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Tag: COVID-19

Member Post

April 13, 2021

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Below are pleas from three nurses in Michigan–I got these from an FB friend that I respect. The first two posts are from fellow nurses she quoted, and the last post is from her. These women are in the thick of this battle, so they witness things that most of us don’t see. Their perspective […]

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Member Post

April 12, 2021

I heard a segment on the radio today about last night’s 60 Minute’s episode that featured space age medical technology being developed by the U.S. Military. I had no idea that they had a massive research lab containing countless disease and virus samples going back hundreds of years, including the Spanish flu. They’ve taken blood […]

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COVID in 19: Which Countries Have Fared Best in Pandemic Response?

April 12, 2021

Hosted by Avik Roy

On today’s episode of Covid in 19, Scott Immergut of Ricochet and Avik Roy talk about a new FREOPP report that ranks the pandemic performance of 31 countries, including the U.S. Which countries have moved up and down in the rankings, which country is number 1, and why is Europe having such a tough time? All that and more starting now.

Measuring the COVID-19 Policy Response Around the World, April 5, 2021, FREOPP

Michigan vs. Texas on COVID-19

April 11, 2021

Michigan is in the middle of a huge spike in COVID-19 cases. This despite the notoriously restrictive public health edicts issued there, such as travel restrictions, that go beyond what most other states employ. Texas famously has kept the restrictions to a minimum and has already stopped some of them, such as lockdowns and a state mandatory mask edict, much to the distress of the President. Yet Texas has seen and continues to see a decline of new cases and deaths. It’s the same in Florida.

So, what’s going on?

Changing America – The World is Noticing

April 9, 2021

“The Europeanized USA” by Dr. Alex Joffe, published at the BESA Institute, is worth your time. This story sums up, in a not-so-tasty nut-shell, how the last bastion of the Free World, The “United” States of America, is doing, and how both our allies and enemies are viewing our current “situation” (demise). Here’s the opening:

“America is undergoing a rapid transformation founded in a moral panic over race that masks the exercise of class-based power in which technology companies and left-wing politics have united to wield unprecedented control. The outcome will likely be a union of Europeanized states where freedoms are severely curtailed and social cohesion is minimized in favor of dependency.” A slap in the face of Lady Liberty at best, who welcomed our ancestors to her shores – a place of safety and freedom, based on a Declaration, and a Constitution, written with the blood of patriots, and the courage of those that fled the tyrannical control from another continent. At its worst, the imports of slavery and inequality, who saw its imperfections and ugliness, through MLK and JFK and sought a path of reconciliation and opportunity – paths only found in a free society.

Vaccine Passports Won’t Work: There Is no Good Faith Left

April 6, 2021

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Nearly a year ago, I wrote about “The Death of the Social Contract,” in which I argued the double standards around COVID-19 policies destroyed that unspoken set of agreements that kept society working. At the time, I noted that the “15 days to flatten the curve” turned into, in some places, a year or more with no end in sight.

We were told the vaccine was the way out (guess not). We have Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson options and Biden announced opening up the vaccine to all adults by April 19. When Trump said last year this was his goal, the media and “health experts” decried this ambitious goal as “unlikely”

Member Post

Tim H.

April 1, 2021

From today’s Twitter news bar: Preview Open

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A Typical Day in the Life of a Bedside Nurse, Part 1

March 29, 2021

5:30 a.m: Alarm buzzing. I wish it weren’t. I snooze.
5:35 a.m: Buzz, buzz. Snooze.
5:50 a.m: Buzz, buzz. Holy…how am I still in bed?! I have to be at work!

Roll out of bed as quickly as possible. Find my scrubs from the laundry basket of things that I haven’t hung up yet (thank my good judgment in buying wrinkle-free scrubs), brush teeth, pull hair back into some semblance of tidiness, throw keys, phone, etc., into pocket. Grab shoes and socks, stumble, badly, in the dark toward the bedroom door to exit into the living room.

Walk into the kitchen, pour coffee. Whatever is left of it from the day before goes into a cup and I drink it. Cold. It’s okay, I don’t like it hot anyway. I chug some of it down while I take my morning meds (the ones that make me moderately functional). I plop down into a chair and pull on my socks and nursing shoes. I examine those shoes again and wonder if I should replace them. It’s probably only been a year. Some of the cushioning is still good, but everyone else has these other shoes that look ridiculous, but they say feel amazing… I consider my shoe envy for a moment while I double-knot. I finish the rest of my coffee. I put my mug up on the counter. I run over to my work bag (lucky me, it’s only about 30 feet away) and grab my holey lunch bag, while tossing my wallet into the larger tote. I check the inside for forgotten food (there’s an emergency packet of oatmeal of indeterminate age).

The Pandemic is Over

March 19, 2021

Before you demand that I share the source for my title, I suggest instead that my observation is obvious. The highly maligned term “common sense” would tell you that. In fact, if we look at the definition of pandemic, the truth becomes even clearer (unless you have no interest in the truth):

1: an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affects a significant proportion of the population: a pandemic outbreak of a disease; a global pandemic Influenza pandemics seem to strike every few decades and to kill by the million—at least 1m in 1968; perhaps 100m in the “Spanish” flu of 1918-19.— The Economist

The Roth Effect with Carol Roth #84

The Media: Evil or Clueless?

March 9, 2021

Hosted by Carol Roth

With guest Joe Concha

Joe Concha, media and political columnist for The Hill and a Fox News contributor, rejoins Carol Roth to talk about media hypocrisy, big tech and how we end cancel culture. Carol and Joe dive into what has shifted with media and so-called journalism, particularly that that covers politics and general news.

Plus, a “Now You Know” on the NBA.

Yes, Lockdowns Were a Waste (And a Volcano Erupts)

March 9, 2021

A friend of mine is retired from the US Geological Survey in Menlo Park, CA. He is still the world’s expert in predicting volcanic eruptions. His seminal work was published in Nature in 1996. He now says that he’s disappointed that Nature publishes so much that is not real science. As a result, I’m a bit reticent posting this. However, it seems to me very solid.

Lockdowns accomplished nothing in stopping the spread of COVID-19.

Arizonans Are Revolting

Clifford A. Brown

March 6, 2021

Filling the restaurants and small venues in the beautiful outdoor weather. While Lord Governor Ducey talked out both sides of his mouth*, desperately trying to split the difference between Abbott/Desantis and Cuomo/Newsom, the bikers rolled back into downtown Mesa for bike night without permission or Mesa city hall control. Live music from an earlier rebellious era filled Main Street, punctuated by the sound of more Harleys rolling in. It was the sound of freedom.

Beyond the biker crowd, people jammed into every surviving eatery and watering hole, including new ones optimistically opened by small, true entrepreneurs. For the first time in nearly a year, you had to search for parking on a Friday night.

More Covid-19 Insanity

February 28, 2021

This is one of the most bizarre and ridiculous displays of Covid-19 fear that I have seen. In order to protect students who sang or played in the band, Wenatchee School District High School put children in pods. They were intended to lessen the exposure to the virus. The fact that children are the least likely to contract or pass on the virus is irrelevant. Heaven help the kid with a sousaphone or anyone who is claustrophobic. Here is how this decision was explained:

‘Wenatchee has a history of ingenuity and creative problem-solving. The music pods are an innovative mitigation solution to allow music to continue safety in our schools despite the coronavirus pandemic,’ Diana Haglund, communications director for the Wenatchee School District, told the Washington Examiner. ‘Wenatchee has award-winning music programs from our nationally-recognized Mariachi, to our acclaimed Golden Apple Marching band and our outstanding choir. Based on restrictive Washington State Department of Health Theatre and Performing Arts COVID 19 requirements, Wenatchee music teachers developed a creative mitigation method using music pods to safely allow choir and music practice to resume at Wenatchee High School.’

Gov. Ron DeSantis Defies the Media and the Federal Government

February 24, 2021

Republican governors all over the country are taking care of their states regarding Covid-19 to mixed reviews. At least most of them aren’t crippling their economies or insisting on lockdowns. I can’t help bragging about Florida’s governor, however, because he does whatever he thinks is necessary—and he’s faced an irate CDC and has been denounced by the media.

Let me tell you about Ron DeSantis. While Gov. Andrew Cuomo was signing the death warrants for hundreds of senior citizens in New York when he sent them into nursing homes, Ron DeSantis protected the nursing homes until it was clear that residents could safely be visited. He has also defied the recommendations of Dr. Anthony Fauci, knowing that the good doctor wasn’t using the science at all, nor good sense, but was making political decisions. Most recently DeSantis was chastised for two decisions: the first was deciding to prioritize vaccines for the elderly. According to Peacock Network, this was clearly a political decision. I guess targeting the most vulnerable group is considered high politics.

A second decision was criticized when the governor set up “pop-up” vaccination centers in Manatee County for a community of elderly residents. (We had a similar vaccination center set-up in our 55+ community, and vaccinations were limited to those 65+.) He was criticized for ignoring federal guidelines and decided to offer vaccinations to the most vulnerable. I guess the critics believed that old people were more likely to vote Republican.

Fauci: “Nothing stops. Or am I being obtuse?”

February 23, 2021

The nation’s highest paid federal employee issued a stern warning to all Americans on Monday, stating that the long-awaited vaccines against COVID-19 won’t alter the long-term necessity of masks, school closures, lockdowns, and social distancing measures.

Responding to a question from a reporter about the possibility of relaxing restrictions once a majority of Americans have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, Dr. Fauci replied “Nothing stops. Nothing! Or you will do the hardest time there is. No more protections from the Bill of Rights. I’ll pull you out of that one-bunk Hilton and cast you down with the New York nursing home residents. Wearing a mask is too onerous? I’ll make you wear three – and throw in a charcoal filter just for giggles.”

Cuomo Receives Special Emmy for Nursing Home Cover Up

February 16, 2021

Having become the first politician to receive Emmy’s coveted Founders Award for his 111 press briefings in 2020, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will receive a second Emmy for his role as a tough-as-nails Democrat of immense probity who in reality was covering up the fatal consequences of his decision to send Covid-positive patients to recover in upstate nursing homes.

On March 2, Cuomo conducted a media briefing from Manhattan to delude New Yorkers and the public at large about the coronavirus outbreak that was just starting to be recognized as a massive public health threat. The 110 briefings that followed would be aired on CNN, MSNBC, and other fake news outlets.

Cuomo’s lies, angry deflections, and refusal to take any responsibility for policy mistakes have reinforced his image as the kind of governor New Yorkers deserve. Cuomo is especially popular in the state’s urban areas: on Thursday approximately 10,000 people gathered in Central Park chanting “Thank you sir, may I have another” while supporters in Buffalo marched downtown carrying banners that read “Cuomo-Spitzer 2024.”

Member Post

February 15, 2021

@daviddeeble, our Ricochet resident Comedian, posted a not-so-funny observation. In his recent post, his title sounds like a parody, but something happened on the way to total government control: https://ricochet.com/894863/americans-forced-to-work-job-just-to-put-food-on-table/, From his post: “Our studies suggest that there’s a cultural component,” said Theodore M. Stanley, a research fellow at the Center For The Emerging Majority, […]

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Americans Forced to Work Job Just to Put Food on Table

February 15, 2021

A husband and father to three children, Dan Allen has been receiving a vast array of city, state, and federal unemployment benefits since being furloughed from his job when the COVID-19 crisis struck last March. Nevertheless, Mr. Allen and millions of Americans just like him are learning the hard way that government largesse just isn’t enough. Shortly after the initial lockdown last spring, Allen decided to swallow his pride and return to work.

“I’m not proud of it. But my wife and I sat down and crunched the numbers and there was no way around it: I was going to have to begin earning again,” he said.

Policymakers in Washington are struggling to deal with a problem that has perplexed public officials since the New Deal: how to keep people from relying on work to support themselves?

Killer Cuomo Lied, Chief Minion Blames Trump, DOJ Family Business

Clifford A. Brown

February 14, 2021

justice and COVID-19 Now it is apparently safe for New York Democrats to call out Killer Coumo. His top aide confessed to New York Democrat state legislative leaders that Cuomo’s team lied to them about the true number of old people he killed. The false excuse was that Orange Man Bad made them do it. The Democrats, with the truth and the cover-up now out in public, are making noises about ending the “emergency” and Cuomo’s dictatorial rule.

Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa admits they hid nursing home data so feds wouldn’t find out

The stunning admission of a coverup was made by secretary to the governor Melissa DeRosa during a video conference call with state Democratic leaders in which she said the Cuomo administration had rebuffed a legislative request for the tally in August because “right around the same time, [then-President Donald Trump] turns this into a giant political football,” according to an audio recording of the two-hour-plus meeting.

@