Implanting Bill Gates's Micro-chips In Brains For Over 20 Years!

[Icky Thump]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

I think a lot of you all are wrong about this. My wife wears a surgical mask at a hospital every day. They're not useless. They're not as much protection as a KN95 for the wearer, but I think the point is that if everyone is wearing one, then even infected people are not spreading the virus effectively.

Does everyone wear one?

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

Shakes head, gives up.

This is a sincere question:

When everyone around you is living like Covid is in the rear view mirror, which they are (hence reinstatements of mandates), what is one to do? Wearing a mask in a restaurant full of people without them is pointless. And what of meetings? I’ve been careful to ask about mask protocol when meeting older people (70s/80s) only to have them advise they’d already had it and been vaxxed and didn’t care.

Should one turn down social engagements? Turn down business entertainment?

Whose level of vigilance is controlling? Whose should be the standard? Surely, one cannot say we should act like it’s March 2020 all over again. And yet, it’s hard not to translate a lot of tsk tsk’ing as demanding exactly that.

I’ve danced with this disease twice and been vaxxed and boosted. Perhaps my choice of mask was lacking. But now, when in the grocery store where I’d be one of maybe 3-5% of people still masking, am I still duty bound to mask up?

It is not a heresy to say that when in Rome, one might as well do as in Rome. And to say that Covid cannot continue to define us, control us, to the extent it has. These are reasonable and eminently defensible propositions.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Icky Thump

Does everyone wear one?

At her hospital, yes.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

This is a sincere question:

When everyone around you is living like Covid is in the rear view mirror, which they are (hence reinstatements of mandates), what is one to do? Wearing a mask in a restaurant full of people without them is pointless. And what of meetings? I’ve been careful to ask about mask protocol when meeting older people (70s/80s) only to have them advise they’d already had it and been vaxxed and didn’t care.

Should one turn down social engagements? Turn down business entertainment?

Whose level of vigilance is controlling? Whose should be the standard? Surely, one cannot say we should act like it’s March 2020 all over again. And yet, it’s hard not to translate a lot of tsk tsk’ing as demanding exactly that.

I’ve danced with this disease twice and been vaxxed and boosted. Perhaps my choice of mask was lacking. But now, when in the grocery store where I’d be one of maybe 3-5% of people still masking, am I still duty bound to mask up?

It is not a heresy to say that when in Rome, one might as well do as in Rome. And to say that Covid cannot continue to define us, control us, to the extent it has. These are reasonable and eminently defensible propositions.

There are a lot of people around me these days not wearing masks. I'm not going to try to change their behavior, but I'm also going to keep wearing a mask. That doesn't mean Covid is controlling me. It means I don't want to get sick, and I don't want to make my wife sick.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

This is a sincere question:

When everyone around you is living like Covid is in the rear view mirror, which they are (hence reinstatements of mandates), what is one to do? Wearing a mask in a restaurant full of people without them is pointless. And what of meetings? I’ve been careful to ask about mask protocol when meeting older people (70s/80s) only to have them advise they’d already had it and been vaxxed and didn’t care.

Should one turn down social engagements? Turn down business entertainment?

Whose level of vigilance is controlling? Whose should be the standard? Surely, one cannot say we should act like it’s March 2020 all over again. And yet, it’s hard not to translate a lot of tsk tsk’ing as demanding exactly that.

I’ve danced with this disease twice and been vaxxed and boosted. Perhaps my choice of mask was lacking. But now, when in the grocery store where I’d be one of maybe 3-5% of people still masking, am I still duty bound to mask up?

It is not a heresy to say that when in Rome, one might as well do as in Rome. And to say that Covid cannot continue to define us, control us, to the extent it has. These are reasonable and eminently defensible propositions.

Look, I'm immunocompromised, so yes, I turn down invitations and appointments all the time. When I set up a business lunch, I have them in the office and have food delivered, and two to four people will sit at a conference table meant for 24, with a good distance between us. I don't insist that you turn down appointments and such, but please try to keep your distance from people who are taking extra care because they may well have very good reasons.

I mask up. Who gives a shit what the crowd is doing, it helps and is no big deal. I also avoid people who don't mask and places where they don't mask, which makes moving around difficult not because there are people who don't give a shit (I can manage them) but because there are a lot of people who are really into being complete assholes to anyone wearing a mask and getting in their face.

A hint: if anyone wants to go to a musical event safely, try opera. The sizable gay community participation means everyone who is into opera, straight or gay, has awful aids stories about people they loved. Masking is at 95% and testing is higher. If you want to go to a restaurant, find a neighborhood full of doctors to go in. Again, much safer than others, which are starting to add back tables they took out for social distancing purposes. My oncologist has shared a bunch of tips with me, he's really limited what he does since the masks came off, given that he spends his whole life with immunocompromised people. Just a complete hero.

But you're just being an idiot if you think a surgical mask is less useful than a gater. Where do you get such information? I mean, I get that you're the kind of person who likes to follow the crowd, but it's the ignorance of stuff like that that makes me shake my head and give up. And when you say COVID is "controlling" someone what is that about? Ever watched someone walk on ice? Should they just run, because otherwise the ice is controlling them? How dare people use snow tires! They are giving in to the ice.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

At her hospital, yes.

From what I can see, hospitals are the biggest place where people are still taking the pandemic seriously. They are also filled with some of the kindest and most considerate people in the world. Home and hospital are my safe places these days.

[Icky Thump]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

At her hospital, yes.

It was a rhetorical question but that's when surgical masks work, when all wear. Alone, in an office of unmasked mutants -- not so much. Team KN95 for now.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Icky Thump

It was a rhetorical question but that's when surgical masks work, when all wear. Alone, in an office of unmasked mutants -- not so much. Team KN95 for now.

Yes, agreed, that's what I usually wear too.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

There are a lot of people around me these days not wearing masks. I'm not going to try to change their behavior, but I'm also going to keep wearing a mask. That doesn't mean Covid is controlling me. It means I don't want to get sick, and I don't want to make my wife sick.

Totally reasonable. I agree with this thinking entirely.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Look, I'm immunocompromised, so yes, I turn down invitations and appointments all the time. When I set up a business lunch, I have them in the office and have food delivered, and two to four people will sit at a conference table meant for 24, with a good distance between us. I don't insist that you turn down appointments and such, but please try to keep your distance from people who are taking extra care because they may well have very good reasons.

Totally agree. If I know someone is ill or they desire me to wear a mask, I'm happy to do so. If everyone in a building is wearing masks, I'll do what they're doing as it seems polite as well.

I mask up. Who gives a shit what the crowd is doing, it helps and is no big deal. I also avoid people who don't mask and places where they don't mask, which makes moving around difficult not because there are people who don't give a shit (I can manage them) but because there are a lot of people who are really into being complete assholes to anyone wearing a mask and getting in their face.

It's not following a crowd because I blindly follow. If anything is known of my personality at this point it's that I'm allergic to herd behavior. But in this case, if the herd isn't masking, there isn't a whole lotta point in my bucking the trend. I am not worried about getting my spouse sick or getting sick myself. Ty's cost/benefit doesn't apply.

A hint: if anyone wants to go to a musical event safely, try opera. The sizable gay community participation means everyone who is into opera, straight or gay, has awful aids stories about people they loved. Masking is at 95% and testing is higher. If you want to go to a restaurant, find a neighborhood full of doctors to go in. Again, much safer than others, which are starting to add back tables they took out for social distancing purposes. My oncologist has shared a bunch of tips with me, he's really limited what he does since the masks came off, given that he spends his whole life with immunocompromised people. Just a complete hero.

This is simply not realistic for me or most people. Everywhere I go, most people are walking around sans masks. And I can't be so selective in where I go. I have a meeting with 10 people next week. The conference room will be crowded. But I can't punt on this one. And there's no point in masking where I know I'll be alone. I have to keep the lights on, and this is not a meeting I can skip.

But you're just being an idiot if you think a surgical mask is less useful than a gater.

I don't think either is terribly useful.

And when you say COVID is "controlling" someone what is that about? Ever watched someone walk on ice? Should they just run, because otherwise the ice is controlling them? How dare people use snow tires! They are giving in to the ice.

I knew I should not have used that term. As it becomes endemic, and it is (unless China births some mutant variant at this late stage because of their moronic Zero Covid policy), it is or soon will be time to start looking at Covid like we look at other viruses. The reaction needs to meet the risk. If the variants continue to weaken, vigilance can be appropriately relaxed.

Yes, they may be more widely transmitted and this creates what looks like a significant uptick in deaths. But it's actually just the virus doing what it inevitably will do - cycle through almost every living thing. And as it does, as it has, it will turn into what viruses that survive must - a thing that does not kill its host. We'll live with it. And I think the first step toward living with it is recognizing the steep drop in risk accruing from Covid.

It's not heresy to shrug at Omicron. I had it and it was nothing. I can say that, factually. It's not heresy to claim that we're coming through the other side of this thing, that the finish line is very close.

[Icky Thump]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

And I can't be so selective in where I go. I have a meeting with 10 people next week. The conference room will be crowded. But I can't punt on this one. And there's no point in masking where I know I'll be alone. I have to keep the lights on, and this is not a meeting I can skip.

Watch me. I’m already rubbing maskless coworkers the wrong way by telling them to take the next elevator.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

Totally agree. If I know someone is ill or they desire me to wear a mask, I'm happy to do so. If everyone in a building is wearing masks, I'll do what they're doing as it seems polite as well.



It's not following a crowd because I blindly follow. If anything is known of my personality at this point it's that I'm allergic to herd behavior. But in this case, if the herd isn't masking, there isn't a whole lotta point in my bucking the trend. I am not worried about getting my spouse sick or getting sick myself. Ty's cost/benefit doesn't apply.



This is simply not realistic for me or most people. Everywhere I go, most people are walking around sans masks. And I can't be so selective in where I go. I have a meeting with 10 people next week. The conference room will be crowded. But I can't punt on this one. And there's no point in masking where I know I'll be alone. I have to keep the lights on, and this is not a meeting I can skip.



I don't think either is terribly useful.



I knew I should not have used that term. As it becomes endemic, and it is (unless China births some mutant variant at this late stage because of their moronic Zero Covid policy), it is or soon will be time to start looking at Covid like we look at other viruses. The reaction needs to meet the risk. If the variants continue to weaken, vigilance can be appropriately relaxed.

Yes, they may be more widely transmitted and this creates what looks like a significant uptick in deaths. But it's actually just the virus doing what it inevitably will do - cycle through almost every living thing. And as it does, as it has, it will turn into what viruses that survive must - a thing that does not kill its host. We'll live with it. And I think the first step toward living with it is recognizing the steep drop in risk accruing from Covid.

It's not heresy to shrug at Omicron. I had it and it was nothing. I can say that, factually. It's not heresy to claim that we're coming through the other side of this thing, that the finish line is very close.

I suggested you were not terribly bright and were following the crowd, not that you were a heretic.

As I said before, SMH.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Icky Thump

Watch me. I’m already rubbing maskless coworkers the wrong way by telling them to take the next elevator.

One hopes as now somewhat aged lawyers we generally have the ability to set our own way. We certainly do compared to 95% of the country.

When the announcement came around from the firm that our mask policy was rescinded, it included a statement that everyone should still be sensitive to people who continued to mask and that many would be doing so because they were immunocompromised. I sent around a "reply to all" email immediately noting that I would appreciate everyone coming into my office to be masked and noting my position, and I got a lot of thank yous from staff in the office who felt pressure to demask.

If we can't stand up and do our own thing at this point in our careers, what the fuck have we been doing?

[Adder]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

(unless China births some mutant variant at this late stage because of their moronic Zero Covid policy)

One of the few places in the world that has done what is necessary and this is what people think. Unbelievable.

Criticize their crappy vaccine if you want to find fault, but it wouldn't be becoming endemic if the rest of the world had handled it as well as China.

It's not heresy to shrug at Omicron. I had it and it was nothing.

That's not how science works.

[Oliver_Wendell_Ramone]

Here in extremely blue Portland, people followed mask mandates pretty consistently. But it's changed a lot since the statewide mandate was lifted. The day after the mandate ended, the grocery store was still 90% masked. Now it's more like 10%. Nobody is harassing the still-masked, but it's a minority.

Except maybe for punk rock. I went to a Bob Mould solo electric show last night. Bob decided to ask for masks, and everyone complied, including pulling the mask back up between sips.

Hey Icky, did you ever share a bill with Husker Du back in the day?

Ollie