Popular Comments

Discussion: The NYT Spelling Bee Thread

I should also add that I got the Wordle in two steps today.  So all in all, a very good puzzle-solving day :-)

Like  4 Likes

Discussion: The Rose Garden and White House happenings: “Awoke” in the Land of Nod

I don't know what "a right for the disaffected" is supposed to mean. I do think people have a right to productive work, decent and fair wages. And in our current economy, more and more a college degree is a prerequisite for this. So we've set things up in a way that you almost have to go to college to earn a decent living, but also you have to take on immense debt which threatens your right to earn a living. So something has to change -- debt relief, more affordable college, more opportunities for decent work that don't require going to college. Or, I suppose, we could write people off as being disaffected whiners clamoring for handouts, if I understand your meaning.

Like  3 Likes

Discussion: The Rose Garden and White House happenings: “Awoke” in the Land of Nod

mtierney said:

Where are these “rights” enshrined?

I think it may have escaped your notice that my phrase was hyperlinked. I'll post again:

right to productive work, decent and fair wages

Click it, and you can answer your question.

Like  3 Likes

Discussion: The Steve Schmidt twitter storm

I have very ambivalent feelings about Steve Schmidt.  He talks very grandly, righteously, sounding like Moses coming down from the mountains.  He's pointed out the moral flaws of Trumpism for years, and created brilliant ads  As an ex-Republican co-founder of the Lincoln Project, his work was impressive, until I read that the founders were raking in multi-millions for themselves, in addition to their ads, but maybe that's just par for the course with political consultants and their funds, don't know about finances in that apparently murky world.  

For years he seemed to take responsibility for Palin, apologizing for it as if it was his responsibility and mistake, but now he says he had a limited role, which may be true.  Certainly McCain's daughter deserved to be taken down, not only by everyone else, but by himself, as he shouldn't be trashed by her for years and accused of being a pedophile.  His recent revelations about McCain's affair and the Russian influences in the campaign are significant, and the latter is particularly concerning.  So now, I like to listen to what he has to say sometimes, but with a bit of skepticism mixed in with appreciation for what he has done and how he often frames issues.

Like  3 Likes

Discussion: The Steve Schmidt twitter storm

lord_pabulum said:

The Republicans are a proxy for Russia and Democrats are a proxy for China.  

just when I thought it was safe to go back into the water…

Like  2 Likes

Discussion: Pope Francis, Catholics, and Christians in the news

No worries.  I find that Edmonton is kind of like NJ.  Some of the stereotypes are true but, if you look past that, there is a lot of cool stuff too.  I almost ran into an elk on my bike ride this morning.

It is a big move.  Previous Pope's have shoved this sort of thing under the rug with a compulsion.   These people, their parents and grand parents had atrocities committed against them by Catholic clergy. Confronting it in all its ugliness is a real change and takes balls.

Like  2 Likes

Discussion: Advice for helping someone with Covid??

Hey @GoSlugs,

Sorry to hear about your wife. My good news for you is that we just went through this, with my husband being sick, but I never got it, despite clearly being exposed (we had lunch together an hour before he tested positive as well as sleeping in the same room overnight the night before). My booster was in November, as was his - so both triple vaxed. Also first time to have someone in our home test postivie.

He isolated in our master bedroom/bath. There is a bit of a gap under our door, so I asked him to put a towel under it to kind of block the air flow. No idea if that helped. No hepa filter, but he did open the windows from time to time. I left food at his door and then at the end of the day he left the dirty dishes and I picked them up with my dish gloves on and cleaned up careful not to touch my face. Edited to say that he would wear an N95 when he opened the door to pick up food/put out dirty dishes, but otherwise wasn't masked in the room.

I aired out the house for the first day after he tested positive (again, after he had isolated). I also wore a mask in the house for much of that day because we had another family member there and we were protecting ourselves from each other - assuming I would be most likely to get it and pass it on. I didn't mask after that (when our guest left). 

He tested out of isolation, the preferred method buried in the US CDC guidance, and didn't just stop on day 5. It took 11 days. He didn't test on day 10, but was still clearly positive on day 9. 

He was pretty miserable for the better part of a week - high fever, horrible sore throat, headache, exhausted. This was about a month ago. He's just about back to normal now but it took him a while. 

He had the ice bucket in the room and I would bring bowls of ice for the day. A few thermoses of hot tea in the morning. Lots of soup. A case of seltzer. Some throat lozenges that numb your throat (that was his biggest complaint even though he had 101F fever. All the comfort stuff you'd want when you are sick. 

I tested (rapid) about 7 times in 8 days, and then did a PCR and all were negative. Except for the first day, I did not wear a mask as our guest left. 

Once he tested out, I let the room air out for 24 hours and get a deep clean before moving back in.

Around day 6 he masked up and went quickly through the house (I opened the windows) to take a walk and go for a PCR to get counted and get in the system. One small block was all he wanted to walk. Very low on energy. But he just went for a 23 mile bike ride and seems to have plenty of energy now. 

He's not that far off from 65, and has asthma, but never had trouble breathing. Had some chest congestion and a cough, but no asthma symptoms, surprisingly. Doctor didn't think he needed paxlovid and he never took it.

She should rest as much as she can. Just a LOT of rest and fluids.

Hope she feels better soon and that you continue to stay negative!

Like  2 Likes

Discussion: The end of Roe. (no more question mark)

RTrent said:

The network of abusive Republicans who stick together excusing their behavior. Their anti-choice or forced birth movement which is conferring second class status upon women. The treatment of abused women who dare to speak out and therefore are labeled as liars, opportunists or simply not credible.

The "Forced Birth Movement".  This is excellent.  As has been noted everywhere, the "Pro Life" with its penchant for supporting the death penalty is a literal contradiction in terms.  Forced Birth Movement is not only more resonant, it is much more accurate.

Like  2 Likes

Discussion: Advice for helping someone with Covid??

No great advice, but we have our first case in the house too (my blonder twin, who is not as good about staying completely away from everyone, but is trying). All triple vaccinated here too, and Stull waiting for his confirming PCR, as well as everyone else’s. Wishing her an easy recovery. 

Like  2 Likes

Discussion: Omicron BA.2 wave may be causing a wave that is hard to quantify

RobertRoe said:

Thank you Peter for helping us keep up to date on the ever-changing covid pandemic and now endemic epidemic infections.   While I do read a lot, your posts are very very helpful.  It looks like our covid wild ride is not over yet.  

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I do a lot of searching out of a morbid sense of doom and when I see something that isn't already plastered all over the place I post it here with my comments. By the way, if people have more questions you can always do a private message or post here. I've been swamped lately with papers to write of my own though. But I get to add 3 more letters (maybe 6) after my name in 11 days.

Like  2 Likes