Coronavirus, Monkeypox, and Other Contagious Diseases

[Deleted]

Who do you think Floridians will hold responsible for this state of affairs?

[Rue Bella]

Thanks, Obama!

[Bact PhD]

Aug 7, 2021 2:39:00 GMT @probabilistic3 said:

Who do you think Floridians will hold responsible for this state of affairs?

Obama? Nah, that’s so 2016.

Supreme Emperor is already setting up that narrative with the deflection to Biden’s handling of illegal immigration. I would almost be willing to bet money that enough Floridians will buy that narrative to return Supreme Emperor to office next year.

[jackd]

Interestingly, he seems to be behind Crist and Biden in current polls. I realize that won't necessarily last.

[Bact PhD]

Aug 7, 2021 2:39:00 GMT @probabilistic3 said:

Who do you think Floridians will hold responsible for this state of affairs?

Supreme Emperor isn’t responsible; he’s told us so:

www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2021/08/07/florida-records-new-covid-cases-record-single-day-coronavirus-hospitalizations-deaths/5527802001/

As the airborne virus infects, hospitalizes and kills more people across Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has said there’s nothing much his administration can do about it. He called the summer swell a “seasonal” trend, a claim disputed by epidemiologists.

“You have some politicians who say, 'I’m going to eliminate the virus. I will defeat it,’ ” he said, using a Darth Vader voice, Friday at a news conference in Port St. Lucie. “Unfortunately, government can’t just end it. These waves ebb and flow. It’s not something government can control.”

Reminiscent of Pontious Pilate washing his hands…

[andydp]

Aug 8, 2021 0:39:56 GMT Bact PhD said:

Aug 7, 2021 2:39:00 GMT @probabilistic3 said:

Who do you think Floridians will hold responsible for this state of affairs?

Supreme Emperor isn’t responsible; he’s told us so:

www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2021/08/07/florida-records-new-covid-cases-record-single-day-coronavirus-hospitalizations-deaths/5527802001/

As the airborne virus infects, hospitalizes and kills more people across Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has said there’s nothing much his administration can do about it. He called the summer swell a “seasonal” trend, a claim disputed by epidemiologists.

“You have some politicians who say, 'I’m going to eliminate the virus. I will defeat it,’ ” he said, using a Darth Vader voice, Friday at a news conference in Port St. Lucie. “Unfortunately, government can’t just end it. These waves ebb and flow. It’s not something government can control.”

Reminiscent of Pontious Pilate washing his hands…

This will resonate with “certain” groups: it’s God’s will. The fact a vaccine is available goes against natural law.

[jackd]

There is no "natural law"; only human-made law. On the other hand, there is the fact that God did give us brains. I wonder if He/She wanted us to use them.

[andydp]

Aug 8, 2021 1:06:52 GMT jackd said:

There is no "natural law"; only human-made law. On the other hand, there is the fact that God did give us brains. I wonder if He/She wanted us to use them.

I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.

Galileo Galilei

[jackd]

Yeah, but he wasn't the Pope.

[Deleted]

Aug 8, 2021 1:06:52 GMT jackd said:

...fact that God did give us brains...

Debatable. Also, shit for brains... not debatable, mate.

On one hand, it's extraordinarily strange nature is not whimsical: is regular - homogeneous & isotropic, with explainable and more importantly predictable patterns; on the other hand, how else can one build complex, yet stable systems except from repeating simplest patterns to weave the superstructure. Of course, this line of thinking excludes singularities.

[Deleted]

Hello tomorrow! (Brought to you by DeSantis - POTUS Supremo)

[Deleted]

[Rue Bella]

Someone on twitter said:  "I think this would make a good slide for a border wall proposal."
 

[Deleted]

Unless it's a map of hospitalizations, it is dated... at least by a couple of weeks. The red wave has overwhelmed the rest of the country too. Come to think of it our NAFTA partners would be eager to pay for your wall.

The best practices handbook clearly states political best practices trump disease control best practices. Always. It also states in bold letters: A winning strategy is to always cause the spread and blame the disease control folks for the spread. Nothing convinces people of the soundness of your argument more than giving them the license, nay, stoking them to be irresponsible and then loudly blaming others for any suffering borne out of such irresponsibility. People grasp on to that logic with a death grip. Pays huge political dividends. Once n office arrest and prosecute the disease control people. Deal them the final coup de grace.

[goldenvalley]

Rise in traffic related deaths during the pandemic.  I've been complaining about the lack of police or state trooper presence on the CA highways for years now.

I've noticed a general rise in inconsiderate driving, such as California stops and lots of right turn on reds with no stop whatsoever plus parking lot ridiculousness like driving down the middle of parking lanes and competing for an empty spot as if it were the holiday shopping time.

What about your locales?

[jackd]

Mostly speeding and right of way aggressiveness (not yielding when one should).

[Bact PhD]

I’d say markedly worse over the last couple of years. Lots of aggressive maneuvering, an incredible uptick in clearly distracted (as in idiot who can’t pick a lane, any lane, staring at their phone). More close calls in both in-town and on the interstate than I can recall. Oh, and there was the actual COLLISION I experienced while on vacation — my first in two decades.

ETA after reading the article: In my back-and forth trips to St. Pete via I-75 this year, I’ve also noticed an uptick in the proportion of drivers going 85-plus, if not over 90. The former used to be uncommon, and the latter would be so rare as to merit a “Holy Shit! WTF!” This last RT there was a pair of racers, plus at least one other solo at 90-ish.

Suffice it to say Dear Son has gotten quite the tutorial on what NOT to do on the road.

All this in a locale that already had its share of “the young, the old, and the stoned.”

[LFC]

I haven't seen anything different here in Southeast PA and I'm usually pretty sensitive to that kind of thing. In particular I haven't seen the speed demons deciding that if their car can easily do over 100 then by gawd they're going to enjoy it.

[andydp]

Aug 9, 2021 17:20:59 GMT goldenvalley said:

Rise in traffic related deaths during the pandemic.  I've been complaining about the lack of police or state trooper presence on the CA highways for years now.

What about your locales?

We've got our share of speedsters.  The NY State Police have reported extra speeding accidents.  On a personal obervation, there's plenty of the 80+ drivers.  I usually do about 75ish in the Vette and people still want to pass.  I could keep up with them, but then there's a tendency for others to piggy back and I'm not too sure of their abilities or their cars'.

The radar detector  (Valentine 2) has been a very big help in "advising" me when they're in the area.  One thing I noticed: they keep their radars on all the time even if they're getting a donut.  

On our trip to the car show in Syracuse, we were in convoy doing about 65-70.  A trooper was coming the opposite way.  He had his radar on our corvette Convoy until he went past the last car (me) then shut it off. THAT'S annoying, along with Big Bird being lasered by a trooper, while watching a Subaru pass you. 

[Traveler]

Aug 9, 2021 19:03:19 GMT andydp said:

Aug 9, 2021 17:20:59 GMT goldenvalley said:

Rise in traffic related deaths during the pandemic.  I've been complaining about the lack of police or state trooper presence on the CA highways for years now.

What about your locales?

We've got our share of speedsters.  The NY State Police have reported extra speeding accidents.  On a personal obervation, there's plenty of the 80+ drivers.  I usually do about 75ish in the Vette and people still want to pass.  I could keep up with them, but then there's a tendency for others to piggy back and I'm not too sure of their abilities or their cars'.

The radar detector  (Valentine 2) has been a very big help in "advising" me when they're in the area.  One thing I noticed: they keep their radars on all the time even if they're getting a donut.  

On our trip to the car show in Syracuse, we were in convoy doing about 65-70.  A trooper was coming the opposite way.  He had his radar on our corvette Convoy until he went past the last car (me) then shut it off. THAT'S annoying, along with Big Bird being lasered by a trooper, while watching a Subaru pass you. 

I go faster without a detector.  Just try to stay no more than 15 above the limit, depending upon location and what other fast drivers are doing and reputation of the road.  (like up to 82 is OK on PA turnpike).  I blow through all sorts of traps where the poor detector jockeys slow down to 65.  Fact is, most cars and roads are designed for 80 mph speed.  They are looking for the over 90 crowd.  Plenty of them around to clean up the ticks for slowpokes like me.  

[Deleted]

You guys are inveighing against my kindred spirits. Just get out of the way, or better yet, keep the outer lane clear for us. We are not asking for much. (In the town/city/suburbia I live, most people haven't been informed about the indicator light stick, and those who have been, can't tell left from right.)

[goldenvalley]

Just going with the general speed of surrounding traffic should be fine.  It's those that are going slower or faster than the flow that create issues.  What increasingly drives me nuts are those that decide the far right lane is the lane to use to go faster than the surrounding traffic.  In the olden days when I learned to drive that was verboten.

As my brother always says "People don't actually drive their cars; they just use them to get from place to place." 

[Bact PhD]

Aug 9, 2021 20:31:46 GMT goldenvalley said:

Just going with the general speed of surrounding traffic should be fine.  It's those that are going slower or faster than the flow that create issues.  What increasingly drives me nuts are those that decide the far right lane is the lane to use to go faster than the surrounding traffic.  In the olden days when I learned to drive that was verboten.

As my brother always says "People don't actually drive their cars; they just use them to get from place to place." 

You'd think that, but...

"The flow" has sped up considerably and has different dynamics than just a couple of years ago. Whereas before I could pretty much maintain 76-78 on cruise, passing Gramps in the motor home doing 65-68 and getting out of the way of the 80-plus with little trouble, that has become all but impossible. There are more Gramps-types in the slow-moving motor homes/travel trailers, a BUNCH more 18-wheelers in multiple lanes (even the lanes they're not supposed to be in), if there is a "flow" at all, it's running more like 82, and as I posted above, more 85-plus darting in & out. I've given up on using the cruise, as I barely get to my usual cruise speed before having to hit the brakes owing to someone going sub-70 in the middle lane (the right lane may be clear, or there is an even slower slowpoke).

[Bact PhD]

Suck it, DeSantis.

Of course, meanwhile, he's in Supreme Emperor mode over the schools:

The state "could" defund the salaries of district superintendents and county school board members who mandate mask wearing in schools, according to a statement from Gov. Ron DeSantis' office.

His spokeswoman, Christina Pushaw, released the following language Monday afternoon:

"With respect to enforcing any financial consequences for noncompliance of state law regarding these rules and ultimately the rights of parents to make decisions about their children's education and health care decisions, it would be the goal of the State Board of Education to narrowly tailor any financial consequences to the offense committed.

"For example, the State Board of Education could move to withhold the salary of the district superintendent or school board members, as a narrowly tailored means to address the decision-makers who led to the violation of law.

"Education funding is intended to benefit students first and foremost, not systems. The Governor’s priorities are protecting parents’ rights and ensuring that every student has access to a high-quality education that meets their unique needs."

At least one superintendent offered an immediate defiant response. Leon County Superintendent Hanna told school officials at a meeting Monday afternoon "you can't put a price tag on someone's life, including my salary."

Hours earlier, Hanna announced that students in elementary and middle schools will be required to wear masks as the upcoming school year begins in Tallahassee.

[jackd]

Apparently there are some court challenges. Be nice if some judge (or judges) decided the welfare of the people was more important than the governor's ego.