Category: COVID

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Glenn Reynolds thinks single White women are neurotic and thus creating all of our problems because they vote Democratic. Because only crazy people would vote Democratic. The sane people here are married men and women and single men mostly because they vote Republican. This is about all I can get from this muddled bit of writing.

Reynolds starts by talking about how fearful people became about COVID. In their panic, they opted mindlessly to support restrictions in order to stem the infection. This is apparently a bad thing. Reynolds believes that people should be more willing to take risks and to resist following instructions given by medical professionals. I don’t know about you but when a highly infectious deadly disease starts killing people, my first inclination is to listen to medical experts. What were we supposed to do? Particularly at the beginning when we knew so little and people began dying.

The medical establishment recommended the most extreme measures because they didn’t know how dangerous the disease was. It was new for Christ’s sake. Nobody knew. Now that we know more about COVID, we can discuss the lessons of COVID and how best to handle the next infectious disease. I am sure that we can do things differently and better. Discuss away. But to elude that the medical establishment allied with the Federal Government used COVID to install world government and just make life unpleasant for everybody because that’s what the evil Dr. Fauci and the Commies want, is simply unbelievable.

Any way, it shouldn’t be surprising that the medical establishment opts for the most restrictive options available because the best way to stay healthy is to follow their every word. Has Reynolds never been to a doctor. Stop smoking. Stop drinking so much. Stop eating so much. Drink more water, exercise more, take this pill for that. I don’t want to hear those things and I certainly don’t want to do those things but my doctor needs to tell me those restrictions and I need to hear them. The one thing I am confident about is that if I did follow his instructions to the T, I would have a healthier life. Doctors don’t want to see anyone die or get sick if they can convince people to take better care of themselves. It is in their job description.

Now, an economist might think differently about the same situation. She might think protecting people from an infectious disease is just one aspect to consider. The doctor is focused on keeping the most people possible healthy and alive. The economist, on the other hand, is focused on keeping a largely healthy population participating in the economy while keeping a deadly infectious disease from killing too many people. A death toll is more acceptable to the economist where it is failure to the doctor. Looking at a large population, the economist will determine an acceptable death rate that will protect most people while also keeping the economy going. This is why a lot of experts need to sit down and figure out the best way forward. What is most important — keeping the death rate as low as possible or keeping the economy humming along during a medical crisis? Again, I am betting the medical group will always opt for what ever path causes the least amount of deaths.

After determining that Americans just aren’t willing to take risks anymore, Reynolds careens wildly to find out who is responsible for all this caution — liberal white women. Not only are they liberal, they are also neurotic. Dear Lord, that explains everything. Except it doesn’t. Reynolds refers to a survey of people who have been called neurotic by another person. I am not least surprised that Liberal White women top the list. If you also asked the question who is most likely to take advantage of psychiatric care, guess who you would find on the top of the list — women who live in large urban areas. Men and people who live in rural areas are less likely to seek psychiatric help. Hmm, could that affect the number of people who have been called neurotic. Gee I don’t know. Perhaps Reynolds could redo this survey with a question like, “has the devil ever tempted you into sin.” I am certain he would receive some startling new information regarding his Republican friends.

Finally, I am not sure what Reynolds wants to do about it. He definitely thinks the world would be better if these silly neurotic White liberal women would just stop voting Democratic. But how? He suggest nothing to address their fears which drives them to vote Democratic. Deep down, I think he wants them to settle down with a nice White Republican male and, after experiencing the unparalleled sexual prowess of such a manly man, they will meekly follow his lead and vote Republican. Good luck with that.

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Senator Ron Johnson, Republican from Wisconsin, thinks the an elite group of people pre-planned the COVID crisis in an attempt to take over the world. That is some accusation and disappointingly Johnson provides no proof of his assertion. He says it is happening and, he is guessing, that we will take his word on it. I don’t. The Elites are not particularly good at world domination as they have proven year after year since the dawning of recorded history.

So I am not particularly worried about it. Now, if he had said that the COVID crisis was mishandled, I might listen. There are questions I have about what happened. But that’s not what Johnson is talking about is it? He is talking about a group who planned to spread a deadly disease to every human being on the planet (including themselves) in order to gain control of the entire world. That is what Senator Johnson expects me to believe. And, to make matters worse, but I feel it is my civic duty to point out — Johnson is U.S Senator. Shocking, right?

If we learned only one thing from the COVID outbreak is that a lot of people will do what they damn well please no matter what they are told. I think they were absolutely wrong in this case but I take great comfort in the fact that they did it. Human Beings are amazingly difficult to control. Which brings me back to the Elites taking over the world. I’d like to see them try.

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Bob has gotten COVID for the third time. The thing is in the old days, say July 2020, I knew exactly what to do. But I am not sure they apply anymore. We both had 4 COVID vaccine shots. We are up-to-date. So Bob is supposed to self-isolate? He is perfectly willing to not see anyone but to stay locked up in his room is a chore and I, frankly, don’t see the point anymore. I don’t want to get sick. On the other hand, we are both fully vaccinated and boosted. We have taken some self-isolating precautions but we are eating together and we are watching TV together. I am not terrified about getting COVID am I fairly confident that I have done everything I can to ensure that I will survive any bout with COVID. Isn’t that what the vaccination was all about? Give us the ability to move on with our lives without fear. Well, it has worked.

Also confusing is I am testing negative for COVID. A year ago, I would have self-isolated as well because I live with someone who tested positive. This doesn’t make sense to me anymore. I live in a highly vaccinated county (75% of the county is vaccinated), in the most vulnerable population of over 65 year olds the vaccination rate is well over 90 percent, and for people over the age of 80 the vaccination rate is close to 99%. So there is a small group of unvaccinated people, and most of them are not in a vulnerable population. I feel comfortable going out if I wear a mask. The unvaccinated know the risks. They have had ample time to get vaccinated. They decided against it. Since people are either vaccinated or have accepted the risks of being non-vaccinated, why should I, as a COVID negative fully vaccinated person, sit at home?

At this point, COVID, at least in my eyes, has moved into a different less deadly status. Yes, it still can be deadly for a very small portion of the population but for anyone who has taken the vaccine, that risk is incredibly low. COVID is an unpleasant disease which we should try to avoid. COVID has also become a more manageable disease, less deadly and better treated. Can we change our behaviors to match our new understanding of the disease?

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Why are we still debating about vaccinating people who have already had COVID? It is a small point but someone like Rand Paul harps on it anytime he gets a chance to spar with Dr. Fauci.

Sen Paul’s point is that someone who has had COVID has antibodies to COVID thus erasing most of the danger of getting COVID.  Antibodies are antibodies. Public Health officials go through horrible gyrations in their explanation of why people who have recovered from COVID still needs the COVID vaccine.  They give it the old college try and it is painful to see. After watching these people squirm I realized that Sen. Paul must be right.

So why argue about it? It is a  losing battle? More importantly, it isn’t going to have any impact on bringing down deaths from COVID.  If a person has had the disease, can prove it with an COVID antibody test that person is considered vaccinated. This would eliminate opposition from some of the people who are presently fighting vaccination.  Public Health officials then can focus on a much different group – people who have no antibodies to COVID. They are, after all, the people who need to get vaccinations.  And, as an added benefit, the government is giving them a choice about how they get their antibodies – they can either get COVID or get the vaccine.

To continue to argue about is insanity. Let’s save our time, energy and money for something that really matters.  This would save Public Health officials from looking like sputtering fools defending the indefensible and we shift the focus back to the problem – how to keep people who don’t have antibodies from getting the disease. It is a very small bone to throw to anti-vaccers. But a bone is a bone.  It would have little impact, if any, on the spread of COVID. So why argue about it. What worries me is that the pro-vaccinators have lost their patience with anti-vaccers to such an extent that they continue to fight a losing battle because they now want submission . They want everyone vaccinated and that is that. I understand the frustration but it seems to me a stupid battle. A hill not worthy of dying on.

Let’s choose our battles wisely.

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Why are people refusing to get COVID 19 vaccinations?  I used to say I was baffled about this but, after some thought on the matter, I actually understand.  I don’t agree but I understand because I know seemingly intelligent college educated non-Republican people who refuse to take the vaccine. They distrust what they are being told. I get it.

Distrusting people in authority is a rite of passage that most adults go through eventually. There are only so many lies, half-truths, and obfuscations you can listen to before you realize they are giving a version of the truth, a truth that will probably go on public record and be remembered.  But probably not the complete truth. I expect it.  I listen to the person’s spiel and then read in between the lines for the real meaning. In the end, I only have best guesses.

Even people who I vote for and generally support are suspect. Again I expect it. People will say one thing but I know what they really mean but they have to say it this way because if they were completely truthful they would go down to defeat in the next election. A good example of this is the position most Democratic politicians took on gay marriage 30 years ago. They all, quite sensibly, opposed it.  As a gay man, I accepted that position because I realized that any Democrat would be committing political suicide if they supported gay marriage.  Despite this craven surrender to political expediency, which should make their positions at least a little suspect, I believed that these Democrats would do very little to stop gay marriage. It turns out I was right. It also confirms, how can I say this in the kindest possible way, that they are less than truthful. And these are the people I am voting for.  They may be a liars but they are our liars.

Richard Branson, the billionaire astronaut, recently got caught in a lie that had absolutely no effect on his reputation.  When he flew into space, he made this big deal about riding up to the space station on his bicycle.  The problem is that he actually didn’t.  The bicycle ride was filmed on a different day than the flight into space.  He flagrantly lied about his arrival while also being caught pretty brazenly manipulating his public image so that we can have a better version of him, something that would capture his playful billionaire self, something, however, that wasn’t exactly true. A big falderal occurred when the lie was caught.  But now, a few weeks out, does anyone remember his little slip of the tongue? No. They do, however, remember Branson went into space and seems like a regular fellow. It’s the image he wants to convey and we are basically all right with his public relations manipulation.

But shouldn’t Public Health officials be exempt.  Maybe but then why? I believe, for the most part, they are telling me the truth.  I believe that their recommendations are sound and I will follow them. However, I have to admit that I don’t believe everything they tell me. When they say that people who have had COVID19 should get vaccinated, I am a little doubtful about it.  I thought that was the whole point of the vaccine – to trick my body into believing it has already had COVID. I would think the actual disease would be as effective if not more effective in doing this.  Health officials reply with some type of blah blah about variants and antibody durability.  OK, but wouldn’t the vaccine have exactly the same problem? It is painful to listen to health officials justify vaccinating recovered COVID patients. They look uncomfortable and give me the perception that they are lying. I would be much happier if they said the only way we can be sure that everybody is safe from COVID is to get 300 million plus people COVID antibodies.  The best way to do that is through vaccination. There is very minimal risk to getting the vaccine and if you get one we know you are safe.  Your name can be checked off the list, so be a pal here and get your vaccine. But instead they awkwardly respond with unconvincing scientific blah blah that leaves me doubtful about what they are saying.

There is this conundrum about our present situation.  We like to think of ourselves as independent thinkers. I won’t just let someone tell me what to do. I will ask questions, make sure I get the facts straight. I won’t blindly listen to some authority figure I barely trust.  I would like to say that I did a thorough investigation of the COVID vaccine, but the only investigation I did was half listening to the nightly news and finding out the address of where I could get my shot.  I did what I was told to do. You might say this is a public health emergency. We need to act quickly in order to prevent deaths, just get the damn vaccine and stop making our lives difficult.  Yes, this is true but it is true in any emergency. Which means all a politician has to do is declare an emergency. Who decides what is an emergency?

This is where it gets scary. Don’t worry though I certainly will be there to ask the challenging questions.