knehrke

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.

So, here's a quick follow up from the powers-that-be at Strong (and associated health care systems). No one who has received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine here has developed a reaction severe enough to warrant admission to the ICU. I can't speak to other heath care systems, but we are in the tens of thousands of doses administered. If anyone is interested, the CDC maintains a searchable web-based platform for reporting adverse reactions, which is readily accessible from their COVID portal. Information is updated weekly, and is reported for all types of vaccinations, not just the COVID-19 vaccines. Stay safe, stay sane, and get outdoors!

My wife had the vaccine (Pfizer version) yesterday, with the normal soreness developing that you'd see with a flu shot. Most of the docs at Strong have gotten their shots, and I haven't heard about any severe adverse reactions, but I can check in with the folks in charge to see whether they are making this data public and if so, where.

So, here's a good thought exercise. If people were getting the sniffles and nobody was dying, would you support the government's ability to issue executive mandates? If people were turning into zombies and eating each other, would that change your mind? Somewhere in between those alternatives lies our current reality. If you answered yes to the second question, then, as the punchline to a famous joke goes, "What are you? I thought we'd established that, now we're just negotiating price." There's a line in the sand where folks decide that the situation mandates decisions being made for the public good by a central authority. Where that line occurs is really subjective, just like the viewpoints on how bad this surge will get. Ask a nurse in LA county and they'll likely have a different opinion that a rancher in Montana. But if that line exists for you, then it's really just a matter of negotiating what's enough. So, while I respect other's right to state their opinions, in our society majority rules (okay, theoretically and arguably lol). And siding with the authorities doesn't make people "sheep", as I've heard on here more than once. It just means they have a different viewpoint as to where their own line exists. It's not a failure to see what's in front of our faces. It's not fear. We're not lemmings. I myself analyze the numbers on a daily basis, and my decisions are driven by data. If they differ from yours, that sounds like the start of a good conversation.

Back in April, I didn't know anyone who had the virus. Now, I know lots of folks, and everybody seems to know someone. One of the guys I know got it at deer camp and is currently in the ICU, thankfully doing better since being in an induced coma for quite a while. We are keeping our fingers crossed. We are at capacity, and the front line workers are reaching their limits. How can you ask someone who's trying to save lives 14 hours a day to find time to administer a vaccine? The worst hit areas are having the hardest time getting shots in folks' arms. Kudos to science and big pharma for their collaboration and unprecedented success in developing a vaccine. Kudos to the government for cutting through the red tape, while ensuring safety standards are met. Shame on the lack of a national rollout plan. They've only had months to develop it...

I'm not a fan of the emperor, but how is it wrong to restrict these initial doses of the vaccine to those who may benefit the most? Or our most vulnerable population? If you lower the number from 75 to 65, which is what you appear to be advocating, then demand exceeds supply, which you acknowledge. ??? Here, we have been prioritizing getting our front line health care workers who serve the most vulnerable populations vaccinated first, since that's where the vaccine is likely to do the most good, most quickly. I know that there has been lots of discretion given at the local level; I'm not as sure that this discretion has led to entirely wise choices. But nitpicking at this point is counterproductive. Nobody is going to be entirely satisfied at the rollout. Keep those doses coming!!

Hey Versatile, I like the way you think, but I know that there's an often-spoken opinion at the top that the clarity of the message can trump its accuracy. IMHO, that can turn around and bite us in the keister. I'd rather give people the facts and let them make up their own mind, even if it's not necessarily the outcome that health care professionals would like to see. Unfortunately, sometimes the school of hard knocks is the best source of learning. Every individual in our society wants to make up their own mind, whether they have access to or interest in the resources to make an informed choice or not. Knowing that, I'd opt for transparency every time. Shout the message, let folks work it out on their own. That's why I'm writing this. As for the UK variant and the vaccine, it's impossible to predict whether the mutations might be hitting an antigenic hotspot, but even so your body's response is going to produce a repertoire of antibodies, some of which should - hopefully - still hit the target. Think of it like a shotgun blast. Hopefully, some of the pellets still make the mark, even if that "magic BB" doesn't. The permutations are too complex to predict with any great accuracy, so empirical evidence is required, and there is a chance that it will be less effective. Only time will tell.

It seems like it's time to weigh in with my useless - though not uninformed - opinion. I teach this stuff to medical students. Yeah, I'm a PhD, but one of the smart ones, okay? Lol. Anyway, while I'm fairly sure that this vaccine will end up being safe, and I spent a page explaining why earlier in this thread, I'm not arrogant enough to presume that I can predict the unforeseen consequences (hence "unforeseen") with perfect clarity. Sometimes science gets it wrong. In this case, I'd bet my life on being right, but I won't bet yours. Everyone needs to make up their mind for themselves as to whether they think that the risk is worth the reward. But remember, it's not just a risk to yourself, but to society and to those you love. If you get sick, perhaps without symptoms, and you pass it on, you could impact another life. We still can't predict who is going to have poor outcomes beyond age being the best prognosticator, but it's not a negligible risk, despite what certain pundits might claim. Over 10% mortality in Mexico. Why? Million dollar question. I will take the vaccine when offered it. If you choose not to, peace - but please stay safe and protect yourself and your loved ones. Happy New Year!