Early Risers.

[Ozexpatriate]

13 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

I am so lucky compared to so many. 

Jamie, you were sensible to be vaccinated. Luck had no role there - other than to happen to live in a place where vaccines were available. You were 'unlucky' to have a breakthrough infection.

 

Breakthrough infections amongst the fully vaccinated are clearly on the rise and numbers are not widely reported in the media here. In the first two weeks of August, 14.4% of CoViD-19 cases in Oregon (with a median age of 46) were breakthrough infections.

 

I'm glad the symptoms were not too severe, though I hope your sense of smell returns soon and there are no long-term consequences.

 

My parents in Australia are at last fully vaccinated. For reasons upon which I won't speculate, Australia's track record to put shots in arms this year has been woefully bad. It is improving.

 

The plague drags on and on. Avoidance of politics restrains me from relating news stories that make me feel very fatigued by it all. The recent crisis has resulted in an increasing national vaccination rate which is a positive thing.

[brianusa]

5 minutes ago, Ozexpatriate said:

he plague drags on and on. Avoidance of politics restrains me from relating news stories that make me feel very fatigued by it all. The recent crisis has resulted in an increasing national vaccination rate which is a positive thing.

In view of your Australian background, it must be horrifying to read of the AV protests in Sydney and elsewhere.  I always thought they were smarter than this though if it was the US it would be understandable!

     Brian.

[Erichill16]

On the subject of anaesthesia, last year I had a gastroscopy and after a dose of midazolam I was out for the count. 

A couple of years ago I met the anaesthetist who was going to ‘but me under’. Unfortunately I was already gowned up and ready to go, T minus 10minutes when she said I wasn’t suitable for a general anaesthetic. I was supposed to be under going a three hour operation and it was cancelled at the very last minute. What a waste of resources. All around the hospital there are signs saying how much a missed outpatient appointment costs so goodness knows how much three hours of theatre  time costs. I’d already completed an extensive questionnaire but in the end my tongue was too large. With the anaesthetist I had to go through a set of questions and if I ‘answered’ more than three of them incorrectly the operation was scrubbed. 
Rant over.

ps not to mention the inconvenience to me and SWMBO.

[Ozexpatriate]

35 minutes ago, brianusa said:

it must be horrifying to read of the AV protests in Sydney and elsewhere

Apparently 218 were arrested in Melbourne. Australia's appalling record on vaccinations has contributed to the pent up frustration. In the absence of a vaccine, lock-downs are the only thing that work. Of course here in the US we are now pretending that the problem has gone away, when in fact it is at its worst.

 

Humans are intrinsically the same everywhere. Education levels and cultural norms (indoctrination) may vary, but everyone in the globe can be exposed to internet nonsense. The news reports I looked up indicated that these were anti-lockdown protests, rather than anti-vaccine protests. They are either a proxy for, or a direct result of, pandemic fatigue.

 

Portland is hunkering down for two competing "protests" tonight. The topic is irrelevant. People are tired and frustrated and many are spoiling for a fight. Fortunately the weather is cool and cloudy* - hopefully that will reduce turnout.

 

* Having said that, I realized it is pretty much normal Pacific Northwest weather - just not for August.

 

Edited August 22, 2021 by Ozexpatriate

[Mark Saunders]

The whole of this debacle makes me wonder how the human race has managed to evolve with it constant inability to learn from the past!

[Ozexpatriate]

5 minutes ago, Mark Saunders said:

... constant inability to learn from the past!

Quote

The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.

L. P. Hartley

[simontaylor484]

1 hour ago, Erichill16 said:

Evening All,

Went to Doncaster Toy and Collector’s fair today. 
Not a great deal of what I’m interested in compared to earlier events but a good day out nevertheless.

Just watching a couple of films with SWMBO but an early night is expected as boys, Sydney and mil are coming round before 9.00am. 
Robert

I haven't been to one in years the last i went to was underneath the Lazarus stand at the Racecourse. 

[tigerburnie]

G'night all

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Erichill16]

42 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

I haven't been to one in years the last i went to was underneath the Lazarus stand at the Racecourse. 

Yes, somethings never change.

[andyram]

Evening all and best wishes to Rik (Gwiwer) who has had plenty to deal with recently. 

 

I am now home after our weekend in the West Midlands. Sarah has enjoyed her birthday treat which was the reason for the weekend. The lodge was relaxing and peaceful and I definitely needed it. As I mentioned before, the black dog is running amok and definitely made an appearance on a few occasions. Maybe a few days away are needed!

 

Stay safe

 

Andy

[laurenceb]

"The only thing that we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history ". Source unknown

[laurenceb]

Night awl

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[Barry O]

9 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I posted this in the Wacky Signs thread. Checkpoint Charlene strikes again (bottom line).

 

I follow that sign to the AIC.. you may think it is whacky but a lot of very poorly people see that sign and it raises hope...

 

Baz

[Barry O]

Got very wet..again. match decided by Duckworth-Lewis-Stern calculation.

 

Strange game, strange day.

 

Sleep well all!

Baz

[Pacific231G]

A very good day today but tiring as it was the French Railways Society's much postponed annual get together and exhibition in Lenham (Kent). It went very well, everyone wore their masks most almost all of the time, the caterers came up with a pretty good Bouef Bourgignon and it was good to see so many people I've only been in Zoom, telephone or email contact with for the past eighteen months. I also sold far more of my surplus stock on the society second hand stall than I'd dared hope. Mainly tiring because of the seventy miles or so on the M20/M2/M4 with heavy holiday season Sunday traffic (though nothing like as bad as last weekend.) 

And so to bed.

Night all.

Edited August 23, 2021 by Pacific231G
almost everyone wearing their masks proeprly in the photos I took.

[monkeysarefun]

4 hours ago, brianusa said:

In view of your Australian background, it must be horrifying to read of the AV protests in Sydney and elsewhere.  I always thought they were smarter than this though if it was the US it would be understandable!

     Brian.

 

We have our share of natures simpler folk here too who thanks to facebook  believe the BIll Gates/5G/Government control stuff, though they are a very very small  subset, and the protests in Sydney, Mebourne and on the NSW-QLD border  were all about the current lockdowns rather than fruitloop anti-vaxxers.

 

Our low vaccine rate is due to supply issues, , not an anti-vaccer thing like in the   US.

 

, Melbourne is in its 7th lockdown in 12 months,  and Sydney  is into week 9 with no change until at least the end of September and probably longer since the stated end will be when we get to 70% fully vaccinated and that is unlikely to occur by then.

 

Due to high case numbers some parts of the Western Suburbs which house Sydneys large multicultural community as well as having  socio-economic issues have been singled out for particularly stringent measures, such as a curfew and limits on being able to work outside their areas.

 

This has created a sense of unfairness, particularly when they are limited to 1 hours outside  exercise a day, while the coastal suburbs can wander around all day in the name of exercise. This and similar issues are fuelling an increasing vocal protest movement.

 

  And the Federal government really sat on their hands with the rollout, we are now getting emergency supplies of Pfizer from Poland of all places, and there is a waiting list for it that stretches to mid November in Sydney. With the likelihood to no end to lockdown for at least 2 months some  people are starting to get a little cranky.

 

 Meanwhile despite vaccinations being the only way to end lockdown 3 million shots of AZ are looking at being dumped because no one wants that one after the hatchet job the media did on it, and the government didnt help by limiting it to the over 60's so that not only did those under 60 have no access to vaccines, but those over 60 got instantly suspicious of the AZ and don't want  it either..

 

But its not all doom and gloom. Queensland is currently COVID free ,lets see how the gang at the Koala Sanctuary  there is celebrating.

 

Yes they certainly are living it up.

 

 

 

Edited August 23, 2021 by monkeysarefun

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

And the Federal government really sat on their hands with the rollout ...

I know there are issues with some countries, like the US, "hogging" vaccine supply, I remain unconvinced that this was not a problem that could have been solved by writing a cheque with the right number of zeros on it. (Which is what the US did.)

 

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

... 3 million shots of AZ are looking at being dumped because no one wants that one after the hatchet job the media did on it ...

They should be ashamed of themselves. For all the criticism the US "mainstream" media gets, they were very careful to provide a reasonably balanced view of vaccine side effects. Every news broadcast here (in the mainstream media) had medical experts offering context to reports of issues related to vaccines. In my opinion, they didn't surrender to the hyperbole.

 

Edited August 23, 2021 by Ozexpatriate

[chrisf]

Greetings one and all

 

Today I must take the car to the dealership for servicing.  The establishment is on a bus route but it will take me a good half-hour to get home once the car is entrusted to the mechanics.  With not much more than 7,000 miles on the clock there should not be too much wrong with it.   But for lockdown and the cancellation of nearly everything I used to do the total would have been nearer to 20,000 miles.  Next year I would have been thinking about changing the car.  Not this time!  For most of the past 18 months or so the weekly total has not exceeded 8 miles, or two trips to the supermarket.  I see no need to replace the car just yet.  Sone time this afternoon the phone will ring to tell me that the car is ready.  Such is the local bus network that it will take me at least half an hour and probably nearer an hour to reach the dealership.

 

I found it difficult to concentrate yesterday.  Evidence of that was provided by my failure to remember that there were mushrooms to be cooked to go with the steak until I had nearly finished eating the steak.  There’s no hope, is there?  Fortunately there was a James Bond film on TV, “Goldfinger”, yesterday afternoon.  Three cheers for escapism!

 

Just before bedtime came a brief exchange of messages with my young friend who has been working long hours at home for Amazon.  There have been job interviews, with the possibility of “moving countries soon”.  Makes a change from moving mountains, I suppose.  In all seriousness, enjoying the work is one thing but not being able to enjoy the considerable fruits of ones labours is quite another.  Good luck, dear friend.

 

Best wishes to all

 

Chris   

[polybear]

4 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

And the Federal government really sat on their hands with the rollout, we are now getting emergency supplies of Pfizer from Poland of all places, and there is a waiting list for it that stretches to mid November in Sydney. With the likelihood to no end to lockdown for at least 2 months some  people are starting to get a little cranky.

 

 Meanwhile despite vaccinations being the only way to end lockdown 3 million shots of AZ are looking at being dumped because no one wants that one after the hatchet job the media did on it, and the government didnt help by limiting it to the over 60's so that not only did those under 60 have no access to vaccines, but those over 60 got instantly suspicious of the AZ and don't want  it either..

 

 

Reading this post has highlighted (to this Bear at least) that the UK has got the vaccination programme much more right than many other countries - and perhaps scare-mongering overseas media empires would do well to look for evidence of wide-ranging deaths due to blood clots caused by the AZ jab in the UK, cos' I for one have seen very, very little reporting of such events - and certainly not for some time now.  Rant over.

 

Right, time to make it up as I go along....

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from Stalag Luft Bywater.  Only 2 days to go till I get parole.  Booms to becread and not a lot else but I still coulnt myself luck on many fronts despite being a breakthrough case.  It now lookscas if we are going to head for Lincoln on Wednesday afternoon to see No 1 don and family, then the ferry on Tuesday.

 

We certainly do live in interesting times.

 

Jamie

[monkeysarefun]

14 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Reading this post has highlighted (to this Bear at least) that the UK has got the vaccination programme much more right than many other countries - and perhaps scare-mongering overseas media empires would do well to look for evidence of wide-ranging deaths due to blood clots caused by the AZ jab in the UK, cos' I for one have seen very, very little reporting of such events - and certainly not for some time now.  Rant over.

 

Right, time to make it up as I go along....

It's not just the media moguls, even the Queensland chief medical officer put the boot in.

 

"Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young has made clear her view on people under the age of 40 getting AstraZeneca vaccinations — don't do it."

 

"It is rare, but they are at an increased risk of getting the rare clotting syndrome. We've seen up to 49 deaths in the UK from that syndrome.

"I don't want an 18-year-old in Queensland dying from a clotting illness who, if they got COVID, probably wouldn't die."

 

http://Queensland's Chief Health Officer rejects Prime Minister's comments on AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine for under-40s - ABC News https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-30/qld-cho-rejects-morrisons-astrazeneca-comments-covid-vaccine/100256022

[Barry O]

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

It's not just the media moguls, even the Queensland chief medical officer put the boot in.

 

"Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young has made clear her view on people under the age of 40 getting AstraZeneca vaccinations — don't do it."

 

"It is rare, but they are at an increased risk of getting the rare clotting syndrome. We've seen up to 49 deaths in the UK from that syndrome.

"I don't want an 18-year-old in Queensland dying from a clotting illness who, if they got COVID, probably wouldn't die."

 

http://Queensland's Chief Health Officer rejects Prime Minister's comments on AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine for under-40s - ABC News https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-30/qld-cho-rejects-morrisons-astrazeneca-comments-covid-vaccine/100256022

Of course the Pfizer jab also has potentially bad side affects too.

 

Baz

Edited August 23, 2021 by Barry O