Month: July 2021

Just this week some friends, Jack & Jill were scheduled to go to Florida. Now one might logically ask, “why go to Florida in the summer?” Well in this situation there was a double reason to go. First, they haven’t seen their daughter and three grandchildren for almost a year and a half, and they were going to meet them in South Florida because one of the boys was in a baseball tournament … probably multiple outdoor baseball games over a few days. However, and more important from my perspective, was that Jack was turning eighty. Baseball, birthday, and bonding time with grandchildren … sounded like the perfect juxtaposition. 

They cancelled the trip! 

Why?  . . . “The ‘surging’ delta variant.” (Multiple times in the past I have warned about the term “surge” or “surging” as to me this word is one of the classic fear-mongering leftist descriptive terms, and when you hear it, you can predictably predict that sentiments of doom-and-gloom will inevitably follow.)

They cancelled their trip even though both are double vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine. Is the fear of the delta variant, rational or are they running scared as in the Roy Orbison sang?

“Just runnin’ scared each place we go 

So afraid that it might show”

In general, life is all about the ubiquitous risk/reward ratio.

What are the actual facts concerning the delta variant?

Some facts from the New York Times:

• Vaccinated people are nearly guaranteed not to be hospitalized or killed by Covid.

• Among children under 12, who remain ineligible for the vaccine, serious forms of Covid are also extremely rare. Children face bigger risks when they ride in a car.

• The Delta variant does not appear to change either of those facts.

• Millions of unvaccinated American adults are vulnerable to hospitalization or death from Covid

From charts of new infections it is apparent that new cases 

have risen only modestly among people over 65, suggesting that breakthrough infections are rare. “I think people who are vaccinated are not, on a population level, major contributors to the transmission of the disease,” said Dr. David Dowdy, a Johns Hopkins University epidemiologist,

Continuing from the NYT:

It’s also important that the country not respond in ways that would do more harm than good — say, by delaying the full reopening of schools, Dowdy added. For vaccinated people, Covid still represents a very small risk, and the cost of our response should not exceed the benefits.

Aha … here again is that ever present cost/benefit ratio.

Even though everyone has to make their own decisions … for me, it would not be close, . . .  “what time do we board our flight to Florida?”

And while in Florida I would sing like Kool and the Gang:

“There’s a party goin’ on right here

A celebration to last throughout the years

So bring your good times and your laughter too

We gonna celebrate my turning eighty with you

Come on now

Celebration

Let’s all celebrate and have a good time

Celebration

We gonna celebrate and have a good time”

While I guess that it’s true that there will possibly be more of his grandson’s youth baseball games in Florida, Jack will only turn eighty once. Moreover tomorrow Jack could well be killed in an automobile accident and never see his grandkids again. For more than a month now, based on the 7-day average, Americans have had a less than a one-in-a-million chance of dying with COVID on any given day, and currently here in California daily “COVID deaths” are just barely outpacing automobile deaths.

7/31/21

www.californiacontrarian.com

Earlier this week CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said, “This ‘new science’ is worrisome, and unfortunately warrants an update to our recommendations.” 

The response from almost everyone was akin to, “Say it isn’t so, Dr. Walensky.” As no one except some scattered Karens wanted to go back to wearing masks again while indoors, while vaccinated.

I wasn’t aware of any recent publication that detailed this “new science,” however it appears that  Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) was. He took issue with the data used to justify the new guidelines in a Twitter storm of sorts as follows:

“The ‘game changer’ data the CDC used for the mask mandate is from a single study from India.” (No he did not say Indiana, but India!)

“Say it isn’t so, Dr. Walensky.”

Rep. Crenshaw (R,TX)continued:

“The study was rejected in peer review. But CDC used it anyway. Remember what I said about public health officials losing our trust.”

“Say it isn’t so, Dr. Walensky … please!”

Crenshaw continued:

“The study that influenced this decision? It followed healthcare workers who were vaccinated with a vaccine NOT EVEN APPROVED IN THE U.S.

That’s right. So they’re not even using a comparable case study that can be applied to vaccinated Americans.”

“Say it isn’t so, Rochelle. Step up and respond to that one-eyed bully!”

Silence … But it gets worse!

Crenshaw still had more to say:

“And just before the new decision was made, the study’s status was mysteriously changed – it no longer listed the study as “rejected after peer review.” 

“Come on Rachel, whatever your last name is, please say it isn’t so.”

Crenshaw wasn’t done:

“The site said it was a ‘glitch.’ Pretty convenient glitch to happen just before the study was used to justify a mask mandate.”

“Rachel, we can’t hear you! Say it isn’t so; say it loud, so that all can hear.”

Still silence.

And Crenshaw wasn’t finished:

“And here is the real kicker: the Administration has NO EVIDENCE proving vaccinated people transmit the virus. Zero. None.”

“Rachel, Rochelle, say it isn’t so. Tell ‘em that it’s Trump’s fault.”

7/30/21

It’s almost like the CDC is singing the hokey-pokey:

“You put your right foot in,

You put your right foot out,

You put your right foot in,

And you shake it all about.”

In other words, “do this,” “do the opposite,” “do the opposite again” … this approach can only lead to confusion and worse, a total lack of credibility in the speaker.

To state it another way: If you were on a ship and the captain said, hard to port,’ and then next said, “hard to starboard,” you would have a pretty good idea that he did not really know what he was doing.

And this appears to be the situation with the CDC, and I, along with millions of Americans, are getting whiplash.

From the Washington Examiner on 7/28/21 (added emphasis is mine):

People who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 yet still get infected with the delta strain could transmit the infection to unvaccinated people, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said on 7/27 in justifying renewed recommendations for mask-wearing.

Walensky has said in the past that people who are vaccinated are largely protected from severe illness and hospitalization due to COVID-19, but the rapid spread of the delta variant in regions of the U.S. with low vaccination rates, particularly in the South, has changed the agency’s thinking. Walensky on 7/27 also said there is new evidence that people infected with the delta variant may be contagious even if they’re fully vaccinated.

“In rare occasions, some vaccinated people infected with the delta variant after vaccination may be contagious and spread the virus to others,” she told reporters on Tuesday.

Previous recommendations from the agency were based on COVID-19 monitoring data that indicated vaccinated people rarely transmit the virus to others.

She added that while fully vaccinated people can transmit the virus, those instances are rare.

[I have added the emphasis to remind everyone that when these words are used a lot in a statement, to me it means that the speaker doesn’t really know, but rather prefers to couch what they are saying in a veil of vagueness.]

Any respect that the CDC once had, continues to deteriorate with the tap-dancing of Fauci and now Walensky. I’m sorry, but other than with the hokey-pokey, putting your right foot in and then putting your right foot out, does not inspire any confidence by the hoi poloi. However, it does produce whiplash.

And finally from the New York Times:

Clear messaging is one of the most powerful tools that public health officials have, but only when they use it. And the C.D.C. and the Biden administration did not do so yesterday. They failed to convey whether they wanted the entire country to begin changing its behavior — or whether they were focusing on only some regions, which happen to be the very places that require special attention to reach.

Basically, even the NYT has whiplash!”

I think that I am at least fairly up to date on Covid. “Get vaccinated.” I obeyed. I was one of the first in my coterie to get the vaccine. 

Early on  … “Continue to wear a mask as it is not known how effective the vaccine is.” Okay, I obeyed again, even though I was, and still am, far from convinced that masks work.

“Lucky you are vaccinated as the vaccine is highly effective against the delta variant.” Here in California according to sequencing data, the delta variant is responsible for about 75% or more of new infections, and the new infection case rates are dramatically different depending on the vaccination status of individuals. As of 7/12/21 the new case rate is 16/100,000 for the unvaccinated, whereas it is 2/100,000 for those that are vaccinated. Note that San Diego County this amounts to an 8-fold difference. Likewise the fully vaccinated are largely protected against the delta variant, and breakthrough infections when they occur are mild.

In this morning’s local paper the headline read:

“With New Cases Rising, Return to Masks Seen”

Meanwhile Dr. Fauci announced on 7/25 that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is assessing new COVID-19 guidelines that would require face masks for those who are already vaccinated. Keep in mind that 163 million people, or 49.1% of the eligible U.S. population, are vaccinated, according to CDC data.

So let me get this straight, half of the eligible population in the US has not been vaccinated, and because of that non-vaccinated half, the other half of the population, who are vaccinated, will most likely soon need to wear masks anyway. To me that seems counter-intuitive … if half of the population does not want to get vaccinated, and they are the ones at risk, can anybody explain to me why all of the population may soon be wearing masks.

To me it seems that anyone who has chosen not to be vaccinated should be the ones wearing the masks. While I agree that vaccination should be an individual choice, why punish those who have chosen to be vaccinated by forcing them to wear a mask.

You’re damned if you do, and not damned if you don’t.

7/28/21

Who or what is the Plymouth Hoe? Perhaps a woman of the street; someone we would not want our sons or grandsons mixing with. Actually Plymouth Hoe, referred to locally as the Hoe, is a large south-facing open public space in the English coastal city of Plymouth. In January, Facebook mistakenly flagged the U.K. landmark of Plymouth Hoe as offensive. 

Similarly, from the AP:

Recently, in New York State a gardening club got into hot water with Facebook for using the word, ‘hoe.’ Keep in mind that the WNY Gardeners, has more than 7,500 members who use it to get gardening tips and advice. It’s been especially popular during the pandemic when many homebound people took up gardening for the first time.

However Facebook did not approve of this word, and if a group’s members — or worse, administrators — violate the rules too many times, the entire group can get shut down.

Elizabeth Licata, a moderator for the WNY Gardeners, was not about to ban the word from the group, or try to delete each instance. When a group member commented “Push pull hoe!” on a post asking for “your most loved & indispensable weeding tool,” Facebook sent a notification that said “We reviewed this comment and found it goes against our standards for harassment and bullying.”

Ms.Lucata then contacted Facebook, “which was useless. How do you do that?” she said. “You know, I said this is a gardening group, a hoe is gardening tool.”

Licata said she never heard from a person and Facebook, and found navigating the social network’s system of surveys and ways to try to set the record straight was futile.

Oh well, just a simple mistake by a Facebook algorithm … but then something else came up. Licata received a notification that Facebook automatically disabled commenting on a post because of “possible violence, incitement, or hate in multiple comments.”

The offending comments included “Kill them all. Drown them in soapy water,” and “Japanese beetles are jerks.”

7/27/21

I have a confession to make Today I went to the gym, and just by accident I watched a bit of MSNBC  … “mea culpa, mea culpa.” Let’s be clear, I never, never in my entire life purposely watched MSNBC. I do not even know what station MSNBC is on my cable box. Anyway after my workout, while still in the dressing room, I noticed that MSNBC was on the TV. I’m pretty sure the TV was muted, but across the bottom the interviewee was complaining that “Trump was continuing to bemoan the fact that the election was fraudulent, despite the fact that there was no proof … absolutely no proof whatsoever, and he referred President Trump as a grifter.” Okay … whatever.

After returning to the changing room after a nice long shower, not surprisingly MSNBC was still on that same TV, as the channel controls are only at the front desk. I wasn’t paying a lot of attention, however I did note that a different guest was basically echoing the initial “grifter” interviewee. The second guest called Trump swindler and a charlatan, but emphasized  that there was  no proof … absolutely no proof whatsoever. 

I thought where had I heard that phrase before? Could it be that this is the new catch-phrase for not only MSNBC, but also the rest of the leftists? Remember, if anything is said repeatedly and often, it is frequently assumed to be true. Okay … whatever.

However while driving home I asked myself why “no proof … absolutely no proof whatsoever” now? Could it be that some actual proof of fraud is bubbling to the surface, and MSNBC is merely attempting to get ahead of the curve by repeating that set phrase over and over? Hmmm!

Could it be that the “swindler, grifter, charlatan” is right again, and soon we will all be hearing about proof … absolute proof?

7/26/21

Today I read news of two different things and after reading both I thought, “Well, in a way at least these two news items do not conflict with each other.”

The first item had to do with my local city council getting ready to vote on increasing sewer rates in San Diego. The proposal is to increase these rates 17% next year, and a total of 31% over the next four years. This rate increase will affect single family homes, but not businesses, apartments, or condos. The proposed rate hike is to pay for the Pure Water sewage recycling program, and to upgrade an aging sewer infrastructure. It appears that instead of evaluating and then increasing these rates every three years, there has been no evaluation since 2012. Actually, to my way of thinking, if the sewers need to be upgraded, so be it. Why this hasn’t been reviewed for nine years is perhaps indicative of nothing other than incompetence.

The second item comes from our pretty boy, self-serving, hypocrite in Sacramento. Yes, that same Gavin Newsom, our Governor, who told everyone earlier this year to lockdown and within a week was seen eating in a fancy restaurant with his political cronies. Anyway on 7/19 

during a visit to Sonoma, the governor was asked if he was concerned about California becoming a potential “magnet” for homeless people from other states given all the money it’s spending to address the issue.

“To the extent that people want to come here for new beginnings and all income levels, that’s part of the California dream,” Newsom responded, going on to say that Californians “have a responsibility to accommodate and enliven and inspire” newcomers.

California’s homelessness crisis was already bad — in 2019, the Golden State’s homelessness increase was higher than all other states combined — but the situation was made even worse during the pandemic.

Cities across the state experienced enormous rises in levels of homelessness as pandemic-related lockdowns slowed the economy. And the crisis was not subverted by liberal initiatives like one in San Francisco where free alcohol, marijuana, and cigarettes were provided to homeless people.

Back to Newsom’s invitation of “come one, come all” to the homeless of America … Did you catch that? … it is our fault because we are not welcoming homeless newcomers who urinate and defecate on the sidewalks and the streets. A further benefit not mentioned by Newsom, who does not live anywhere near where the homeless congregate, will be that the new homeless will not be additionally burdened with the increasing sewer fees.

7/25/21

The latest from the International Olympic Committee (7/7/21):

“Under Rule 50 new guidance athletes will be able to express their views on the field of play before competition so long is it is not targeted against people, not disruptive and not otherwise prohibited by national Olympic committees or international federations.”

To me this is a woke compromise position, as it was just probably changed to accommodate those U.S.A. participants that have some grudge, issue, or whatever against the U.S.A.  But come on, we all know that these “protestors,” as sure as the sun rises in the east, do not want compromise. And that is exactly what happened.

From the AP:

“Tommie Smith, Juan Carlos, and Gwen Berry as well as more than 150 athletes, educators, and activists signed a letter urging the IOC not to punish participants who protest at the Olympic Games.”

Well la-de-dah … Tommie Smith, and Juan Carlos (who raised their fists on the podium at the 1968 games in Mexico City and who apparently still have not matured,) and the haughty Gwen Berry (who has already turned her back on the U.S. flag at the Olympic trials) are not the individuals who  deserve any respect from me. The same goes for the “more than 150”( probably 151) educators and activists who signed on to this letter to the IOC. I mean really … “educators and activists.” 

For the sake of completeness (also from the AP ): “a survey conducted by the IOC athletes commission found widespread support for Rule 50.” So it seems that a myriad of Olympians do not agree with Carlos, Smith, Berry, et al.

However, it appears that the Women’s Soccer Team has its own issues. I am already po-ed at the Olympic woman’s soccer team who prior to their first game had all but three players take a knee for the National Anthem. Were these three standing players the only ones who had the wherewithal to stand up for America and stand up against their purple-haired activist captain? Doesn’t their coach realize, to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, “that a team divided against itself cannot stand.”? BTW: the score of that first game was Sweden 3. – USA 0. I wish I could say that I was saddened by that score … but I wasn’t. However, I was saddened by the kneeling. As an American, I would much rather have a mediocre team that stands for what America stands for, as opposed to a winning team that kowtows to a purple haze.

7/24/21

President Biden is obviously disappointed because his prediction of how many Americans would be vaccinated by this time is not happening. He and many of the Democrats want to mandate that everybody get a Covid vaccine. Besides the fact that a mandate of this sort would be unconstitutional, the Dems have another problem with their “we are the government, and we know what’s best for you” diktat … they cannot afford to piss off any more voters than they already have. However, one might argue that further aggravating conservative pro-Trumpers will not really make much difference, implying , of course, that this vaccine hesitancy is all Trump’s fault. Really!

Let’s think back …where did this vaccine hesitancy start?

“I wouldn’t trust a Trump vaccine, and neither should anyone else.” 

Hmmm … this was spoken back in September, 2020 by none other than Kamala Harris. When smiling Kamala puts her foot in her mouth, like essentially calling then candidate Joe Biden a racist at a debate, she basically says that doing some things is just part of politics.(In other words, “I was just kidding!”). When should we believe her? How should we know when she is not really meaning what she says? (Another topic for another time.)

Who are those, who for whatever reason, are not getting the vaccine?

First off, Black and Hispanic people have had persistently lower rates of vaccination compared to their White counterparts across most states. 

Overall in the U.S. Asians lead with 62 percent vaccinated. Whites are at 47 percent, Hispanics 39 percent and blacks 34 percent (CDC). Much to the frustration of the left, unvaccinated Americans are the least concerned about the Delta variant.

So why are these groups not getting the vaccine? Historically these are not Republican voters. In fact a look at the data reveals that the vaccine hesitant group are not big Trump lovers. They’re actually likely not to be Republican. Instead, many of them are people who are detached from the political process and didn’t vote for either major candidate in 2020. This stat seems to be lost on the media.

And another issue that was brought up by the New York Times on 7/21:

The government has not formally approved any vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration has instead given only “emergency use authorization” to the shots from Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. That’s a temporary form of approval that allows people to receive shots while the agency continues to study their effectiveness and safety.

The difference between emergency authorization and full approval matters. Right now, the military, schools and other organizations cannot easily require vaccinations. The “lack of F.D.A. licensure leave schools, colleges, businesses in a legal quandary,”

The situation also feeds uncertainty and skepticism among some Americans who have not yet gotten a shot. Those skeptics, as Matthew Yglesias of Substack wrote yesterday, are effectively taking the F.D.A. at its word. The F.D.A. leaders’ official position is that “they don’t have enough safety data yet,” Yglesias noted

Hmmm!

From my point of view, it is not the business of the government to know whether I am vaccinated or not … MYOB, Joe! When Biden’s pissants come door to door asking me whether not I have been vaccinated, I have my response ready, and you can bet the farm that it is not P.C.!

7/23/21

After just getting back from a vacation of sorts, traveling by plane, and being in four different US airports, I have to ask myself if those in charge of the FAA, ever go to an airport or ever travel on an airplane.

The continued mask mandates are a joke, even if one assumes that masks actually work. Social distancing is another joke. If you don’t believe me, go to baggage claim, especially at baggage claim in the San Diego airport. While the P.C. PA speaker was blathering on about keeping social distancing of six feet, I was trying to actually keep a social distance of six inches. Baggage claim was actually more congested than the crowding at a Costco chicken stampede when they bring out the newly cooked chickens.

Going through TSA is another experience in the farcical as far as social distancing is concerned. Whereas while prior to being screened, most are standing on the circular floor decals indicating six feet of separation, once one is screened and has to wait for the carry-on conveyor to x-ray everything, there is a waiting crowd with the same social distancing as at baggage claim – six inches.

The next step in this non-Shakespearean comedy is the area where one waits before boarding. In some airports every other seat is a no-no with a sign saying that because of social distancing, one can only sit in every other seat. Okay. However in other airports one can sit elbow to elbow with that same six inch metric. Of course in those airports where sitting in every other seat was verboten, the rest of those waiting were all standing, but now with the “airport distancing” of six inches. OMG! … chaos!

I am saving the best for last. While on the plane stern announcements are made how every passenger has agreed to wear a mask according to FAA diktats. If a 2+ year old will not tolerate a mask … too bad. Kick that rebel kid off the plane! That will teach him/her! However this same FAA that will come down on a family with an obstreperous two year old, says that it is okay to take off one’s mask while eating or drinking. Not surprising, there is a new developing talent of milking a glass of water for 30+ minutes or similarly taking 45 minutes to eat a bag of peanuts. If perchance one brings a sandwich onto the plane … some of the more experienced travelers can go for hours without a mask. I guess the FAA somehow knows that the Covid virus is probably allergic to food and drink, and thus will not spread while someone is “eating or drinking!” 

To top it off, I haven’t mentioned the myriads of individuals who wear their masks wrong … under their chin, off their nose, or in their hands! 

The FAA … WTF!

7/22/21

www.californiacontrarian.com