Coronavirus news

[Charles Austin]

It is from the New York Times, but it refers to actual statistics, so maybe one could try believing the numbers. The statistics show that more people are dying in the counties won by the ex president them in the counties won by President Biden.

In October, 25 out of every 100,000 residents of heavily Trump counties died from Covid, more than three times higher than the rate in heavily Biden counties (7.8 per 100,000). October was the fifth consecutive month that the percentage gap between the death rates in Trump counties and Biden counties widened.
   Some conservative writers have tried to claim that the gap may stem from regional differences in weather or age, but those arguments fall apart under scrutiny. (If weather or age were a major reason, the pattern would have begun to appear last year.) The true explanation is straightforward: The vaccines are remarkably effective at preventing severe Covid, and almost 40 percent of Republican adults remain unvaccinated, compared with about 10 percent of Democratic adults.
   Charles Gaba, a Democratic health care analyst, has pointed out that the gap is also evident at finer gradations of political analysis: Counties where Trump received at least 70 percent of the vote have an even higher average Covid death toll than counties where Trump won at least 60 percent.

[Dave Benke]

Big news on the Aaron Rodgers front - his State Farm ads are being pulled back by...State Farm.  There it is, cancel culture turning against the immunized invermectin recipient, who, however, is protected from heartworm.  On another front, the Packers lost without him in a game the analysts indicate they would have won by at least three TDs.  I don't know about that.  Possibly they have heartworm.

Dave Benke

Can humans get heartworm?

[peter_speckhard]

Big news on the Aaron Rodgers front - his State Farm ads are being pulled back by...State Farm.  There it is, cancel culture turning against the immunized invermectin recipient, who, however, is protected from heartworm.  On another front, the Packers lost without him in a game the analysts indicate they would have won by at least three TDs.  I don't know about that.  Possibly they have heartworm.

Dave Benke

Can humans get heartworm?

In other news, the Packers also supply dihydrogen oxide, regularly used in the treatment of horses and household pets, to treat the adverse affects of exertion in their players. That headlines makes about as much sense as your point about heartworm. If you watch the interview, he makes several salient points, such that he was never a danger to anyone he came into contact with because he was tested first thing every morning and had no contact until he got a negative result, and then was only in contact with other people who had just tested negative or vaccinated people who hadn't tested that morning. So there was a chance he got it from a vaccinated person, but no chance he could spread it to them. Zero. The vaccinated who didn't have to test were the only threat to anyone in the protocols Rodgers was following. The unvaccinated who tested everyday were no threat to anyone. He also pointed out that he is allergic to ingredients in two of the vaccines and had credible evidence of adverse side-effects in the remaining one.

What the people angry at Rodgers are angry about has nothing to do with health. The complaints have everything to do with control and expressing obedience through approved performance theater. If he would have uselessly worn a mask directly after testing negative, he would have been a good little boy and gotten a pat on the head. The fact that he (rightly and intelligently) doesn't trust Fauci and wants to look into things himself is fine with me, and even if I don't agree with his conclusions about the vaccine, I respect his decision to come to his own conclusions. He also made the point in his interview that shaming is the opposite of making an intelligent point, and posts like the above are pure mockery and shaming. After all, if health were the issue, little gibes making fun of his odd treatments would be horribly out of place to make about someone suffering from a life-threatening illness. The fact that you feel free to joke about someone who has Covid proves conclusively that you don't think the fact that he has the virus is that big a deal. It was the fact that he thought the protocols were stupid that is a big deal to some people. His resistance to "The Science" (as distinct from actual science) is the real problem people have with Rodgers not getting vaccinated.

Love played okay but not great yesterday. Could have won with him given how well the defense played, and would have won had the special teams not been a joke. But we needed to make play-calling adjustments earlier in the game.

[Steven W Bohler]

Big news on the Aaron Rodgers front - his State Farm ads are being pulled back by...State Farm.  There it is, cancel culture turning against the immunized invermectin recipient, who, however, is protected from heartworm.  On another front, the Packers lost without him in a game the analysts indicate they would have won by at least three TDs.  I don't know about that.  Possibly they have heartworm.

Dave Benke

Can humans get heartworm?

In other news, the Packers also supply dihydrogen oxide, regularly used in the treatment of horses and household pets, to treat the adverse affects of exertion in their players. That headlines makes about as much sense as your point about heartworm. If you watch the interview, he makes several salient points, such that he was never a danger to anyone he came into contact with because he was tested first thing every morning and had no contact until he got a negative result, and then was only in contact with other people who had just tested negative or vaccinated people who hadn't tested that morning. So there was a chance he got it from a vaccinated person, but no chance he could spread it to them. Zero. The vaccinated who didn't have to test were the only threat to anyone in the protocols Rodgers was following. The unvaccinated who tested everyday were no threat to anyone. He also pointed out that he is allergic to ingredients in two of the vaccines and had credible evidence of adverse side-effects in the remaining one.

What the people angry at Rodgers are angry about has nothing to do with health. The complaints have everything to do with control and expressing obedience through approved performance theater. If he would have uselessly worn a mask directly after testing negative, he would have been a good little boy and gotten a pat on the head. The fact that he (rightly and intelligently) doesn't trust Fauci and wants to look into things himself is fine with me, and even if I don't agree with his conclusions about the vaccine, I respect his decision to come to his own conclusions. He also made the point in his interview that shaming is the opposite of making an intelligent point, and posts like the above are pure mockery and shaming. After all, if health were the issue, little gibes making fun of his odd treatments would be horribly out of place to make about someone suffering from a life-threatening illness. The fact that you feel free to joke about someone who has Covid proves conclusively that you don't think the fact that he has the virus is that big a deal. It was the fact that he thought the protocols were stupid that is a big deal to some people. His resistance to "The Science" (as distinct from actual science) is the real problem people have with Rodgers not getting vaccinated.

Love played okay but not great yesterday. Could have won with him given how well the defense played, and would have won had the special teams not been a joke. But we needed to make play-calling adjustments earlier in the game.

And apparently the NFL, the Packers, and his teammates knew his vaccination status for months.  But nobody had a problem until the cover was blown.  Then there was a problem.  And now the NFL is talking about penalties for Rodgers and the team.  Even though the NFL knew months ago that Rodgers was not vaccinated (this was required information on all players and, in Rodgers' case, he had made a request for an exemption based on his alternate doctor-approved treatments -- which the NFL denied).  Even though the NFL knew Rodgers was not following the protocols by doing unmasked press confefrences for weeks and weeks.  Hypocrites.

[David Garner]

There's a lot going on with the Aaron Rodgers story, but if I'm understanding the basics of it, Rodgers told the media he was "innoculated" or "immunized" (I don't recall which) when asked directly if he was vaccinated.  I have not yet figured out what the team knew, but we do know Rodgers sought, and was denied, an exemption under league rules based on his antibody levels.  He was subject to mask-wearing rules, etc.  So I'm not sure the whole thing isn't a bit of a tempest in a teapot.  If the team knew and he complied with league rules, there isn't an issue as I see it.

All that aside, though, whether the Packers were in on it or not, whether Rodgers lied or not, their biggest problem is this:  Jordon Love can't play QB in the NFL. At least not yet.  It's not far-fetched to assume the Packers are doing everything possible to be nice to Rodgers because they've seen the future, and the future is not pretty.

[Dave Benke]

I didn't get to see the game yesterday due to attending a memorial service, but picked this up from the Fox broadcast yesterday:  https://www.aol.com/sports/terry-bradshaw-leads-fox-pregame-233354466.html

I think the point is simply that he lied at the outset, as indicated in the clip.  And to the other point, in the NFL/Green Bay culture, he was aided and abetted in carrying the lie forward until - oops - he couldn't any more.  I know a lot of people in PackerNation in this part of the world, almost all of whom have a green and gold #12 jersey.  Not a proud moment in time for that jersey.

Dave Benke

[Steven W Bohler]

I didn't get to see the game yesterday due to attending a memorial service, but picked this up from the Fox broadcast yesterday:  https://www.aol.com/sports/terry-bradshaw-leads-fox-pregame-233354466.html

I think the point is simply that he lied at the outset, as indicated in the clip.  And to the other point, in the NFL/Green Bay culture, he was aided and abetted in carrying the lie forward until - oops - he couldn't any more.  I know a lot of people in PackerNation in this part of the world, almost all of whom have a green and gold #12 jersey.  Not a proud moment in time for that jersey.

Dave Benke

Well, the fact is that this is who and what Aaron Rodgers is.  And has been.  One who is clever with his word choices.  One who knows how to manipulate to gain his advantage.  It's the same kind of thing he did this off-season in regards to his claims of mistreatment by the Packers management.  Not necessarily outright lies, but intentional misleading for personal gain.  Kinda funny to me to hear folks who defended him and bought his line then, now get so upset that he was less-than-forthright about this.

[Dave Benke]

I didn't get to see the game yesterday due to attending a memorial service, but picked this up from the Fox broadcast yesterday:  https://www.aol.com/sports/terry-bradshaw-leads-fox-pregame-233354466.html

I think the point is simply that he lied at the outset, as indicated in the clip.  And to the other point, in the NFL/Green Bay culture, he was aided and abetted in carrying the lie forward until - oops - he couldn't any more.  I know a lot of people in PackerNation in this part of the world, almost all of whom have a green and gold #12 jersey.  Not a proud moment in time for that jersey.

Dave Benke

Well, the fact is that this is who and what Aaron Rodgers is.  And has been.  One who is clever with his word choices.  One who knows how to manipulate to gain his advantage.  It's the same kind of thing he did this off-season in regards to his claims of mistreatment by the Packers management.  Not necessarily outright lies, but intentional misleading for personal gain.  Kinda funny to me to hear folks who defended him and bought his line then, now get so upset that he was less-than-forthright about this.

True enough.  Sounds like a Jeopardy category:  Aaron Rodgers for $200 - his choice for COVID immunity?    --  What is Invernectin.

Easy prediction:  If he comes back and the team keeps winning out deep into the playoffs, all will be forgiven.  And then some. 
If they lose home field advantage and then lose earlier in the playoffs, all will not be forgiven.
Either way, the other prediction is he will be playing somewhere else next year.  And Jordan Love will need to get better in hurry-up mode.  If he doesn't, Rodgers will be blamed.  For lying about the invernectin and forcing Love to play before he was "ready."

Dave Benke

[peter_speckhard]

I know several people who bleed green and gold but who have never been huge Rodgers supporters anyway, barring his spectacular play, but were tempted to buy Rodgers jerseys in support of the honesty and courage he showed by doing that interview. Other die hards just thought he was being a jerk. Of the two takes, I think the former is far more in tune with the facts of the interview. And bear in mind, this is an instance when the actual interview and the reports of the interview almost don't even overlap, so you're completely uninformed until you actually listen to it.

[Dave Benke]

I don't get much mainstream news anymore, but do watch a ton of sports TV, and Tik Tok.  With regard to Tik Tok, I haven't figured out how my algorithms are set up yet, because mostly I get videos of cats messing with dogs or kids who take these wild trick shots with various balls and make them (those are actually amazing).  But anything having to do with Rodgers has been merciless toward him, and I'm guessing it's about sports betting (although the Packers covered the betting line yesterday, so Love is +1).    Sportscasters have also been way less than complimentary, so I haven't heard any Rodgers-positive vibe. 

Dave Benke

[peter_speckhard]

I don't get much mainstream news anymore, but do watch a ton of sports TV, and Tik Tok.  With regard to Tik Tok, I haven't figured out how my algorithms are set up yet, because mostly I get videos of cats messing with dogs or kids who take these wild trick shots with various balls and make them (those are actually amazing).  But anything having to do with Rodgers has been merciless toward him, and I'm guessing it's about sports betting (although the Packers covered the betting line yesterday, so Love is +1).    Sportscasters have also been way less than complimentary, so I haven't heard any Rodgers-positive vibe. 

Dave Benke

Yes, but going by tiktok vibes and actual information are quite different things. I really think you should pretend you never saw a tiktok (good advice for anyone in any situation, really) and watch the interview. Then determine if you think the vibe you got from reading about it was fair or accurate. I think you might conclude that sportscasters are in over their head commenting on things besides the actual games, and tiktok is just generally the world as seen through the eyes of cluess teenagers. 

[Dan Fienen]

Any news about the coronavirus that is interesting? Sports news about a player who fudged about being vaccinated and how well his team is doing gives little insight about the waning pandemic.

[Charles Austin]

Peter writes:
The fact that he (rightly and intelligently) doesn't trust Fauci and wants to look into things himself is fine with me, and even if I don't agree with his conclusions about the vaccine, I respect his decision to come to his own conclusions.
I muse:
And how far does this kind of "look-into-things-yourself" oddity go? Just how do you "look into" medical matters, beginning - as in this case - by not trusting those deemed by the world to be the primary experts? I've had prostate cancer. There are about 50 types of treatment, therapy, "cure," and mitigation, about 42 of them nutball plans devised far outside the realm of people who - day by day and year after year - actually have medical degrees and work daily with prostate cancer. How on earth would I ever think I could "look into things" myself and decide which treatment was best? Most truly serious medical matters are complex beyond the comprehension of the layman.
And, were I to fall for one of the nutty schemes, the harm would be done to my frail self. With infectious diseases, harm can be done to everyone around the Infected One, and if the Infected One doesn't trust the experts - yes, someone has to decide who is an expert, and it isn't the patient - then the Infected One needs to be put away so that his idiocy doesn't hurt other people.
We ban smoking in public places. Smokers, fools though they be, are following the laws, and no one screams "my rights!"
We try to keep unvaccinated people from infecting others who might be forced into contact with them in public spaces, and suddenly their "rights" rise to the top of concern. That's just crazy.
But there's a lot of that going around today.

[Steven W Bohler]

Any news about the coronavirus that is interesting? Sports news about a player who fudged about being vaccinated and how well his team is doing gives little insight about the waning pandemic.

Well, the Aaron Rodgers saga IS interesting to thousands upon thousands of people.  Including at least three of us here.  If it is not of interest to you, then just ignore it.

[Charles Austin]

I was about to ask why we should spend cyber-space time on a footballer who gets away with breaking all kinds of rules because, I suppose, he makes money for his team. Yuck.