The thing that sucks most about Kansas is that there really are some good, smart people out there, but theyâre overwhelmed by the willfully ignorant (Phelps sympathizers, Trumpsters), and of the smart people, a good portion are just mean and nasty (Pompeo/Koch, and again, Trumpsters).
Kansans like to point out the âbrain drainâ of intelligent youth, but if you ask me and people I knew, it was more about getting away to somewhere we could breathe more freely than being drawn away by better work prospects.
Same goes for my hometown in Ohio, which is now dying out financially.
Just came by to report that Iâve agreed to visit the in in-laws around New Yearâs Eve, so thatâs that. They want to see us very badly. They are talking about depression, and I donât doubt they are psychologically challenged. However, I havenât heard a single bit about having a proper diagnosis, and for years have tried to deal with their orthorexia (based on various and changing self-diagnoses), and their belief in homoeopathy and the likes, so I feel⌠unfortunately aggressive towards something I perceive as toxic, manipulative social pressure towards having a âfamily lifeâ.
If anyone dies because of this, Iâm going to be not fine. Ever. Again.
I also am finding it increasingly difficult not to be rude to random people, inand especially to people online fucking around with bullshit. I might need to take a break.
Iâm not sure where this is going, but the numbers in Germany are still not down. Weâre stably on the brink of being overwhelmed. 18517 reported cumulative deaths, 483 yesterday alone, >23k new cases. Only more clear cases are tested since mid-November, so the positivity rate is up. Mobility is only seven percent down compared to last year.
I fear that we lost it. In September. We fucked it up, and weâre not going to turn it the way, e.g., Spain seems to do.
A real lockdown is not in sight.
And mine in WV. Bitter and angry is not a big selling point.
Following up on this story:
They stay closed until the 11th, liquor license suspended until the 28th, and a $34,000 fine.
Itâs something, but they do over $1M in sales annually, so not sureâŚ
Recap: theyâve flouted safety guidelines and had licenses suspended 5 times since March, and the guy on the left (aka, dick-nose) has been on Tucker Carlson making a stink. (Carlson has a lake house nearby).
And their go fund me campaign has raised $35k.
License suspendedâŚ
Should Schools Stay Open? Not So Fast.
Data on coronavirus cases in U.S. schools suggests in-person classes contribute to the virusâ spread.
Co-written by Rebekah Jones, former handler of Floridaâs covid data, fired because she wouldnât fudge the data the way the asshole governor wanted.
I wonder if theyâve considered Uncle Enzoâs lesson about helmets and hearing?
Some local universities are doing similar research. These studies also found high concentrations of viruses in the sewage network of some capitals. For scientists this indicates that the virus may be out of control.
GOOD!! <yes this is a complete sentence!>
Not a moment too late.
Should Schools Stay Open? Not So Fast.
We just got âstricter guidelinesâ for schools in Toronto and Peel; sniffles is now back on the list as a reason to get a test and a sick sibling is also a reason to stay home. (As if this never was the case⌠
) As with most places, Ontario 
lost control in August, saw the signs in September and, thanks to the right-wingers in power in the province, ignored it until November. A full screening this week at a school in Toronto revealed 24 students and 2 teachers positive; it got shut down after three teachers walked off the job the next day. Meanwhile a record 47% of the 296 schools in Peel Region have active COVID cases.
Incompetent messaging continued from my daughterâs school when a case came up this week, leading me to warn her she might be staying home. An âimportant letterâ referred to in a call and email wasnât posted, the school website didnât update the COVID count until the next day, the principalâs message was read out by a voice synthesizer. This set off my âwhere thereâs smoke, thereâs 
â alarm. I sometimes do code and method audits for financial institutions, and know that when you find one thing wrong, you dig deeper. Failure at the top to strictly manage and execute a critical action like raising a warning doesnât fill me with confidence.
âŚthe next day, almost as an afterthought to a message about the school council and the year book, we found out about failed lead level testing in the schoolâs water⌠
On the plus side, all this doom and disaster was enough to be able to waive off XMas at my parentsâ place. Not going for Thanksgiving was mildly controversial; this was less so.
Well, one must remember that restaurant owners only net about 10% of their income if they run a business properly and put the rest into maintenance, payroll, and product.
IIRC, that figure is usually higher for bars, though. Drinks are higher margin than even high-end food.
Iâm sure that the covidiots will ignore this one too, right?
What a concept.
