So some of my more conservative-leaning friends are now claiming that the ventilators are what's killing people, so people should fight it when doctors want to put them on ventilators because it's a death sentence.

That's the level of stupid/denial you're dealing with. People are so unwilling to believe that this virus kills people that they're willing to live in an elaborate fantasy where the devices used as a last-ditch effort to treat the disease are the real enemy. You might as well argue that being sent to a burn ward causes third-degree burns or having your stomach pumped causes alcohol poisoning.

Geiginni wrote: Thu Aug 19, 2021 11:15 amSecondly, these are the same fucking people that would otherwise take things far riskier prescribed to them: monoclonal antibodies for your psoriasis that could give you cancer? Sure, go ahead - I'm sick of itching and looking like a leper! Statins? No problem! Benzodiazepines? Sure, those will go great with a glass of wine after dinner! But a vaccine 20+ years in the making that over 300 million people have taken without any issues? No fucking way - I have rights!

You forgot "injecting Clorox or using hydroxychloroquine without any evidence base whatsoever," which lays bare the truth that it's not about safety.

ErickC wrote: So some of my more conservative-leaning friends are now claiming that the ventilators are what's killing people, so people should fight it when doctors want to put them on ventilators because it's a death sentence.

Cool, they should definitely fight it. Agree 100%.
Also, if my health insurance can ask me if I'm a smoker when calculating my premium, surely they can ask someone if they've been vaccinated. I wonder if 'fucking moron' counts as a pre-existing condition.

Full Disclosure, I'm fully vaccinated.

However, lemme drop some provocations....

• Since US uses private hospitals, why is there no blame laid at their feet to accommodate ANY number of inpatients...would they actually have to actually operate without gross profiteering like every other business who is impacted pandemic-wise?

• The grossness of the vaccine company leadership becoming newly minted billionaires, while their research was subsidized by taxpayer money.

• I know this is a touchy political one, but watching little kids go to summer camp, daycare, and kindergarten while masked and distanced, I can't help not consider the psychological impact, while also noting that their occurrence of serious health outcomes is <1%.

• I'm still unclear why I care that others choose to roll the dice, and go unvaccinated. Outside of the hospital situation, which is legit (though see my earlier point), I don't see how it impacts me, or anyone else who is vaccinated.

“Hey, why not roll the dice with your unvaccinated kids? They *should* be fine and if not, just have some more.”

jason from volo wrote: I really need to ignore this thread.

Is there a way to "foe list" a thread, FM akosinski?

yes, it's called "being an adult and choosing not to click on a link that you know contains information that will upset you"

I had Covid in November of 2020. It gave me a pulmonary embolism. It wasn't fun. I was fully vaxxed in April, after a long and frustrating wait. I'm still edgy about the whole phenomenon. Wife and I went to a show a couple weekends ago. Wasn't packed, but it was crowded. Lots of masks, lots of no-masks. The venue had a policy of no admittance without either a vaxx card or a negative test within 72 hours. Not sure if that amounts to a hill of beans, but +1 for trying. I had the heebie jeebies the entire time. I don't know when I'll be able to fully enjoy an event like that again. That comes off as totally "poor me" when considering how many people have become ill, died, had their lives permanently changed, etc. I get it.

I have a side hustle bartending gig, which also gives me lingering anxiety when considering how Delta is raging and our county has the highest infection rate in the state. Last night we were particularly busy. Lots of people. Music on the patio, baseball on the screens inside. One of our servers mentioned to me that she overheard somebody at one of her tables state, "Yeah, I got diagnosed with Covid yesterday."

Sitting there, eating, in a crowded restaurant, no masks in sight.

Jesus fucking Christ.

The table behind them apparently overheard him as well, she said, and they promptly got up and left. If one of them had felt inclined to take a swing at the Covid carrier, I wouldn't have blamed them in the least.

What in the ACTUAL FUCK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE. This is why we're going to find ourselves right back where we were last year. Go ahead, be skeptical. Feign outrage. Blather away on the social medias. Make silly Biden memes. Whatever makes you feel better. But when you have a DIAGNOSIS, a POSITIVE TEST, and you choose to GO OUT IN PUBLIC WITHOUT A FUCKING SINGLE CARE FOR ANYBODY AROUND YOU, it only cements my profile of deniers/anti-maskers/anti-vaxxers as TOTAL FUCKING ASSHOLES.

Get your shot. Wear your mask. Don't be a douchebag.

zorg wrote: Fri Aug 20, 2021 9:17 am The grossness of the vaccine company leadership becoming newly minted billionaires, while their research was subsidized by taxpayer money. [/list]

It can be both true that the Pharma industry is gross, AND these vaccines are safe and essential. I'm not sure what good it does to point out the former. Also it's hardly the only industry to capitalize on the pandemic.

akosinski wrote: Fri Aug 20, 2021 9:36 am

jason from volo wrote: I really need to ignore this thread.

Is there a way to "foe list" a thread, FM akosinski?

yes, it's called "being an adult and choosing not to click on a link that you know contains information that will upset you"

but then I'd never look at any threads.

kicker_of_elves wrote: Fri Aug 20, 2021 9:42 am
I have a side hustle bartending gig, which also gives me lingering anxiety when considering how Delta is raging and our county has the highest infection rate in the state.

I work with a lot of restaurants and most of the breakthrough cases I hear about involve bartenders.

enframed wrote: Fri Aug 20, 2021 11:24 am

kicker_of_elves wrote: Fri Aug 20, 2021 9:42 am
I have a side hustle bartending gig, which also gives me lingering anxiety when considering how Delta is raging and our county has the highest infection rate in the state.

I work with a lot of restaurants and most of the breakthrough cases I hear about involve bartenders.

Sigh.