sure he was so happy.
Yeah, we are really messing this up ourselves here in the US. I was just reading online about a 30 year-old man who died in a Texas hospital. His last words were 'I think I made a mistake, I thought this was a hoax, but it's not,'
He had gone to a "Covid Party", where the host was diagnosed, and the point of the party is to see who will get infected at the party.
::)
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So he won? ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
I believe it's called natural selection.....
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Oh, that was really sweet of them to do that for him! I'm sure he was so happy.
Yeah, we are really messing this up ourselves here in the US. I was just reading online about a 30 year-old man who died in a Texas hospital. His last words were 'I think I made a mistake, I thought this was a hoax, but it's not,'
He had gone to a "Covid Party", where the host was diagnosed, and the point of the party is to see who will get infected at the party.
::)
Yet another nominee for this year's Darwin Award. ::)
If only this weren't way too sad. Even a fully blown half-twit does have a family, a mom, a brother, maybe a wife and even children who will miss him dearly.
And to think about the people he might have infected unknowingly before he fell ill. About the nurses who put their own health at risk to care for the half-twit, and so on. So many ripples… :(
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Yet another nominee for this year's Darwin Award. ::)
It's going to be a crowded field this year. ::)
As I've mentioned, some of my reporting has required me to go into crowds of anti-mask, anti-shutdown protesters who don't wear mask or social distance on principle, who scream in each others' faces and carry around big guns (which in normal times would be bad enough in itself). The last one was over a month ago, so I'm in the clear.
But I often wonder since then how many of those people are still as free of COVID as they were convinced they'd always be.
I was talking to someone about the anti-masking portion of the population. That portion of the population will probably be shrinking, I said.
If only this weren't way too sad. Even a fully blown half-twit does have a family, a mom, a brother, maybe a wife and even children who will miss him dearly.
And to think about the people he might have infected unknowingly before he fell ill. About the nurses who put their own health at risk to care for the half-twit, and so on. So many ripples… :(
You are much more compassionate than me, Chrissi, because I didn't even think about those parts. I have more of the mean "that's what you get for being an idiot" kind of reaction. But of course you're right.
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Yet another nominee for this year's Darwin Award. ::)
It's going to be a crowded field this year. ::)
As I've mentioned, some of my reporting has required me to go into crowds of anti-mask, anti-shutdown protesters who don't wear mask or social distance on principle, who scream in each others' faces and carry around big guns (which in normal times would be bad enough in itself). The last one was over a month ago, so I'm in the clear.
But I often wonder since then how many of those people are still as free of COVID as they were convinced they'd always be.
I was talking to someone about the anti-masking portion of the population. That portion of the population will probably be shrinking, I said.
If only this weren't way too sad. Even a fully blown half-twit does have a family, a mom, a brother, maybe a wife and even children who will miss him dearly.
And to think about the people he might have infected unknowingly before he fell ill. About the nurses who put their own health at risk to care for the half-twit, and so on. So many ripples… :(
You are much more compassionate than me, Chrissi, because I didn't even think about those parts. I have more of the mean "that's what you get for being an idiot" kind of reaction. But of course you're right.
I just looked up the story and it is pretty sad. But why do people insist on being so obstinately stupid?
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Hi friends,
I was starting to think my trip to Europe was not going to happen due to Americans being shunned in the rest of the world for our disgraceful behavior defying health guidelines during the pandemic. Side note, I'm sure my Eurobrokie friends realize that the media are not writing stories about the majority of us who are self-isolating, wearing our masks, and social distancing.
So my direct flight from Denver to London was abruptly cancelled. However, we found another way to go. It turns out that the remaining flights to Europe are now very affordable and easy to book! We are now flying from New York into Dublin, and from there to Edinburgh for a few days. We will then drive down to London to begin the official part of our trip. This will mean that we will have been in Europe for 14 days before we go into Italy, which has that requirement. Things are looking brighter!
After we land in Scotland, we'll head west to Loch Linnae and pass through the Trossachs. I love that area. It's where I visited the Tim the Enchanter's lair (and that of the killer bunny) back in 2010. Here's a photo of Ben Lomand that I put on my Christmas card last year. Isn't it beautiful?
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The shortages are strange. There's a shortage of coins? Why? Maybe mint employees are ill or have been laid off. I was in a big box hardware store the other day and the area where they display kitchen appliances was very bare. Maybe manufacturing lines have been shut down. Or maybe a lot of stuff is produced in China and their factories were shut down for a while.
Stranger still are the shortages at REI, an outdoors products cooperative. Photo below.
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I have bad news for you I'm afraid. :-\
I hate to break it to you, but coming from the US, you need either
- a 14 day quarantine in Scotland
- have spend 14 days in Ireland or another Common Travel Area (Ireland, channel Islands, Isle of Man.) before entering Scotland.
The rule is still the 14 day quarantine, but there are 57 countries on an exemption list. Visitors coming from there do not need to self-isolate for 14 days. The US however is not on the exemption list. I feel sorry for you, but in all honesty, I think it does make sense.
Covid-19 Travel Corridors (Rules for Scotland) (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-corridors?utm_source=91917810-4dd7-4ba6-b40a-62f29c1d3f5d&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate#travel-corridors-countries-and-territories-exemption-list)
What makes it worse, Ireland also does have a 14 days quarantine, even more strict than Scotland. They do not have an exemption list as of now. They do not encourage touristic travel to Ireland.
This is from the US Embassy in Ireland:
"Entry and Exit Requirements:
Irish Health authorities ask anyone entering Ireland from abroad, except Northern Ireland, to self-isolate on arrival for 14 days.
Here's the link: https://ie.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/ (https://ie.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/)
When do you plan to travel? Is it still end of August/September, or maybe later in the year? The situation might look better by the time. :-\
Right now, all non-EU citizens coming to the EU need to quarantine for 14 days. There's an exemption list (Canada, Australia, a few others), but again, the US is not on it.
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Stranger still are the shortages at REI, an outdoors products cooperative. Photo below.
Outdoor products may be in high demand, as all the preppers are probably going crazy and formerly regular people might join them in this pandemic. :-X
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formerly regular people might join them in this pandemic. :-X
:laugh:
I think a lot of us formerly regular people are going in that direction. (Not prepping, I mean crazy.)
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Thanks for that info, Chrissi. I was originally coming to Europe in late August, but have had to push up the departure date to mid-August so that we can fulfill the 14-day quarantine requirements. And what better place to self-quarantine than Scotland!
We will be flying in to Dublin but will not even be leaving the airport; we will be going directly to our flight to Edinburgh. Too bad, I've never been to Ireland. But this is not the time to see it.
Now that Americans are unwelcome, I'm getting a real taste of what it's like to be a refugee or other marginalized person. At least I will be traveling with Adam who has dual citizenship as a Finn, and thus an EU passport, and his friend Yankiel, who is Hispanic.
Oh, by the way, the Oktoberfest in Lucerne was cancelled. But we'll go there anyway to ride the cog railway up to Mt. Pilatus and the boat across Lake Lucerne. That's the third event on our itinerary that was cancelled, in addition to Sunday in the Park with George in London and an outdoor festival in Barcelona.
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Outdoor products may be in high demand, as all the preppers are probably going crazy and formerly regular people might join them in this pandemic. :-X
:laugh: :laugh:
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I am sorry but I think you are being very selfish and stupid, putting yourself and the people of Europe into danger. I would not get on a plane unless I had to.
We have had no community transferred cases of Covid for 76 days but almost every day one or 2 cases are announced with incoming NZ citizens who are in quarantine. No-one else is allowed into the country and in NZ we are asked not to leave while in Australia it is not allowed except for compassionate reasons. Australia was less strict on its quarantine and now 2 states have a resurgence and are going back into lockdown. I had hoped to visit my relatives and friends in late September but now doubt that I will see them until May next year at the earliest. I received $4000 refund from May Albania/Kosovo trip last Thursday but still have $5000 in airline vouchers for Europe but they can be used in 2022 or I can apply for a refund.
Last night we had our first full symphony concert here in Dunedin and we clapped and cheered when the Conductor announced how pleased they were to be playing on stage to a live audience. However he also said how sad it was that friends who are opera singers in London believe their career is now at an end and as for the USA it is a musical disaster. He referred to the leadership or rather lack of it in the USA. The figures in Florida now are horrifylng. Unless a vaccine is foundn we will probably not let tourists in from the USA until 2022
Sadly I would not be surprised if I never travel beyond Australia again yet I love and have lived each year for my annual holidays mainly in Europe. I saw a movie last week set in Vienna (Klimt and Schiele) and felt very sad that I may not visit Vienna ever again, it is probably my favourite city (sometimes it is Paris). I visited Paris in 2018 but was last in Vienna in 2016.
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Each day that the news is so bad and getting worse, my expectations are gong down that I'll be able to make this trip. I now think it's less than 50%. It's odd that my friend, with his EU passport, can go anywhere in Europe even though he lives only 5 miles away from me. I'm thinking of telling him that if I can't go, I'll just forfeit all the lodging already bought to him so that he doesn't have a financial hardship going alone.
The figures in Florida now are horrifylng. Unless a vaccine is found we will probably not let tourists in from the USA until 2022
Yes, there are hot spots in Florida, Texas, California, and Arizona. All states with air conditioning and people staying inside a lot. Colorado, where I live, doesn't have very many cases anymore but even so, our governor has mandated mask wearing statewide. But is there any mention of Colorado in the European media? No. From what my European friends tell me, you might think I live in Disney World.
I saw a movie last week set in Vienna (Klimt and Schiele) and felt very sad that I may not visit Vienna ever again, it is probably my favourite city (sometimes it is Paris).
I visited the Neue Gallery in New York dedicated to Klimt and the Austrian school! It was my first introduction to Schiele and another painter whose name I forget but he painted the most wonderful horses. Have you seen the movie Woman in Gold?
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As I have related elsewhere, it has been 76 days since a community transmitted case here in NZ. I attended the first full symphony concert here in Dunedin and the theatre was packed, no concerns. However we do get 1 or 2 cases most days from people (citizens or permanent residents) who have returned from overseas and are in quarantine. Most of us do not want tourists although the industry is suffering. As we are not travelling overseas we are travelling at home instead especially during the current winter school holiday break. The ski fields are very busy. But the tours of sheep farms are not popular ;D Asian tourist especially find these fascinating.
Quarantining is no picnic. there was a report in our newspaper yesterday
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/surprised-‘military-’-process-arrival
"When Annie Robinson arrived in Auckland after travelling to England to attend her mother’s funeral, she was surprised at the "quite military-like", but nevertheless reassuring, level of organisation that greeted her.
"It hadn’t even occurred to me how regimented it would be."
The 300 passengers on her Air New Zealand flight were given new masks every four hours during their 40-hour flight via Hong Kong.
Once they landed in Auckland, the passengers got off the plane and were asked to form a socially distanced queue, before being assessed by a team of health officials.
"They saw the vulnerable, families and elderly first, and when we got to the front [of the line] we answered a series of questions about our health and travels by four suited-up officials, then had our temperature taken.
"There was no way you could have got off a flight and not gone through that system. The whole area was barricaded."
Anyone showing symptoms of Covid-19 or thought to potentially have the virus was separated and taken to a separate quarantine hotel.
Once through Customs, the group were transported by bus, sitting at an appropriate distance from each other, to managed isolation at the Waipuna Hotel.
"There were very small numbers of us on the buses and we were taken to the hotel."
When they arrived, a few were let off at a time and led into the hotel to be processed.
"They took our details and processed us. We were given a welcome pack about managed isolation, which had everything you need to know, and a welfare pamphlet."
Tested on days 3 and 12 of her stay, she found the organisation of facilities and the process was "impeccable",
"It is strange and quite surreal to look out and see a 2m-high fence and know you can’t leave, but you’re well fed and well looked after.
"It’s quite military-like but it’s reassuring, and I think the fact that a small number have been stupid is disproportionate when you think about the thousands going through the system.
"I don’t think people need to be concerned."
Before the 55-year-old left the hotel, she had been told she would have a final health check and be given a form proving she had completed two weeks in isolation.
"It doesn’t end when you leave the facility. We have to come up with an exit plan and give the names and numbers of who will pick us up and [details of] our complete journey back to our homes."
Mrs Robinson had organised her own travel back to Dunedin today. She was looking forward to hugging her husband and two teenage sons upon her return."
She refers to the 4 people who have absconded. I know one is now in prison, the others on bail waiting court process.
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This is slightly OT but I have to tell it somewhere and I can't share it on more public social media because of my news reporter status. A stranger just tried to friend me on FB -- I had posted a question earlier, for a story, asking if anyone had experienced damage from last night's storms. (No, luckily.) Anyway, I often accept strangers as friends if we have multiple friends in common, but I didn't with this guy.
On his page, though, I saw pix of this cute little boy who appeared to be maybe 18-24 months old. I didn't actually plan on friending or even talking to the guy but I thought if I did I might comment on the cuteness of his son or grandson or whatever.
Then I noticed the adorable toddler was wearing a Trump T-shirt.
Ugh. :-X :P
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It's odd that my friend, with his EU passport, can go anywhere in Europe even though he lives only 5 miles away from me.
No, he can't. Scotland does not care what your passport is (in regard to Corona). Important is the fact where you spent the last 14 days before entering Scotland. If the answer to that is USA, you have to quarantine in your house/vacation home for 14 days. Even if you're a Scottish citizen, or from the EU.
If you have a possibility to order your groceries online and have them delivered, you have to use this service and are not allowed to leave the house buying groceries yourself. There are only two situations where leaving your house is allowed: for medical needs and groceries, if you can't have them delivered, that is. Additionally, there may be an exemption made for funerals.
Quarantining does not mean reducing contacts, does not mean keeping distance or wearing a mask. Quarantining means really staying in your (vacation) house as if it were a jail and having zero contact to the outside world for 14 days.
And they do control the quarantine.
For EU, there's guidelines which can be adapted and varied by every EU country. Border openings, border closures and travel restrictions are legal matters of the individual countries. So theoretically, each EU country could have different travel restrictions for people coming from the US. Most countries will go along with the EU guidelines, but they don't have to.
Thus, Adam should check every country he wants to travel to. Even if he shows his Finnish passport, he may be asked where he has spent the last 14 days. If the answer is USA, he will get problems. If the answer is "quarantining in Scotland" he has good chances to be allowed into the respective country.
However, if he wants to be on the safe side, has to check the conditions for every single country.
To get a little perspective: we have not been allowed into the US since March and there are no plans whatsoever to change it. Fine with me. I would not travel to the US as long as you are not able to get a grip on Covid-19. I do see it as an unnecessary risk to travel there.
Thus, I also see it an unnecessary risk if US residents travel to Europe right now and am in full agreement with the travel restrictions.
Seriously, I do hope for you that the situation will get better and you will be able to travel. Fingers crossed for that!
But as long as the US can't get a grip on Corona, its citizens should not travel to other countries. It doesn't matter if you're from Colorado or from Florida because there's no way of saying where you have spent the last 14 days before leaving the US. Have you been partying in Miami? Have you been hiding in your cabin in the woods? Have you been shopping in New York? And the woman in your grocery store in Denver, has she been partying in Miami three days before greeting you at Walmart? And so on...
It's a GDBOAUS we're all in. And you know me, you know how important travelling is for me. But we did cancel our family vacation in Scotland. Monika and I will not be able to go on our planned Canada trip, I'm not even booking a fall vacation for my family right now because I don't know what the situation in EU-country X will be in October.
Instead, Jens and I shortened our summer vacation to one week and we'll spend this week hiking in the Bavarian Forest, within Germany.
Trying to see the big picture, I know we (as in my family and I) are lucky that cancelled vacations are our biggest drawback from Corona. We did not lose our jobs, we did not fall ill. Knock on wood it'll stay that way.
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I visited the Neue Gallery in New York dedicated to Klimt and the Austrian school! It was my first introduction to Schiele and another painter whose name I forget but he painted the most wonderful horses. Have you seen the movie Woman in Gold?
Yes I saw 'Woman in Gold' and have also visited the Neue Galerie in New York but it was in 2010 before the movie. I most remember the coffee shop afterwards as I said 'I love Vienna' and the coffee shops are one of the things I love..
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Ugh is right! Being a T-supporter is bad enough but recruiting an innocent child into your cult? Shameful.
I had so many Zoom meetings yesterday. Sunday is becoming Zoom day. At the last one, I was wearing my gardening clothes and didn't have time to change, so I joined the meeting without turning my video one. The moderator begged me to turn it on because "it's so nice to see people's faces." I realized she was right. We as humans hunger to see each others' faces.
There was one other person on the call who wouldn't turn on her video. We were discussing partnering with another gardening group to have a plant sale in September. It would be an outdoor event with masks and only the salespeople would be allowed to handle the potted plants and they would be wearing gloves. People would pay for their plants online. Nobody would be required to go if they didn't want to. The lady who wouldn't turn on her video proposed a motion that we NOT participate in the sale because "it's just too dangerous." But there was no second to the motion. We thanked her for her input and told her she didn't have to participate in the sale. I think she could have been successful in persuading us if she had just turned on her video.
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There was one other person on the call who wouldn't turn on her video. We were discussing partnering with another gardening group to have a plant sale in September. It would be an outdoor event with masks and only the salespeople would be allowed to handle the potted plants and they would be wearing gloves. People would pay for their plants online. Nobody would be required to go if they didn't want to. The lady who wouldn't turn on her video proposed a motion that we NOT participate in the sale because "it's just too dangerous." But there was no second to the motion. We thanked her for her input and told her she didn't have to participate in the sale. I think she could have been successful in persuading us if she had just turned on her video.
I probably haven't been following the details closely enough to say this, but I don't think I've heard of a lot of virus outbreaks from sales interactions -- the kind where you go into a store, buy something, and leave. And those are inside and often involve roaming around touching things.
Normally I'm with the "better safe than sorry unless it's essential" camp, but this one sounds fairly safe. Especially if your group needs the money to operate and/or has to do something with the plants, it seems worth doing.
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Plants are considered essential, and growers of plants are one of the many endangered industries. There has been a big interest in gardening this year but it's hard getting buyers and growers connected. Our garden society doesn't get any profit from the sale that I know of, but we will be helping our growers to stay in business a little longer.
This pandemic is hanging around so long that I wonder if it's going to become a permanent thing. I've been doing fine mental health-wise but thinking that I might want to add a few new strategies to keep my equilibrium as the end of this scare keeps retreating into the more distant future. Start some new home projects, for example. Yesterday I started cleaning out my fridge and putting all the food into my fridge upstairs that is larger and newer. It's also easier to see what's in it because it has the freezer on the bottom instead of on the top.
This one small thing improved my mindset completely. I found ingredients I had been looking for and wanting to use in recipes. I found quite a few expired things I could throw out and some jars of pickles I could consolidate. Soon, I'll be able to turn off my empty fridge and do a deep cleaning. Crazy that this task could be so uplifting to my spirits, but whatever floats your boat, right?
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Cleaning always brings about a sense of accomplishment, even if it's only dusting.
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I chat with my sister every morning on Skype, have done so for 10 years since I moved to Aotearoa/NZ. However we never turn the video on, perhaps 2 or 3 times in the 10 years when I wanted to show her something. So we have not seen each other since she visited me last December.
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Plants were not considered essential when we were in lockdown. For 5 weeks the only places open were the supermarket, pharmacies and medical centres. For the next 2 weeks other businesses were only allowed to open if they had arrangements for ordering online or by phone and collect at the door. I did not do any of those things.
Our hard lockdown means we are normal now except for our borders but some states in Australia, where closures were not so strict, are going back down into lockdown. The state of Victoria is making masks mandatory from tomorrow and my sister in NSW is going to buy some more today in case. She did wear one when going to her GP a week or so ago. I have never had to wear a mask, I have some for when I am dealing with mulch in the garden in case of legionnaires disease. It is very unlikely I will be able to visit my sister this year.
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Do you have people in NZ who refuse to wear masks -- not because they're uncomfortable or whatever, but because they feel it's governmental infringement on their freedoms?
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Our government did not recommend wearing masks so that was not an issue. There was a lot of debate in the press but the Director of Health believed they could cause just as much problem from people not wearing them properly.
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My downstairs refrigerator is almost empty and I have started emptying my freezer and putting everything into my upstairs freezer. I've discovered so much food that I'd forgotten I have and am looking forward to revitalizing this fridge that has worked so hard with so little appreciation!
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Thank you all for your information and perspectives! I haven't cancelled my flights into Scotland yet. There's still plenty of time to do that.
...And the woman in your grocery store in Denver, has she been partying in Miami three days before greeting you at Walmart? And so on...
Um, I haven't been in a Walmart in years, Chrissi. When I shop in person, I usually go to an outdoor farmer's market like the one we went to in your village when we visited you in 2014. Most of us here in the U.S. have been quarantining and self-isolating for months now. I was conversing with a Scottish woman while trying to find lodging and she suggested that it wouldn't be fun to quarantine for 14 days there. I replied that it would be as much fun as what I'm doing now, isolated in my little apartment! But, I am resigned to cancelling my trip. Hopefully, I will have plenty of years left in my life when I can be active and travel. Brian, you know what I mean.
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Plants were not considered essential when we were in lockdown. For 5 weeks the only places open were the supermarket, pharmacies and medical centres.
How can supermarkets and pharmacies be essential but plants are not? Surely New Zealanders know where the food and chemicals in supermarkets and pharmacies come from? Though, maybe the plant centres were closed because this happened in winter? I don't know.
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I doubt any farmers would go to a plant nursery for their supplies, it is for house owners. I was caught out with my vegetable planting. My original plans were to go to Europe for 10 weeks April to June, our Autumn/early winter, so I did not plant any winter vegetables. Then as my trip was cancelled and lockdown approached (we were given 2 days notice) I went to the nursery for spinach seedlings and also checked at the Farmers market but there was a rush on them and I missed out. I have bought some since lockdown ended but they had not grown much when I last looked, they are under snow this morning. There were TV items about producers ploughlng all their flowers back into the ground as florists were all closed. No weddings and no mourners at funerals.
I do not know what happened with the agricultural sector. They kept producing under strict distancing rules. I do not think NZ has much chemical production, it would all be imported. I know medicines were restricted. usually I visit my GP every 3 months then go to the pharmacy and get 3 months supply. On my last visit, I received 1 month supply and have to go back every month for repeats. However they are free and the phamacy sent me a text reminder. We only pay $5 for 3 months supply of any prescribed medicine.
New Zealand had a hard lockdown and we are reaping the benefits now with no restrictions. Unlike Australia which kept many things open and at least one state is now having the worst numbers of Covid cases ever and is returning to lockdown.
There was an article in the Australian press yesterday discussing that New Zealand aimed for eradication and, fingers crossed, has succeeded while Australia only aimed for suppression and it seems to have not worked, at least in one state.
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Today would have been the day…
Without Covid19, we'd be on the ferry right now, on our way to Scotland *sigh* The ferry was supposed to leave at 7PM, which is in roughly 20 minutes.
The good news is that the company was very helpful. They called me and together we worked it out. They undid my cancellation, then transferred my bookings into next year.
Now I have the same cottages one year later and my already payed deposit is fully valid for the transferred booking.
I'm not used to such generous and friendly customer service (I'm German after all. :laugh:) and very thankful for it. :)
Already looking forward to Scotland 2021 and to our Bavarian Forest hiking vacation starting soon! :D
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Today would have been the day…
Without Covid19, we'd be on the ferry right now, on our way to Scotland *sigh* The ferry was supposed to leave at 7PM, which is in roughly 20 minutes.
:-\ Sorry about that, Chrissi, and sorry to all others who've had to cancel or postpone vacations.
I may have mentioned this already, possibly on this very thread, but I have a friend at work who, like me, used to live in New Orleans. She had been planning a trip to Italy in February or March, but then Italy blew up and she had to cancel. So as a consolation she went to New Orleans. :o
She's fine, though.
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I love hiking in Bavaria so am quite jelaous. My week holiday in Western Scotland in 2018 was ok but it rained every day.
I am organising a holiday on Stewart Island (Aotearoa/NZ's 3rd island) in November. I now have 10 going and have booked a 2nd cottage next door to the first.
I know 2 besides me have referred to it as our overseas holiday for 2020.
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I'm on vacation this week (which is simply to say, I'm not working :( ), and I'm spending a few days with my dad. He wanted to go to a farmers' market today. It was against my better judgment, because of both Covid-19 and the heat, but, as usual with him, I did not put my foot down. :( We got there early just after 8 a.m., so the weather was not yet too hot, and the market was not as crowded as I was afraid it would be, and, of course, we were wearing our masks. One thing I noticed that I thought very interesting. Many of the market vendors are "Plain people," meaning Amish or Mennonites. I counted only about five who were wearing any type of face covering. For them it's probably a religious thing--God will protect them, and so forth--but seeing that, it no longer surprises me that after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and their suburbs, Lancaster County has had one of the highest infection rates in Pennsylvania.
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How many of you are required by law to wear masks? The governor of Minnesota mandated mask wearing in any indoor public space (i.e., a store) throughout the state as of Saturday (many individual cities already had such requirements). Of course many people are outraged because they think the danger of COVID has been exaggerated and that requiring masks violates their civil liberties.
In one small town, a couple showed up at Wal-Mart wearing masks with big swastikas on them. Somebody took a video; the couple kept shouting something about how if we let the government require mask wearing we'll be living in Nazi Germany.
I think they got their history mixed up a bit -- they probably should have used Soviet Russia or something more like a dictatorship -- and their messaging was pretty poor. Wearing a big swastika does not suggest a warning against Nazism, but an embrace of it.
In happier news, I see that you can buy masks printed with a photo of the lower half of your face. They are kind of cool and kind of uncanny valley.
(https://mymodernmet.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/own-face-mask-maskalike-thumb-large.jpg)
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Mask wearing is the law in public places everywhere in Colorado. But, everywhere you see people not wearing them.
The only places I feel sure people will be masked up is if they lock their doors and only let you in if you are wearing a mask. It's a problem in those places too because a crowd can gather around the door waiting to get in.
Many people in Colorado feel that they don't need to wear a mask if they're outside. I have mine around my neck at all times and pull it up if I'm hiking and some people come in to view. Those hiking trails are typically narrow, not allowing 6 ft of distance when going past other hikers. The young people are most often maskless. Older people seem to get it.
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For NJ as of July 9th.
N.J. will now require people wear masks outside to battle coronavirus
Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
People in New Jersey will now be required to wear masks outdoors in public when social distancing isn’t possible, under an executive order Gov. Phil Murphy signed Wednesday in his latest move to help stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Face coverings have been required at indoor public spaces in New Jersey — such as stores, eateries, government building, and on public transportation — since early April, right around when the pandemic was hitting the state the hardest. Masks have been only strongly encourage outdoors in that time.
That changes with Wednesday’s order, even though the state’s outbreak has slowed significantly in recent weeks.
Murphy stressed the order — which takes effect immediately — doesn’t require you to wear a mask if you’re walking alone or with your family in your neighborhood or at a beach or park and are standing at least 6 feet away from others.
Instead, the order mandates you mask up if you’re an outdoor setting where there are large gatherings and you can’t keep your distance from people other than your family members, caretakers, household members, or romantic partners.
https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/07/nj-will-now-require-people-wear-masks-outside-to-battle-coronavirus-murphy-says.html
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Masks were never required here. There was a lot of argument but the health officials said that you tended to touch your face more when wearing a mask and people felt they need not socially distance. They kept stressing about social distancing and hand washing. Workers in Supermarkets wore masks.
They now have to wear masks in Melbourne but not yet in Sydney although my sister tells me she does most times.
Hopefully at 1pm today they will announce that it has been 90 days since the last case of community transmission in New Zealand. Everything is back to normal here except for our borders.
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Masks are not required here either. I have seen a couple of people wearing them on the street, but they are very few and far between.
Our health authorities say there's no scientific proof that they actually prevent transmission of the virus, and it's far more important to keep the distance and stay home if you have symptoms.
Some scientists don't agree, and criticise the authorites, debating in favour of wearing masks.
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I must stress that we had a hard total shutdown for 5 weeks. Nothing was allowed to be open except medical centres, pharmacies and supermarkets. No other food stores, no deliveries of hot food. You could only drive your car to the medical centres, pharmacies and supermarkets or other approved essential work. Any recreation had to be within walking distance from your home and only with your immediate family who lived in the same house as you. When walking we did the 'Covid swerve' saying hi and moving 2 metres apart (No, not always possible on a bush track but I went as far as possible and turned my head away, on streets I would walk out onto the road, almost no traffic). No-one was allowed to visit unless a carer, we had to stay in our bubble. My bubble was one. Friends had their children deliver food but leave it at the front gate and wave.
It was horrible but it worked although being a few little islands and some luck helped.
I went to a chamber concert (piano and violin) on Tuesday night. The pianist said we were one of the few places in the world where that was now possible. It should have been the violinist who won the international competition last year but she lives in South Korea so instead we had the winner of a few years ago who, while she has won awards all over the world, was in New Zealand when the lockdown began.
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I'm kind of a centrist on masks. I've been wearing them in stores ever since the healthcare officials started advising them, because it seemed rude not to. But in my neighborhood it's never hard to walk in the middle of the street or step into a yard or boulevard to maintain space, so I don't even bring one when walking my dog.
If I lived in a more congested part of the city I'd wear one, but I'm less worried outdoors in general. Partly because when the protesters of George Floyd's killing packed the streets, often unmasked, I thought, uh-oh, this is just like New Orleans over Mardi Gras. But cases didn't spike, and health officials theorized the virus doesn't spread as easily outdoors. So I figured other spikes must have had to do with indoor activities -- parties and bands in NOLA, chalets in CO.
On Monday I went with some old friends of mine to visit another friend from our group who has lung cancer. I thought, well this will be awkward, wearing masks all afternoon. I wore one on the way there, where I was sitting 3-4 feet from three guys in a big pickup truck. We usually hug when we see each other, but this time we didn't. But when we got to the house of the friend with cancer, he was thrilled to get the visitors and insisted on a quick hug (we hadn't seen each other more than a few times over many years). I told him I could be dangerous, and he said, "That's OK, my days are numbered anyway."
Then we sat in the backyard and talked for 3-4 hours. We didn't wear masks. It was breezy and we sat far apart, although probably not always the full 6 feet.
It seemed reasonably safe, but I guess I won't know for sure for two weeks. :-\
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First we had this:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EeL0u9XXYAAQvet.jpg)
Then we had this:
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eb8KetmWAAEO5Jw.jpg)
and now we have this:
Former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain dies after battle with coronavirus
PUBLISHED THU, JUL 30 2020 Kevin Breuninger
Herman Cain, a former presidential hopeful who was once considered by President Donald Trump for the Federal Reserve, has died after being hospitalized with the coronavirus. He was 74.
Cain’s death was announced Thursday on his website by Dan Calabrese, who edits the site and had previously written about his colleague’s diagnosis.
“Herman Cain – our boss, our friend, like a father to so many of us – has passed away,” Calabrese said in the blog post. “We all prayed so hard every day. We knew the time would come when the Lord would call him home, but we really liked having him here with us, and we held out hope he’d have a full recovery.”
Cain was among the highest-profile public figures in the United States to have died from Covid-19. Less than two weeks before receiving his diagnosis, Cain attended Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which had been staged despite concerns about mass gatherings during the pandemic.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/30/former-gop-presidential-candidate-herman-cain-dies-after-battle-with-coronavirus.html
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How many of you are required by law to wear masks?
We are. In public spaces indoors.
We had the same hard lockdown Brian described for 5 weeks, but were never required to wear masks outdoors.
Just like you, I don't even take a mask along when walking the dog (out in the fields in my case) or doing my sports; and it's easy to keep your distance when outdoors in my rural area.
People go with wearing masks without fuss. But sometimes people wear their masks under their noses - a new pet peeve for me! Mostly it's elderly people who I guess don't fully get it.
And I have to admit that last week I went to my bakery, ordered my stuff and only when paying I noticed I had forgotten my mask! The sales woman also hadn't noticed. I apologized and we both laughed about us not noticing it. ::)
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But sometimes people wear their masks under their noses - a new pet peeve for me! Mostly it's elderly people who I guess don't fully get it.
I had someone complain about this very thing to me last Saturday. It was the day our mask law went into effect, which also requires them in public indoor spaces but not outside. I was sent out for work to see how compliance was in a couple of suburban towns.
In one, a cute little shopping and daytrip destination with a lot of little boutiques and things, the shopkeepers said everybody was complying with the new law (except, one woman said, some don't cover their noses). But on the street, nobody was wearing them. The sidewalks weren't super crowded, but there were plenty of places where people were just two or three feet apart.
And I have to admit that last week I went to my bakery, ordered my stuff and only when paying I noticed I had forgotten my mask! The sales woman also hadn't noticed. I apologized and we both laughed about us not noticing it.
I can see myself doing that -- sometimes I forget mine until I'm about to walk into a store.
Another weird thing is that I find myself watching a TV show or movie in which people go around without masks and sit close together, and for a second part of my brain thinks, "Watch out! Don't do that -- it's dangerous!"
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Another weird thing is that I find myself watching a TV show or movie in which people go around without masks and sit close together, and for a second part of my brain thinks, "Watch out! Don't do that -- it's dangerous!"
I've had that reaction too! And I find myself staring at old photos of crowds and people whose lower faces are uncovered. It seems eerie like seeing a naked person.
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It's the handwashing that I'm starting to forget.
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I can see myself doing that -- sometimes I forget mine until I'm about to walk into a store.
Totally forgetting the mask was a first for me. But a couple of times I've forgotten to take a mask along when going for groceries, etc. For this purpose, I bought a 10 pack disposable masks and put them in the glove department of my car. Saved me from returning home and doing the same trip twice! :laugh:
Some stores sell disposable masks to forgetful people, but they charge you 4 to 6 Euros for one. :o
I'd rather go back home >:(
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Some stores sell disposable masks to forgetful people, but they charge you 4 to 6 Euros for one. :o
I'd rather go back home >:(
The day the mask law went into effect here I was working, so I went around talking to shopkeepers and the like about whether people were complying. Most were, they said, but if not they had masks available, usually for $1, sometimes for $1.50 and sometimes for free.
They're flimsy one-use masks, though.
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When my friend and traveling buddy contacted me in the fall of 2019 about travelling to Europe, I was enthusiastic. I told him I would like to go to Scotland and Northern Europe. However, he wanted to go to mainland Europe and "places we haven't been." So, I signed up and put down several thousand dollars.
When I got the itinerary, I must say I was disappointed. It began in Paris and proceeded south. I have been to Italy many times since my husband is Italian, and I was hoping to go to my homeland. But, traveling buddy said we would go there in 2021, so I kept my signing up.
Also, his roommate was passionate about returning to Europe. We would go as a trio, and then I and the roommate would return to the U.S. in late September, while EdelMar would go on to the middle east and wind up in Russia, flying back to the U.S. in late November. I made a headscarf for him to wear while he traveled with the Bedouins in Tunisia.
I wish I could cancel, but i feel compelled, for the sake or my traveling buddies, to make an effort to go on the trip.
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Australians have to apply for exemption to leave Australia and it is very difficult to obtain. My Brother-in-law's nephew has lived in Prague for 20 years and been married to a Czech woman for 10 years and it took months for him to get an exemption. A problem was that he does not own his home in Prague, it is in his wife's name and he owns a unit in Sydney and has children and grandchildren there from his first marriage. It seems it took a letter from his wife's GP (she flew home a few weeks before lockdown) about her health that finally swayed the exemption.
In New Zealand we can leave but must quarantine in a guarded hotel for 14 days on return and pay (as in Australia) $3,000. You are tested on Days 3 and 12.
It is just not possible to consider overseas travel from either country before 2021 at the earliest.
However yesterday in NZ, we celebrated 100 days without any community transmission. While we have a trickle of cases in quarantine, it has been 6 days since the last. There are no cases in hospital and we have the lowest death rate (22 out of 5 million) of OECD countries.
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I wish I could cancel, but i feel compelled, for the sake or my traveling buddies, to make an effort to go on the trip.
When are you travelling? Do you know that currently people are not allowed to fly to France (and probably most other European countries) from the USA except under certain exemptions.
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When are you travelling? Do you know that currently people are not allowed to fly to France (and probably most other European countries) from the USA except under certain exemptions.
Hi brian. Yes, I am aware of all the restrictions. Our flight to Paris was cancelled months ago.
I'm leaving Friday morning for the East Coast and will then fly to the UK for two weeks of quarantine before proceeding to the Continent.
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I have just had an email from a lady in our walking group. She and her husband went to the UK for a holiday in February, not sure how long they planned. They were there 6 months, 12 flights home cancelled, They have finally reached NZ and are quarantined in a hotel on the North Island for 14 days. The hotel has high fences and army around it, they mainly have to stay in their room with meals, no choice, delivered on a tray to the door, there is a knock and they open while staff stand back, they must service the room themselves and leave sheets in a bag outside the door. Assuming they test negative on day 12 they will be home and rejoining us next week. Fortunately they will not have to pay $3000.
If anyone here was to tell me they were flying to the UK next week, I would suggest they had a mental checkup
It seems we live on different planets.
But we have concerts, movies, restaurants, in fact life as normal, we are being asked to buy masks just in case, no need to wear.
We think we are the luckiest country in the world.
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Yes, New Zealand is quite a success story. You and your country should be proud.
The news out of the U.S. is certainly cringe-worthy. Apparently the southern states are out of control. I wish we could block people from coming to Colorado from those crazy states. But I don't go out in public anyway, so it would not affect me (knock on wood).
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Yes, New Zealand is quite a success story. You and your country should be proud.
Last night we had all TV programs interrupted for an emergency announcement by the Prime Minister and the Director of Health. A family of 4 have developed Covid with as yet no known source. The city of Auckland (over 1 million people) has gone back to level 3 (all non-essential services, schools, restaurants etc closed, no unnecessary travel) from midday today until at least Friday. The rest of the country is going to level 2 so back to social distancing, recording movement etc. I had put off my visit to the supermarket (I go either Tuesday or Wednesday) to today as I was tired after hiking yesterday. So I have to go this morning, not sure if I will go for coffee after as usual, it will be before midday. I think I will cancel my coffee group for tomorrow.
As I said, it is like we live on a different planet
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Yes, that made the news here too! I hope they figure out how that family contracted the virus.
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Last night we had all TV programs interrupted for an emergency announcement by the Prime Minister and the Director of Health.
If they did that here, the important announcements wold be interrupting each other. "We interrupt this program for an emergency an -- " "We interrupt this program for an emer --" "We interrupt this pro -- " and finally they'd all just be talking over each other.
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It's the handwashing that I'm starting to forget.
For me it's social distancing. Even when I'm not wearing a mask, say when I'm walking with my dog, I'll stop to talk to a neighbor and suddenly notice I'm standing only three or four feet away.
When I'm masked and outdoors I get closer than that sometimes, even if the other person is not masked which, as I recall from Trump's habit of not masking, is more dangerous for me than them. This would mainly be at work, when I'm interviewing somebody and need to be able to hear them
Luckily these almost always happen outside, where I think the risk is smaller.
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If they did that here, the important announcements wold be interrupting each other. "We interrupt this program for an emergency an -- " "We interrupt this program for an emer --" "We interrupt this pro -- " and finally they'd all just be talking over each other.
The only other times I remember an emergency announcement have been due to earthquakes and possible Tsunamis. The Kaikoura earthquake was in the early morning and I remember waking to a woman's voice screaming to me to get to higher ground but as my house is 269 metres above sea level, I stayed put.
I am not sure if there was an emergency announcement re the mass shooting in Christchurch last year but that would have only been in the Christchurch area.
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Last night we had all TV programs interrupted for an emergency announcement by the Prime Minister and the Director of Health. A family of 4 have developed Covid with as yet no known source. The city of Auckland (over 1 million people) has gone back to level 3 (all non-essential services, schools, restaurants etc closed, no unnecessary travel) from midday today until at least Friday. The rest of the country is going to level 2 so back to social distancing, recording movement etc. I had put off my visit to the supermarket (I go either Tuesday or Wednesday) to today as I was tired after hiking yesterday. So I have to go this morning, not sure if I will go for coffee after as usual, it will be before midday. I think I will cancel my coffee group for tomorrow. As I said, it is like we live on a different planet
I heard about this yesterday, I'm sorry to hear it. Have they been able to determine the contact/cause?
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What I heard was that the father works for a "cold store" selling food and they think the virus hitchhiked in on some imported frozen food. :o
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What I heard was that the father works for a "cold store" selling food and they think the virus hitchhiked in on some imported frozen food. :o
That's scary! I've stopped worrying very much about touching products in stores -- even those that aren't frozen, which you'd think might kill the virus. Here, it wouldn't have to hitchhike in on imported food.
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Yes, that could have some ramifications for processing plants, grocery workers, and any of us who eat (hey, that's all of us!)
I vaguely remember reading that the virus isn't killed by cold...yet another superpower of it!! :o
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I vaguely remember reading that the virus isn't killed by cold...yet another superpower of it!! :o
That makes sense, because apparently it's not even a living thing, like bacteria. I read an article about it in the New Yorker, and came away with a little more understanding of the challenges of treating it. But I still don't really get it. If it's not alive, what is it? Why does it jump from host to host?
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That makes sense, because apparently it's not even a living thing, like bacteria. I read an article about it in the New Yorker, and came away with a little more understanding of the challenges of treating it. But I still don't really get it. If it's not alive, what is it? Why does it jump from host to host?
You could ask the same questions about the flu. :(
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You could ask the same questions about the flu. :(
I knew that doctors tend to overprescribe antibiotics, giving them to patients who have the kind of sickness that antibiotics don't help, often just to placate a demanding patient, and that as a result the antibodies are becoming increasingly immune to them, leaving many antibiotics useless and leaving us with the prospect of another big disaster.
But I never could remember which was which -- viral vs. bacterial -- and didn't know the explanation at the microscopic level. I guess it's because viruses aren't antibodies or even bodies; they're just things.
I don't know where I first heard this explanation from Dr. Fauci, whether here on BetterMost or where, but he noted that HIV and herpes are also viruses, which is why they haven't been definitively "cured." Chicken pox, a virus, remains in your system and can pounce back years later as shingles.
There was one exception he said. Polio, I think?
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I knew that doctors tend to overprescribe antibiotics, giving them to patients who have the kind of sickness that antibiotics don't help, often just to placate a demanding patient, and that as a result the antibodies are becoming increasingly immune to them, leaving many antibiotics useless and leaving us with the prospect of another big disaster.
But I never could remember which was which -- viral vs. bacterial -- and didn't know the explanation at the microscopic level. I guess it's because viruses aren't antibodies or even bodies; they're just things.
I don't know where I first heard this explanation from Dr. Fauci, whether here on BetterMost or where, but he noted that HIV and herpes are also viruses, which is why they haven't been definitively "cured." Chicken pox, a virus, remains in your system and can pounce back years later as shingles.
There was one exception he said. Polio, I think?
That's become a real problem, bacteria become resistant because of overuse of antibiotics.
I'm not clear on what you mean by polio as an exception. It can't come back, but I have read about some people who survived it getting some sort of syndrome related to it decades after they had polio.
Measle, mumps, rubella, and smallpox are all viruses, and once you're vaccinated against them you're in the clear, I think.
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Smallpox virus has been officially eradicated from the world. I was vaccinated before my first trip to Asia and Europe in 1974. It was an unpleasant vaccination because you were given live cowpox virus so usually developed a small fever. Vaccination is no longer needed
Polio does still exist in a very few countries but since vaccines were developed it is now almost negligible. They estimated more than 350 000 cases in 1988 but there were 22 reported cases in 2017. If vaccination stopped, it could quickly develop again.
Measles is a virus. Many of us older folk had it as children so are now immune. It can cause severe problems in populations that are not vaccinated as happened in Samoa and Tonga last year. It is a worry in NZ among Pacifica populations who are influenced by anitvaxxers. My opinion of antivaxxers could not be repeated in public.
You can read about the most deadly viruses here, makes my skin crawl
https://www.livescience.com/56598-deadliest-viruses-on-earth.html
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Viruses are nasty. There’s some debate as to whether they are “alive”. They carry genetic material and can reproduce, but they can’t really live on their own or very long, without a host. So, they’re kind of parasites.
Even creepier are prions, which are mutant proteins that also want to replicate and cause trouble. Prions are responsible for mad cow disease and many other scary neuro-degenerative diseases.
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I'm not clear on what you mean by polio as an exception.
Smallpox virus has been officially eradicated from the world. ...
Polio does still exist in a very few countries
It was smallpox I was thinking of, I believe.
Measles is a virus. Many of us older folk had it as children so are now immune.
I had it when I was 6, and apparently a dangerous enough case that the doctor made a house call to administer some life-saving injection.
Now, of course, it's part of the routine schedule of childhood vaccinations. Among children whose parents aren't science deniers, at least.
At the anti-shutdown protest I attended, I met a number of people who said that if an anti-COVID virus were developed they would refuse to take it. They accuse Bill Gates of practicing "population control" by advocating or supplying vaccines -- apparently they believe vaccines are more dangerous than the diseases themselves.
Is it possible there's another virus that's been going around for years without anyone being aware of it -- one that causes stupidity?
You know how they say apocalyptic horror movies often work by triggering subconscious fears of whatever's going on at the time in real life -- the way Orson Welles' broadcast of War of the Worlds supposedly alarmed people because it reminded them of what was happening in Europe?
I wonder if the next round of horror movies will move away from giant monsters and outerspace invaders to microscopic or invisible enemies.
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I wonder if the next round of horror movies will move away from giant monsters and outerspace invaders to microscopic or invisible enemies.
Time to re-watch Outbreak O0 Or The Stand.
Or maybe not. ::)
BTW, we did just that: re-watched The Stand recently because the kids found the idea cool. The Stand didn't stand the test of time, IMO. Loved it back then, now it was just - bland, mediocre. We skipped the last part of it, it didn't hold our interest. But the opening sequence, together with the music - still good.
You might be right. In the next 2 or 3 years, we might see an increase of such movies.
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I had it when I was 6, and apparently a dangerous enough case that the doctor made a house call to administer some life-saving injection.
You actually had measles? :o
I never did, but, come to think of it, I don't think I was ever vaccinated for measles. Maybe if I ever see an actual doctor again I should ask a bout it. ???
I had chickenpox when I was in first grade. That's why I made sure I got the shingles vaccine. I don't remember how long I was out of school. I do remember they itched like the devil.
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You actually had measles? :o
I never did, but, come to think of it, I don't think I was ever vaccinated for measles. Maybe if I ever see an actual doctor again I should ask a bout it. ???
I had chickenpox when I was in first grade. That's why I made sure I got the shingles vaccine. I don't remember how long I was out of school. I do remember they itched like the devil.
I am not sure whether I had Rubella (German measles) or measles. Rubella is not as serious as measles (unless you are pregnant)
In the last 4 months of 1954, aged 10, I had chicken pox, hepatitis A and Mumps. I was away from school for nearly the whole term.
I caught Hepatitis A by playing in the nearby swamps. They were later drained and are now an exclusive housing area and were the site of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. I was not very sick but had to stay in bed and eat lots of sugar. They did not think it was very contagious but my sister who must have been 20 caught it. She was much sicker and had a relapse a few months later and was rushed to hospital during the night. Unlike Hep C it does not have lasting effects except I still keep clear of too fatty foods eg roast pork. My sister's relapse was when we were away on Christmas holidays so probably due to rich foods.
In the last 10 years my sister got shingles and, as it was near her eye, her GP rushed her to the eye specialist but they got it early. Fortunately she had a regular appointment with her GP and mentioned the rash that had developed the day before. We have both now had the vaccine and paid for it although it is now free at our age in both Australia and NZ. I can get a free booster before I turn 80. However they have now developed a new vaccine but it is not free yet.
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BTW, we did just that: re-watched The Stand recently because the kids found the idea cool. The Stand didn't stand the test of time, IMO. Loved it back then, now it was just - bland, mediocre. We skipped the last part of it, it didn't hold our interest. But the opening sequence, together with the music - still good.
That's happened to me with a lot of movies I once found thrilling -- Raiders of the Lost Ark, for example. I saw it when it came out in theaters, loved it, and remembered it as really fast moving and exciting. Then I watched it with my kids and now it seemed really slow. I think our brains have changed.
As for The Stand, I never saw the movie but I read the book in about 1980 (before King published a much longer, less edited version). Even then, the latter part didn't really hold my interest -- I don't like horror that relies on supernatural beings or events. But the beginning was powerful and seemed like a very realistic depiction of how something like that would go (although much more quickly than COVID, since cars with dead drivers clogged the Lincoln Tunnel). And since COVID I've joked that next we'll all divide into groups of Good and Evil and battle each other.
I guess one could argue that in the United States, we kind of have. :laugh:
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You actually had measles? :o
I never did, but, come to think of it, I don't think I was ever vaccinated for measles. Maybe if I ever see an actual doctor again I should ask a bout it. ???
I had chickenpox when I was in first grade. That's why I made sure I got the shingles vaccine. I don't remember how long I was out of school. I do remember they itched like the devil.
I did have measles, though I don't really remember it very well. I have this flash-like image of the doctor coming to the house, but that could have been planted by my parents speaking of it in later years.
You're probably fairly safe unless you start hanging out with schoolkids with anti-vaxxer parents.
I had chickenpox, which I also don't remember but it seemed like everyone did at some point. I asked my doctor about the vaccine and he said to wait because a better one was about to come out. That was some time ago, so I'm sure it's out by now. I'll have to set it up, if they're doing it these days, next time I see my doctor.
A guy I know said that when his cousins got chicken pox the aunts and uncles took all the cousins, infected or not, to stay with their grandma so they could all catch it and get it over with.
My thought was, wow, that's an accommodating grandma.
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I had chickenpox, which I also don't remember but it seemed like everyone did at some point. I asked my doctor about the vaccine and he said to wait because a better one was about to come out. That was some time ago, so I'm sure it's out by now. I'll have to set it up, if they're doing it these days, next time I see my doctor.
A guy I know said that when his cousins got chicken pox the aunts and uncles took all the cousins, infected or not, to stay with their grandma so they could all catch it and get it over with.
My thought was, wow, that's an accommodating grandma.
Oh, I've heard about this. Parents would have "Pox Parties", and a kid that had chicken pox would have a gathering, and the parents would expose their kids to it, so they could catch it and get it over with.
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Oh, I've heard about this. Parents would have "Pox Parties", and a kid that had chicken pox would have a gathering, and the parents would expose their kids to it, so they could catch it and get it over with.
And now young people are reportedly doing the same with COVID. What could go wrong? ::)
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That's happened to me with a lot of movies I once found thrilling -- Raiders of the Lost Ark, for example. I saw it when it came out in theaters, loved it, and remembered it as really fast moving and exciting. Then I watched it with my kids and now it seemed really slow. I think our brains have changed.
Or maybe just yours. ;D I saw it again not too long ago and for the first time in years on years, and I didn't find it slow at all.
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Or maybe just yours. ;D I saw it again not too long ago and for the first time in years on years, and I didn't find it slow at all.
Well, to each his own. Other movies from that era I think do hold up: Big and Back to the Future. A lot of the others I never saw in the first place ane/or am not tempted watch/rewatch to now. One I think is decidedly worse from my current perspective: Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Re RotLA, I still love all the witty and clever little Speilberg things. He is/was so good at those.
I've been feeling like doing a themed film festival -- one movie a night, or half a movie each night. My son just did Tom Cruise, and he seems like a good possibility -- he's done a lot of good movies, a range of drama to comedy and some well worth rewatching. He's almost always entertaining. Plus I like him better now than I did when I first watched them because I've since discovered there are worse things a celebrity can do than be a Scientologist.
But a Speilberg festival would also be good.
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Well, to each his own. Other movies from that era I think do hold up: Big and Back to the Future. A lot of the others I never saw in the first place and/or am not tempted watch/rewatch to now. One I think is decidedly worse from my current perspective: Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Never saw any of them. Never even tempted. I don't like stories where kids end up in adult bodies, or vice versa. I don't like time travel stories. I don't like stories about high school kids.
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I'm leaving Friday morning for the East Coast and will then fly to the UK for two weeks of quarantine before proceeding to the Continent.
I've lost track. Is FRiend Lee still in quarantine in Edinburgh? ???
She must have her laptop with her. It'd be nice if she'd report in and tell us what it's like.
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Never saw any of them. Never even tempted. I don't like stories where kids end up in adult bodies, or vice versa. I don't like time travel stories. I don't like stories about high school kids.
Well, like I say, to each their own. :)
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Big and Back To The Future were ok. I enjoyed them the one time I saw them, but never saw them more than once.
Movies about high school kids.....I kinda agree with Jeff. 16 Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Mean Girls, Pretty In Pink......meh.
There are three that I can think of that I will watch each time they come on:
Grease, a musical, but it appeals to me. Heathers, and Breakfast Club - I don't know why these two catch my attention, but any time they're on, I watch.
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Big and Back To The Future were ok. I enjoyed them the one time I saw them, but never saw them more than once.
Movies about high school kids.....I kinda agree with Jeff. 16 Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Mean Girls, Pretty In Pink......meh.
There are three that I can think of that I will watch each time they come on:
Grease, a musical, but it appeals to me. Heathers, and Breakfast Club - I don't know why these two catch my attention, but any time they're on, I watch.
I don't have any special interest in high-school movies, but for me it has less to do with the setting than the quality of the individual film. For me, Big and Back to the Future are genuine classics; I saw them in theaters, then watched them on video with my sons when they were little; they liked them, too. Easy A, starring Emma Stone, kind of an updated feminist high-school version of the Scarlet Letter, is very good, as is Juno.
I have no interest in Brat Pack films. Or rather, I have no interest in 1980s John Hughes movies; it's probably not the Brats' fault.
Here are the ones I can think of. There's gotta be others, including dramas. I think studios like them because they know teenagers are more likely than adults to see a movie multiple times.
Like: Big, Back to the Future, Mean Girls. Also, Easy A, Juno
Kind of like: Dazed and Confused and that one where Matthew Perry turns into his younger self, played by Zach Efron, mainly because the latter is hot in it
Intensely dislike: Ferris Bueller
Meh: Grease, Breakfast Club, that one where John Cusack holds up a boom box to his girlfriend's window
Never seen and have no interest in seeing: 16 Candles, Pretty in Pink
Never seen but might possibly find them interesting: Heathers, Fast Times at Ridgemont High
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Why all the hate for Ferris Bueller?
I highly recommend Heathers.
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Why all the hate for Ferris Bueller?
Because it portrays Matthew Broderick (!) as a cool kid, but actually he's a jerk. It all seems phony. It's by John Hughes.
I do like this scene, though.
I highly recommend Heathers.
Good to know, thanks! I'm always looking for movies to stream. I'll overlook your defense of Ferris Bueller as an aberration in your otherwise excellent taste.
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Because it portrays Matthew Broderick (!) as a cool kid, but actually he's a jerk. It all seems phony. It's by John Hughes.
I guess most teen films are phony. But I like the cleverness, the breaking of the fourth wall. I think JH said it was his love letter to Chicago.
I do like this scene, though.
Me too!
Good to know, thanks! I'm always looking for movies to stream. I'll overlook your defense of Ferris Bueller as an aberration in your otherwise excellent taste.
Ha! Beware, thought, Heathers is bizarre and surreal. It's become a cult classic.
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Why all the hate for Ferris Bueller?
I don't hate it. I can't hate something I've never seen. I just have no interest in seeing it.
For the record I don't hate Matthew Broderick, either, though I still think he was an odd choice for Glory, which is a film I like very much. I made sure to visit the Shaw memorial once.
Easy A, starring Emma Stone, kind of an updated feminist high-school version of the Scarlet Letter, is very good, as is Juno.
The whut?
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I guess most teen films are phony.
Even if it does turn out to be phony, I can think of one teen film I'd like to see some day: Love, Simon.
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Even if it does turn out to be phony, I can think of one teen film I'd like to see some day: Love, Simon.
It was WAY phony. :laugh:
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Even if it does turn out to be phony, I can think of one teen film I'd like to see some day: Love, Simon.
It was WAY phony. :laugh:
:laugh:
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The whut?
It's about a high-school girl, played by Emma Stone, who starts a scheme in which boys pay her to say she slept with them -- though she actually didn't -- because the boys think it will boost their reputation. She sews A's on some of her clothes and gets involved in various other complications and shenanigans.
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It's about a high-school girl, played by Emma Stone, who starts a scheme in which boys pay her to say she slept with them -- though she actually didn't -- because the boys think it will boost their reputation. She sews A's on some of her clothes and gets involved in various other complications and shenanigans.
Would that make her a faux ho'?
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Would that make her a faux ho'?
Ha, probably! Although the movie is rated PG-13, so they went with "skank" than ho' (as if that's better, but that's a whole 'nother discussion) So I guess prank skank.
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Ha, probably! Although the movie is rated PG-13, so they went with "skank" than ho' (as if that's better, but that's a whole 'nother discussion) So I guess prank skank.
Skank: :P Makes me think of someone who never bathes. :P Or maybe has some of the hygiene problems I read about in my work. :P
At least a ho might take a shower now and then. :P If she wants to be some high-class entertainment, anyway.
And what do we make of a skanky ho? :(
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Skank: :P Makes me think of someone who never bathes. :P Or maybe has some of the hygiene problems I read about in my work. :P
You might be thinking of skunk. :laugh: No, I agree, it has hygiene/appearance connotations.
I don't know what skank means. It's an ugly word. Uglier than ho', probably, but maybe the PG-13 rules don't allow references to whores, or require them to be called prostitutes or something.
I would have gone with slut, which in my day was the favored term in high school circles. It seems the least cringe-inducing.
I once saw a Friends episode in which Rachel, Jennifer Aniston's character, gets a visit from her sister, played by Christina Applegate. There's some kind of subterfuge going on that I can't remember -- somehow it involves the sister wanting to borrow an outfit of Rachel's that maybe isn't really hers or something. Anyway, the sister complains it looks slutty.
"Well, that's because I'm a slut," Rachel says calmly.
After that, I liked the word. Jennifer Aniston reappropriated it!
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Hey everyone but especially superfan Paul, the other day I stumbled across a You Tube show that reunites actors from old shows and movies via Zoom and forces them to hold an awkward conversation. The one I happened to see was, of course, Ferris Bueller.
The actors came on one at a time in order of their prominence in the movie. So Matthew Broderick was first, and as always he grated slightly on my nerves. Though I kept hoping to see Sarah Jessica Parker (who also grates on my nerves) walk through in the background. Ferris' friend was still the coolest one -- in fact, way cooler now and in the popular HBO series Succession.
I was glad to see the girlfriend is still cute and seemed fun, although I'd be surprised if she'd appeared in anything since turning 30 and became too old to play the beautiful ingenue nonentity. The characters who were middle-aged in the movie (the teacher, the parents) were now outright old. They didn't say but I think I heard the principal died. Frankly, it was depressing and not particularly entertaining once you pass the "wonder how they look now" point, so I bailed well before it was over. Hope I didn't miss Charlie Sheen!
The show is hosted by unfunny comedian Josh Gad, which will help as a search word if anyone's interested in googling it or finding it on YouTube.
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I do like this scene, though.
Me too!
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Why all the hate for Ferris Bueller?
I highly recommend Heathers.
I've always liked Heathers, I thought it was really well done.
As for Ferris Bueller, I couldn't stand the characters. I kept hoping for someone to come and just punch him in the face.
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Would that make her a faux ho'?
Ha, probably! Although the movie is rated PG-13, so they went with "skank" than ho' (as if that's better, but that's a whole 'nother discussion) So I guess prank skank.
Skank: :P Makes me think of someone who never bathes. :P Or maybe has some of the hygiene problems I read about in my work. :P
At least a ho might take a shower now and then. :P If she wants to be some high-class entertainment, anyway.
And what do we make of a skanky ho? :(
I'll never forget, back in the days when I was in the closet, I dated a girl and her last name was skank. :laugh:
I remember thinking when I was introduced to her; "oh, that's unfortunate."
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As for Ferris Bueller, I couldn't stand the characters. I kept hoping for someone to come and just punch him in the face.
Same.
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Well that was quite a tangent!
So, back on the topic of the corona virus, there seems to be an uptick now. How are your communities dealing with it? Are shutdowns coming back?
And what about this concept of the "herd immunity"? Do you think people should just get the virus and then get over it? Are there lasting ill effects?
What is more important, keeping cases down or economic recovery?
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What is more important, keeping cases down or economic recovery?
Aotearoa/New Zealand is proving you can do both. I am thankful everyday for living here. We have not had a case in the South Island since April. There was a scare late August in our largest city, Auckland and that city was isolated and put into Level 3 lockdown, the rest of us went back to Level 2. It is now two weeks since any new community cases in Auckland. They are now at level 2 and we are back in Level 1 which means no restrictions except our borders. I am going to the Theatre tonight and having dinner in a nearby Italian restaurant beforehand. We are asked to keep a record of where we go and generally use an app on our phone for that. Meanwhile there are signs the economy is recovering except for Tourism obviously which is a big part of our economy.
I was not able to go overseas this year and am not sure if I ever will again except to Australia. I am organising a week away with friends on Stewart Island in November.
Our only cases are people returning from overseas who are either citizens or permanent residents. They must stay in managed isolation for 14 days. Yesterday there were 12 new cases in managed isolation, 10 flew in from India a few days ago, 1 from the USA and 1 from the Phillipines. They were immediately moved to an even stricter isolation facility.
I read somewhere yesterday (I think in the Australian news) about the long term effects felt by young sportspeople in the UK who have had it and today there is an article about a resurgence in Sweden where the economy has not done so well despite their lax restrictions.
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Have found the article for those who think it is just like a case of the flu, not for many people even the young and fit
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-01/uk-long-covid-19-survivors-form-group-to-discuss-symptoms/12701112
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So, back on the topic of the corona virus, there seems to be an uptick now. How are your communities dealing with it? Are shutdowns coming back?
And what about this concept of the "herd immunity"? Do you think people should just get the virus and then get over it? Are there lasting ill effects?
What is more important, keeping cases down or economic recovery?
MN is somewhere in between as far as shutdowns go, still low compared to other states as far as cases and deaths (we reached 2,000 deaths total this week). But we keep breaking records for our own state.
Virus versus the economy? I don't know, I'm just so glad I'm not an elected official in these times.
I was talking to several 20-somethings the other day for a story about farming, but our conversation drifted off topic into the C-word. I said, well, the Black Plague eventually ended, but by then a third of Europe was gone.
"But it ended feudalism," said a 26-year-old.
"Maybe this time it will be capitalism," I said, and they were all for it.
I don't go to restaurants, bars or indoor events, I wear a mask in public indoor places, but I've been known to speak maskless to people from less than six feet away. So if my Black Plague comparison holds, it could just be a matter of time.
But medical science has obviously progressed a long way since the plague. It has found ways to at least manage other viruses. So I'm hoping for the best with COVID.
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MN is somewhere in between as far as shutdowns go, still low compared to other states as far as cases and deaths (we reached 2,000 deaths total this week). But we keep breaking records for our own state.
I just checked Minnesota population is 5.94 million. Population of New Zealand is approaching 5 million. We have had 25 deaths.
It is like we live on different planets.
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And now comes the news that Trump, his wife, and Hope Hicks have the "China virus". Well, well, well.
I want proof.
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I just checked Minnesota population is 5.94 million. Population of New Zealand is approaching 5 million. We have had 25 deaths.
It is like we live on different planets.
It is. MN is lower than the national average; if there are over 200,000 in the U.S. and 50 states, MN has half the average deaths. MN is also smaller in square miles than NZ and has larger urban areas -- the Minneapolis/St. Paul area is officially two cities but they're adjacent and share one metropolitan area that is more than twice the size of Aukland's.
MN's death toll is shocking compared to NZ's, but it's not the most shocking contrast to NZ. Texas alone has over 16,000 deaths. Wyoming, the least populated state, with less than 1/8 the population of NZ, has had 56.
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And now comes the news that Trump, his wife, and Hope Hicks have the "China virus". Well, well, well.
I want proof.
Proof, if not already readily available, I'm sure will be forthcoming. But who would be lying about this? It undermines everything that Trump has said in a time when he's already struggling in the election, so he doesn't stand to gain.
Although I suppose if he gets it and then turns out fine he'll use it to show that COVID is harmless (or didn't really get it, lies about it and then says he's fine). I don't wish death upon anyone, or even really illness and pain. But if he were to get really sick, it would demonstrate the depth of Trump's ignorance.
Trump followers tend to see COVID as a binary. You either die or you don't die. So if death rates are relatively low compared to case counts, everything's fine. They don't count the "six weeks on a ventilator" or "three month of recurring symptoms" or "possible permanent brain/heart damage" as being problems in themselves.
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I did that even before COVID. I like to keep my insides sanitized.
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:laugh:
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A Running List of COVID-Positive Trump Associates
By Bridget Read
The list of friends, family, colleagues, and associates of Donald Trump finding out they have COVID-19 is getting longer, as the White House has been revealed as a possible pandemic petri dish — many of those who are testing positive for the virus were at a ceremony at the White House Rose Garden on Saturday.
While many others — including Vice-President Mike Pence and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden — have come out to say they just tested negative for coronavirus, it can take up to two weeks to incubate in the body before being picked up by testing. Since the White House event, many prominent Republicans have mingled — often maskless — at the presidential debates and at fundraisers in New Jersey and Minnesota; the list will very likely get longer. A White House staffer and three journalists in the WH press pool have already tested positive as well.
At the link below is a running list of Trump-related persons who have test positive for coronavirus.
https://www.thecut.com/2020/10/a-running-list-of-covid-positive-trump-associates.html
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Karma.
I guess it's not a hoax anymore.
Although we will probably hear once again that it's no worse than the flu.
Nancy Pelosi should go into isolation for self-protection, just in case. She's second in line.
Of course, if the Great Orange Satan dies, it will be because of a Democrat-Antifa plot to overthrow the Constitution and the rights of all Americans. There will be fighting in the streets.
(I'm kinda not joking about the fighting part.)
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Our friend EDelMar is still traveling about. As he was entering Finland, he was asked which kind of a virus test he wanted. He opted for the "dog test": you rub a cloth on your mouth and body and it is given to specially trained dogs who can actually smell whether you have COVID or not!
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Weird. But that would sure speed up the process!
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Our friend EDelMar is still traveling about. As he was entering Finland, he was asked which kind of a virus test he wanted. He opted for the "dog test": you rub a cloth on your mouth and body and it is given to specially trained dogs who can actually smell whether you have COVID or not!
Weird. But that would sure speed up the process!
Some time ago I saw a report about dogs being trained to do that in the U.S.
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I was worried to hear that in Germany, although cases are spiking, the schools and day care centers are being kept open. How is that working out for you, Chrissi?
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Cases are spiking everywhere.
My family is planning a quiet Thanksgiving, just me, and my parents and brother Chris, who lives at home.
I've told my mom that they shouldn't start hoarding, however, given that the cases are going up, they should consider stocking up on some essentials to lessen their need to leave the house.
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I was worried to hear that in Germany, although cases are spiking, the schools and day care centers are being kept open. How is that working out for you, Chrissi?
It's not sitting well with me. Even though children are not a main factor in spreading the virus, they still are a factor. Schools have come up with good solutions - but then the kids are put into crowded school buses; no distance possible, they are packed like sardines. As usual, as if there were no virus. I have heard that bus lines have been stocked up, there are more buses running now to reduce the amount of pupils per bus. Not for my son however, not with our bus line.
I will never understand why schools don't go back to the 50/50 system they had before summer break: one week you go to school, the other week you work from home (online and offline). Kids would still have social contacts, teachers would still have overview over a pupil's state of work, they could also still reach them in person. And the pressure on schools and buses would be cut in half! Makes is so much easier to keep distance.
As for day care: even worse, because parents are a daily factor here! In daycare you have daily contacts not only to the kids, but also to their parents and extended family. Add the fact that you can't keep distance from the kids, and you can't wear a mask. Great. I get sneezed on, coughed, on and spit on more or less daily.
Right now, I'm having a cold (hopefully), I've stayed home last week and will stay home next week, too. But after that, well…
Schools and daycare centers stay open so parents can go to work. The workforce, thus the economy, would suffer too much if all parents stayed at home with their children. That's the tenor.
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Cases are spiking everywhere.
My family is planning a quiet Thanksgiving, just me, and my parents and brother Chris, who lives at home.
I've told my mom that they shouldn't start hoarding, however, given that the cases are going up, they should consider stocking up on some essentials to lessen their need to leave the house.
That is eminently sensible advice.
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Right now, I'm having a cold (hopefully), I've stayed home last week and will stay home next week, too. But after that, well…
Thinking of you and your family, liebchen! :-*
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Thanks for the update Chrissi. I hope it's just a cold. Be extra careful, because your defenses are down when you have a cold. Stay away from those charming little germbags!
The virus is skulking ever closer to me. I saw my daughter and grandchildren last Tuesday, and their other grandmother saw them on Wednesday. Then, on Friday my daughter gets a call from the grandmother that her husband may have COVID (they are both mask deniers). So, now I can't see the children for two weeks, at least. Grandfather refuses to get a test too. So stubborn, and makes it harder for everybody. Watch out, I may be extra chatty in the coming days as I'm more cooped up than ever.
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That is eminently sensible advice.
I thought so too, and I believe they're going to listen to me.
I have some extra cash this week, so I'm going out on Wednesday and hit the supermarket and drug store myself. I plan to get stuff like non-perishable foods, shaving cream, razors, immunity boosters, and other items that I can keep for a while in my place, so that I'll need to go out less too.
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...and maybe a new shower curtain....?
Your friends will thank you!!
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::)
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The virus is skulking ever closer to me. I saw my daughter and grandchildren last Tuesday, and their other grandmother saw them on Wednesday. Then, on Friday my daughter gets a call from the grandmother that her husband may have COVID (they are both mask deniers). So, now I can't see the children for two weeks, at least. Grandfather refuses to get a test too. So stubborn, and makes it harder for everybody. Watch out, I may be extra chatty in the coming days as I'm more cooped up than ever.
Update: almost a week later, daughter's in-laws still have not tested themselves. They officiated at a funeral at their church two weeks ago, where it's likely they contracted the virus. Since they were not able to lead church services last Saturday, they asked their son to do it. On Tuesday, he came down with a cough. He went to the testing center but wasn't able to get in. He went back yesterday and was able to receive a test after sitting in line for three hours. We don't know the results yet. My daughter is hopping mad.
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The difference between our countries is amazing.
Yesterday we had one woman in Auckland (a city of over a million) test positive and the source was unknown. The shop where she works has been closed for deep cleaning, a pop up testing station has been opened near the building where she lives, she has been sent to a managed isolation centre and everyone in the city who can has been asked to work from home. There are queues at the testing stations. The Prime Minister has flown to the capital for an emergency cabinet meeting this morning.
However overnight analysis seems to link her case with a defence official who caught it about 10 days ago while working at a managed isolation hotel for returnees. This will be confirmed today. They will try to discover how she caught it from him, no obvious link at the moment. He has already infected 2 colleagues who he met before being tested and all are now in managed isolation. So we have 4 cases in the community and are waiting to learn any developments. The Prime Minister will probably speak to the nation this afternoon.
I live at the other end of the country but am travelling with 9 others to our southern island on Monday. If lockdown levels are increased, I think the only result will be that we will have to wear masks on the ferry.
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The difference between our countries is amazing.
Last summer my son was bartending on a tour boat in Chicago. One of the employees tested positive. My son and several of the other employees refused to go in to work, despite the manager pressuring them to do so. The manager himself was under pressure, because the owner insisted on the boat staying open, which it apparently did.
Recipe for a lawsuit, at the very least.
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The difference between our countries is amazing.
That's because you have competent leadership and citizens willing to do what they need to do to keep it under control.
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Yes, and there are other factors: NZ is an island with far fewer people than the US, and it has a much more homogeneous culture.
Some good news. My son-in-law's COVID test was negative. But I don't know if I trust it. My daughter still has hives. Her in-laws still haven't tested themselves. The whole situation is suspect, and guess who is bearing the brunt? The little children.
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Yes, and there are other factors: NZ is an island with far fewer people than the US, and it has a much more homogeneous culture.
Exactly. All of those are factors.
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Not that homogeneous
"The majority of us 'Kiwis' are of European descent (74%), with the indigenous Māori being the largest minority (14.9%), followed by Asians (11.8%) and non-Māori Pacific Islanders (7.4 %)."
"Auckland is our most culturally diverse city with over 100 ethnicities and more than 150 languages spoken daily."
Our lockdown was one of the strictest in the world and it seems to have worked. The 4 levels were outlined on Saturday and we went immediately to level 2 Then on Monday it was announced that we would go to level 4 on Wednesday. At level 4 only supermarkets, pharmacies and medical centres were allowed to open with numbers at any one time limited. No takeaways, no bottle shops (supermarkets sell beer and wine), hardware only open to tradespeople doing essential repairs. All building stopped, only essential road maintenance. Everyone had to work from home unless an essential job. No social activities, we were not allowed to meet family unless they lived in the same household. Must keep 2 metres from neighbours and anyone we met in the street while exercising which could only be in walking distance from home.
That lasted 5 weeks and then we had nearly 3 weeks at level 3 which allowed takeaways and click and collect at stores and meeting with just one other household was allowed. That made no difference to me. I did drive to the supermarket about every 8 to 10 days and once to the medical centre for my flu shot (in the carpark). I had friends (elderly) who never left their homes, either having food delivered by the supermarket or by family who left at front door then retreated and waved at a distance.
It did help having a Prime Minister who is generally respected and was on TV nearly every day telling us to be kind to one another and to work as a team of 5 million to defeat the virus. The opposition parties were largely in agreement and the leader of the opposition was appointed to lead the committee managing the lockdowns. The only party (Advance party) to oppose the lockdown and hold marches which attracted a few hundred got less than 1% at the recent election and has broken up since.
Being an island does help as no-one can enter the country without 14 days quarantine in managed isolation. Only NZ citizens and permanent residents are allowed in plus exceptions such as medical workers, football teams and America Yacht Cup teams (?)
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Interesting, Brian. I think a lot of American opposition to complying with masking/shutdown orders long predates Trump. By centuries. The "rugged individualist / every man for himself" attitudes are common among Americans and have been around forever. A lot of people really see masks and shutdowns as scare tactics trampling on their freedom.
I don't know if it's getting worse or better. But it's definitely part of Americans' self-mythologizing. Trump didn't start it, but he is exploiting it.
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A friend of mine who lives in New Mexico told me today that NM is going back into lockdown again, with only essential businesses open, because the numbers are spiking so much there.
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I have a friend who's mother to a 12-year-old son. Her husband has tested positive for COVID. Fortunately, they have a vacation house in the mountains, so he went there to self-quarantine. My friend is so fearful of her son getting COVID because he had a severe allergic reaction early this year and was in the hospital for over a week. He has been out of school all year.
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NYC as just shut down their schools, and all students must go to remote learning.
Numbers are continuing to spike in the area. I had given up eating frozen prepared foods, as they are so high in sodium. However, with the possible run on markets and close downs, I thought that perhaps fresh foods may be hard to come by, so I went out today and purchased a bunch of frozen stuff. No meals, but frozen meats, seafood, poultry, and stuff like that, that I can keep on hand in case it gets difficult getting fresh stuff.
I have a good supply of toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, sanitizer, soup, soap, and stuff like that, so I didn't get any new, I left it for those who would need it.
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Numbers are continuing to spike in the area. I had given up eating frozen prepared foods, as they are so high in sodium. However, with the possible run on markets and close downs, I thought that perhaps fresh foods may be hard to come by, so I went out today and purchased a bunch of frozen stuff. No meals, but frozen meats, seafood, poultry, and stuff like that, that I can keep on hand in case it gets difficult getting fresh stuff.
Frozen vegetables are or can be low in sodium, too.
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I have a friend who's mother to a 12-year-old son. Her husband has tested positive for COVID. Fortunately, they have a vacation house in the mountains, so he went there to self-quarantine. My friend is so fearful of her son getting COVID because he had a severe allergic reaction early this year and was in the hospital for over a week. He has been out of school all year.
Where are all these people getting it? ???
And when is it my turn? ... :(
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Well, bars in most states continue to be open and serving drinks until 10 pm. I haven't been into any bars but I drive past them and there are usually several cars parked outside. It seems like a lot of young people I talk to are just going about their lives as normal. My son invited me to have lunch with him and seemed surprised that I declined.
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Unbelievable. The city of Adelaide in South Australia (over 1 million) has had about 25 cases, no deaths, last week. A cleaner at one of the managed isolation centres caught and spread it. The result is for 6 days everything is closed except essential services, just one member of each household can leave the house once each day for provisions, no leaving otherwise even for exercise. Borders with other states closed. We take Covid much more seriously in Australia and New Zealand.
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N.J.’s largest city to order 10-day coronavirus lockdown starting day before Thanksgiving
By Jeff Goldman
Newark residents will be asked to stay at home for 10 days beginning the day before Thanksgiving in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the state’s largest city, Mayor Ras Baraka said Thursday.
“We are, from Wednesday before Thanksgiving to Dec. 4, going to lock the city down,” Baraka said in a radio appearance on WBGO 88.3 FM’s Newark Today. “We want people to shelter in place. We only want folks to come out for essential purposes. Do not go outside if you don’t have to. Don’t mingle with other people if you don’t have to. Stay (with) your family in your immediate household.”
The number people with COVID-19 in Newark has risen sharply in recent days with 164 additional cases announced Thursday. There have been 14,226 cases in Newark since the pandemic began in March with 694 deaths, according to Essex County officials.
Irvington’s mayor said earlier this week he was considering a week-long lock down as well.
It is unclear if Gov. Phil Murphy would overrule the Newark lockdown order. While Murphy recently signed an executive order allowing towns to close nonessential businesses starting at 8 p.m. - a step Newark took - Murphy has pushed back against additional town-by-town restrictions.
https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/11/njs-largest-city-to-order-10-day-coronavirus-lockdown-starting-day-before-thanksgiving.html
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Unbelievable. The city of Adelaide in South Australia (over 1 million) has had about 25 cases, no deaths, last week. A cleaner at one of the managed isolation centres caught and spread it. The result is for 6 days everything is closed except essential services, just one member of each household can leave the house once each day for provisions, no leaving otherwise even for exercise. Borders with other states closed. We take Covid much more seriously in Australia and New Zealand.
Yes you do, and that's why Australia has only had 907 deaths, and New Zealand has had only 25 deaths.
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So, the scenario in New Jersey may play out like this: people will rush to the stores to stock up and buy Thanksgiving provisions and then they'll go home, lock themselves inside with their family members, have a big feast and spread germs to each other. It's curious how he says not to even go outside. (I'm thankful for my large backyard garden.)
So, I was actually supposed to travel again three days ago, but I realized several weeks ago that it was not going to happen. I contacted traveling buddies and told them of my decision and sent money to pay for my share of the lodgings which he said were uncancelable. So I haven't heard from them since that time, and I'm afraid they're mad at me, but I was simply dying of stress even thinking about making the journey. :(
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I went into some people's house yesterday, and i made me nervous. I was in town for a story, and I saw a guy I know slightly, and I asked him if their house used to belong to a family I know. He said yes, then offered to show me around (he's done some really nice remodeling) in a way that seemed rude to decline. If only I lived in NZ and could just say I didn't want to break the law!
So I went in and stood and chatted for a while. I was masked, the guy was masked, but the wife, who I also know slightly, was not masked. Their house was beautiful, but I was nervous the whole time.
At least I got to finally confirm gossip I'd heard all these years: that a classmate of mine used to hang out with Nick Nolte back when he was just starting out and acting at a little local theater called the Old Log Theater. She said not only did Sally hang out with him but he slept with half the women in the town.
Well, he was pretty hot at the time, I said.
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I found this article on the Australian new site interesting although it is not very optimistic for USA
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-23/united-states-is-just-too-big/12907642
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That is an interesting article. Thank you, brian. I'm always interested in how other peoples see the U.S. I feel like I'm an outsider myself, although I have no grounds for thinking so.
I knew, starting in 2017, that the U.S.'s wrong turn would have consequences that would reach me. Ans I also was convinced that people would suffer, people would die. I was thinking of the people of Nepal that I met in 2012. They were so concerned and anxious about what was happening in the U.S. At first I was a little annoyed. Why don't people live their own lives and focus on their own countries, I thought. But after reflection, I realized that the U.S. has an impact on every other nation.
It all came home to roost yesterday. I got a call from one of my renters. He was half of a wonderful couple that moved in in August. But, two months later he texted me that all was not well. He didn't give details. So, yesterday I learned that the woman, who had lost her phone, her car. and her job, had spent the day obtaining and drinking alcohol, had taken a hammer to the door to the spare bedroom. The guy works for Coors and had some beer in the closet of the spare bedroom. Both the closet and the bedroom door were locked. She took a hammer to the closet door also. She is in jail tonight.
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I am glad I do not have rental property. Interest rates are so low at the moment but there are no hassles. I am involved in shares through my superannuation fund but I have chosen the conservative option. I got a shock with the loss in March/April but they have recovered since.
I receive a payment from my Australian Super Fund every quarter and one came on Thursday when I was away with friends. In past years I left it in my Australian bank account and used it for travel but this year I have been transferring to NZ. Interest rates are slightly better here. I can get 1.25% for 6 months but only half that in Australia.
I transferred from my Australian account at 8.30am and they were in my NZ account just after 10am.
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I was thinking of the people of Nepal that I met in 2012. They were so concerned and anxious about what was happening in the U.S. At first I was a little annoyed. Why don't people live their own lives and focus on their own countries, I thought.
Sounds like they have some things they could focus on, from what I was told by a woman, a hospice social worker, who lived there for six months and was so traumatized by what she witnessed she never wanted to return.
But after reflection, I realized that the U.S. has an impact on every other nation.
True. At least more than any other nation has an affect on us or even, in many cases, each other.
So, yesterday I learned that the woman, who had lost her phone, her car. and her job, had spent the day obtaining and drinking alcohol, had taken a hammer to the door to the spare bedroom. The guy works for Coors and had some beer in the closet of the spare bedroom. Both the closet and the bedroom door were locked. She took a hammer to the closet door also. She is in jail tonight.
Wow, that's sad.
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So, the scenario in New Jersey may play out like this: people will rush to the stores to stock up and buy Thanksgiving provisions and then they'll go home, lock themselves inside with their family members, have a big feast and spread germs to each other. It's curious how he says not to even go outside. (I'm thankful for my large backyard garden.)
It wouldn't surprise me to see this happen.
Thanksgiving for my immediate family will be just the four of us, and since we've only been going out as necessary, we're all safe.
So, I was actually supposed to travel again three days ago, but I realized several weeks ago that it was not going to happen. I contacted traveling buddies and told them of my decision and sent money to pay for my share of the lodgings which he said were uncancelable. So I haven't heard from them since that time, and I'm afraid they're mad at me, but I was simply dying of stress even thinking about making the journey. :(
As for you backing out of the trip, you have to do what's right for you. Had you gone, I suspect that you would've spent the majority of your trip worried about picking up the virus, and wouldn't have enjoyed yourself.
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So, I was actually supposed to travel again three days ago, but I realized several weeks ago that it was not going to happen. I contacted traveling buddies and told them of my decision and sent money to pay for my share of the lodgings which he said were uncancelable. So I haven't heard from them since that time, and I'm afraid they're mad at me, but I was simply dying of stress even thinking about making the journey.
People should get to set their own boundaries. Especially since there are so many people who believe everybody should be responsible just for themselves. Those might sound similar, but they're kind of opposites. Setting your boundaries means ordering your groceries instead of shopping, turning down the dinner invitation, etc. The people who think it's everyone for themselves think that if they go into a crowded place without a mask they're only risking their own health
The other day on Nextdoor, a guy took the "everyone for themselves" side. There were probably 15 people on that thread trying to point out that not wearing a mask was not just all about him. At one point, I said, Jerry, do you know how contagion works? Because if you don't, we can have a discussion about that. But if you do know, you need to connect the dots and see how others could be affected by your going maskless in public.
Jerry never acknowledged that, just kept coming back with comments like "I don't care about your FEELINGS" in posts full of Trumplike all-caps.
Finally, Jerry said "I'll give a million dollars to anyone who can point to a study showing correlation between masks and COVID." So five minutes later a guy posted a study and said "I'll take that million." Then he linked a second study and said "Now it's two million." Then a whole page full of studies and said he wanted 21 million." I said, "Don't get greedy! Jerry didn't say he'd offer a million for every individual study. Just take your million and have fun with it."'
Not sure if he got his money using Venmo or Paypal or in person or with a check in the mail.
Going maskless to a crowded Trump rally or a motorcycle rally (or here people did it at a rodeo, Brokies!) is stupid for everyone involved. But in the end you catch COVID from just one person, whether they're at a big rally or across the table. That kind of blew me away when I thought about it.
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I heard from my traveling friends so they are not that mad at me. They're in the usual Gloucester place right behind the Man at the Wheel statue. So, it's very rainy there? Fallout from one of our many hurricanes this year?
It's amazing to me, Katherine, how much energy people in the U.S. expend talking about face masks. In Europe, there is no debate. You have your mask with you, you always wear it whenever signs tell you to.
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It's amazing to me, Katherine, how much energy people in the U.S. expend talking about face masks. In Europe, there is no debate. You have your mask with you, you always wear it whenever signs tell you to.
I mean, I haven't seen anyone refusing in a store or anything, though I mostly shop in pretty blue neighborhoods. But I've been to protests and I've seen people objecting online. Our national leader has, by example, depicted mask-wearing as wimpy and emasculating or something. We have fake news "experts" who claim masks are not effective. We have people who complain that a mask mandate tramples on their liberties. (I've asked numerous times whether it's then OK to drive 80 mph through a residential neighborhood because speed limits trample on their liberties.)
And we have people who are stupid. Objecting to mask wearing is like objecting to national health care. They're both about not caring what happens to other people.
Frankly, I think this may actually be what the founders had in mind. Encouraging people to have the freedom to express their thoughts and to live with limited government interference. Maybe they just didn't foresee people as being this stupid.
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I heard from my traveling friends so they are not that mad at me.
Yay! :D
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What big changes have you made in your life since the pandemic? It's important to feel like we have some little control of our destiny in these uncertain times.
Me, I've started talking to my cat. And most times, she answers back!
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Me, I've started talking to my cat. And most times, she answers back!
I do that, too, although much of the time we converse telepathically.
My biggest change is not going into the office, which is fantastic. COVID did me a great favor in that respect. At the very least, I'm saving an hour a day commuting and $160 a month renting a parking garage space.
Another positive change is that I work in an industry that is no longer the most collapsing sectors of the economy.
Yet another positive change is that I now have an excellent excuse not to go to the gym.
The biggest negative changes include not getting to meet friends for happy hours or dinners. Slightly offset by having a good excuse to order takeout or delivery -- I'm supporting my local businesses!
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I do that, too, although much of the time we converse telepathically.
You mean you talk to Charlie, right? Or have you acquired a cat too?
I, too, drive far far less than before pandemic (BP). And sometimes I wonder why I ever drove around so much in the first place. It was mostly because other people wanted me to show up to help them with something, be companions with them, or escort them. Or just be together. (I work at home.) I can understand the last reason and the first. But the companioning and escorting got out of hand. I like to visit with people once every month or two each but weekly or several times a week? No. I'm going to change my ways and be less available to amuse and entertain others. Going to focus on my grandchildren and people who need my help.
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You mean you talk to Charlie, right? Or have you acquired a cat too?
Oh, sorry, yes. I did mean Charlie. Although if anything should ever happen to Charlie (god forbid, but he did turn 12 this year) I probably wouldn't get another dog. But a cat would be nice! Cats are just much lower-maintenance than dogs and by then I might want to live in an apartment, which complicates dogs' needs even more. And they're about equal in terms of their conversational skills and witty repartee.
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Can I vent a little?
Aaarrrgh! I'm so angry about some of our politicians right now. And of course about the parents in my nursery!
Schools, kindergartens, nurseries etc. have been closed down due to high Corona numbers since mid-December. But: there are emergency openings for people who simply can NOT work from home, can not find a private place/person to look after the children, etc. Emergency only!
Guess what? In my group 8 out of 9 children attend nursery every day. And I know for sure that only 1 set of parents (out of 9) both go to work. That means 7 out of 9 children attend nursery even though at least one parent is at home full-time!
In contrast to the first lockdown last March/April, the parents do not need to show any kind of proof that/why they can't attend to their children themselves. The parents call my boss, say they need to bring the child, and that's it. My boss is not allowed to ask for the reasons, let alone to ask for proof. This lockdown is a joke, as far as kindergartens and nurseries are concerned (schools are different).
The parents lie to our faces, we know it, they know it. And we can't do anything about it. >:(
As for politicians, that's the state politicians of the federal country I work in. They failed to make regulations for parents needing proof of their emergency. In other federal countries the situation may be different.
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OH, that sucks, Chrissi!
I hope they rectify that quickly!
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I feel for you, having to put your health and safety at risk for reasons that don't seem important enough. I hope at least that children are tested to see if they have symptoms every morning. I also hope that your hours can be reduced with the lower class size. Is it possible to talk with your boss, or your bosses' boss?
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That sounds like a GDBOAUS, Chrissi!
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The parents lie to our faces, we know it, they know it. And we can't do anything about it. >:(
That's just awful. :(
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Thank you all. :-*
I feel for you, having to put your health and safety at risk for reasons that don't seem important enough.
Yes. Exactly that's the feeling I have. We have to put our health at risk for parents who are too lazy to look after their children. Not all of them of course; I don't have any trouble about having emergency openings, as long as they're really emergency only. Which in my group is clearly not the case.
I hope at least that children are tested to see if they have symptoms every morning.
Ha, ha, as if.
Have a cough? - go to nursery, as long as it's not persistend
Have a head cold/the sniffels? No worries, go to nursery (that one has been taken off the Corona warnings list)
And against fever parents like to give Ibuprofen in the mornings - you realize the child is not well, and after about half a day, when the Ibuprofen wears off, the fever starts to rise.
Have a slight fever? Anything under 38°C (=100.4F) does not count.
I do love my job. I love the little ones. But the longer I work in this job, the more I dislike parents. "Everything's okay, he's fit as a fiddle." I get told in the morning, looking at a child with glassy eyes and a runny nose.
We play this dammit game every winter. They always try to bring their sick children. Corona just makes that kind of game more dangerous.
I am so, so sick of being lied to my face.
One father told us he has to work and the child's mother is very sick, so it's an emergency. He said his wife is immunocompromised. To wich we replied, in that case it's a very bad idea to bring the child to nursery. Suddenly the wife had "a different illness" and was not immunocompromised any longer. :-X
One father told us his child does not have a fever (we had measured beforehand). The child was only "overheated" and it was our fault, because on said day we didn't have outdoors playtime. Sure. :P
I work only 16 hours a week, on two days. So I can't reduce hours, wouldn't make any sense. I asked my boss to be temporarily transferred to a different job as long as the Corona numbers are high, since I'm a higher risk person. My boss was all for it, but the boss's boss said no.
I could officially switch departments, but that would be permanently, I couldn't go back later. And I don't want that, I love my job.
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Sorry, Chrissi, that's really a GDBOAUS.
I was just reading a news story about people who work in an overwhelmed Los Angeles hospital and another about National Guardsmen who, for some reason, were banished from the Capitol after the inauguration and had 5,000 troops at close quarters, some of them COVID-positive, in a cold parking garage with one two-stall bathroom. Sounds like somebody screwed up, senators on both sides stepped in and they got it fixed within a few hours.
But it made me think about how lucky I am to have a job where I can work from home almost all the time in comfort and convenience. Except once every week or two, when I have to go mingle with the public.
Last week I interviewed veterans at a monument dedication. We were masked and outdoors, but standing within 2-3 feet, so on Sunday I got a COVID test. On Tuesday it came back negative. But that same day I had to interview more people:
1) A couple indoors, all of us masked, sitting across a medium-size table from each other. Medium risk.
2) A weird millionaire who, when I knocked on his door, invited me into his art-filled mansion. I kept my mask on; he was unmasked. We sat probably eight feet apart. His ex-wife came in to fix him lunch. I later learned he'd had a stroke and never left the house, and I imagine his ex-wife is fairly careful because of him. So probably low risk. HOWEVER ...
3) A guy whose main floor was filled with unmasked construction workers. When I knocked on his door, he invited me into his basement. We were both masked but no more than four feet apart, and when I got there he'd been working out in the basement. So, I assume, breathing and probably maskless, potentially filling the room with germs. Higher risk.
I guess I'll be getting another test this Sunday. ::)
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Hello everyone!
just got off the phone with mom. We have an update on Chris.
Chris had an appointment with a pulmonologist today, to see what's going on with him needing oxygen, as his oxygen levels always seem to drop when he's off oxygen. As silly as this sounds, I need to go into Chris' past.
When my mother was pregnant with Chris, she started to bleed. She and dad rushed to the hospital, and the doctors could not find a heartbeat, so they told her she had lost the baby, and gave her medicine to induce labor.
After giving her the meds and waiting, labor hadn't started, they examined, and found Chris' heartbeat. They immediate gave her another drug to stop the induced labor, and she carried Chris to term.
When Chris was born, he had a concave chest because his chest bones had not fused. You could see his skin pulsing where his heart was. He had to have surgery to have a plate put into his chest, to make up for the lost bone. Part of this procedure (because medicine was not as advanced as it is now) resulted in Chris having part of his lungs removed to accommodate future bone growth and the plate.
The pulmonologist explained that Chris has never had full lung capacity because of this surgery, so that's why his levels drop when he's off the oxygen.
She has cleared him to go back to work, and she's ordered a portable oxygen machine for him. She also recommended that the machine be dropped down again to a lower level. She also explained to him that going forward, if he ever gets a virus or pneumonia, he will most likely need oxygen again.
He contacted his job, and they will have a position open for him in March, that will be Monday - Friday, full-time hours, and it's not a problem for him to take his portable oxygen tank, if he needs it.
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That's good news! And it sounds like your family must have had a tough time in his infancy and childhood.
Is Chris older or younger than you?
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he's about 4 years younger than me
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Oh, dear. I guess this is his "new normal." I wish him well with it. I'm glad he will have a job to go to.
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I second Jeff's well wishes! :)
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Good news today. Colorado's governor says they're going to open up vaccinations to my age group starting February 8! Now, to try to get on a list for an appointment...
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Good luck, Lee! Keep us posted, please!
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Good news today. Colorado's governor says they're going to open up vaccinations to my age group starting February 8! Now, to try to get on a list for an appointment...
Have I already written about this on my blog? ???
Yesterday my teammate told me she has an appointment for late February to get a vaccine at a hospital in the region. She allowed as having the appointment doesn't necessarily mean there will be vaccine available at the time of her appointment. She said that she'd "heard" that this hospital was offering appointments. She spent two and a half hours online trying to get an appointment because the website kept crashing. I'm glad for her if she can get one, but I don't understand how she could get an appointment. Age-wise she doesn't yet qualify. I suppose it's possible she might have a health condition I'm unaware of, or maybe it has something to do with her daughter having had Covid-19 back in the spring.
It's so screwed up in Philadelphia. The city had partnered with a "nonprofit" to administer vaccines. Then the 22-year-old who was running the outfit turned the nonprofit into a "for profit" without telling the city. Plus he has been accused of taking four doses home with him and giving them to friends (he's not trained to give shots; he claims the vaccines were about to expire, and he "couldn't find" anyone else to give the doses to). The city has parted ways with him. They're still trying to vaccinate health care workers; I forget where they are on first responders and teachers.
I registered with the city, or maybe preregistered would be a better way to say it, but I have no idea when, maybe even if ever, I'll be able to get one.
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She spent two and a half hours online trying to get an appointment because the website kept crashing.
Sounds like Amanda's efforts to get Pearl Jam tickets on the Ticketmaster site last year. She and I were going to go to their concert in Baltimore near where she lives in Delaware but you had to get pre-approved even to get admitted to the site to try for tickets. She did all that, but then the site kept freezing and crashing and she never succeeded. We were both disappointed, as much by missing the prospect of a fun visit as by missing the concert.
It was just as well, though. The concert was scheduled for March 24, 2020. :o
Here they just held an open lottery for vaccines for anyone over 65. Other than that, I don't think anyone has gotten them but frontline/essential workers.
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I'm not sure how they are deciding who can get vaccines in NJ. My parents are 82 and 77, so they should be able to get them soon.
My younger brother Mike got his first already, but he's a police officer and a first responder, so he was early on the list.
My family has been told that we have to wait until April to get the vaccines, as we all had covid recently, and need to wait 90 days before we get the vaccine.
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They expect the Pfizer vaccine to receive approval this week. Australia approved it last week. However they do not expect to receive any supplies until late March and front line workers will get it first so, even though I am over 75, I will probably not get it until June.
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The New York Times reports that about 40% of US military turned down the vaccine when offered it and about 60% of nursing home residents in one state. Unbelievable!
I'm concerned about increased random violence that crime fighters say is related to the pandemic fatigue, isolation, additional regulation, social disruption, and economic strife. Things like domestic and neighbor disputes escalating into violence, road rage, and the like. Is this a problem in other countries? :'(
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I can't imagine all of those people refusing the vaccine.
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The New York Times reports that about 40% of US military turned down the vaccine when offered it and about 60% of nursing home residents in one state. Unbelievable!
I'm concerned about increased random violence that crime fighters say is related to the pandemic fatigue, isolation, additional regulation, social disruption, and economic strife. Things like domestic and neighbor disputes escalating into violence, road rage, and the like. Is this a problem in other countries? :'(
All I can say is 'No'
The first vaccinations are being given out in NZ today (actually yesterday to vaccinators themselves) to frontline border staff and their families. There are some reports of reluctance in Maori and Pasifika communities due to their poor experience with health providers in the past.
Our severe lockdown only lasted 7 weeks and finished last June. There was a 3 day lockdown last week in Auckland due to 3 cases that grew to 7 and there are still some restrictions there.
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I'm concerned about increased random violence that crime fighters say is related to the pandemic fatigue, isolation, additional regulation, social disruption, and economic strife. Things like domestic and neighbor disputes escalating into violence, road rage, and the like. Is this a problem in other countries? :'(
Violent crime is way up here. There's been a wave of carjackings. Last weekend, a vehicle was carjacked with a 1-year-old in it. Luckily, it was found two hours later and the baby was fine. But often the people with their cars have been pushed to the ground and things like that.
I hear the crime wave more often attributed to the George Floyd unrest than to COVID, partly because Minneapolis police are leaving the force and/or underpolicing out of anger because many citizens, including some city council members, wanted to abolish the Police Department. They've since softened that position, but it seems likely there will be some reorganization of the department.
What has increased with COVID is homelessness. The usual kind because people lose their jobs and can't pay rent. But also, homelessness among teens who leave home to avoid being trapped in households with domestic abuse, substance abuse, mental illness, family conflicts over LGBTQ issues, etc. Meanwhile, schools, stores, restaurants and coffee shops have been closed (they're semi-open on and off) so kids have no place to seek respite. I wrote about this last earlier this week.
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I'm concerned about increased random violence that crime fighters say is related to the pandemic fatigue, isolation, additional regulation, social disruption, and economic strife. Things like domestic and neighbor disputes escalating into violence, road rage, and the like. Is this a problem in other countries? :'(
No. Pandemic fatigue, yes. We're all fed up with restrictions, I know I am. I would love nothing more than having big birthday celebrations with the whole family, meeting with friends, etc. Most of all, I miss travelling so much!
I had so hoped to get to Canada this year, but well…..
Meanwhile I'd love to plan any vacation, any road trip, any small trip over a long weekend, just anything. Drives me up the walls; I started checking airfares, plotting routes, etc. - just for the heck of it, but in reality I have nowhere to go :'(
Numbers have been going down in Germany since mid-December, when we started our second big lockdown. Two month on, we're still in lockdown. Now the cases are going up again, despite the lockdown! It's the new variants that make the numbers go up. It just takes a little bit of hope from people.
You go into lockdown, you adhere to the rules, numbers are falling, you're thinking about easing restrictions - and then wham! numbers are on the rise again. It's a sucker punch >:(
But I haven't heard about rising violence. Domestic/child abuse might have risen over the last year. Sounds logical, but so far there are no data about it.
Just yesterday I've heard that burglaries have gone way down. People are at home all the time, and I guess even burglars shy back from the risk of catching Corona instead of money.
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Another piece of news I've suspected all along and have now confirmed it that my occupation (Erzieherin = people who take care of small children in nurseries, kindergartens, etc.) has the highest number Corona infections of all occupations! :o
We're higher even than nurses working in hospitals. We're also higher than teachers because teachers have more distance to their pupils.
Nurses have at least protective clothing, we have not. We do get masks, and we have to wear them when we leave our workspace, which is our assigned classroom. But within our classroom with 10 children and two or three colleagues, we don't wear masks.
You can't wear them with the youngest children. They need to see our faces to understand and they need to see our mouth movements to hear.
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You can't wear them with the youngest children. They need to see our faces to understand and they need to see our mouth movements to hear.
Wow, that's dangerous. Can people with your job get on the priority list for vaccination?
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Wow, that's dangerous. Can people with your job get on the priority list for vaccination?
No, not so far. Politics are now thinking about it.
Apart from prostitutes, we are the only profession working this close to other people without protection. And prostitution is still in lockdown, meaning they aren't allowed to work. Officially at least.
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And prostitution is still in lockdown, meaning they aren't allowed to work.
:laugh:
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Hello everyone!
Just wanted to give a new update on Chris.
He was supposed to go to the doctor on Friday, but that got cancelled due to the weather. However, the doctor had told Chris that he was doing well, and his plan was to take Chris off of the oxygen tanks during the day, and have him just use them at night.
Since Chris new that was going to happen, he decided to do it on his own anyway. He stopped using oxygen during the day starting Friday, and used his oximeter to monitor his oxygen levels. He was able to spend all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday off the machine, and use it only at night while sleeping.
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Great news, Chuck! Thanks for the update.
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Very glad to hear this. I'm glad your brother is doing so well.
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Super news, Chuck. Thanks for letting us know.
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That's good news, Chuckie :). Go Chris!
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I'll bet he feels better untethered! :D
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Glad to hear the good news about Chris!
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Wow, that's dangerous. Can people with your job get on the priority list for vaccination?
Now this was fast. New rules since yesterday. In some federal countries at least. My coworker booked her vaccination appointment last night.
I live in one federal country, but work in a different one. In my home federal country, I am not eligible for vaccination. But in the federal country I work at, I can get vaccinated. No free appointments however, the website keeps tossing me out.
I'll try again after midnight resp. after 5am tomorrow morning. Those are the times when new dates for appointments go online. Wish me luck :)
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Good luck in getting an appointment, Chrissi!
I think people who can't work from home and are exposed at their work should be among the first to get the vaxx.
I'm lucky in that my workplace is responsible for vaccinating the patients and staff at the nursing homes in our area.
If there were any leftover doses, our own staff was allowed to have them. So I got my second shot yesterday. I feel very lucky.
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Good luck, Chrissi! Keep us posted!
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I asked my union president if journalists can get permission for early vaccines as sort of front-line-ish workers. She said she hadn't heard of any but also wondered how would the public react to journalists "jumping the line" for the vaccine.
Good point. The public has a bad enough view of journalists already. Never mind that we have to wade into germ-filled places where they flout basic safety rules.
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Well, here's some good news. My dad now as an appointment to get a vaccine at his doctor's office at 9:20 a.m. Saturday.
The doctor's office phoned him. Fortunately, the last time I was with him I figured out how to add his doctor's phone number to the "Top Ten" numbers in the contact list in his cell phone, so he knew immediately it was the doctor's office calling.
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Yay! Good news for you, too, Jeff.
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Yay! Good news for you, too, Jeff.
Yes, it is. It's a relief, too.
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Well, here's some good news. My dad now as an appointment to get a vaccine at his doctor's office at 9:20 a.m. Saturday.
The doctor's office phoned him. Fortunately, the last time I was with him I figured out how to add his doctor's phone number to the "Top Ten" numbers in the contact list in his cell phone, so he knew immediately it was the doctor's office calling.
Super, glad to hear this! :)
I got my vaccination appointments, yay! :D
The first dose will be in roughly three weeks, the second dose sometimes in May. It's the AstraZeneca vaccine, thus a longer period between the two shots.
AstraZeneca is not given to people over 65 in Germany (as they were not or barely part of the studies). Thus some federal countries have a surplus of the Astra Zeneca vaccine right now. This is the reason they start vaccinating people under 65 in certain professions.
And more good news: we had been promised regular tests last November, but they never came.
Now they do come: from next week on, my workplace gets two Covid tests per person per week. The only problem is, my boss has to organize some medical professional to take the tests.
Our upper management has organized the tests, but not testing staff. Each boss has to organize testing staff on their own, which is of course stupid AF.
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Great news, Chrissi and Jeff! :)
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Well, here's some good news. My dad now as an appointment to get a vaccine at his doctor's office at 9:20 a.m. Saturday.
The doctor's office phoned him. Fortunately, the last time I was with him I figured out how to add his doctor's phone number to the "Top Ten" numbers in the contact list in his cell phone, so he knew immediately it was the doctor's office calling.
Great news, Jeff!!
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Super, glad to hear this! :)
I got my vaccination appointments, yay! :D
The first dose will be in roughly three weeks, the second dose sometimes in May. It's the AstraZeneca vaccine, thus a longer period between the two shots.
AstraZeneca is not given to people over 65 in Germany (as they were not or barely part of the studies). Thus some federal countries have a surplus of the Astra Zeneca vaccine right now. This is the reason they start vaccinating people under 65 in certain professions.
And more good news: we had been promised regular tests last November, but they never came. Now they do come: from next week on, my workplace gets two Covid tests per person per week. The only problem is, my boss has to organize some medical professional to take the tests. Our upper management has organized the tests, but not testing staff. Each boss has to organize testing staff on their own, which is of course stupid AF.
Great news for you too, Chrissi!!
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My dad had his shot this morning, the Moderna. They gave him an appointment for his second shot, and it's exactly a month from his appointment today, 9:20 a.m. on March 27.
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Fantastic!
Make sure he's prepared that he may have a reaction to the second shot. I know a number of people who did.
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Fantastic!
Make sure he's prepared that he may have a reaction to the second shot. I know a number of people who did.
Yes, I've heard,/read that couple of times, too. That people have more of a reaction to the second shot, compared to the first. But today there's an article in my newspaper's science section stating the opposite: more people get a reaction to the first shot, rather than the second.
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Now there's a new one-shot vaccine from Johnson & Johnson. I think it just came out last week.
It's amazing how all these different companies were able to develop vaccines within a year. I assume they all have at least slightly different ingredients. Of course, there's a lot on the line, so I imagine they devoted a lot of resources to the search.
But it could so easily have gone the other way (which, I suppose, it still might). After all, there's the old "they can't cure the common cold" saying and the cold is a virus, too.
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There are differences between the vaccines. I think there are 2 major types but reading the online information makes my eyes glaze over. I will not have a choice anyway and will need to trust our health professionals. However the sooner the better for me.
Here they started vaccinating border workers 10 days ago but say the general population will be in the 2nd half of the year.
However, despite our good record, we have idiots. There were a few cases at a high school early last week and the school was closed, students and their families tested and told to isolate. Most co-operated. One student worked a shift at KFC and then tested positive so the KFC was closed, all customers that day and families told to isolate but no effect on the city as a whole.
However one 21 year old from one of the school families had symptoms on Tuesday went to college, gym, fast food etc and finally went to the GP on Friday for a test then went to the gym on the way home (everyone with brains knows that you get tested then go home and isolate until the result). On Saturday found to be positive and now the whole city of Auckland (nearly 2 million people) is in lockdown, only essential services and not allowed to travel.
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Hello everyone!
Just wanted to give a new update on Chris.
He was supposed to go to the doctor on Friday, but that got cancelled due to the weather. However, the doctor had told Chris that he was doing well, and his plan was to take Chris off of the oxygen tanks during the day, and have him just use them at night.
Since Chris new that was going to happen, he decided to do it on his own anyway. He stopped using oxygen during the day starting Friday, and used his oximeter to monitor his oxygen levels. He was able to spend all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday off the machine, and use it only at night while sleeping.
Just wanted to give what should be the last update on Chris. He's only been using the machine at night, and goes all day without it.
He got his paperwork from his doctor, and was cleared to go back to work, and has been back on the job since Monday of last week.
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Really great news, Chuck!
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Excellent news, Chuck!
Is Chris now considered to have immunity, do you know? Or would he still get a vaccine when the opportunity comes up?
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A real success story! And I presume your folks are also doing okay.
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A real success story! And I presume your folks are also doing okay.
Yes, they're doing well too!
Excellent news, Chuck!
Is Chris now considered to have immunity, do you know? Or would he still get a vaccine when the opportunity comes up?
As I understand it, we are all immune for 90 days or so. Then, we lose the immunity. He's spoken to his doctor, and has been advised to get the vaccine. Mom and Dad found out that a local CVS will be administering the vaccine as of Friday, so they are going to call on Friday and find out what they need to do to register, and then we'll all register for it.
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Just wanted to give what should be the last update on Chris. He's only been using the machine at night, and goes all day without it.
He got his paperwork from his doctor, and was cleared to go back to work, and has been back on the job since Monday of last week.
That's very good news! I'm glad to hear it. Thanks for letting us know.
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I'm preregistered with both the city and the university hospital where I receive my primary care. On Friday I had an e-mail from the city to notify me that my registration had been received, but as for when a shot may be available, it was more or less "We'll let you know."
Our building manager will look into seeing if our condo community might qualify for vaccination right here in our building. It seems this has been done in other high-rise communities here in the city.
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Our government has just announced that the elderly :( (over 75) will be vaccinated in May. I will be 77 next week.
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My state just announced that next to be vaccinated would be the chronically ill and frontline workers. I was like, what?! Didn't they do them already?
A friend posted on Facebook that she'd received the first of the two-shot vaccine. She'd really wanted the one-shot. When she got home, she was notified that she could go get a one-shot. Too late, of course.
But I wondered how she was eligible in the first place. She was in my high school class, so at most a year older than me. She doesn't have a frontline job. She seems healthy, but of course I don't know what underlying issues she might have. And I get the feeling her husband might have a bigger health issue. I was tempted to ask how she'd qualified, but that seemed nosy.
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Here they started with front line border workers in mid February and I think they have all now received their first shot. They are now doing their families. They will soon (April?) start on all health workers and will also do the elderly and those with health issues in the area of South Auckland. That is around the international airport, has a large proportion of border workers and also a very large Maori and Pasifika population. It has been the main area of outbreaks.
So in May they will get round to those of us over 65 (the age seems to have gone down on the News) in the rest of the country. There was agitation yesterday to make the age lower for Maori/Pasifika.
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Sorry, but I think people are being overly optimistic about these vaccines. I'm not saying I believe they won't be effective, and I will take whichever one I can get. I just don't believe they will return the world to March 1, 2020, and I think I hear too many people talking like they think they will. New virus variants may just take us back to square one. At the very best, I expect we will need to get shots for coronavirus every year, just as we do flu shots, and that's no so bad.
I have been wrong before. When the first HIV medications came out, I expected they would be effective for about five years, and then they would cease to work. Fortunately I was wrong, and new medications were developed and are still being developed. Now we even have PReP.
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At the very best, I expect we will need to get shots for coronavirus every year, just as we do flu shots, and that's no so bad.
Like you said: that'll be totally ok with me. Even if the SARS-COV19 virus is here to stay, we shouldn't forget that people can be killed by thousands of reasons. If it comes down to a manageable level, comparable with the flu, I think we could and should and will go back to the world of 2019.
Another aspect is that pandemics work themselves out over a couple of years anyway. Not sure of the medical term, but compare it with the black death, even that one didn't ravage forever and ever, but came in waves with long times in between.
I had my first vaccination shot with AstraZeneca on March 9th. For two days I felt like cr*p: fever, shivering, a bad headache and overall fatigue. Still beats getting (a possibly severe case of) Covid by a mile.
The good news is that with the AstraZeneca vaccine you have a reaction to the first dose, but not to the second (most people). With the Biontech vaccine it's the other way round for most people. So I don't await a strong reaction next time. :)
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For two days I felt like cr*p: fever, shivering, a bad headache and overall fatigue.
Slightly OT, but here's what I've always wondered. A fever means your immune system is fighting the invader, right? Maybe this is too literal, but I've imagined it heating up your body up until the invader is killed off or driven away by the heat. But if that's the case, should we be subduing fever with aspirin or ibuprofen? Shouldn't we just let the fever do its work?
I wonder -- my scientific theory based on complete lack of knowledge -- if maybe we're so used to not having to experience discomfort that we're too quick to feel better in the short run? Not you, of course, Chrissi -- I don't know if you do that, but most Americans do for sure, both for themselves and their children. If you call a nurse advisor line about a fever, they'll tell you to take aspirin.
Also, I think historic fatal diseases with the word "fever" in them -- scarlet fever, yellow fever, etc. -- imply the high fever itself is what's deadly. I bet the fever is a symptom, not a cause, and people were killed by the invading whatever it was.
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I think we could and should and will go back to the world of 2019.
I don't want to go back to that world completely. I want to continue working mostly from home and wearing relaxed and comfortable clothing. I don't want to waste an hour a day, not to mention gas, etc., driving back and forth from downtown, parking in a ramp, walking to the building, going up the elevator and so on.
Not everybody can do that, of course. And I can't do my work from anywhere -- I don't have to go into the office every day, but I have to be close enough to go out and see people in person occasionally. But the pandemic has shown a lot of people they could do their job literally from anywhere. There's some indication those people will move, or already are moving, out of expensive cities and downtowns. Rising crime is also part of that.
A one-year virus, bad as it was, might not have made enough of an impact for dramatic permanent societal change. And some will always want to live amid the excitement of cities, which is partly why cities exist in the first place. But I do think it might shift things a bit.
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Slightly OT, but here's what I've always wondered. A fever means your immune system is fighting the invader, right? Maybe this is too literal, but I've imagined it heating up your body up until the invader is killed off or driven away by the heat. But if that's the case, should we be subduing fever with aspirin or ibuprofen? Shouldn't we just let the fever do its work?
Yes, up to a point. I've heard that you shouldn't let a fever get above 104 degrees F; if that happens, bring it down with a cold water bath or something like that.
I wonder -- my scientific theory based on complete lack of knowledge -- if maybe we're so used to not having to experience discomfort that we're too quick to feel better in the short run? Not you, of course, Chrissi -- I don't know if you do that, but most Americans do for sure, both for themselves and their children. If you call a nurse advisor line about a fever, they'll tell you to take aspirin.
Yes, that's true, taking a fever reducer will suppress your body's natural reactions to heal itself. But there's also white blood cells to do the work as well. Side note, children should not take aspirin; they should take a different pain reliever.
Also, I think historic fatal diseases with the word "fever" in them -- scarlet fever, yellow fever, etc. -- imply the high fever itself is what's deadly. I bet the fever is a symptom, not a cause, and people were killed by the invading whatever it was.
I think you're right. PS: I'm not a doctor, I only play one on BetterMost!
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PS: I'm not a doctor, I only play one on BetterMost!
Of course, we do have a certified doctor in the house, but I'm not sure he frequents this thread.
I can't remember what I did or didn't give my children for fevers. But Bayer makes a specifically labeled children's aspirin. Is that to be avoided? I know a lot of adults do take it for heart conditions, and that's doctor-recommended if appropriate.
And good point about the white blood cells, maybe you should take the MCAT.
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For children paracetamol was advised before we had ibuprofen. Nowadays of course it is the latter.
I remember that the Nurofen Sirup was the brand new sh*t when my youngest was Kindergarten age. It wasn't available when my daughters were small; they had paracetamol.
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I don't want to go back to that world completely. I want to continue working mostly from home and wearing relaxed and comfortable clothing. I don't want to waste an hour a day, not to mention gas, etc., driving back and forth from downtown, parking in a ramp, walking to the building, going up the elevator and so on.
Agreed. I was thinking along the lines of social stuff: going to restaurants, movie theaters, celebrating birthdays, hugging friends, coworkers and extended family, being social in general. And something I miss terribly: travelling!
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On the Australian Tripadvisor site we have complaints from people, one guy from Ireland in particular, about Australia not likely to allow tourists before 2022 at the earliest (and NZ is the same). The replies are that we are quite happy even if we cannot travel.
This week, on Thursday I went to Tennessee Williams play "The Glass Menagerie" and I have just come home from a Musical evening of 1970's songs. After 2 full hours, it finished with most of us standing and clapping and many dancing in the aisles to 'YMCA'.
Yes I miss travel and long to go visit my sister and friends in Sydney but I am also thankful that we have no community cases of Covid and, except for travel, life is as normal. From April 6 to 24 we have the Biennial Arts Festival postponed from last October and I will be going to lots of plays and musical evenings.
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For children paracetamol was advised before we had ibuprofen. Nowadays of course it is the latter.
I remember that the Nurofen Sirup was the brand new sh*t when my youngest was Kindergarten age. It wasn't available when my daughters were small; they had paracetamol.
Incidentally, the U.S. name for paracetamol is acetaminophen--that is, Tylenol.
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I got my first vaccine today.
;D
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So, I woke this morning fine, but I didn't sleep well last night.
By noon, I was feeling worn out and dealing with mild chills. I don't know if the worn out feeling is due to the vaccine, the poor night's sleep, or a combination of both.
I'm going to go to bed earlier than usual, and hopefully I'll wake up rested.
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A coworker I saw Wednesday had just gotten it and felt terrible; he took most of the day off work, had a terrible night, but felt better the next day.
Hope you feel better now, Chuck!
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As of Thursday, my family got their first vaccines.
Dad and I were vaxxed on Wednesday, and felt the effects on Thursday, and were over it by Friday.
Mom and Chris were vaxxed on Thursday, felt the effects on Friday, and were over it today.
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I have an appointment for Wednesday afternoon. I just realized I need to be able to work on Thursday so I can finish a story by Friday. Hopefully my reaction will be mild, as I believe many are.
And I guess if I'm too sick to work they can probably push ahead the deadline and I'm covered by COVID pay.
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I had my second shot on a Wednesday morning. I felt fine the rest of that day but took a nap and went to bed early. Thursday I felt okay but after my morning shower started to feel increasingly fatigued. It was as if the shower washed away all my energy. I went to bed early and slept more than 12 hours! On Friday I started to feel better and on Saturday was back in the pink. :)
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It was as if the shower washed away all my energy.
Thanks for the warning. I'll skip showering! :laugh:
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Thanks for the warning. I'll skip showering! :laugh:
Nobody go near Katy that day! :laugh:
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And around here I'm still being told I'm not yet in the correct Phase.
Our condo association is arranging for vaccines to be given right in my building. That would be wonderful, though the registration form, once again, notes that I'm not yet in the correct Phase, so we'll see what happens.
I've also submitted a preregistration for the county where my father lives, so we'll see what happens there, too.
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What's a Phase? That must be specific to PA. In MN, some people were given priority -- old people, healthcare workers, frontline workers and people with underlying conditions. Maybe Phase is the equivalent of that?
A couple of weeks ago the governor opened vaccines to everyone over 16. It's still hard to get them if you're not in a priority group. My colleague who got sick from his shot gave me incredibly complicated instructions -- you register with all chain drug stores, follow some particular account on Twitter, plus four or five other steps.
In my case, I found that my usual clinic offers a certain number each week that they give to whoever gets appointments first. Appointments can only be made on Thursday and Friday. So last Thursday morning I called the clinic 24 times -- that's how long it took to even get put on hold; the first 23 the call wouldn't even go through. When I did finally reach a human they had about three openings for this Wednesday. I took one, and they sign you up for an appointment exactly two weeks later.
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What's a Phase? That must be specific to PA. In MN, some people were given priority -- old people, healthcare workers, frontline workers and people with underlying conditions. Maybe Phase is the equivalent of that?
That's how people are prioritized here. Phase 1a, 1b, 1c would be old people, healthcare workers, and so on. I don't keep track of who is in what Phase 1 phase because the only thing that matters to me is that I only qualify for Phase 2, which is pretty much everybody else.
Last night I filled out the form for vaccines to be given right in my condo building. In the first place, I wonder if that will happen if they don't get a certain number of people to sign up for it. In the second place, the form, as usual, begins with the caveat that right now Philadelphia is vaccinating only people in Phase 1 whatever.
This morning I tried to phone to stop getting e-mail notices that my father can schedule a vaccine appointment (because he's already been vaccinated). Right. There is only one phone number to do that, you can't use the internet to cancel the notices, and the phone number is the same as the one you call for help scheduling an appointment. That's stupid.
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This morning I tried to phone to stop getting e-mail notices that my father can schedule a vaccine appointment (because he's already been vaccinated. Right. There is only one phone number to do that, you can't use the internet to cancel the notices, and the phone number is the same as the one you call for help scheduling an appointment. That's stupid.
Too bad you can say, he's already been vaccinated, but I could take that appointment.
Sounds like PA is like MN in regard to inefficient websites and phones.
The worst case I experienced was the year I applied for Obamacare and accidentally marked my part-time contract job an employer. They kept me employed, but they're not an official w2 employer. If they were, they'd probably have to be involved in my Obamacare in some way, and avoiding that was the very reason the company had so many contract workers. The website lets you change your current status, but not something from the past. I tried calling, got through fairly quickly to a guy who he had no idea how to resolve the issue but would transfer me to the appropriate department. After sitting on hold for an hour I realized that for all I knew he had transferred me into oblivion. So I hung up. While deciding what to do next, I got court papers saying I had to settle my dispute with the contract company through court. I called the court number and tried to tell that person I'M NOT DISPUTING THEIR ACCOUNT -- WE'RE ON THE SAME SIDE. The guy said he couldn't cancel the court thing anyway!!! Finally they did cancel it. But only after wasting that much time and money by making it essential impossible to correct errors on the state site.
Plus the website is so poorly arranged I could have done a better job mysel -- not with the technical parts, but with the writing. For example, it asks whether you're a Native American, whether you're Black, and so on. Instead of having things you could check, you had to get a dropdown menu for each one and answer "yes" or "no."
Plus the gender question only gave two options, which is so 20th century.
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Too bad you can say, he's already been vaccinated, but I could take that appointment.
As a matter of fact, on Friday I tried to register for the Lancaster County mass-vaccination site, and I was successful. To my surprise, on Saturday I got an e-mail that said I could schedule an appointment! I tried to do it online, but it didn't work. I more-than-half suspect there is a problem because the same e-mail address is used for my dad and for me.
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Last evening there was a report on our local NBC affiliate that over in Camden County, New Jersey, vaccination appointments already stretch all the way into October.
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Then I feel lucky -- mine is today, at my regular clinic, 15 minutes away. I know a number of people who have traveled to other parts of the state, 100+ miles, to get theirs.
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As a matter of fact, on Friday I tried to register for the Lancaster County mass-vaccination site, and I was successful. To my surprise, on Saturday I got an e-mail that said I could schedule an appointment! I tried to do it online, but it didn't work. I more-than-half suspect there is a problem because the same e-mail address is used for my dad and for me.
I'm sure that's what happened, because it happened with my dad. He tried to have a friend register my mom, but the friend registered my dad with my mom's email address, so when I tried to register mom with her email, I got an error message. I had to register my mom with my dad's email, and then it went through.
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I'm sure that's what happened, because it happened with my dad. He tried to have a friend register my mom, but the friend registered my dad with my mom's email address, so when I tried to register mom with her email, I got an error message. I had to register my mom with my dad's email, and then it went through.
Of course, when my dad's visiting nurse registered him, she used my e-mail address because my dad doesn't have e-mail. The the odd thing here is that I used my e-mail address to submit the registration, and then I got the e-mail, at my address, that said I was eligible to schedule an appointment. When I tried to schedule an appointment, I verified my date of birth, and then the message I got was that there are no vaccination sites within 100 miles of my dad's address!
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Well, that was kind of unexpected. I got my first Covid shot at a Walgreens after work this afternoon.
A couple of weeks ago, a neighbor (older and fully vaccinated) suggested trying a Walgreens later in the day to ask if they had any "leftovers." This afternoon I finally got up the nerve to try it. I went to a smaller, kind of out-of-the-way Walgreens and asked if they had any leftovers from today. The pharmacist never answered the question, but he said, "Would you like to get your shot now?"
(Well, duh. ...)
It's the Pfizer, so I go back on the 28th for the second shot.
No more dealing with websites that don't work, phone calls that don't go through, or waiting on the City. That is such a relief!
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Great news! Congrats on that first vax!!!
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Great news! Congrats on that first vax!!!
Thanks. :)
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I got my first yesterday, too.
I realized when I got there that when I reached a human on the phone last week, I should have made an appointment for my son, too -- he goes to the same clinic and there were several openings. I told the nurses that when I called last Thursday it took me 24 tries and I couldn't even get through to be put on hold. They said they couldn't even use their own office phones then and had to call out using personal cells.
So I told the nurse my son was also a patient at the clinic, she looked him up, wrote down his phone number and said that if she remembers, she'll call him this morning to set an appointment.
Just as I finished typing the sentence above, she called! She had an appointment available for next week. Unfortunately, my son will be in Phoenix for a friend's wedding at the time of the second shot, so he'll have to try again.
I'll recommend your method, Jeff!
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Congrats, Katy!
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I'll recommend your method, Jeff!
My guess is it wouldn't work with a doctor's office or clinic or large drugstore. If he can find a small drugstore that gives the shots, as I did, he might have better luck.
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Feels kind of weird being half-vaccinated.
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I know. Are we sort of half immune now? That is, we could still get it but are less likely to, or it would be a milder case?
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I know. Are we sort of half immune now? That is, we could still get it but are less likely to, or it would be a milder case?
Ya got me.
I was told to call a few days before April 28 to make an appointment for my second shot. I think I'm going to call next week to see if they'll make me an appointment that far ahead. I'm concerned about what might happen after April 19, when everyone becomes eligible for an appointment.
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Ya got me.
I was told to call a few days before April 28 to make an appointment for my second shot. I think I'm going to call next week to see if they'll make me an appointment that far ahead. I'm concerned about what might happen after April 19, when everyone becomes eligible for an appointment.
When I went in for my first shot Wednesday, they automatically set me up for the second one. But what was weird was they scheduled it for May 5. I thought the shots were two weeks apart. Or is it at least two weeks apart?
I had no ill effects whatsoever. Even the shot didn't hurt. Just now I rubbed my shoulder and noticed it's very slightly painful. But all I have to do is not rub my shoulder! :laugh:
Here's hoping the second one is this easy.
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When I went in for my first shot Wednesday, they automatically set me up for the second one. But what was weird was they scheduled it for May 5. I thought the shots were two weeks apart. Or is it at least two weeks apart?
Oh, no. Moderna is four weeks apart, and Pfizer (the one I got) is three weeks apart.
When my dad had his first shot, he was given an appointment for the second shot. He had his in his primary doctor's office, and didn't you have yours at a clinic? I got mine at a pharmacy. Maybe that makes the difference.
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Oh, no. Moderna is four weeks apart, and Pfizer (the one I got) is three weeks apart.
When my dad had his first shot, he was given an appointment for the second shot. He had his in his primary doctor's office, and didn't you have yours at a clinic? I got mine at a pharmacy. Maybe that makes the difference.
Yes, I got mine at my usual clinic. So if you go to a pharmacy and it's time for the second shot do you have to desperately look around for a place to get it?
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Yes, I got mine at my usual clinic. So if you go to a pharmacy and it's time for the second shot do you have to desperately look around for a place to get it?
When I showed up for my first shot at the pharmacy, they gave me an appointment for the second shot.
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Yes, I got mine at my usual clinic. So if you go to a pharmacy and it's time for the second shot do you have to desperately look around for a place to get it?
No, you go back to the same pharmacy. That's where they have the record of your first shot.
I was told to call a few days ahead of the 28th to make an appointment. I was surprised to get an e-mail yesterday that said the pharmacy would remind me a few days ahead of the date, probably to call for an appointment. I may try calling some time this week anyway to see what happens.
When I got #1, I asked about being given an appointment for the second dose. That's when I was told to call.
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I just read somewhere that the second dose is worse.
I've also heard it's harder on younger people, though.
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I just read somewhere that the second dose is worse.
I've heard that, too.
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What do people think? Will we have a fourth wave? Or will we escape it. I understand there's a wave going on in Europe. Is that true? How awful if it is!
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I believe there'll be a fourth wave, but perhaps more regionally. The 1918 influenza pandemic lasted from Feb '18 till April '20. We're just a year into this one.
Way too many stupid people in this country. Starting with governors. Then with vaccine deniers. I'm embarrassed to say that up to a third of healthcare workers are refusing the vaccine, including hospital employees and home care workers. Plus, we have all the new, more virulent variants.
I suspect we'll be needing "booster" vaccines for years to come.
We'll shortly have a surplus of vaccines. Will he help less fortunate countries???
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I go for my second dose on the 28th, just over a week away. I'm mentally preparing myself mentally for the side effects.
I've seen people complaining online about needing booster shots. I just assumed this would happen. Most people need a flu shot each year, why would CV-19 be any different?
I would like to know how we should schedule this stuff? Get the flu first, or the CV-19 one first? How long should we wait between the two?
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We'll see. There may be a "covi-flu" combination vaccine that we get every year.
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I'm embarrassed to say that up to a third of healthcare workers are refusing the vaccine, including hospital employees and home care workers.
What's up with that? I assume they're not anti-vaxxers in general, like those to prevent MMR and polio? Do they think these have been rolled out too quickly, without sufficient testing?
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Thanks for your insights, Paul! Humans are very strange creatures...
There's a great short article in today's New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/well/mind/covid-mental-health-languishing.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20210420&instance_id=29445&nl=the-morning®i_id=91026593&segment_id=55923&te=1&user_id=8b5ad6a133ffcce0b9fda3ccfb15b213) about how to vanquish "languishing" or that stuck, frozen feeling many have been having during the pandemic.
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What's up with that? I assume they're not anti-vaxxers in general, like those to prevent MMR and polio? Do they think these have been rolled out too quickly, without sufficient testing?
I really don't know what they think. Because it's under emergency authorization, the vaccine can't be "mandatory".
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I really don't know what they think. Because it's under emergency authorization, the vaccine can't be "mandatory".
I can understand that people are leery of being injected with something that hasn't gone through lengthy clinical trials, but the alternative seems far worse.
Unfun fact: It took me a few seconds to remember what clinical trials are called because I keep thinking criminal trials, what with the George Floyd verdict due at any time and potential resulting mayhem.
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I can understand that people are leery of being injected with something that hasn't gone through lengthy clinical trials, but the alternative seems far worse.
I'll confess to lingering concerns about the efficacy because of how quickly the vaccines were produced, and also, now, because of the variant strains, but, obviously, my concerns have not kept me from getting vaccinated; I've had the first dose, after all. It's the responsible thing to do, even if it provides only limited and partial protection. And I'm not afraid of the vaccine.
Even with my concerns, I think it would be a good thing if the current vaccines can give "breathing room" to develop other/better vaccines, or maybe a combination covid-flu vaccine.
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and just as a reminder that Covid hasn't gone anywhere yet, a friend of mine from Florida posted on his FB page that his wife has covid, and he had to rush her to the hospital. They treated her and sent her home, because there was no room for her, the hospital is overcrowded with covid patients.
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I'll confess to lingering concerns about the efficacy because of how quickly the vaccines were produced, and also, now, because of the variant strains, but, obviously, my concerns have not kept me from getting vaccinated; I've had the first dose, after all. It's the responsible thing to do, even if it provides only limited and partial protection.
and just as a reminder that Covid hasn't gone anywhere yet, a friend of mine from Florida posted on his FB page that his wife has covid, and he had to rush her to the hospital. They treated her and sent her home, because there was no room for her, the hospital is overcrowded with covid patients.
The way I look at it, if the vaccine has been out for a while and COVID cases are still high, the vaccine must be working. Because if vaccinated people were still getting COVID in large numbers we'd be hearing about it. I don't think it's hundert percent foolproof, but with the disease still swirling around the vaccinated people have plenty of opportunities to get COVID and if they haven't (very often, anyway), that's saying something.
If I were an anti-vaxxer, my biggest concern would not be the efficacy of the vaccine, but the fact that they're using it to plant tracking microchips to control humanity, courtesy of Bill Gates without lengthy clinical trials, leaving open the possibility that there might be some unwelcome longer-term side effects not yet discovered.
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What do people think? Will we have a fourth wave? Or will we escape it. I understand there's a wave going on in Europe. Is that true? How awful if it is!
Yes, we're in the middle of the third wave.
Re vaccines: in Germany the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine has been stopped for people under 60 years. There is a connection between AstraZeneca and cerebral venous thrombosis (? Not sure about the medical term) in people under 60. The risk to develop said thrombosis is low, lower than the risk of getting a bad case of Covid19, but it does exist.
Now everybody under 60 gets Biontech (Pfizer for you Americans) or Moderna.
I've had my first vax shot with AstraZeneca. Now there's he question of which vaccine to use for my second shot. I get offered Biontech, but could also take AstraZeneca again, on my own risk. I'm not sure what to do. My daughter (who has just ended her medical studies) isn't sure either, but says she would rather advise against AstraZeneca and take the Biontech one.
However, these two are different kinds of vaccines; one is a vector vaccine, the other one is a MRNA vaccine (again, not sure about the medical terms, I just translated them). Nobody knows about the effectiveness if you combine these two.
On a positive note, both of my girls are eligible to get vaccinated since they work resp. have internships in jobs that give you prioritization rights. They both get Biontech from the get-go (I got my first shot earlier, before they stopped AstraZeneca).
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What a mess! Keep us apprised of what you decide to do.
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Yes, Chrissi, please keep us posted.
I get my second shot on Wednesday.
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Yes, Chrissi, please keep us posted.
I get my second shot on Wednesday.
Any reactions to the second shot?
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I had the Phizer second shot and my only reaction was sleepiness/tiredness.
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I had the Phizer second shot and my only reaction was sleepiness/tiredness.
A friend of mine had that reaction, too. I don't know what time of day he had his shot, but I woke him up when I phoned him about 8:00 that evening.
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Any reactions to the second shot?
I haven't gotten it yet, Chrissi. I get it this Wednesday, the 28th.
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I haven't gotten it yet, Chrissi. I get it this Wednesday, the 28th.
Mine is set for 1:05 p.m. tomorrow.
I had a bit of a time getting the appointment. It seems I frequently have trouble deciding which key to push whenever I get one those electronic menus. The Walgreens electronic system wanted to give me an appointment at a different store from where I got the first shot. I didn't think that was such a good idea. Finally I decided to walk over to the store where I got the first shot. I figured the worst they could do was tell me No, and then I would go back to the phone and take what I could get and hope it was close by. So I walked over to the store and got an appointment.
Meanwhile, when I woke up this morning, the Eighties-Nineties radio station was playing "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)," by R.E.M.
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Meanwhile, when I woke up this morning, the Eighties-Nineties radio station was playing "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)," by R.E.M.
Yes, I recently read that song has stuck in people's heads lately -- a real instance of the Toto Africa phenomenon.
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Yes, I recently read that song has stuck in people's heads lately -- a real instance of the Toto Africa phenomenon.
Well, it has here! :laugh:
It's pretty amazing how Michael Stipe gets out those lyrics.
(The next song they played was "Margaritaville." ;D )
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It's pretty amazing how Michael Stipe gets out those lyrics.
Yeah, I've always wondered if that song counts as rapping. I don't think so, but I'm not sure exactly why. Something about the rhythm, maybe?
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Yeah, I've always wondered if that song counts as rapping. I don't think so, but I'm not sure exactly why. Something about the rhythm, maybe?
I wouldn't count it as rapping. The delivery reminds me of--something--but I can't place it. Maybe it was some song about the 1980s that I used to hear over the speakers at my gym, but I can't recall that either, and I'm certain I never knew who did it. It's almost like some sort of chant until he gets to the chorus.
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I wouldn't count it as rapping. The delivery reminds me of--something--but I can't place it. Maybe it was some song about the 1980s that I used to hear over the speakers at my gym, but I can't recall that either, and I'm certain I never knew who did it. It's almost like some sort of chant until he gets to the chorus.
Well, that's kind of what rapping is like -- saying rhyming phrases tunelessly between choruses -- right? Some rappers are more tuneless than Michael Stipe, but then all other REM songs have tunes, so it's a novelty for Stipe. Eminem can chant even faster than Stipe does in ItEotWaWKI.
I do think there's a diffaerence in rhythm or beat, but I don't really understand that stuff. Someone more familiar with rap might ....
... OK, I just texted one of my sons. He said: "I feel like just stylistically it doesn't really fit as rap." That seems true, if a little lacking in definitiveness. Certainly the subject matter and kinds of things they talk about are different.
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Well, that's kind of what rapping is like -- saying rhyming phrases tunelessly between choruses -- right? Some rappers are more tuneless than Michael Stipe, but then all other REM songs have tunes, so it's a novelty for Stipe. Eminem can chant even faster than Stipe does in ItEotWaWKI.
I do think there's a diffaerence in rhythm or beat, but I don't really understand that stuff. Someone more familiar with rap might ....
... OK, I just texted one of my sons. He said: "I feel like just stylistically it doesn't really fit as rap." That seems true, if a little lacking in definitiveness. Certainly the subject matter and kinds of things they talk about are different.
I know nothing about rap except that it's a thing. I was under the impression that the lyrics were (probably) slower than Stipe.
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Here is my version of early rap: it's from 1955, "Guys and Dolls". Whadya think?
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And then there was this, from "Music Man" (1957), also early rap, in my opinion.
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And if this isn't rap, I don't know what is. "Whadya Talk?" aka "Rock Island" also from Music Man.
This is actually brilliant!
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I know nothing about rap except that it's a thing. I was under the impression that the lyrics were (probably) slower than Stipe.
They probably usually are. But not always; take these examples. (Only 49 and 41 seconds respectively)
Eminem does that really well, but I think he's unusual in that respect. I don't know how a mouth can even move that fast.
Here's a more typical speed, by Jay-Z, but still pretty fast, maybe closer to ItEotWaWKI's pace. This one is the full-length song, which you've probably heard, but it's a nice video and aside from some of the lyrics I really like this song -- Alicia Keys' part at least as much as Jay-Z's.
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Here is my version of early rap: it's from 1955, "Guys and Dolls". Whadya think?
To me, that song sounds like regular old singing.
And then there was this, from "Music Man" (1957), also early rap, in my opinion.
Absolutely! Robert Preston is definitely rapping -- rapping about vice, in fact, a frequent hip-hop topic. Preston is widely recognized within the rap world as an early pioneer of the genre.
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Absolutely! Robert Preston is definitely rapping -- rapping about vice, in fact, a frequent hip-hop topic. Preston is widely recognized within the rap world as an early pioneer of the genre.
That's interesting. Then they really ought to give at least some credit to Meredith Wilson. He wrote it, after all. I wonder what he would think if he knew people were considering "Trouble" as an example of Rap?
I wonder if there was a term for that sort of thing in Wilson's day?
Has anybody ever expressed an opinion on something like "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General"?
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That's interesting. Then they really ought to give at least some credit to Meredith Wilson. He wrote it, after all. I wonder what he would think if he knew people were considering "Trouble" as an example of Rap?
I wonder if there was a term for that sort of thing in Wilson's day?
Well, I kinda answered my own question, I guess. Whoever compiled this list considers "Ya Got Trouble" to be a patter song. That's what I would have called it rather than a rap, but then I'm an Old Musical kinda guy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_patter_songs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_patter_songs)
It's the very last item listed in the "After G&S" category.
I didn't have time to read this word for word, but there seems to be some interesting and relevant stuff in it about the relationship between patter songs and rap.
https://newmusicaltheatre.com/blogs/green-room/why-i-care-about-rap-musicals (https://newmusicaltheatre.com/blogs/green-room/why-i-care-about-rap-musicals)
"He Doesn't Know the Territory" is from "Rock Island,"the opening number in The Music Man.
This author lists "Rock Island" but doesn't mention "Ya Got Trouble."
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/SOUND-OFF-Special-Edition-Top-10-Raddest-Baddest-Rap-Songs-In-Broadway-History-20150805 (https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/SOUND-OFF-Special-Edition-Top-10-Raddest-Baddest-Rap-Songs-In-Broadway-History-20150805)
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Hello All!
*waves*
As of 2 hours ago, I am double vaxxed! ;D
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Wonderful!
Which vaxx did you get?
How long before you can count on the full effect?
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Hello All!
*waves*
As of 2 hours ago, I am double vaxxed! ;D
Beat ya! I got mine at 1:05 p.m. ;D (I don't know why they made the appointment for 1:05 instead of just 1:00, but I don't really care. ;D )
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That's interesting. Then they really ought to give at least some credit to Meredith Wilson. He wrote it, after all. I wonder what he would think if he knew people were considering "Trouble" as an example of Rap?
Whoever compiled this list considers "Ya Got Trouble" to be a patter song. That's what I would have called it rather than a rap, but then I'm an Old Musical kinda guy.
Actually I was kidding, but the author of that article seems to see some validity in the comparison. I skimmed it pretty fast because the author is a scholar and most technical musical stuff is over my head.
We'll have to ask Lin-Manuel Miranda, who proved that rap can be a big hit on Broadway!
I considered adding Rex Harrison, who I remembered speak-singing his songs in My Fair Lady. But I took a quick look at "Why Can't the English Teach Their Children How to Speak?" and he's actually carrying a bit of a tune.
I also saw enough to conclude the show wouldn't go over very well today -- very classist, for one thing. I realize Prof. Harold Hill is supposed to be a bit of a snob, but that's not emphasized enough.
Sometime between then and now (probably late '60s, I would guess) aristocrats lost a lot of their coolness cred.
Plus, I've always resented the movie for dumping Julie Andrews, the star of the play, for Audrey Hepburn, whose singing had to be dubbed.
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Wonderful!
Which vaxx did you get?
How long before you can count on the full effect?
I got the Moderna, and I believe that after 2 weeks I'm considered "immune", but I don't think that's true.
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I considered adding Rex Harrison, who I remembered speak-singing his songs in My Fair Lady. But I took a quick look at "Why Can't the English Teach Their Children How to Speak?" and he's actually carrying a bit of a tune.
I also saw enough to conclude the show wouldn't go over very well today -- very classist, for one thing. I realize Prof. Harold Hill is supposed to be a bit of a snob, but that's not emphasized enough.
Sorry, you threw me for a minute there until I realized you meant Prof. Henry Higgins.
Plus, I've always resented the movie for dumping Julie Andrews, the star of the play, for Audrey Hepburn, whose singing had to be dubbed.
I'm with you there, though I do watch the movie for Rex Harrison. But that was outrageous, casting Audrey Hepburn and dubbing her. And not only did they dub her, they dubbed her with a soprano (I think it was Marni Nixon, but I'm not sure about that). The singing voice is so nothing like Audrey Hepburn's speaking voice.
I read somewhere that Hepburn was cast because she was a box office draw, and the powers that be thought of Julie Andrews as a stage actress. But you know what happened that year, don't you? They gave Julie Andrews the Oscar for Mary Poppins.
I'm sure there must be an original Broadway cast album out there somewhere. I have the London recording, and it's wonderful.
If you want to see/hear a successful dubbing from a few years before My Fair Lady, Marni Nixon dubbed Deborah Kerr in The King and I. I call that successful because Kerr's speaking voice and Nixon's singing voice are a pretty good match.
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Hello All!
*waves*
As of 2 hours ago, I am double vaxxed! ;D
Woke this morning with a sore arm, but other than that, I seem to be ok.
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Woke this morning with a sore arm, but other than that, I seem to be ok.
Mine's sore, too.
Getting this second dose was quite different from getting the first dose. This time it was given higher up in my arm, almost to my shoulder, and farther forward than the firs dose. The needle looked larger, too. I didn't feel the first shot going in, but I sure felt this one! ;D
Was it the dose itself, the size of the needle, or the technique and experience of the person giving the shot?
I'm glad I didn't have to go to a massvax center and get stuck by an inexperienced member of the National Guard.
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Sorry, you threw me for a minute there until I realized you meant Prof. Henry Higgins.
Oops! Sorry, I mixed up my 1950s musical Prof. H. H.s. :laugh:
I'm with you there, though I do watch the movie for Rex Harrison. But that was outrageous, casting Audrey Hepburn and dubbing her. And not only did they dub her, they dubbed her with a soprano (I think it was Marni Nixon, but I'm not sure about that). The singing voice is so nothing like Audrey Hepburn's speaking voice.
I read somewhere that Hepburn was cast because she was a box office draw, and the powers that be thought of Julie Andrews as a stage actress. But you know what happened that year, don't you? They gave Julie Andrews the Oscar for Mary Poppins.
I'm sure there must be an original Broadway cast album out there somewhere. I have the London recording, and it's wonderful.
It was Marni Nixon, which I only know from double checking my memory of the dubbing. Her name came back to me then. I suspected I also knew her from another context, and sure enough, she dubbed for Natalie Wood in West Side Story.
Julie Andrews is a better fit for Eliza Doolittle, whereas Audrey Hepburn is a better fit for Breakfast at Tiffany's and Two for the Road. Hard to imagine Julie in those roles.
If Julie had played Eliza the same year she played Mary Poppins, she could have canceled herself out at the Oscars! But how fun if they were a year apart and she'd won a trifecta -- Best Actress for those two plus The Sound of Music (for which she was nominated -- the award went to another Julie, Julie Christie).
There's undoubtedly an original Broadway cast MFL out there, because I had the album myself when I was a child, which is one reason I prefer Julie. If only I still had that record and had kept it in pristine condition for the past 50+ years! Somebody probably did.
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I got the Moderna, and I believe that after 2 weeks I'm considered "immune", but I don't think that's true.
Nobody is 100% immune.
But all the vaccines are supposed to give a high immunity.
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Mine's sore, too.
Getting this second dose was quite different from getting the first dose. This time it was given higher up in my arm, almost to my shoulder, and farther forward than the firs dose. The needle looked larger, too. I didn't feel the first shot going in, but I sure felt this one! ;D
Was it the dose itself, the size of the needle, or the technique and experience of the person giving the shot?
I'm glad I didn't have to go to a massvax center and get stuck by an inexperienced member of the National Guard.
It's the end of the first day after the vaccine, and I had no major reactions. However, I spent all day feeling very tired.
There were times I considered shutting down for the day from work, but calling out 'tired' seemed to be a wimpy thing to do, so I stayed online at work.
:laugh:
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It's the end of the first day after the vaccine, and I had no major reactions. However, I spent all day feeling very tired.
There were times I considered shutting down for the day from work, but calling out 'tired' seemed to be a wimpy thing to do, so I stayed online at work.
:laugh:
Unless something still comes up and smacks me upside the head, I guess I got off easy. No reaction at all to the first shot and only a sore arm from the second, and the soreness in the arm is gone.
My dad had the same experience--nothing more than a sore arm. He had the Moderna, and I had the Pfizer.
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There were times I considered shutting down for the day from work, but calling out 'tired' seemed to be a wimpy thing to do, so I stayed online at work.
I was on an assignment with a colleague the day he got his shot, and felt so terrible he had cancelled all work for the rest of the day. But he's a photographer and his work would have been taking pictures at hockey games, so pretty rigorous. I talked to him later and he said he'd had a terrible night. I've heard it's harder on younger people, though, and he's in his 20s.
We get a special time off category for COVID so we don't have to use up PTO, and we can use it for time taken to get vaccinated. So if I feel bad after my second dose next week, I'll use it for that, too.
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We get a special time off category for COVID so we don't have to use up PTO, and we can use it for time taken to get vaccinated. So if I feel bad after my second dose next week, I'll use it for that, too.
That's wonderful! I had to use my lunch break to get my second dose. Fortunately, the drug store was just a short walk, but I still fudged the time a little bit. ::)
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We were given 8 hours of "covid pto", I took 4 hours each shot, on the day of the vaccine.
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We got 80! Luckily I haven’t had to use them, and at some point they disappear. The benefit of being in a union, maybe.
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Update on mom, dad, and Chris.
Dad was vaccinated on Wednesday. Thursday was his reaction day, but he was up and at work, and then had to take mom for her vaccine that day. End result, he didn't rest. Chris and Mom's vaccine day was Thursday, so their reaction day was Friday. Chris went work, and dad was still worn out but went to work. Mom was the most worn out, and she spent the day on the couch. THey all went to be early on Friday, and slept the night through. They all woke up today (Saturday) feeling back to normal.
So we are all double vaccinated.
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Hooray!! :D
My second shot is scheduled for Wednesday. I'll try to leave some slack in my schedule at work next week in case I need rest time.
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All is well. At least, in the CellarDweller family.
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Yes, it is, thankfully!!!
Now, how does the India situation get fixed?
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All I had was a sore arm--that's all my dad had, too. ???
For both of us it was worse with the second shot than with the first.
Chuck, I'm glad to hear everything is OK with you and your family.
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I'm glad to hear Chuck & family and Jeff all had only slight reactions to their second shot. :)
Yay for you being fully vaxxed!
My second dose will be exactly one week from today and I still don't know what to do. I've talked to several colleagues since we're all in the same priority group and most of us had ArtraZeneca as first shot. Some had extra appointments with their regular docs, just to get their opinions, and in the end, they all said it's up to each person, they aren't any wiser in this case and can't give advise. *sigh*
Beat ya! I got mine at 1:05 p.m. ;D (I don't know why they made the appointment for 1:05 instead of just 1:00, but I don't really care. ;D )
:laugh: Germany can do better than that. My daughter had her appointment at 17:33 = 5:33PM :laugh:
In Germany, the third wave seems to break. Numbers are still high, but have been going down for the last two weeks.
The hot topic right now is the question of whether or not fully vaccinated people should be exempt from Corona restrictions. My opinion: so far only 8% of our population are fully vaccinated and that's mainly the elderly and all those especially vulnerable. It was for their protection our societies forwent so many things over the last year, now they can hold their horses for a little longer and stick to the same rules as everyone. They can damn well wait a little longer to enjoy their beer in a restaurant when all the young people couldn't do fun stuff for over a year.
Once most of the population will have had the opportunity for vaccination, or summer will have brought the numbers way down, we can talk again.
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The United States is 32% fully vaccinated, a much higher rate than countries, according to a clickable map on Google. But now the rate is slowing down because some idiots are still afraid the vaccines implant tracking chips or don't want them for whatever reason.
Now experts are apparently predicting we may never reach "herd immunity" and that the virus will always be with us.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/03/health/covid-herd-immunity-vaccine.html (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/03/health/covid-herd-immunity-vaccine.html)
"It is already clear, however, that the virus is changing too quickly, new variants are spreading too easily and vaccination is proceeding too slowly for herd immunity to be within reach anytime soon."
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How come I don't believe all the good news about COVID-19 that I keep hearing on TV?
Why do I still believe it's still premature, both the good news and all the reopenings?
And why do I believe the world is never going back to March 1, 2020?
(I can partially answer my last question myself. It's because of all the talk I need to listen to about how different my job will be eventually: Do I want to continue to work at home? Do I want to return to the office? Do I want to do some sort of hybrid of the two? How will I feel about taking public transportation during morning and evening rush hour?)
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How come I don't believe all the good news about COVID-19 that I keep hearing on TV?
Why do I still believe it's still premature, both the good news and all the reopenings?
And why do I believe the world is never going back to March 1, 2020?
(I can partially answer my last question myself. It's because of all the talk I need to listen to about how different my job will be eventually: Do I want to continue to work at home? Do I want to return to the office? Do I want to do some sort of hybrid of the two? How will I feel about taking public transportation during morning and evening rush hour?)
I think you have to answer all three yourself, because what you believe depends on whether you're an optimist or a pessimist. I find the virus news constantly conflicted -- sometimes everything is good, but sometimes (see my post above) not so good. We've gone through a year-plus in which the world's experts keep changing their minds: No masks necessary, yes masks necessary (which some suspect the experts knew all along but wanted to make sure frontline healthcare workers got masks first). You can get it from touching objects -- except no, not really. Six feet away is safe -- oh wait, unless you're inside a building then the aerosol effect spreads it throughout the room.
As for going back to the office, I think that's less about what experts say than what employers/employees say. This employee, for one, has no interest in going back to the office full time. A lot of my colleagues miss the bustling exciting newsroom atmosphere. I, on the other hand, find my workplace pretty toxic (I'm not the only one in that camp) and would gladly avoid it as much as possible. Beyond that, commuting takes an hour a day, my parking ramp costs $150 a month, downtown lunches if I don't bring my own are all about $10 apiece (I do miss sushi bowls, though!). I live halfway between the downtown office and the geographic area I cover, so any day I'm going out there to do something in person (which is hardly ever these days, but could always pick up) I can get there much more quickly from home. I never did get super dressed up but now I can wear whatever I want and be as comfortable as I want.
The telling moment for me was when I needed to pick up something in the office and thought about going in on a Friday and then thought, no wait, I have to write a story on deadline that day so I can't take the time to go all the way downtown. The office is where I used to write stories on deadline! :o :laugh:
Personally, the only thing I miss is seeing friends in person and movie theaters. And even the latter I'm not that eager for, especially since I can watch many of them much cheaper at home (though without the good popcorn :-\). My main movie theater, which is about 10 minutes from here, offers free parking and shows indie-ish movies, has closed, apparently permanently.
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...My main movie theater, which is about 10 minutes from here, offers free parking and shows indie-ish movies, has closed, apparently permanently.
That's a bummer. All of our Indie theaters have closed except one, so I'm getting to know it well.
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...now they can hold their horses for a little longer ...
Great saying! Should be a Brokieism if it's not. Is there such a saying in Germany?
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That's a bummer. All of our Indie theaters have closed except one, so I'm getting to know it well.
There are a couple of others here and I'm not sure what their status is currently but they're farther away and parking isn't free.
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Great saying! Should be a Brokieism if it's not. Is there such a saying in Germany?
Not sure what you're getting at. This version of hold your horses is mine ;D, if that's what you mean.
In German, we also have sayings along those lines and connected to horses:
"halt die Hufe still" = hold your hooves still. Slightly different meaning than hold your horses; in German it can mean to wait but also to be quiet/not to fidget.
We also have "Immer langsam mit den jungen Pferden" = take it slow with young horses, which also means not to rush something.
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Not sure what you're getting at. This version of hold your horses is mine ;D, if that's what you mean.
I am always highly impressed by your mastery of not just English but idiomatic English.
Come to think of it, your English -- at least as used here and on FB -- even seems to be the American version. I think you use American spellings (e.g., flavor vs. British flavour), or at least I've never noticed otherwise. Here's a user-friendly list of differences between British and American English
https://www.boredpanda.com/british-american-english-differences-language/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic (https://www.boredpanda.com/british-american-english-differences-language/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic)
Obviously you haven't had occasion to use all of these words, but I don't recall ever seeing you use a British version (with the possible exception of "grey," which Americans also use a lot). Yet I would think Europeans would learn British English. Do you know both and just adjust depending on your audience? Or do they teach the American version there? Or have you written "colour" or call a sweater a "jumper" and I just didn't notice? Or ...?
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American cultural imperialism runs rampant.
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I keep hearing stories about the situation in India. Citizens there must be in a constant state of panic. I can't imagine being there now.
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I am always highly impressed by your mastery of not just English but idiomatic English.
Come to think of it, your English -- at least as used here and on FB -- even seems to be the American version. I think you use American spellings (e.g., flavor vs. British flavour), or at least I've never noticed otherwise. Here's a user-friendly list of differences between British and American English
https://www.boredpanda.com/british-american-english-differences-language/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic (https://www.boredpanda.com/british-american-english-differences-language/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic)
Obviously you haven't had occasion to use all of these words, but I don't recall ever seeing you use a British version (with the possible exception of "grey," which Americans also use a lot). Yet I would think Europeans would learn British English. Do you know both and just adjust depending on your audience? Or do they teach the American version there? Or have you written "colour" or call a sweater a "jumper" and I just didn't notice? Or ...?
Yes, we learn British English at school.
Movies, TV and books are a big American influence. Spending thousands of hours on an American online forum is, too :laugh:
And whenever I look up a word in my dictionary, which is is only one tab away on my computer, it gives me both spellings, if applicable. Then I usually go with the American one, except in some instances, when the American version seems "wrong" to me. For example travelling/traveling. In my book it's just wrong to leave out the second l ;) ;D
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For example travelling/traveling. In my book it's just wrong to leave out the second l ;) ;D
Americans themselves often don't realize that canceled has only one L. Or that " should go outside of , and . That'as in the sentence below.
Ennis said he worried about "people on the pavement."
Logically, it doesn't make sense, but that's the American way! :laugh:
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Had my second shot yesterday. I went with the Biontech (Pfizer) vaccine, even though my first shot was AstraZeneca.
So far only a sore arm. I hope it stays like that.
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Americans themselves often don't realize that canceled has only one L. Or that " should go outside of , and . That'as in the sentence below.
Ennis said he worried about "people on the pavement."
Logically, it doesn't make sense, but that's the American way! :laugh:
You mean people drop the "t"? Is that just dialog reproducing the way people speak, rather than how they spell it?
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You mean people drop the "t"? Is that just dialog reproducing the way people speak, rather than how they spell it?
No, I mean Americans put the quotation marks outside the period (or comma). I highlighted the t as well to make it more visible. Anyway, Brits would say "the quotation mark should go inside the period".
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No, I mean Americans put the quotation marks outside the period (or comma). I highlighted the t as well to make it more visible. Anyway, Brits would say "the quotation mark should go inside the period".
They also just use a single mark, 'if I remember correctly'.
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They also just use a single mark, 'if I remember correctly'.
Oh, I think I remember that, too. That also is more logical -- quoting a quote within a quote with two marks.
Plus it takes up less space. Newspapers use ' in headlines for things that would be " in the story itself.
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Had my second shot yesterday. I went with the Biontech (Pfizer) vaccine, even though my first shot was AstraZeneca.
So far only a sore arm. I hope it stays like that.
Great news, Chrissi!
I felt such a relief after my second shot, you probably do too.
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Congrats on your second vaccination, Chrissi!
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I have friends who've driven 65 to 150 miles one say to get a shot. A colleague at work sent me a 10-step list of how to arrange it, starting with following a particular Twitter account, and when it says do X, go somewhere else and do Y, which then lets you do Z ... I skipped those steps and just called my clinic 24 times.
Now there's a short line of people waiting to get theirs at my neighborhood drugstore. A brewery in town is offering a free beer to anyone who goes there and gets a shot.
About 50% of people in the state have had both shots. Nationwide, it's 32%. As you probably know, about 80% is considered herd immunity.
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A brewery in town is offering a free beer to anyone who goes there and gets a shot.
:D
Artisanal beer? ;D
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Artisanal beer? ;D
:laugh:
The article I saw neglected to specify, but I believe any beer from a small local brewery is artisanal by definition.
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:laugh:
The article I saw neglected to specify, but I believe any beer from a small local brewery is artisanal by definition.
If they brew more than one kind, does somebody curate it? :laugh:
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If they brew more than one kind, does somebody curate it? :laugh:
You mean for the free beer with vaccine? They probably just pick some basic kind most people like.
I believe curation involves selecting the best of a variety of forms. If a brewery is selling multiple forms, as most do, they would have made a selection among recipes early in the brewing process. But it would be a stretch to call that curating. Curating would be more like an artisanal beer store choosing among IPAs, for example, from among a number of brands.
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It seems that mask mandates are changing for those who are vaccinated.
Now how are they going to determine who has been vaccinated and who hasn't?
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And we've got Bill Maher, fully vaccinated, and he's got it anyway.
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Well, it was my understanding that the vaccine wouldn't make you immune. If you're fully vaccinated, you could still catch CV-19, but the fact that you're vaccinated prevents it from becoming a serious case where you would need hospitalization and being placed on a ventilator.
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And we've got Bill Maher, fully vaccinated, and he's got it anyway.
Well, if it had to happen to somebody ... :P ;D
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Well, if it had to happen to somebody ... :P ;D
Sure enough, but this news is not helpful in convincing vaccine skeptics to get vaccinated. I'm sure this will feed the idea of, Why bother if you can get it anyway? (Never mind that a lot of the skeptics may have no idea who Bill Maher is.)
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I'm sure this will feed the idea of, Why bother if you can get it anyway?
If you meet one of them, ask, "Do you wear your seat belt? Why bother if you could die in a car accident anyway?"
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As of last week, the gym I joined as switched to "masks optional" for those who are double vaxxed.
Apparently, as of July 5th, we'll be going back to our office to work, on a rotating basis.
Example, there are 4 people who are in my position on my team, they want one person a day from the 4 of us to come in, so we all would work in the office one day, and then from home the rest of the days.
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I need to begin thinking about what I want to do when our building reopens. There is supposed to be a "pilot" program this summer with a limited number of people working in the building. Then supposedly there will be three options, continuing to work at home, to go back to working in the office, or what they're calling a "hybrid," which would involve working at home some days on the week and in the office other days. The "hybrid" looks to me like a new name for the "WAH" program we had pre-pandemic, when you were allowed to work at home two days a week and in the office the rest of the week.
I'm sure I will not be doing a "hybrid." I didn't work at home pre-pandemic under the old WAH program. I will need to be using public transportation, and I never liked the idea of carrying my company laptop on the bus or the subway. Plus, there are resources that I need from time to time; I don't want to be at home and suddenly need something that's in my cube in the office, or the other way around.
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I need to begin thinking about what I want to do when our building reopens. There is supposed to be a "pilot" program this summer with a limited number of people working in the building. Then supposedly there will be three options, continuing to work at home, to go back to working in the office, or what they're calling a "hybrid," which would involve working at home some days on the week and in the office other days. The "hybrid" looks to me like a new name for the "WAH" program we had pre-pandemic, when you were allowed to work at home two days a week and in the office the rest of the week.
I'm sure I will not be doing a "hybrid." I didn't work at home pre-pandemic under the old WAH program. I will need to be using public transportation, and I never liked the idea of carrying my company laptop on the bus or the subway. Plus, there are resources that I need from time to time; I don't want to be at home and suddenly need something that's in my cube in the office, or the other way around.
Yes, that word (hybrid) is being tossed around a lot regarding working now.
One thing this situation has taught me is that I am completely capable of doing my job from home. So from now on, any "eves" that we have (Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve) or other days like Good Friday and the Friday after Thanksgiving, I will not hesitate to say I'm working from home.
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One thing this situation has taught me is that I am completely capable of doing my job from home.
Me, too. And I've also discovered that I do not miss seeing my coworkers every day.
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I guess you can list this one under "opening up," but when I took my dad to church this morning, I was pleased and surprised that we did not have to wear masks in the service. The early service, which we attended, is not well attended, so even during the worst I would not have felt uncomfortable not wearing a mask. We were even allowed to sing! At the close of the service we sang two verses of a hymn, though we did have to put on masks to sing. Still, it was nice to be encouraged to sing.
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Me, too. And I've also discovered that I do not miss seeing my coworkers every day.
Actually, I do miss my coworkers, it will be good to see them again. Although I do have plans on going in on that first day, sitting down, and then after about 15 minutes, say out loud "Is it time to go home yet?"
:laugh:
I guess you can list this one under "opening up," but when I took my dad to church this morning, I was pleased and surprised that we did not have to wear masks in the service. The early service, which we attended, is not well attended, so even during the worst I would not have felt uncomfortable not wearing a mask. We were even allowed to sing! At the close of the service we sang two verses of a hymn, though we did have to put on masks to sing. Still, it was nice to be encouraged to sing.
My parents said today that their church expects the congregation can stop wearing masks at one point in June. Mom, however says that when she needs to go out to stores and such, she's still going to wear her mask.
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The city here keeps changing things--timetables, really. First it was going to be opened up June 11--and I'm not sure what that was supposed to entail. Now the mayor decided to open up some things today already--and I'm not sure what that includes, either. ??? Throughout this whole disaster, all you had to do was cross the city line, and a whole different set of rules (the state's mandates) applied.
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Me, too. And I've also discovered that I do not miss seeing my coworkers every day.
Me neither. In some cases, I'm glad to avoid it! :laugh:
Actually, I do miss my coworkers, it will be good to see them again.
And they've missed you! They're going, where's Chuck with all his great festive events and treats?
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I feel I (we?) have been getting mixed messages, and it's concerning and annoying me. On the one hand, things are opening up. On the other hand, I keep seeing and hearing dire reports that the virus mutation that has caused an unimaginable disaster in India is now spreading and heading our way. I mean, WTF? Which is it? We should continue precautions, or the vaccines will protect us and we can start working back toward pre-Covid normal? And what about all those foolish people who are continuing to refuse vaccination? What do we do about them?
I will say that yesterday I was happy to receive the news that I no longer have to make a reservation to go to church. We can just show up. We will still have social distancing, but we can even sing, although we will have to keep our masks on when we do.
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Everything here is pretty much back to normal, too. Some people still wear masks but the aren't required. And I, too, wonder if we should be more worried about mutations and antivaxxers.
Someone here said he knows of an antivaxxer couple who both got COVID and wound up in the ICU.
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As I understand it, if you have the vaccine, you can still get Covid, but it won't be as severe of a case, and the vaccine offers protection against the India variant.
We've gotten official word that we are returning to the office as of 7/12 on a rotating basis, so mostly 2 - 3 days in the office and the rest of the week from home.
Then, maybe by September, we'll be back full time.
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Everything here is pretty much back to normal, too. Some people still wear masks but they aren't required. And I, too, wonder if we should be more worried about mutations and antivaxxers.
Someone here said he knows of an antivaxxer couple who both got COVID and wound up in the ICU.
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We received word last evening that we no longer need to wear masks in the public areas (elevators, lobby) of my building. I guess I have mixed feelings about this.
Philadelphia is opening up further today, though I still can't keep straight in my head what's now OK and what's still not OK.
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We received word last evening that we no longer need to wear masks in the public areas (elevators, lobby) of my building.
That happened here about three weeks ago. I'm grateful for it, because I've been working in a co-working space and would not want to have to wear a mask all day. Though I know some people's jobs require it.
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Numbers have plummeted over here, the incidence is 16, about half of Germany has had their first shot (which already gives good protection) and about a quater is fully vaccinated.
Things continue to open up, many restrictions have been taken back, some restrictions are still in place.
People are now discussing to nix mask requirements. Too early for my share. Wearing a mask is a nuisance, not a major problem IMO. And it is THE most helpful safety measurement. The India variant is what concerns me (like Jeff). Even when the numbers are great right now, the India variant is just in front of our doors. 4 cases in Straßburg, France yesterday. Just an hour from me. So I rather keep the mask on for another few months instead of risking the momentary success.
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Numbers have plummeted over here, the incidence is 16, about half of Germany has had their first shot (which already gives good protection) and about a quater is fully vaccinated.
Things continue to open up, many restrictions have been taken back, some restrictions are still in place.
People are now discussing to nix mask requirements. Too early for my share. Wearing a mask is a nuisance, not a major problem IMO. And it is THE most helpful safety measurement. The India variant is what concerns me (like Jeff). Even when the numbers are great right now, the India variant is just in front of our doors. 4 cases in Straßburg, France yesterday. Just an hour from me. So I rather keep the mask on for another few months instead of risking the momentary success.
Restrictions are continuing to drop here in NJ. I still opt to wear my mask for now, even though I've received both vaccinations.
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I rarely wear mine. It’s become unusual to see someone in masks.
I’m sure there are writers writing about how weird it is to see people masked and unmasked. I saw someone today I interviewed for an hour months ago and didn’t recognize him.
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I was just wondering. Since the Southern Hemisphere is now experiencing their winter, are virus cases growing? Brian, could you weigh in on this?
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I rarely wear mine. It’s become unusual to see someone in masks.
I'm beginning to go without when I'm outdoors, but here it seems most businesses are requiring them to enter. I wore one in the farmers' market today, and I forgot to take it off after I left the market.
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Some statistics:
Early in the pandemic, I regularly checked the website for the City of Philadelphia for pandemic statistics.
On April 15, 2020, the city reported a total of 7441 cases of COVID-19, with 222 deaths.
By November 12, 2020, the last time I checked, the city reported a total of 51,513 cases with 1904 deaths.
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Australia is in their winter, and the cases seem to be on the rise there. They are going into a 2 week lockdown now.
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Yes, I read this morning that a cluster of cases started with a Sydney airport limo driver and are growing.
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I wish I'd thought to recommend this book before; it's kind of pertinent:
John Kelly, The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time (HarperCollins, 2005).
(Well, maybe not any more, but maybe proportionally it still is.)
The Introduction contains this rather ominous warning (under the circumstances, you might even call it a prophecy):
"In 1995, the year I finished the book, Jonathan Mann, a professor at the Harvard University School of Public Health, warned that AIDS was the beginning of a frightening new era. 'The history of our time will be marked by recurrent eruptions of newly discovered diseases.'"
(It's actually a very good read.)
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Headlines say the only people dying now or even getting serious cases are unvaccinated. What idiots are still holding out? The providers are literally bribing people to get them — free beer, drawings for prizes ..
That’s in the US, I should clarify, where supplies are plentiful.
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Headlines say the only people dying now or even getting serious cases are unvaccinated. What idiots are still holding out? The providers are literally bribing people to get them — free beer, drawings for prizes ..
Some are nurses. I heard one on TV actually say she felt the vaccine wasn't safe. After how many millions of us have received vaccines with no harm done? She feels they aren't safe?
I mean, WTF?
I would not want that idiot caring for me or my dad.
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If it wasn’t clear already, the past four to five years have been really eye-opening about how stupid people can be — even in this age of mass media and an internet with oceans of readily available info.
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This morning I saw a TV commercial encouraging Covid vaccination that featured four of the living former presidents and their wives. (You can easily guess which couple was not present.) The commercial featured the Carters, the Bushes, the Clintons, and the Obamas. They were all shown masked and getting their shots.
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I'm sure I wrote this somewhere but I can't remember where.
Recently an "ace" pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies had to go on the Covid protocol because he was exposed to someone who had been exposed to someone. When he came back, he said he had no intention of getting vaccinated
Idiot. Somebody should take a Louisville Slugger to his head. >:(
I wonder does any of this stupid anti-vaxx business have anything to do with people's perception of danger? I'm sure at least some of them are not looking at the millions of people who have been vaccinated and had no ill effects. Instead they're looking at the few instances of some people having adverse reactions.
Of course, even the mainstream media seem to be emphasizing these "outlier" cases. :(
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Someone on Twitter just wrote, ?You can get injured playing [name of some football position] if you?re wearing a helmet but man, try playing without one.? Somewhere else I saw, ?You can get pregnant if you?re using birth control but that doesn?t mean you should stop using birth control.?
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I'm sure I wrote this somewhere but I can't remember where.
Recently an "ace" pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies had to go on the Covid protocol because he was exposed to someone who had been exposed to someone. When he came back, he said he had no intention of getting vaccinated
Idiot. Somebody should take a Louisville Slugger to his head. >:(
Baseball is having an issue. Wonder if we'll see a similar occurrence with the Olympics.
Yankees officially battling six COVID-19 cases
By Dan Martin - July 16, 2021
The Yankees opened the second half of the season with a full-blown COVID-19 crisis, which includes the loss of Aaron Judge.
Judge was placed on the COVID-19 injured list prior to Friday?s game against the Red Sox, along with Gio Urshela and Kyke Higashioka. They joined Nestor Cortes Jr., Jonathan Loaisiga and Wandy Peralta, who went on the IL on Thursday.
That left the Yankees with a makeshift roster in The Bronx against the first-place Red Sox, a day after the rivals had a game postponed due to the Yankees? outbreak.
?Look, that?s our reality right now,? manager Aaron Boone said before the game. ?We?ve got to make the best of it.?
Their starting lineup included Chris Gittens at first base, as Luke Voit was placed on the 10-day IL with a left knee bone bruise. Gittens entered the game with just 10 games of major league experience.
https://nypost.com/2021/07/16/yankees-officially-battling-six-covid-19-cases/
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Baseball is having an issue. Wonder if we'll see a similar occurrence with the Olympics.
Well, we've already got two gymnasts in quarantine.
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51324296592_613d674874_z.jpg)
We've talked in the past about Steve Grand. An openly gay singer who made waves with his first videos, "American Boy" and "Stay".
He posted this to his Twitter feed and Facebook account about a half hour ago.
I tested positive for COVID-19 today. I?m fully vaccinated.
I started experiencing symptoms last Friday, a day after I flew back from Ptown.
I say this not to alarm, but to notify anyone who had contact with me while I was out there. Considering the timeline, I believe I must have gotten it while in ptown.
I also want to remind folks that you still can get COVID after being vaccinated. I had both Moderna shots about 2 months ago.
Thankfully, and very likely because of the vaccine, my symptoms are very mild: dry cough, fatigue, but mostly, I just feel a little ?off.?
Also, I want to apologize for having to cancel my last 4 shows in ptown. It broke my heart to have to do that but it clearly was a blessing in disguise, as I ended up having COVID.
Stay safe out there. If you are unvaccinated, have a look at the stats and the fact that the vast majority of COVID hospitalizations are those without the vaccine; some 99% of Covid deaths are those that are unvaccinated?take into consideration those who are unable to be vaccinated?
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As a follow up.
Boston urges Provincetown visitors to get tested for COVID-19, self-isolate
The Boston Public Health Commission said at least 35 COVID-19 cases in Boston residents have been traced back to a cluster in Provincetown, adding that the overwhelming majority of the patients were fully vaccinated.
The city's health commission issued new guidance Tuesday to all Boston residents who have traveled to Provincetown so far during the month of July and until further notice.
The city is telling visitors to the town to get tested for COVID-19 at least five days after returning, regardless of vaccination status or symptoms.
Boston health officials are also asking visitors to self-isolate and avoid groups or gatherings for at least five days and until they receive a negative COVID-19 test, regardless of vaccination status.
The new guidance comes 24 hours after Provincetown officials issued a public health advisory, following the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases.
https://www.wcvb.com/article/boston-urges-provincetown-visitors-to-get-tested-for-covid-19-self-isolate/37081934#
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I was out and about early today because the weather was forecast to be hot. I wanted to get maintenance work done early at my rental house. There seemed to be people walking or standing around, even at noon when I went out again. The renters seemed to be hanging out at home.
I stopped for a chai and forgot to specify iced, but the hot chai still tasted good and the lady at the kiosk really appreciated my business. With tip, it was $7. Later, I bought a smoothie at the corner store. Another lady wearing a mask. Another $7.
The rental has three lawn areas, front, middle and back. We had such a wet spring and early summer that it has become very overgrown. I cleared the middle yard and only stubbins are left. I sodded the back yard early this year and it has never been mowed. I mowed it and watered. The grass seemed very appreciative. The good thing about manual labor is you can see the results. And there are no people to get in the way.
So now I feel I have done a full day's work, and it's not even 3 pm! This post was supposed to be about the corona virus, but it turned in a different direction. That happens sometimes!
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I'm starting to see more and more people without masks, which I'm baffled about, since the numbers are going up again.
I still wear my mask when I go into any type of business.
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I'm starting to see more and more people without masks, which I'm baffled about, since the numbers are going up again.
I still wear my mask when I go into any type of business.
I haven't worn a mask since late May. If I go into a grocery store or something, I'll inevitably see a few people in masks and everybody else maskless, including most employees.
The vaccination rate in MN is 70%, so that might be part of the reason.
I take that back -- I just googled and saw a list that said the vaccination rate in MN is 53.5% -- lower than NJ's 57.7%. I'm not sure where I heard that 70% figure.
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I don't like the way this is starting to sound.
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I don't care what others are doing, I still wear my mask when I go into places. The only place I don't is the office, there are so few of us there, and we're so spread out, and the company tracks who is vaxxed or not.
However, when I leave the office and go into the general hallways, I wear my mask.
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I don't care what others are doing, I still wear my mask when I go into places. The only place I don't is the office, there are so few of us there, and we're so spread out, and the company tracks who is vaxxed or not.
However, when I leave the office and go into the general hallways, I wear my mask.
All I hope is that they don't go back to requiring them in my apartment building. They stopped requiring them the week I moved in.
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All I hope is that they don't go back to requiring them in my apartment building. They stopped requiring them the week I moved in.
Wait. I clearly missed something. When did you move into an apartment?
Did you finally sell the house? Did the meth lab guy buy it?
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From April: (plus, you congratulated her LOL)
:laugh: :laugh:
I just sold my house. I was going to put it on the market in the next few weeks and was dreading it -- the hassle of getting it in as perfect condition as possible, keeping it constantly immaculate and having my son do the same, leaving the house with my dog during open houses and showings, etc. But my agent has been spreading the word among fellow agents that I'd be selling it soon. On Tuesday, one asked if she and a buyer could see it in an hour. I said it was totally messy and she said that's OK. So they came, spent about half an hour looking around, then called that night and offered my asking price, plus closing costs and a few other things. He put $10K down and supposedly if he backs out I get to keep the $10K. So it's a huge relief after the nightmarish previous times I tried unsuccessfully to sell it. Houses here are in such short supply and high demand that many are getting multiple offers the day they go on the market, and some are getting bid up over the asking price. I was hoping if I had listed it that might happen. But that's not guaranteed. I might get less, and now this will save me a lot of expenses, not to mention work, fixing it up.
My only slight concern is the guy who's buying it. He's this burly guy I guess in his 30s (hard to tell with masks these days) who came alone with the agent. Yesterday he had an inspection done, again came alone and followed the inspectors around. (I don't think they found anything deal-breaking, and the guy committed in advance to taking responsibility for anything they might find.) Along with their offer, the agent sent this letter he had supposedly written that went on very colorfully about everything he was going to enjoy about the house, which suspiciously parroted almost exactly what both I and my agent had emphasized was good about the house. Plus it was in all this flowery language, whereas the guy in person was kind of taciturn. I suspected the agent might have written it. Buyers sometimes include those letters, and to me it's kind of pointless because for all I care they can demolish it and rebuild. But whatever.
So at first I wondered if he's a pedophile. I know -- kind of a big leap, but this is an extremely family-ish neighborhood. Too much so even for me, in fact, so although the location has lots of nice things (walking distance from a lake, a creek, a library, stores, curated artisanal restaurants). I wondered what the appeal would be for a youngish single guy. Neighbors on my block have little kids. I'm three blocks from an elementary school, a middle school and a big park with a playground.
So yesterday when they did the inspection I chatted with the guy's agent while he was off with the inspector. I asked her if he was going to live here alone. She kind of hesitated and said no, he was going to have a friend with him. Whew, I thought, he's gay! That's fine, and a gay man lives alone across the street, so maybe they can be friends.
But later my son said he overheard the guy say he was going to rent out the bedrooms. There are four, and supposedly he'd have three other guys living there with him and paying enough rent to cover the mortgage payments. I guess they'd share the kitchen, dining room and living room.
So that's the weirdest scenario of all. Not as bad as a pedophile, I guess, but why would four single guys want to share a kind of ordinary house in a boring family neighborhood?
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Congratulations. :)
I'm sure everything will go fine.
Once you're out, if the meth lab blows up, it's not your problem. ;D
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Thanks.
You see how my memory is becoming. ???
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Thanks.
You see how my memory is becoming. ???
Well, I wouldn't blame you if you skipped that post entirely! I don't know what gets into me to write so long. That's about twice the length of my typical newspaper stories.
Thanks for digging it up, Paul!
So yeah, I sold the house quickly, then moved into an apartment in May.
And at least now I know where to go if I want some meth! :laugh:
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And at least now I know where to go if I want some meth! :laugh:
:laugh:
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And at least now I know where to go if I want some meth! :laugh:
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
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I learned this morning that the building where I (allegedly) work will now remain closed until at least January 3, 2022.
I was not surprised. I was more or less expecting this.
Hello, Miss Delta Variant.
(If this wasn't so tragic and serious, that would make a good drag name.)
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Don't be surprised if you hear a queen take that name on.
At my job they wanted more people to start coming to the office, but with the Delta variant, they are scaling that back.
If you do go into the office, you can be maskless at your desk only. Once you get up to go anywhere, the mast must go on.
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Meanheile in Germany, we've never gotten rid of the mask mandate. Any public location you go indoors: mask up. Be it groceries stores, office building, town hall, restaurant, any kind of store, you name it.
Additionally, we have the 3G rule:
Geimpft (fully vaxxed)
Genesen (had Covid in the past, is now healed)
Getestet (proof of being tested within the last 24 to 48 hours, depending)
For any fun events and close contact services (hairdresser, etc) you need proof of one of the above Gs.
If you do go into the office, you can be maskless at your desk only. Once you get up to go anywhere, the mast must go on.
My husband's company turned back full throttle from everybody working at home to all employees working in the office as soon as the laws allowed it. I had hoped they'd find a half and half regulation, or anything like Chuckie's company, to have space for distancing - but no. >:( They also have to qear masks everywhere except at their own desks.
I'll go back to work tomorrow after almost 5 weeks. I'll see what fun new things my employer will have thought of.... ;D
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I'll go back to work tomorrow after almost 5 weeks. I'll see what fun new things my employer will have thought of.... ;D
I hope your employer and the parents are more reasonable than they were before!
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I hope your employer and the parents are more reasonable than they were before!
Sadly not. No new regulations by my employer, and the parents..... You wouldn't believe it. Today, on my very first day, we had a mother who, when she picked up her child from the nursery, told us the child is a direct contact person to someone who has Covid. The public health department of our town called her and instructed her to have her child tested tomorrow. They have to do the testing at the public health office and it's the more accurate PCR test, not the rapid test. Additionally the child is banned from visiting any children facility at least until Wednesday next week, no matter the test result. So everything is very official and serious.
Now my question: why did she bring the child to our nursery in the first place? The mother already knew of the COVID contact; at least since yesterday. And when the health department called her today, why did she leave the child in the nursery all day and picked it up only at closing time? Arrrgh! >:( I'm so angry!
Thankfully we're all fully vaccinated at work. At least that is good.
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Sadly not. No new regulations by my employer, and the parents..... You wouldn't believe it. Today, on my very first day, we had a mother who, when she picked up her child from the nursery, told us the child is a direct contact person to someone who has Covid. The public health department of our town called her and instructed her to have her child tested tomorrow. They have to do the testing at the public health office and it's the more accurate PCR test, not the rapid test. Additionally the child is banned from visiting any children facility at least until Wednesday next week, no matter the test result. So everything is very official and serious.
Now my question: why did she bring the child to our nursery in the first place? The mother already knew of the COVID contact; at least since yesterday. And when the health department called her today, why did she leave the child in the nursery all day and picked it up only at closing time? Arrrgh! >:( I'm so angry!
Thankfully we're all fully vaccinated at work. At least that is good.
She's an idiot. Or selfish. Or a selfish idiot. Or a narcissist.
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What an incredibly careless mother! >:(
Borderline criminal behaviour, I think.
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My husband's company turned back full throttle from everybody working at home to all employees working in the office as soon as the laws allowed it. I had hoped they'd find a half and half regulation, or anything like Chuckie's company, to have space for distancing - but no. >:( They also have to qear masks everywhere except at their own desks.
I'll go back to work tomorrow after almost 5 weeks. I'll see what fun new things my employer will have thought of.... ;D
Good luck, Chrissi!!! I hope your husband's office reconsiders and has fewer people going to the office.
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She's an idiot. Or selfish. Or a selfish idiot. Or a narcissist.
all of the above.
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She's an idiot. Or selfish. Or a selfish idiot. Or a narcissist.
all of the above.
Tell you what: she's a nurse in a hospital. Unbelievable :o :-X
At least today she called and apologized herself profundly.
My boss will call her over the weekend and ask for the test results of the child. She (the boss) will then call all of us coworkers who had contact with said child.
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Tell you what: she's a nurse in a hospital. Unbelievable :o :-X
Unbelievable is the word for it.
At least today she called and apologized herself profundly.
As well she might! >:(
Of course we have many nurses over here who refused to be vaccinated because they said the Pfizer hadn't received its final approval. Well, now it has, so we'll see what happens. Now they have no excuse, though some will probably come up with another.
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As I expected, we were informed yesterday that we will have to be completely vaccinated in order to return to work in the office.
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I don't think my company has taken that stance yet, but they've issued a statement that they want all employees to upload all of their vaccination cards to their benefits page on the company website, so I'm assuming it's going to that direction.
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I joked on Facebook that I was tempted to pose as an anti-vaxxer so I could keep working from home.
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Are people required to come back to work in the office? I can see occasional staff meetings as a requirement, but if you've proven that you can work well at home, why should you be forced back into the office?
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I'm sure it varies from one office to another. Mine hasn't asked anybody to come back (though some have been working there). I think it will remain either optional or maybe hybrid indefinitely. I'm now on a team with only one other person, so we meet at a coffee shop and there's no compelling reason to go in.
I do miss one thing about my Saturday shift. I've been working Saturdays for a couple of years and like it -- it's a very different vibe. When we were still in the office a lot of the nearby downtown restaurants are closed, so people would bring in a big smorgasbord of snacks.
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We're going to be offering all-work-at-home, all-work-in-the-office, or some combination, the "hybrid" form.
For some years before Covid we already had a program where you could work at home two days a week, and you had to be in the office the other three, so the "hybrid" won't be much different than that.
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Are people required to come back to work in the office? I can see occasional staff meetings as a requirement, but if you've proven that you can work well at home, why should you be forced back into the office?
We don't have to wear masks at our desks, but if we get up and move about the office, or go out of the office to use the restrooms, we're asked to wear the masks.
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We're going to be offering all-work-at-home, all-work-in-the-office, or some combination, the "hybrid" form.
For some years before Covid we already had a program where you could work at home two days a week, and you had to be in the office the other three, so the "hybrid" won't be much different than that.
we were originally told we'd be going to hybrid over the summer, but after Delta began to surge, that fell by the wayside.
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we were originally told we'd be going to hybrid over the summer, but after Delta began to surge, that fell by the wayside.
The word's out now, and I was expecting it: Anyone who is now participating in what is called a Pilot Program, where people can work in the office occasionally, will have to sign a form attesting that they've been fully vaccinated.
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I received my Moderna booster shot yesterday.. By the evening I had no reactions except a sore arm. During the night I experienced tingling, a low fever, and chills all at the same time, never a good combination. Today, I'm better but rather sluggish. Fortunately I don't have a lot of stuff I have to do. Taking out the trash and lifting my coffee cup is about the extent of my effort.
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I talked to a guy yesterday who got vaccinated early on, then came down with COVID the next day. Self-quarantined in his home for a while but got worse and wound up in ICU for seven days. He's fine now, though.
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I received my Moderna booster shot yesterday.. By the evening I had no reactions except a sore arm. During the night I experienced tingling, a low fever, and chills all at the same time, never a good combination. Today, I'm better but rather sluggish. Fortunately I don't have a lot of stuff I have to do. Taking out the trash and lifting my coffee cup is about the extent of my effort.
I've heard about a lot of people having reactions to the booster. I'll still be getting one, as will my parents.
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A sign I drive past says, "No-cost child care--openings available." That's never happened before in this area.
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So who would pay for it? The state?
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State or federal funds, I assume. The conundrum is that parents have realized during the pandemic that low-paying jobs are not worth handing their children over to be raised by low-paid workers. Other countries have figured this out, but the U.S. is stuck in this bad cycle, and its the children who suffer, as well as the child care workers and the parents. It's the parents, especially the mothers, who can break this cycle now.
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I do hope progress can be made. Good and affordable child care is essential for women's possibilities to work, get an income and be independent of any man or patriarchal system.
Here child care is subsidized by the county. The sum paid by the parents is correlated to their income, the less you earn the less you pay.
Child care has to meet high, national standards when it comes to pedagogy, contents, values, in- and outdoor environment etc.
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I agree a hunert percent! I like what you say about being "independent of any man or patriarchal system." Why is that so revolutionary? Men aren't in thrall to women but have their own autonomy and sovereignty. Unless they're enslaved or addicted in some way. We women live in unnatural enslavement, even in this age.
And it amounts to double enslavement, because women, in order to get by, have to hand their children over to low-paid workers, mostly women, who are themselves enslaved by the low value given to child care, when it ought to be our highest priority!
On another note, I saw a jarring sight today. In the back yard next to mine, a young woman was walking around with her dog, and she was wearing a mask. Isn't that going a little too far, wearing a mask in your own back yard with only your dog as company?
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On another note, I saw a jarring sight today. In the back yard next to mine, a young woman was walking around with her dog, and she was wearing a mask. Isn't that going a little too far, wearing a mask in your own back yard with only your dog as company?
I would have thought that was going too far even pre-vaccine!
And it amounts to double enslavement, because women, in order to get by, have to hand their children over to low-paid workers, mostly women, who are themselves enslaved by the low value given to child care, when it ought to be our highest priority!
I agree hunert percent that child-care workers are not paid well enough because our culture doesn't value the work of child care and because it has traditionally been done by women. Of course, the workers can only be better paid if the government helps out, because most families can't afford to pay a lot for the service, which can cost as much as college tuition. And because that's unaffordable for many families, especially those with multiple children, one parent often has to drop out of the workforce to care for the kids, and it usually it makes sense for the lower-paid parent, which of course is often the mother, and there we are back to having stay-at-home child care overwhelmingly performed by women, who by staying home put their own financial future in jeopardy.
I would add, though, that men also have to hand their children over to child-care workers -- their responsibility as parents is equal to women's.
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I'm not disputing anything, but I do wonder what's going to happen going forward, with our new work-at-home culture.
On the other hand, presumably the women/mothers who work at home will be in higher-paying jobs to begin with (so in a two-income household I presume they would be in a better position to afford child care), while women/mothers who have low-paying jobs (service industries) will still be in the fix they're in now.
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... I saw a jarring sight today. In the back yard next to mine, a young woman was walking around with her dog, and she was wearing a mask. Isn't that going a little too far, wearing a mask in your own back yard with only your dog as company?
I've seen more people wearing masks outside. Apparently it's because of the wind, dry leaves, and lack of moisture that is stirring up seasonal allergies. We haven't had a freeze or snow in Denver yet and it's the longest fall in 87 years. :o
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I was supposed to get together with a friend to walk in the botanic gardens but he texted me that he's sick and going for a COVID test. He's already been sick with COVID twice last year when he was living in Alabama. :o
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Ugh, I wish him well.
Mom, dad and Chris all got their booster shots last week. No side effects. I'm going for mine tomorrow.
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Ugh, I wish him well.
Mom, dad and Chris all got their booster shots last week. No side effects. I'm going for mine tomorrow.
I get mine on Monday.
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I got mine last week. No side effects whatsoever.
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I wonder if the immunizations will be effective against this "omicron" variant that has cropped up.
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I just got back from getting my booster. It was slow (working from home today) so I took a chance and ran out to get it, and got back, no emails were waiting for me to respond to.
;D
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Got the booster today. I've also got a sore arm.
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Good for you!!! ;D
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Did you see that Trump met with families that had lost children, went to a campaign rally, hobnobbed with staff and the Supreme Court nominee, and stood on a debate stage with Joe Biden, knowing that he had tested positive for COVID several days before? And his family refused to put on masks and sat in a crowded audience maskless? They all claimed that the Sept. 26 test was a "false positive." Yeah, sure. But then they actually fell ill a few days later and Trump had to be airlifted to the hospital on October 2. Who knows how many people they infected? Greg Sargent of WAPO says, "this stands as yet another example of our total underestimation of this clan?s depraved disregard for rules, norms, and any sense of basic decency and responsibility to those around them." >:(
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I did see that. I wished it would make Trump supporters go "Whoa!" and back up. But in fact they probably see it as some kind of act of heroism.
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Fill in the blank: May the whole clan of them catch omicron and ______ .
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...be impaled on a giant flower frog!! :laugh:
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The projections about the spread of this omicron variant are kind of scary. I've decided to keep track of all the people I encounter, as well as I can, so I can do my own contact tracing if necessary. I'm in reasonably good health overall, so if I do come down with the virus I should be able to recover, but I don't want to give it to someone vulnerable.
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I am seriously reconsidering my decision to return to my office January 3. Omicron is getting me very worried about taking public transportation.
This week our local TV news ran a story about a local 15-year-old girl who died of Covid. She was overweight but had no other predisposing conditions. I do not remember for sure if she had been vaccinated, but I think she was.
What was the point of the story? Scaring people?
Two friends individually backed out of restaurant dinner this evening. One said he wasn't feeling well (non-Covid symptoms), and the other woke up this morning feeling very "congested." He told his son not to come for lunch and took a home Covid test. The results were negative. but he said he would test himself again in a few days. He recommended I go the drugstore and get a home test kit.
I'm so frequently congested as it is that I wouldn't even think it was Covid unless I had other symptoms.
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This week our local TV news ran a story about a local 15-year-old girl who died of Covid. She was overweight but had no other predisposing conditions. I do not remember for sure if she had been vaccinated, but I think she was.
What was the point of the story? Scaring people?
I think the point of the story was to report the news and facts. A 15-year-old dying of COVID is news. The media are trying to keep people informed.
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I am seriously reconsidering my decision to return to my office January 3. Omicron is getting me very worried about taking public transportation.
This week our local TV news ran a story about a local 15-year-old girl who died of Covid. She was overweight but had no other predisposing conditions. I do not remember for sure if she had been vaccinated, but I think she was.
What was the point of the story? Scaring people?
I think the point of the story was to report the news and facts. A 15-year-old dying of COVID is news. The media are trying to keep people informed.
I think personally I would want some extra element. A 15-yo dying of COVID is unusual but sadly not unique. According to this chart, https://data.cdc.gov/widgets/9bhg-hcku?mobile_redirect=true (https://data.cdc.gov/widgets/9bhg-hcku?mobile_redirect=true) if I'm reading it correctly, there's been 655 deaths among ages 0 to 17, so averaging 13 per state.
But whether or not she's vaccinated would qualify as an extra element. Especially if she's not vaccinated because her parents are antivaxxers.
Here's an excellent story by a colleague contrasting COVID experiences for the vaxxed and unvaxxed.
http://www.startribune.com/unvaccinated-patients-are-filling-minnesotas-intensive-care-units/600126172/ (http://www.startribune.com/unvaccinated-patients-are-filling-minnesotas-intensive-care-units/600126172/)
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So something disturbing happened yesterday. First, I found out that the manager of my building plus one of the maintenance men have not been vaccinated. There's a staff of five, and I'm not sure what the vax status of the others is. Three of them had COVID about a week ago. One was still really sick, last I heard. Two of them hosted a holiday gathering last week. They were among the people who had COVID and now supposedly were testing negative, so they're probably safe. But still, building management should be required to get vaxxed.
But that's not the disturbing thing! :o
I posted about this on Facebook and had several people scold me for attending the Christmas party. First was Clarissa, who I already know is way more cautious about things like that -- lots of things -- than I am. I don't think she shops in stores, for instance, or at least very very rarely. She and her husband like going out for drives, but when they pass a place where a lot of people bike or run -- not necessarily at that moment but in general -- they roll up their windows. So not an unexpected reaction from her.
Second was a high-school friend who's pretty happy-go-lucky and never judgmental. He said he and his wife have been staying home ever since his brother died ... of COVID! I didn't even realize his brother had died of COVID, so that gave me an opportunity to PM him my condolences. And his choice is understandable.
Third was a childhood friend, a homebody and self-described introvert, who goes out occasionally to the theater as long as she's sure everyone in the place is vaxxed. Fine.
But then came Beth, a high school friend. Beth is on an oxygen tank for a lung problem and lives with a 90-something mom who I think is also on oxygen. So sure, extra reason for caution. But she goes, "Katy, how could you do this? How could you put your friends at risk? Don't you read the headlines in your own paper?"
So what was infuriating besides her scoly tone was that the second-to-last time I attended a gathering was in late November at a brewery and I SAT NEXT TO BETH. WHO WAS THERE. BY HER OWN CHOICE. I told her I didn't really need a harsh scolding when many of the gatherings I've been to, not including the ones in my building, have been Beth's and my mutual friends, and at least sometimes she herself had been there. I named a couple of other occasions. Eventually she apologized.
I understand that if you want to be as cautious as possible, avoiding indoor gatherings is smart. And maybe people who do go are shortsighted. I can't really argue with the cautious people's reasoning. (Except to say that if I never left my apartment and saw other people I'd have a health problem of a different kind.)
But gatherings are extremely common here. My 79-yo stepmother is hosting a party and has a 98-yo husband. She's the last person you'd ever call reckless or careless. My union held a holiday gathering in a brewery a week ago (I didn't go, though not really because of COVID) and presumably all the attendees read the headlines because they are writers and editors (and photographers, designers, etc.) at the paper. I went to another thing on assignment for work a week ago in a brewery and chatted from two feet away with the cute mayor of Minneapolis. Granted, we were wearing masks and you had to show a vax card to get in, but still. I'm guessing he keeps up with the news.
The other thing is, all the people who scolded me live in houses and are married -- conditions that make it easier to avoid other people. The exception is Beth, who's not married, but she lives with her mom and sees other family members all the time.
Please share your thoughts candidly but please don't scold me or you'll have to scold thousands of other people.
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Yes, I've read Clarissa's comment over on FB. Not the others however.
I've also been scolded for attending/having small family gatherings indoors. I managed to shrug it of.
Two years into this pandemic, we all have to re-evaluate our personal choices, decisions and our own safety rules regarding Covid from time to time. The situation has changed a lot over the last year: in my wider family, we're all vaccintated and mostly boostered (for some it's too early since they qualified for vaccination late in the game).
Last year we cancelled our big, annual Christmas family gatherings, but this year we don't. We'll meet like always.
My view on things: when you're fully vaxxed, chances you still get Covid are much slimmer. And even if you do get it, you will probably have an easy case. There is a quantum of remaining risk, I know that, but I'm willing to take it. Live is not risk-free.
I might as well be in a vehicle accident on my way to those gatherings (god forbid, knock on wood and all that!), but that's also a remaining risk I'm willing to take.
My daughter works at a hospital, last week even in a ICU. She says from all the people with Covid in ICU, one is very old and has pre-existing conditions, so the vaccinations didn't take. All others are unvaccinated. And if you ask nurses, doctors, etc. they all tell the same story.
Re your friend Beth scolding you: sorry, but that's just hypocritical. She has no stance scolding you when she's doing exactly the same thing.
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I'm so frequently congested as it is that I wouldn't even think it was Covid unless I had other symptoms.
I'm the same way. I tend to wake each morning feeling congested.
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What really gets to me is how unvaccinated people are secretive about it. Their behavior reminds me of the way Trump supporters started off loud and proud but as the administration wore on they became silent and secretive. For people who interact with the public as part of their job, they should have some sort of vocal and visible warning so that people can decide whether or not to come near them. Like a big orange traffic cone on their head, for instance.
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Like a big orange traffic cone on their head, for instance.
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
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So much for my Christmas plans :'(
We met with hubby's family today. All of us are fully vaccinated, most of us already boostered. Still, we all took a Covid self-test this morning, just to be sure. All negative.
While being at the family gathering I got a call from my boss, telling me one of my coworkers has Covid. He does have flu-like symptons and he tested positive in one of those official, accurate tests (PCR test, dunno what you call them). I had direct contact with him on Thursday.
Tomorrow we had planned to meet with my relatives, but I will stay at home now. My aunt will be there, she's well over 80 and in fragile health. Not risking it, but I will miss my beloved relatives :'(
And as if that weren't enough, I have a flat tire on my car, not knowing where it comes from. I'm close to saying this is an effin' bad Christmas, but so far we're all healthy and I know I'm happy to have a large loving family, even if I can't see them tomorrow.
Still sucks.
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:'( >:(
Well, at least you got to celebrate with one side of the family. I hope you don't get that nasty thing yourself. Hope you can at least have a video chat with them.
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>:( :'(
I know exactly how you feel, my family went through this last year. All of us separated, as we all tested positive on December 23rd.
It does suck now, but when the all clear is given, you'll be able to see them again. It's not the same, but you will still have that option.
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This Christmas keeps getting worse :'(
Last night we found a swelling at my dog's mammary line. Went to the vet today: it's a tumor. We know nothing more than that for now, since the vet said we have to get rid of the swelling first, before he can see/do more.
Now we wait for the next 10 days while giving her antibiotics and other medication.
Next appointment will be on Jan. 6th. My son's big, final school exams start on January 7th. He has been taking this news very hard already, even if nothing is "too late" yet. God, I wouldn't know what to do or to say to him if we got bad news on Jan 6th. :'(
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So sorry for your fucked up Xmas this year, Chrissi :-*
You did the right thing to stay home, but of course it still sucks.
Hopefully you didn't catch it from your coworker, good thing you're triple vaxxed.
And your poor son, preparing for his final exams while your dog is sick :(
If you do get bad news on the 6th, can you instead tell him that the vet still doesn't know any specifics?
I don't mean that lying is a good thing in general, but in this case it would be just to help him keep focused on the 7th.
Good luck to all of you :-*
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Oh no! I'll be sending healing thoughts for Tina. Great strides have been made in the treatment of cancer for humans as well as animals. No one I know who has had cancer has died in the past 10 years or so. If you have a diagnosis back before your son's exam, my opinion is you should go ahead and tell him. He's already thinking the worst as it is. Young people don't have the same ideas as we older ones do about illnesses. Although this is just a hunch...but maybe your son is reflecting back to the previous pet's demise. I believe you had a dog before Tina, correct?
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And your poor son, preparing for his final exams while your dog is sick :(
If you do get bad news on the 6th, can you instead tell him that the vet still doesn't know any specifics?
I don't mean that lying is a good thing in general, but in this case it would be just to help him keep focused on the 7th.
Holding back the news is not an option. Jan 7th is just his first of three final exams (in his three advanced subjects). They stretch out from 7th to 17th, with an additional oral exam in March.
So it's not only about one day, but from 6th to 17th would be eleven days.
Good luck to all of you
Thank you. :-*
Oh no! I'll be sending healing thoughts for Tina. Great strides have been made in the treatment of cancer for humans as well as animals. No one I know who has had cancer has died in the past 10 years or so. If you have a diagnosis back before your son's exam, my opinion is you should go ahead and tell him. He's already thinking the worst as it is. Young people don't have the same ideas as we older ones do about illnesses. Although this is just a hunch...but maybe your son is reflecting back to the previous pet's demise. I believe you had a dog before Tina, correct?
Yes, we had a dog before Tina. My son was 7 when our first dog died very suddenly.
Like I already explained to Sonja, I have to tell him before the exam, there's no way around it. But I will try to soften the blow as much as I can and still stay truthful.
Today I focused on telling my children that most mammal tumors in dogs are of the less bad kind, and they metastatize relatively late in the game. Which is true, so nothing is "too late" as of yet.
One small positive news, and even on topic: these days I'm testing regularly for Covid and so far all is negative. The contact to my cowerker is four days back now.
We had two children with Covid last week and so far said coworker is the only one infected. He is one of two unvaccinated coworkers I have.
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Our family celebrated a split Christmas this year. My son and my ex-husband tested positive. Jack and I had recently tested negative. So the two sides stayed in different apartments and celebrated separately. Cy's and Mike's COVID so far has been like a bad cold. They're up and about. They felt good enough on Saturday to go to a friend of Mike's who also has COVID, also feels pretty good. They ate Christmas dinner and watched a movie.
Meanwhile, Jack and I enjoyed a really nice quiet Christmas. I bought a bunch of fun appetizers -- smoked salmon spread, pate, salami, cheeses, crackers, etc. I had supplies for a fancy but simple dinner but instead we decided to honor our nonexistent Jewish heritage and get takeout Chinese. Because I so rarely see Jack, in some ways it was nicer than having a whole family thing. The next day we went out to a nice brunch and then Jack drove back to Chicago.
Chrissi, I'm so sorry to hear about Tina! Sending healing thoughts! I still often walk into my apartment and expect to have Charlie run out and greet me. His ashes arrived in the mail the other day. I have a few ideas of where to scatter them when spring comes.
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Chrissi, I'm so sorry to hear about the news of Tina. fingers crossed and prayers sent.
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Holding back the news is not an option. Jan 7th is just his first of three final exams (in his three advanced subjects). They stretch out from 7th to 17th, with an additional oral exam in March.
So it's not only about one day, but from 6th to 17th would be eleven days.
I see. Well, in that case I wish him best of luck and that he'll be able to focus on the exams no matter the result from the vet.
And best of luck to Tina too, that the tumor is benign.
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I just checked, and I cannot believe my employer is still going forward with the plan to reopen our offices on Monday, but there has been no announcement to the contrary on the company intranet homepage.
My mind is made up. I'm not going back, even though I said I would. Maybe once the omicron surge passes, but not now.
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We were supposed to be going back to 'hybrid' (two days in office, the rest from home) and we were told that is not happening now.
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Thank you all for your thoughts on Tina and my son (I know it's the wrong thread here).
Re my contact to a Covid-positive coworker: I'm through with that. I tested every other day for a week and am now in the clear.
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I just checked, and I cannot believe my employer is still going forward with the plan to reopen our offices on Monday, but there has been no announcement to the contrary on the company intranet homepage.
Hm. "reopen the offices" - does that mean you have to go back into the office, or that you can go back to the office, if you choose to?
My mind is made up. I'm not going back, even though I said I would. Maybe once the omicron surge passes, but not now.
Sounds like the latter (can go, don't have to). Then it's all good, isn't it? Or do you think coworkers will head into the offices in droves?
As you know I have a job that can't be done from home. But if I could, I would totally work from home, especially now with the omicron surge on the horizon, like you said.
The omicron wave is not yet fully here, we're some weeks behind the US.
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Hm. "reopen the offices" - does that mean you have to go back into the office, or that you can go back to the office, if you choose to?
Sounds like the latter (can go, don't have to). Then it's all good, isn't it? Or do you think coworkers will head into the offices in droves?
As you know I have a job that can't be done from home. But if I could, I would totally work from home, especially now with the omicron surge on the horizon, like you said.
We were given the opportunity of returning to the office full time, continuing to work at home full time, or doing some combination of office and home. This morning I notified my supervisor that I will not be returning to the office on Monday.
I still can't believe they're not deferring the reopening. I made it clear that I'm changing my plan because I'd have to take public transportation during rush hour.
Incidentally, I did a home test a few hours ago, and the result was negative. (My God, that sounds like talking about an HIV test. ...)
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Thank you all for your thoughts on Tina and my son (I know it's the wrong thread here).
Re my contact to a Covid-positive coworker: I'm through with that. I tested every other day for a week and am now in the clear.
Good to hear!!!!!
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Incidentally, I did a home test a few hours ago, and the result was negative. (My God, that sounds like talking about an HIV test. ...)
more good news, but the connection to HIV is sobering.
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I've been thinking about BetterMostian friends a lot lately with the wrapping up of disappointing holidays, the brushes with COVID and our beloved pets struggling. Hoping this place is a haven where we can let our hair down (is that a Brokieism?) :-*
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if you have it to let it down. ;) :laugh:
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Yesterday I had a talk with my financial adviser. He asked to postpone a meeting because he needed to be with a friend who had just lost his father to Covid. I'm not sure I remember the deceased's age correctly; I think he was in his 70s. He was also so fit he led cross-fit classes and was fully vaccinated and boostered. And he still died of it. He was receiving 2 L of oxygen per minute, and they still couldn't get his oxygen saturation above 80%.
Are we being lied to?
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You mean about the vax + booster?
People in their 70s are still at very high risk of serious illness, even if it's a breakthrough infection.
(BTW, 2L/min is a very low oxygen dose.)
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I've been seeing bare shelves at the grocery store again, only in different areas. The toilet paper situation is just fine, but the produce is iffy and the meat section is really awful. Yesterday I had the choice of icky looking pork roasts, whole chickens, poorly wrapped beef and fish. In the bread section, the toasting bread was half as tall as it usually is. Oddly, the sushi section was completely stocked and there were rows of colorful decorated birthday cakes.
I was assigned to get some children's laxative by my daughter and despite going to three places, I only found huge containers of Miralax for adults. The pharmacist told me I could just cut the adult dose in half. No way!
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At this point it might be less a supply chain problems than employee shortages. Everywhere is short on employees. When I encounter a long line in a grocery store or pharmacy, normally I get annoyed that they don't call in more cashiers. But right now I think many places just don't have the help.
I realize some of this is caused by omicron -- people getting it themselves or having to care for kids because schools and daycares are closed with people getting omicron.
But part of it is apparently that employers are leaving their jobs. The question is, where are they going? How are they getting by? I've seen a lot of stories about the employees leaving part, but only one about how they're supporting themselves, and that one didn't really answer the question. It said some are retiring early, filing for social security, or are just broke. But what about all the people too young to retire? And when they're broke, why don't they get another job? I don't get it.
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But part of it is apparently that employers are leaving their jobs. The question is, where are they going? How are they getting by? I've seen a lot of stories about the employees leaving part, but only one about how they're supporting themselves, and that one didn't really answer the question. It said some are retiring early, filing for social security, or are just broke. But what about all the people too young to retire? And when they're broke, why don't they get another job? I don't get it.
I don't get it either. Everywhere you go, from Dunkin Donuts to the bank branch my dad uses, you see help-wanted signs. How are these people who quit their jobs living? ???
I wonder if anybody has any statistics on people leaving their jobs in the service sector? (Maybe that's not the right term. I'm thinking of people like grocery store cashiers, fast-food worker, and so forth.)
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It's my own belief that people during the pandemic realized how much of their time they were losing to work. I work daily, then had a commute, and spent the weekend doing chores.
Working from home, when it was slow, I was able to do chores while I worked from home, giving me free time on the weekends.
People worked on budgets or on 'side-hustles' as a way to make money, and weren't so eager to come back and loose that free time, so they left their jobs, especially if they were getting just minimum wage.
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https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/20/6-reasons-why-americans-arent-returning-to-work.html
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I've been seeing bare shelves at the grocery store again, only in different areas. The toilet paper situation is just fine, but the produce is iffy and the meat section is really awful. Yesterday I had the choice of icky looking pork roasts, whole chickens, poorly wrapped beef and fish. In the bread section, the toasting bread was half as tall as it usually is. Oddly, the sushi section was completely stocked and there were rows of colorful decorated birthday cakes.
I was assigned to get some children's laxative by my daughter and despite going to three places, I only found huge containers of Miralax for adults. The pharmacist told me I could just cut the adult dose in half. No way!
Try prunes. They work great.
A couple of them a day will dissolve any constipation.
Children usually like them (my grandson does), if not you can cook them in a little water to a compote.
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... are leaving their jobs. The question is, where are they going? How are they getting by? I've seen a lot of stories about the employees leaving part, but only one about how they're supporting themselves, and that one didn't really answer the question. It said some are retiring early, filing for social security, or are just broke. But what about all the people too young to retire? And when they're broke, why don't they get another job? I don't get it.
I think quite a few people, especially parents, are realizing that they just can't afford to work these minimum wage jobs. When you consider child care, insurance, transportation, clothing, lunches out, education, taxes, etc. it is questionable whether there is any profit in it or are you just throwing your time/life away? Some women I know have changed their careers to being caregivers and educators of their own children. Or their partners have. That could add up to half of the service-sector workforce, a big chunk.
Also, people are taking advantage of an economic tool that was available most of the time but few knew or used it: reducing expenses. Whether it was something small like not going to concerts, since there weren't any, or something big like moving back in with your parents or sharing your home with friends, this can mean that you don't have to take just any job but can wait for a better job to present itself. In Colorado, we are nearly back to full employment and many people have left the minimum wage, service sector. Looking over my expenses from last year, I was shocked at how little I spent on food since I now prepare about 90% of my meals myself from scratch. Some weeks, I've been spending as little as $20/week on food. Yet I never feel like I don't have enough; quite the opposite. Back in the before times I would go out for lunch with R. and it was common for us to spend $60-$70 on one meal.
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I think quite a few people, especially parents, are realizing that they just can't afford to work these minimum wage jobs. When you consider child care, insurance, transportation, clothing, lunches out, education, taxes, etc. it is questionable whether there is any profit in it or are you just throwing your time/life away? Some women I know have changed their careers to being caregivers and educators of their own children. Or their partners have. That could add up to half of the service-sector workforce, a big chunk.
With a minimum-wage service job, it's almost impossible to afford child care, especially for more than one child.
But parents with higher-paying jobs should calculate not just what they'll save from week to week if they leave their jobs but what it will cost them in the future. If one partner is working (in a heterosexual couple that's usually the dad, of course), he's gaining job experience, employability, promotions, raises, 401(k) contributions, Social Security benefits. The one who stays at home with the kids is gaining a hole in her resume.
If the couple stays together forever, that may not be a problem. If they get divorced or the stay-at-home is widowed, it could be a big problem for the stay-at-home.
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Caution: this is disgusting but I felt like I had to share it.
These little bags of white rice were left on the doorsteps in a neighborhood near mine. The paper inside lists members of the Center for Disease Control with "Jewish" by each name. On the reverse is a picture of three white girls/women and the words "Save Our Race, don't get vaccinated."
:o :'( It's the 21st Century, for God's sake! These people are a disgrace. I hope they are exposed.
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Every day I'm baffled anew by how so many people these days can be so stupid.
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This is atrocious and disgusting.
But, sadly, I'm not surprised. The antivaxx movement is deeply mixed with antisemitism, as are all conspiracy theories. That's one thing they all have in common. It's always, always the Jews' fault.
Here in Sweden the antivaxx movement is a strange concoction of people from way different movements: new age, alternative health, antisemites, right wingers, nazism, conspiracy theorists, science deniers, you name it.
It's probably the same in every country.
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As for that paper, I can personally vouch for Mikael Dolsten.
He is indeed Jewish. He is also Swedish and I know him and his wife personally ;D
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God, people can be so stupid.
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Beginning today, you no longer have to prove you've been vaccinated to get into a restaurant in Philadelphia.
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So are you going back to the watering hole to celebrate?
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So are you going back to the watering hole to celebrate?
I've been back on Saturday nights for weeks.
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That happened here last week.
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We did not have to wear masks in my home church yesterday morning.
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It's getting closer and closer to normal here. Even in stores, a lot of people aren't masking -- sometimes even employees.
Suddenly I wish I had a Mardi Gras-themed mask. I do have a white one, and if I were energetic I could decorate it with purple, green and gold, the MG colors.
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Yes, I'm noticing that a lot of people walking in stores and such are not wearing masks. I still put mine on.
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I take my cues from the employees. If the people at the cash register are wearing masks, I wear mine. If not, I don't.
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I wear it going into places, and I'll take it off if I see it's not full of a lot of people.
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Okay, did you hear the news that now Dr. Fauci has COVID?
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No, not until now! Great, more ammunition for idiots to dismiss the effectiveness of vaccines. Which would be like saying someone wore a seat belt but they got in a car accident anyway. Or someone got pregnant while using birth control, therefore there's no point in using birth control.
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Yeah, I heard about it, but it doesn't seem to be getting a lot of attention.
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Yeah, I heard about it, but it doesn't seem to be getting a lot of attention.
The world's media are covering it up so they can advance their personal agenda. :laugh:
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and I'm sure there are people who believe that.
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Wow, we haven't brought this up in over a year? Well, talk of COVID seems to be everywhere all of a sudden. What are we going to do differently this time? Fortunately we don't have a numskull in the highest office in the land, so there's a hopeful point.