Bad News Thread

dad4 said:
Politicians did render opinions on the science. One told us it would be over by Easter, and suggested we investigate the merits of injecting disinfectant.

Which proves your point, I suppose.
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None of this is partisan for me, not sure why your making it such. I will say that some politicians have a better track record than others, but generally I'd prefer reasonable parties from all different expertise to determine public health policy, and certainly not just epidemiologists.

I'm just razzing you, but maybe you'd be more comfortable here:


What's crazy is this parody was prophetic in many ways, particularly when it comes to police.
 
Grace T. said:
Oh and BTW, once you take into account the entry hall, various levels, pastor's office, nursery, reception hall, chapel, corridors, and steeple, my church is probably open (as well as my old Catholic church) with a restricted no. per worship if square footage is the test. It's certainly larger than a costco when that's taken into account.
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There's not test you can construct here that gives you the result you want (churches closed; schools, factories, meat packing plants open) beyond the unconstitutional essential test. As I said, at the time I think if they had limited essential to medical (hospitals, doctors, medical equipment, pharmacies), food (markets, plants), police, fire, power and water, maybe even wifi, it would have passed the test at the time. Then probably again if they opened up all outdoor activities (including worship and outdoor school) but kept the indoor ones restricted. But the moment they allowed the dispenseries, liquor stores, breweries, and take out to remain open, that was game over.
 
kickingandscreaming said:
What a f'ing shit show. Good luck getting anyone to listen during the next pandemic.
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As if the Q's needed more ammunition.

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A small group within the State Department’s Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance bureau had been studying the Institute for months. The group had recently acquired classified intelligence suggesting that three WIV researchers conducting gain-of-function experiments on coronavirus samples had fallen ill in the autumn of 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak was known to have started.

As officials at the meeting discussed what they could share with the public, they were advised by Christopher Park, the director of the State Department’s Biological Policy Staff in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, not to say anything that would point to the U.S. government’s own role in gain-of-function research, according to documentation of the meeting obtained by Vanity Fair.

Some of the attendees were “absolutely floored,” said an official familiar with the proceedings. That someone in the U.S. government could “make an argument that is so nakedly against transparency, in light of the unfolding catastrophe, was…shocking and disturbing.”

Park, who in 2017 had been involved in lifting a U.S. government moratorium on funding for gain-of-function research, was not the only official to warn the State Department investigators against digging in sensitive places. As the group probed the lab-leak scenario, among other possibilities, its members were repeatedly advised not to open a “Pandora’s box,” said four former State Department officials interviewed by Vanity Fair. The admonitions “smelled like a cover-up,” said Thomas DiNanno, “and I wasn’t going to be part of it.”
 
kickingandscreaming said:
As if the Q's needed more ammunition.

---

A small group within the State Department’s Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance bureau had been studying the Institute for months. The group had recently acquired classified intelligence suggesting that three WIV researchers conducting gain-of-function experiments on coronavirus samples had fallen ill in the autumn of 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak was known to have started.

As officials at the meeting discussed what they could share with the public, they were advised by Christopher Park, the director of the State Department’s Biological Policy Staff in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, not to say anything that would point to the U.S. government’s own role in gain-of-function research, according to documentation of the meeting obtained by Vanity Fair.

Some of the attendees were “absolutely floored,” said an official familiar with the proceedings. That someone in the U.S. government could “make an argument that is so nakedly against transparency, in light of the unfolding catastrophe, was…shocking and disturbing.”

Park, who in 2017 had been involved in lifting a U.S. government moratorium on funding for gain-of-function research, was not the only official to warn the State Department investigators against digging in sensitive places. As the group probed the lab-leak scenario, among other possibilities, its members were repeatedly advised not to open a “Pandora’s box,” said four former State Department officials interviewed by Vanity Fair. The admonitions “smelled like a cover-up,” said Thomas DiNanno, “and I wasn’t going to be part of it.”
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Is it any surprise that gov always takes the route of putting out info that puts it in a good lights and/or suppresses bad news about what it is doing?

There is a long history of this. And this is why I always am skeptical of gov to be honest. Their impulse is to protect the institution. Truth be dammed. And this occurs across political parties.
 
watfly said:
None of this is partisan for me, not sure why your making it such. I will say that some politicians have a better track record than others, but generally I'd prefer reasonable parties from all different expertise to determine public health policy, and certainly not just epidemiologists.

I'm just razzing you, but maybe you'd be more comfortable here:


What's crazy is this parody was prophetic in many ways, particularly when it comes to police.
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Completely agree that there are bad examples on both sides. Cuomo and Levine come to mind.

The list of Republicans who have behaved honorably on this is disturbingly short, and they tend to be on the centrist fringe of the party.

If you think about it, it is pretty bad that I can write “centrist fringe”, and know my meaning will be clear. Those two words should not have a combined meaning for a major institution.
 
Cal osha seems set to rule masks into 2022 unless everyone in the work space (tbd) is vaccinated. 2 futures possible: offices to remain remote in California into 2022, everyone ignores it and companies have to employ mask police.
 
dad4 said:
The list of Republicans who have behaved honorably on this is disturbingly short, and they tend to be on the centrist fringe of the party.
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Your definition of honorably is Covid myopic and going hard on lockdown. My definition of honorable is balancing health, education and business...aka balancing the needs of all your citizens. Under my definition DeSantis far and away surpassed any other Governor if you look at the overall results. Significantly lower unemployment, open schools, protected the elderly all while experiencing a comparable rate of death. You compare Florida to the results of California and its no contest, DeSantis destroyed Newsom. Even more impressive when you consider the that fact that Florida relies on tourism (2nd only to Nevada) and that NY'rs fled to Florida.

We could both make arguments using our own yardsticks to fit a partisan narrative. But like I said before this isn't a partisan issue for me, its a common sense issue. Its's extremely disturbing that our Governor made having kids in school a political/power issue (and if you don't believe that, your entitled to your opinion, but you're an idiot). Its unforgivable that our children were used as pawns in the Covid battle.
 
Grace T. said:
Cal osha seems set to rule masks into 2022 unless everyone in the work space (tbd) is vaccinated. 2 futures possible: offices to remain remote in California into 2022, everyone ignores it and companies have to employ mask police.
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Voluntary reporting of vaccine status has already begun. And masked opening of offices has begun as well.

No mask police, though. It’s all social. Showing up without a mask just would not be viewed as acceptable by your coworkers.
 
Grace T. said:
worse and worse....

www.vanityfair.com

The Lab-Leak Theory: Inside the Fight to Uncover COVID-19’s Origins

Throughout 2020, the notion that the novel coronavirus leaked from a lab was off-limits. Those who dared to push for transparency say toxic politics and hidden agendas kept us in the dark.
www.vanityfair.com www.vanityfair.com
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Some random thoughts. Does this article even come out if Biden doesn't reopen the investigation? They obviously had worked on this article for months. Why didn't it come out earlier instead of just a few days after Biden's comments?

Absent the biased editorial side comments (which are unfounded and irrelevant) this article would qualify for real journalism.
 
dad4 said:
Voluntary reporting of vaccine status has already begun. And masked opening of offices has begun as well.

No mask police, though. It’s all social. Showing up without a mask just would not be viewed as acceptable by your coworkers.
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If it's an OSHA reg, then no, it's not just social.
 
dad4 said:
Showing up without a mask just would not be viewed as acceptable by your coworkers.
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Actually in many parts of the country showing up wearing a mask is considered pointless. Especially since most are vaccinated.

After a year and a half of playing safety theater it is time to move on.

There is no damn reason to mandates masks.
 
watfly said:
Some random thoughts. Does this article even come out if Biden doesn't reopen the investigation? They obviously had worked on this article for months. Why didn't it come out earlier instead of just a few days after Biden's comments?

Absent the biased editorial side comments (which are unfounded and irrelevant) this article would qualify for real journalism.
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Because politically they didn't want to.

Up until just a month ago talking about lab leak theories were "officially debunked". That meant of course the press were simply not interested.

Now that it has become OK, now you are seeing a lot of various press articles about this.

It really is an indictment on the press. They are far from str8 shooters on this and most issues.

We as a country are worse off as a result of our highly partisan press.
 
dad4 said:
Voluntary reporting of vaccine status has already begun. And masked opening of offices has begun as well.

No mask police, though. It’s all social. Showing up without a mask just would not be viewed as acceptable by your coworkers.
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I'm vaccinated. If they want me in the office, it will be without a mask - and I will be happy to do so because I believe in science.
 
watfly said:
Some random thoughts. Does this article even come out if Biden doesn't reopen the investigation? They obviously had worked on this article for months. Why didn't it come out earlier instead of just a few days after Biden's comments?

Absent the biased editorial side comments (which are unfounded and irrelevant) this article would qualify for real journalism.
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"found that conflicts of interest, stemming in part from large government grants supporting controversial virology research, hampered the U.S. investigation into COVID-19's origin at every step. In one State Department meeting, officials seeking to demand transparency from the Chinese government say they were explicitly told by colleagues not to explore the Wuhan Institute of Virology's gain-of-function research, because it would bring unwelcome attention to U.S. government funding of it."

I suspect the various news orgs were also told to lay off looking around. Most showed an extreme lack of curiosity as to the origins of a virus that shut the world down. Coincidence between what the State Department said and the lack of real investigative journalism? I doubt it.
 
Desert Hound said:
Yes. Time to stand up and say no to idiocy and safety theater.

Remember also Fauci emailed people stating the obvious....masks are not designed to deal with the extremely small virus particle size. Ineffective was the word he used.
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I've got no problem with others wearing a mask at work. I just don't need to participate in the neuroses of others as I have enough of my own. If it's serious enough that we need to use a very imperfect method to reduce transmission, we should just stay at home.
 
kickingandscreaming said:
I've got no problem with others wearing a mask at work. I just don't need to participate in the neuroses of others as I have enough of my own. If it's serious enough that we need to use a very imperfect method to reduce transmission, we should just stay at home.
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At our home office none of us wear masks and haven't since the beginning (we are spread quite a distance apart). We do require our individual site employees to do so out of an abundance of caution since they are exposed to the public and to make customers that may be fearful more comfortable (aka safety theater).

Personally I see this odd psychology with masks that I'm guilty of. If I enter a public establishment I will enter with a mask on as that is typically required and out of courtesy to others (as Dad4 recommends). However, if I enter a place these days and the employees aren't wearing masks I will immediately take it off. In my mind, keeping on a mask when others aren't wearing them is anti-social behavior and sends the message that I don't trust them. I guess I'm just a victim of social norms.
 
watfly said:
At our home office none of us wear masks and haven't since the beginning (we are spread quite a distance apart). We do require our individual site employees to do so out of an abundance of caution since they are exposed to the public and to make customers that may be fearful more comfortable (aka safety theater).

Personally I see this odd psychology with masks that I'm guilty of. If I enter a public establishment I will enter with a mask on as that is typically required and out of courtesy to others (as Dad4 recommends). However, if I enter a place these days and the employees aren't wearing masks I will immediately take it off. In my mind, keeping on a mask when others aren't wearing them is anti-social behavior and sends the message that I don't trust them. I guess I'm just a victim of social norms.
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Yes, if a store requires it, I put one on. If it's optional, I don't. I was in San Clemente this weekend. Most places required a mask, but in the one surf shop, it was optional.
 
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