Coronavirus

Kmann wrote: It's been crazy/frightening seeing how fast Delta spreads. NZ locked down with 1 case on Tuesday night and now, a few days later, we have 51 confirmed cases with infections spread throughout the country...

It's not surprising to anyone who has been keeping up with the world news, unfortunately NZ and Aussie had forgotten about what was happening to the rest of the world. At least the govt had the sense to shut the country down straight away unlike Aussie - although after watching what happened across the pond that would have had to be the stupidest people in the country if they haven't. Just hope all my family and friends come out unscathed - you've finally joined the 2020s and believe me it is fucking scary.

As I see talk of this essentially going to be a forever problem, it’s too infiltrated now to get rid of, I wonder how countries like New Zealand will stay covid free.

Covid will eventually shift from pandemic to endemic. It will no longer be a novel coronavirus, as most people will develop resistance due to vaccination or infection or both, so it will become less lethal and more commonplace. It will become like the flu, with gradual mutations requiring updated vaccines from year to year.

n815e wrote: As I see talk of this essentially going to be a forever problem, it’s too infiltrated now to get rid of, I wonder how countries like New Zealand will stay covid free.

They won't, they were just treading water for time hoping to get most of the population vaccinated before either finally opening the borders or COVID eventually slipping past border controls and getting a foothold ... unfortunately the latter has happened. One of the NZ govt ministers has reportedly said that they may no longer be able to follow the policy of elimination.
(I'm a kiwi so do have a dog in this fight).

My boys are attending UMBC where you're not allowed on campus without proof a vaccinations (all of them by the way, not just Covid.) Those without can attend remotely only, and some classes don't come with that option.

I will be in a small unventilated room with 30 plague teens within the hour, at least with masks on. We'll see if we have any rogue anti-mask heroes fighting against the in-classroom mask mandate. CAN'T WAIT.

Via con Dios, Gary.

I am on jury duty. I am still in the selection pool and might not have to actually serve; will probably find out tomorrow.

Everything is socially distanced. The public is not allowed in the courtroom (but may watch on YouTube). Instead of sitting in the jury box, the public gallery has been converted into a makeshift box, with all seats taped off except every fifth one.

Mask compliance is surprisingly good. There is a sign on the courthouse entrance. Security is wearing masks. Jurors are wearing masks. The clerk, transcriptionist, attorneys, and defendant are wearing masks. You know who’s not wearing a mask?

THE FUCKING JUDGE

I might bring it up tomorrow as affecting my impartiality. How can I trust a judge to fairly administer justice, when he can’t follow the same rules as everyone else? JFC.

That is galling as fuck.

I used to have judges for clients. They are unmitigated assholes and take pride in it. They are god almighty in their courtroom. You're lucky he's wearing pants.

Sagrilarus wrote: I used to have judges for clients. They are unmitigated assholes and take pride in it. They are god almighty in their courtroom. You're lucky he's wearing pants.

That’s what I’ve heard. “What’s the difference between God and a federal judge?”



(Except my judge is only a county judge; maybe he has federal aspirations.)

Gary Sax wrote: I will be in a small unventilated room with 30 plague teens within the hour, at least with masks on. We'll see if we have any rogue anti-mask heroes fighting against the in-classroom mask mandate. CAN'T WAIT.

Me, tomorrow. Twice. Yay

www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/nat...hs/?itid=hp_pandemic

I'll tell you what, looking at the infection rates by state in the Washington Post it becomes really apparent how much this is a disease of the Confederacy.

The deep south holds the worst six slots in the state-by-state numbers, followed by Kentucky, a border state at best, then back south again, with the exception of Wyoming for the top 12. The only "southern" state not at the bad end of the list is Virginia, which comes in at 32.

The best 10 slots are Alaska, Maine, Connecticut, Maryland (marginally southern), Michigan, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Minnesota.

I don't want to minimize the impact in other parts of the country, but this is really lopsided. I'd be curious to see if other countries are as out of balance as we are.

I am starting to think that good old-fashioned reverse psychology might finally work. Liberals should tell conservatives that they don't deserve vaccination and the federal government is going to give all the excess vaccines to brown people in other countries. Indignant conservatives would then fly into a collective Karen-frenzy and demand to be vaccinated immediately.