That’s actually encouraging. It can be done, then. Even in the good ol’ USA. Just not in red states, I guess. Wonder why that is?? 
14 Likes
When I was staying in a little village in Ukraine I got better meal plans than this.
16 Likes
I kinda of like that Fyre Fest is now a standard.
12 Likes
It occurs to me that this coming Halloween we should pay close attention to how many anti-maskers will be wearing Halloween masks without complaint. 
15 Likes
Embracing it, even?
In Germany, the discussion about carnival is already on.
Couple of days ago, Jens Spahn, Minister of Health, said we need to cancel Carnival. It was headlines in regional newspapers and is widely discussed on all news. For the Rhinelands, this is a big deal. Think of canceling Halloween and the Fourth of July celebration which fall on the same day.
I’m only slightly exaggerating, the economic impact in the region is heavy; it is truly a fifth season starting on 11th of November until six weeks before Easter. Accordingly, the discussion gets heated.
Anti-masxxers will flock to that discussion like flies on a turd.
14 Likes
8 Likes
Not trying to one-up the Europeans, but are there any people promoting hoaxes such as the Freedom to Breathe Agency, or is that uniquely a US phenomenon?
5 Likes
13 Likes
Seriously? This sounds like a scheme the Trumpists would come up with.
6 Likes
I always thought those mandatory meal plans were nothing but a money grab. The administration makes the case with parents that they want their kids to get a healthy start in school. What the vendors serve in cafeterias is usually terrible.
4 Likes
Sadly there are. Here in Poland some people were also pretending to have medical exception making them unable to wear mask, so having a written certificate issued by physician will soon be necessary for claiming such exception:
There are also people spreading harmful conspirancies. A retired professor whom I really respected and who was an inspriation to me recently started spreading conspirancies on youtube. I’m dissapointed beyond words, especially because that professor is one of the smartest, kindest and most charismatic people I’ve met in academic circles.
14 Likes
4 Likes
We have a German branch of QAnon. So, I suppose we have a Freedom of Breathe Agency as well.
I suppose there is a general rule which applies: if it exists in the US, and we haven’t had it, we have it the moment it gets any public attention.
ETA:
I just yesterday read a shitty local newspiece from Heidelberg, Germany, where an adult apparently attacked an 11y old who had a medical exemption. Regional rules do differ (fuck yeah federalism), but in Baden-Wurttemberg it seems you also can claim medical excemption. I would very much assume you need a qualified medical professional to get one, but then, Baden-Wurttemberg has the highest numbers of antivaxxers and anthroposophics in Germany and they will turn to “Naturheilkundler”…
8 Likes
When I attended the University of Florida, they had just started a meal plan with a fabulous multi-station, all-you-can-eat cafeteria, with chefs managing each station. I’m really curious how they would work that under the conditions students are required to face this year.
8 Likes
@docosc You raised suspicions, as have other here, about data manipulation… Is there a point at which that post Aug 1 flat spot becomes an untenable fiction?
Also: thought this might be amusing (from the NZ Herald).
21 Likes
Ok, did they steal this from a cruise ship? It sounds like one - without the norovirus. 
I only attended one college with decent food, and worked at a few campuses during my career. For some reason, they all had big vats of melted cheese with every meal. The students would smother the worst offerings with it.
9 Likes
I wish I could answer that. The fact that the “leveling off” occurred on the same day that the CDC was cut out of the data stream is more that a little curious, the firing of “uncooperative” data scientists and subsequent attempts to slag them, the “convenient” way the data as reported supports the overtly stupid government line all speaks to cover ups, but no, I cannot point to the smoking gun. The only way to deal with numbers this big is with statistics and epidemiology, and those are being strangled of data. Eventually there will be excess mortality evaluations (already seeing this out of NY showing dreadful undercount of actual impacts) but currently I don’t really have an answer.
22 Likes
