knehrke

Reading through the above posts, I can not find much to disagree with...NY was a test dummy, Cuomo's handing of it had some good / some bad, and the guy won't own his mistakes. He is constantly touting how he relies on the "science" to inform decision-making, but SOME of what he's done is in no way based on science. In fact, I would argue that the vaccine roll-out in particular has been mismanaged horribly. Not defining what immunocompromised means has led most doctors to throw their hands up in the air in frustration, rather than risk being fined and losing their license from poking the wrong person. My best buddy is a 53 year old heart transplant patient (3 yrs ago). There is no guidance on when he might be eligible. That stinks. We can't lay full blame at his feet, but the man is in denial if he thinks he's a hero.

Did they not find the body of the 70 yr old suspect floating dead recently? I agree it all seems a bit strange. Hunting Braddocks Bay maybe 20 years ago by myself out of a small john boat, I had a guy motor up to me and start a dispute over where I was hunting. I'd already set up my decoys, and it was approaching first light, on public land, so after my initial explanation and invite to hunt together were rebuffed, I ignored him. To my surprise, he proceeded to run him boat ONTO mine. I was literally starting to sink, being pushed under as he revved his engine. Anyway, I finally got him to back off by telling him that I knew who he was and where he lived (I didn't). Luckily, I got the boat onto shore and was able to drain it without further incident. But the confrontation could have turned South easily - I legitimately felt like my life was in danger, and there was no path to just walk away. Being that it all happened without witnesses, I was left without recourse, and shortly thereafter stopped hunting the bay. Life goes on, I suppose. Until it doesn't.

Amen, brother. My colleagues in academia think I'm hopelessly redneck and my friends who I hunt and fish with think that I'm a brainiac dweeb. But my wife thinks i'm the man, and that's all that really matters to me at the end of the day lol. Because she's a hot Australian AND has an endowed chair at our University. She is firing on all cylinders. Need I say more?

Not sure about a new standard, I need to read up, but I will state that as someone who uses PCR genotyping on a daily basis, setting the threshold for positive at 40 cycles seemed IMHO to be overly sensitive, resulting in excessive false positives. The consensus appeared to be that it was better to have false positives than false negatives. As for modifying the vaccine to accommodate new variants, in theory it's simple. The mRNA is a synthetic reagent, and we can change the sequence at will to mimic the viral mutations. No escape!! In practice, it may be slightly more difficult (some mutations may result in a less antigenic protein fragment that just doesn't stimulate your immune system as effectively).

Exactly!! Kudos.

In my profession estimation, I respectfully disagree. One of the main reasons that I post information here is to provide transparency for the average Joe. I will gently point out that BioRxiv is an online preprint repository of manuscripts that are often not yet peer reviewed, but that during COVID many, many scientists cited these manuscripts in lieu of published work. Because it is unthinkable to wait a year or more for a paper to be accepted during a public health crisis before communicating information. Transparency trumps the accepted pipeline during a crisis. And vaxxers are going to be vaxxers, no matter what you or I say. For those who want to fact check, there are public databases for reporting adverse events. I myself appreciate hearing an informed opinion - not everything needs to be peer reviewed to be true, and unfortunately not everything that is peer reviewed is true, either. I've been promoting rigor and reproducibility in science since well prior to the current initiative, and I strongly believe that acknowledging our faults is central to earning the public's trust. I also believe that Joe Public has a right to information provided in a timely, clear matter - the current publishing paradigm in academia is contrived to benefit the big three publishing companies (billions in $$ last year alone). Anyway, I appreciate your viewpoint, but I have a different one.

I agree that there are many caveats to the Australia story, but I count a return to normalcy a success. Sometimes, results matter. As for anecdotal evidence, so long as it's clearly defined as such, there's no issue IMHO. And transparency is important, particularly in the midst of such widespread concern, even if it only shows a trend rather than statistically significant results. Journals are full of case studies on emerging diseases where large scale studies haven't occurred yet. And since I didn't reach a conclusion, but simply presented my observations, and rough observations at that, I'll stick. Until large scale studies are complete, a relatively broad swath of anecdotal evidence is what we have to work with. No disinformation there, just the best currently available from somebody who has experience with lots and lots of folks who have gotten their second shot and a "close personal relationship" with NIH. Disclaimer: as more folks get their shots, these numbers are likely to evolve (short for: I could be wrong and frequently am lol). And Steve, I agree with you. Neither side has a crystal ball, but both sides jump down the other's throat when they make a misstep. Just looking for an excuse to cast shade on their political opponents. It would be a better world if we owned our mistakes and showed some compassion for the other guys' mistakes.

Interesting how Australia has had zero local cases for almost two weeks, and the Open is filling stadiums, maskless. The Australian government imposed strict guidelines, draconian by some measures. There was a huge outcry - after all, it's basically a county of cowboys and criminals (lol, my wife is Australian) - but guess what? It worked. And somehow folks didn't end up under tyranny's thumb, but instead are free to pursue a more normal life. Now, I'm not saying what worked for Australia would work here. Maybe our leaders are plotting truly evil things to control us forever. And Australia is after all a scantly populated island. But they haven't even started vaccinating yet! IMHO, there's something to learn from their example. Not sure what, but there must be a lesson there, right? In the meantime, the effort to debunk vaccine myths continues here. Of the hundreds I know who've had the shot, my sense is that the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine is most prone to complications, with around 20% or so experiencing either muscle soreness, joint stiffness, or mild flu-like symptoms that persist for a day or two. But I've had similar myself from the flu vaccine in past years. The biggest complaint I've heard is that the available appointments are filling up too fast.

Yeah, I'm always cleaning my guns when my daughter brings someone home - just by chance, of course

Yeah, they're part of the club. But we all do it, all the time. They just do it more, because they can.

Every person who has ever lived. Every time we "mansplain" something to our significant others, every time we lay down the law for our kids, or think that we know what's better for someone else than they do. Power simply magnifies the ability to exert control. It's human nature. And if we recognize the tendency in ourselves to dictate rather than discuss, to assume intractable positions, to demonize those who don't agree with us, and to harness righteous indignation - maybe we will have a fighting chance of beating our own nature.

I lament the good old days when you could go out as a lab, have a few beers, and not have to worry about every word you say potentially offending someone. But the pendulum has swung, and this is the fallout. Believe me, I get it. Even a comment regarding how we need to talk through our minor issues before they become major issues can cause offense, somehow. But I also recognize that at 53 yr old, I'm a dinosaur, and I actually think it's important to try to appreciate other folks viewpoint, I don't want to cause offense inadvertently. Plus, I like my job. So it's dot the i's, cross the t's, by the book when it comes to my professional life. This Biden executive order feels like more of the same to me. It only applies to official federal documents, and the intent is to reduce potentially offensive language. That seems at face value to be reasonable. But like most things, I suspect that it will be weaponized for political purposes, and that makes me sad. What do they say about the road to hell being paved with good intentions?

Okay, as a scientist, I like to fact check. The executive order is limited to federal agencies and public health documents and resources. It bans the use of non-specific terms like China virus (or kung flu, for example), that, while hysterical in my mind, have no place in the official policies of the USA. As is appropriate. Names matter. We don't refer to Richard as Dick in court proceedings. We don't substitute "ain't" for "is not" in official documents. And we call COVID-19 COVID-19. And a fact check of documents posted during the Trump era found zero incidence of using "China Virus" to describe COVID-19 in official public health documentation. So, yeah, it's an executive order that addresses an issue that doesn't exist. But this small example is couched in the middle of a larger executive order that is intended to prevent the use of derogatory language in federal documents. I think we can all agree that there are some terms that don't belong there. Whether the order addresses any issues of substance are another thing, but in principle I think we can agree that it's a good idea not to insult the folks you're trying to govern. So...my take is that it is a waste of time, but a well-intended gesture. And it only applies to official federal documents, so you can still say Kung-flu in the office if you like without being afraid of being censured.

Giving away your vaccine seems like it is a charitable act, but the previous mention of poor selling slots to rich hits the nail on the head. Also, it raises the old argument about giving away your place in line - folks behind you don't like it much. And sometimes clarity trumps reason. It's tough right now figuring out who is eligible, getting threatened by the Emperor if we poke the wrong people, getting threatened if we don't poke enough people. Add on top of that the chaos of trying to figure out who is not eligible anymore since they gave their slot away (When do they get eligibility back? Ever?) and you open yet another can of worms. So, bullshit? Human nature. Which can often be bullshit lol. Hang in there. Everybody who wants it will get it by the summer IMHO. There's entirely new vaccines rolling out as we speak.

You know, not for nothing, but the locker room protest, crap though folks may think it to be, is what makes our country great. They're not burning cars, flags, or stores. It's their right to protest. And our right to turn off the tube (yeah, tvs don't have tubes anymore, showing my age lol).

Look for named varieties of crabapples, most importantly on good root stock that's appropriate for your climate and soil - I like semi-standard stock so that even if it takes a bit longer to develop fruit, the trees will last your lifetime. Protect, protect, protect. Don't amend the soil when you plant (no additives beyond a shovelful of composted manure). Do not fertilize the first year. Wrap and staple two layers of METAL screen around 18" of base and bury an inch to prevent rodent damage. Fence using a 10' piece of 5' high welded wire with three metal stakes. And add a 3' square of ground cloth with pea gravel on top to prevent weeds. The first year you will need to provide supplemental water is it doesn't rain often enough. Yeah, it takes some work up front to do it right, but after that, it's gravy. But if you don't take care of protecting the tree at planting, you're just rolling the dice.

x2 (or 3, or 4 or ...) on CE, for reasons above. But it would have been interesting to see how JW fared in a later era, given a chance to stretch his range.

I love seeing all those photos of smiling faces! It's not always like that with kids, they can be a chore. Sometimes conditions get the better of them, and you've got to exercise patience. Taking a kid out means sacrificing some of what you might want to do, coming home early or flipping the script if things go south. But man, the payoff... We built an elevated box blind on one property this year specifically to hunt with kids in the late season, and I always put up three or four ground blinds, even though I personally don't hunt in them. My own daughter doesn't hunt, but my buddies' kids do, and it's been a hoot. You've got to pay it forward.

Great explanation. Thank you.

I'm placing bets on solar farms. They are popping up everywhere. Interestingly, one of our local farmers has just had a solar farm approved to be constructed on his property. There is big money to be made.

Total mortality is up, but percentage mortality is down - more cases, but we know how to deal with them more effectively, and more young folks catching it who aren't much at risk for dying. However, there are significant geographical and racial bias in disease severity (this isn't a statement about racism, lol, I'm referring to race in a medical sense as one important variable in the equation). And there are long-term consequences to your heart and kidneys, maybe your lungs. This is nothing new, think about lung scarring from pneumonia. There is still significant uncertainty in how pervasive or prolonged these effects may be. Masks and social distancing slowed the spread. But so long as there's a large enough pool of "fresh" hosts that lack antibodies (from either the vaccine or COVID itself), then the spread will continue, albeit at a reduced rate. We've seen this many times with localized outbreaks of other diseases that we vaccinate against. Whether you can still spread the virus after having been vaccinated is unknown, but the chance of imposing a significant viral load on somebody else are undoubtedly dramatically reduced. Ie, never say never. Why? Because your immune system needs time to react. If you can catch COVID-19 off a doorknob, chances are you could catch it if somebody sneezes at you with a viral load in their nasal passages. So, will we ever be free of masks? God, I hope so. But it's going to take some level of herd immunity, in all likelihood, first. Full disclaimer: I am not an MD but a PhD and Professor of Medicine engaged in biomedical research at a major university for the past thirty years. These views are mine alone, based on my read of the data, and do not represent the official position of my employer lol.

Our vaccination rates among Strong physicians is nearly 100%. It is, as mentioned above, less among support staff. I personally don't know one doctor who has refused the vaccine. In terms of adverse effects, we are seeing some incidents now of folks reporting general myalgia the day after their second dose, particularly with the Moderna vaccine. But still nothing overly concerning, and lots of folks report no side effects at all. My 75 year old Mom and her husband got vaccinated on Saturday near Utica with no issues - I was very proactive getting them an appointment last Monday, as soon as the Kinney's Drug store online scheduling site became active. I respect people's right to their opinion and to make their own decisions. Please think though before spreading disinformation on a public forum. It's important to clearly state whether you have facts on which to base your opinion or whether you are reacting to "what you've heard". Stay safe, stay sane, neighbors and friends.

WNYBuckhunter, can I ask where those folks are in the ICU? I see you're from Lima, and I figured that they'd be in the Rochester region - as mentioned previously, I have it straight from the top that there was absolutely no one admitted to the ICU at Strong or associated hospitals after having received the vaccine. I can't speak for Rochester Regional Health or any other hospitals, but we have seen very few adverse reactions of any real consequence, and certainly not severe enough to put anyone in ICU. This is the official word from folks at the highest levels, several of whom actually read this thread last week, through me and to you. If this is indeed vaccine related, then these cases will by necessity show up in the adverse reactions database administered by the CDC. Even if they're not vaccine related it will still show up; for example, someone who had to have their appendix removed was listed as having reported severe abdominal pain as a side effect of the vaccine, although in retrospect this was absolutely not the cause. IMHO, I'm not sure that it would be possible to hide something like this, and in any case, transparency is always the best option. I hope that your friends recover - we just lost one of the captains at Sandy Creek this past weekend from COVID after a month in ICU, and it sucks. My heart goes out to all of those who are impacted by this SOB of a disease.

My big ticket item this winter is to directionally fell the ash that are lining the trails, so that they don't fall down, poison ivy covered, across our ATV and walking paths...my buddies say that they're not down for helping me to cut them up if they do lol. Second item is to do some vine work with my little Stihl arborist saw, an MS151. I noted a few oriental bittersweet vines, the ones that wrap around and choke trees, during bow season, and I sure don't want them to take hold. And there''s always native grape vines threatening trees that we've planted over the years. And finally, there are a few stands to be moved and lanes to be cut while the leaves are off the trees.

Obviously this site isn't being remove. Heck, that's not even correct English lol. I get that folks are PO'd about their stuff being hit with the weed whacker, but honestly, these companies are privately held, and being a right winger isn't a protected class. They can deny service without consequence. This is what happens when you privatize system functions. I'm not sure that the government control turning Democrat makes a bit of difference, since in free market these sort of decisions are generally reversible by economic factors (ie, hit them in the pocketbook), not governments. Of course, the alternative is that the government step in an legislate an answer. If you don't see the irony in Republicans clamoring for that, then you're not thinking :). It's like when QDMA stopped hosting the native habitat management forum. Folks lost their minds at first, but then the membership who had posted there reconvened at a different site. Sans all of the content they'd posted over the years, which was lost to history, unfortunately. An amazing amount of useful information, gone. Bottom line is that if you don't own all aspects of the process from creation to management to dissemination, then you are at the mercy of somebody else. Like having permission to hunt a property that you don't own - it can be taken away. Yeah, it sucks, but that's life in the free market. And until a PUBLIC institution does this, it's not censorship.