Covid injection.

[MusicwithHarry]

There are 60+ million of us cramed on a small set of islands and we have the highest per capita death rate through Covid on the planet.

Hence for us having the vaccine is better than dying, I do not mind being part of a long term experiment, time will tell.

It is a sad outcome that that the most vulnerable in our society have not been adequately protected and that they succumbed to Covid, Now that the injections have been taking place the numbers of older people contracting Covid to the degree that requires Hospital treatment has dramatically fallen.

Our schools are now back in use and today our Grandaughter’s year is the last to return so we shall see if there is any change in the Covid infection trend line in a few weeks.

If the injection allows life to get back to as near normal as possible then for us, that is a positive we welcome.

Governments are Governments wherever in the world they will be. Ours has a lot of faults and a lot of our members of Parliament have made a lot of money out of the pandemic. Our Member of Parliament is also a Cabinet Minister and I would not trust him to organise a pi55 up in a Brewery, its the promoted to a sustainable level of incompetence thing. Given the issues the UK has we in fact have many voters who are of very limited brain capacity, they have to be there is no other reason why Boris the Buffoon was made Prime Minister.

USA is no better but at least there you know that there are 72,000,000 voting citizens who have questionable mental capacity. As a young Brit I had no idea what a Republican or Democrat was, now as an old Brit I am still unsure, The Devil and Deep Blue Sea springs to mind. One thing is very clear about politics in the USA, its all about money and about maintaining the uneven distribution of wealth.

We definitely live in crazy times.

When this current school year started, we had decided for my youngest daughter (almost 14 years old now) to adopt a hybrid model. Our school years here run from the end of August to the end of May. She was going to do her core learning at home on the computer and attend a couple of elective classes (choir/band) at the school. This meant that I would take her in the mornings and wait on campus for her to finish the in-person electives. After a couple of days of this, I decided that she would simply be home for ALL of her classes. We still knew little about COVID at that point (no matter what we were told in the 'news') and I had to make a choice for my family. So, for her 8th grade academics, she's been online (or virtual) for the entire year and will graduate the 8th grade from home.

My daughter used to be home schooled by my wife and myself until the 7th grade anyway, so this type of learning was not new to her. She actually prefers being home, so I will welcome that. It keeps the distractions to a minimum and allows her to focus on her studies. In fact, she will likely graduate earlier than 18 years old beause she can do all of her work at her pace, and not be held back by 'academic standards' for a certain age bracket and again, what our Government determines to be the 'best' for the students...

With regard to Republicans and Democrats - there are distinct differences that I have found, as I have continued to age and mature on this planet. Each party seems to be much more difficult to describe these days...

I will tell you that we've got some crazy people on both sides and it really bothers me. What they all prove is that none of them really belong in office and both sides pander to the base instincts of man and it is not pretty...

I am not worried about people having more money than me. It is about MY responsibility with money and how I use the money that I make. A billionaire does not affect my ability to make as much money as I want to. They do not control my personal narrative. HOW they make their money generally means nothing to me, but I will say that if they made their money illegally, then they should be punished for doing illegal activity. I believe that ANYBODY in this country has the ability to make as much or as little money as they want in their life.

My house is paid for (no mortgage), two of three of my cars are paid off, ALL of my keyboard gear is paid for, all other items in my house are paid for and aside from a couple of low balances on credit cards (one of them is a music credit card) and my student loans, we are doing okay. My wife wants me to stay home to focus on music while she works as a teacher, and I am not sure that I can completely do that. With that said, the COVID restriction at the nursing homes is making that choice for me and I cannot visit these homes anyway because of COVID. I am sure that I will start playing at some nursing homes again when they open to the public.

In closing, 'Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea' is a neat song and I played it at the nursing homes

Grace,
Harry

 

[Biggles]

Harry, via the Korg Forums I have been aware of your activities for quite a few years.

You cannot stay home, you provide a very valuable and worthwhile service to those who need it most.

Once you get inoculated and are free to return to your activities the performances to the folks in the Nursing Homes must bring joy and happiness to them all. Not to mention the uplift you must get from seeing the result of your activities in the faces of your audiences.

Long may you continue to perform.

 

[happyrat1]

Some European countries pause AstraZeneca vaccinations to investigate reports of medical issues

Denmark and Norway suspend shots a day after Austria stops use of a batch of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine

www.theglobeandmail.com

Like I said, these vaccines were created and approved in under a single year!!!

>quote<-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some European countries pause AstraZeneca vaccinations to investigate reports of medical issues​

Denmark and Norway have suspended the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in yet another blow to Europe’s stumbling vaccine rollout.

The Danish and Norwegian moves Thursday came after Austria suspended the use of a specific batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine because a patient was diagnosed with multiple thrombosis (blood clots) and died 10 days after being vaccinated with the product. Another patient suffered a pulmonary embolism but is recovering.

GLOBE BACKGROUND 1 MIN 20 SEC READ
AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson: Which COVID-19 vaccine will I get in Canada?
In a statement published Wednesday, after Austria suspended the use of the vaccine, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said, “There is currently no indication that vaccination has caused these conditions, which are not listed as side effects with this vaccine.”


The EMA said: “The information available so far indicates that the number of thromboembolic events in vaccinated people is no higher than that seen in the general population,” adding that, as of March 9, 22 thromboembolic cases had been reported among the three million people who had received the AstraZeneca vaccine.

In Italy, national and Sicilian media have reported the deaths of two Sicilian men a few days after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. According to a report from Reuters, Italian health authorities ordered the withdrawal of a batch of AstraZeneca vaccine after the deaths, but it was a precautionary measure and no direct link had been established. Local media reported that a 43-year-old navy officer died of a heart attack the day after his shot and a 50-year-old policeman died some 12 days after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis after his jab.


>cut<-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


This is one of the vaccines that were shipping to commonwealth countries as well.

Like I said earlier, I'll HAPPILY Wait MORE than my turn to get my shot.

In the meantime I'll lurk in my man cave and wait for Summer to Bloom!!!

"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread..." (Some dead guy...)

Gary

 

[MusicwithHarry]

Harry, via the Korg Forums I have been aware of your activities for quite a few years.

You cannot stay home, you provide a very valuable and worthwhile service to those who need it most.

Once you get inoculated and are free to return to your activities the performances to the folks in the Nursing Homes must bring joy and happiness to them all. Not to mention the uplift you must get from seeing the result of your activities in the faces of your audiences.

Long may you continue to perform.

I thank you for the kind words, sir. I know that it is comforting for the residents, because they tell me so. I ended up becoming an advocate of sorts for the residents too, because I can see things that happen in the homes that the staff overlooks or are not aware of. I have participated in Emergency Preparedness drills, and have helped out during actual emergencies. Because I have a degree in Ministry and Leadership, I have also provided counseling for some of the residents during times of need. I have also worked with the different families of the residents as well. I see myself as much more than simply an entertainer at these homes. It is a 'life's work' that I have been doing. It is truly an honor to serve

The staff at all of the facilities really like the way I handle the 'business' portion of it, too. We invoice at the beginning of every month for every facility that I would play at. We send the invoices via e-mail. Not all facilities use the invoices, but we send them anyway, if only for our own records at tax time.

I do not always receive a check at the time of performance. There are some who send me a check a month later from their corporate offices. We track the payments in a spreadsheet by performance date, amount, and check number. For those who pay cash (about 30% of them), I also track this in the spreadsheet. At the end of each month, I tally up the total and those amounts are what I use for my income for tax time.

Many new places that come onto the books are very surprised at how organized we are because it makes it easier for them. We also have a sliding scale for performance fees, as some homes can afford more than others. Because I am not terribly worried about money (not because I am rich, but because it always works out in the end), we let them pay what they can afford. Some pay more for certain months and then will pay less on certain months. This is usually due to the census of the home. We never want to be the reason they do not have any money in their monthly budget for anything else.

I miss playing for them. I also miss playing outdoors for them, because those are the performances that the PA system gets to stretch its legs and I do like to play loud sometimes

We offered online performances for them, but very few were interested. We are attempting to do it again (because it has been a year now), but there are only two that actually are interested in an online performance. Those residents like their in-person concerts

Thank you again for your kind words

Grace,
Harry

 

[Jeremykeys]

Yay! Today I made my appointment to get my first shot. It'll either be the Phizer or the Moderna. I get it on the 14th of this month.

 

[happyrat1]

Congrats! I'll be the first to get it when the local shoppers stocks it...

I'm not forgetting that these drugs were rushed to the market in less than a year, from conception to approval.

I'd rather be slow and wait till 30 million other guineau pigs in Canada have had it without growing a third testicle

I realize it's 1 in 100K odds of a side effect, but this is the same government that thinks the lotto is a GOOD thing for people

The older I get, the crazier I get.... I think I miss Donald Trump

Thanks for getting the shot Jeremy Let me know if it makes the third testicle itch or not?

Gary

 

[Biggles]

Well its the 2nd April, the UK has relaxed the rules somewhat, with more to follow.

Not that many are bothering too much, the amount of traffic on the nearby Motorway looked to be at pre-covid levels yesterday and today as people are getting out and about.

There are to be further roll out of the easing of restrictions over the next few weeks.

We are being given figures that show a very significant drop in the infection rates of the most vulnerable.

In the UK 35,000,000+ have been vaccinated at least once and 4.5M have had two doses.

My Wife and I have now had two doses of the Pfizer and we are waiting for side effects to develop.

Stay safe folks.

 

[happyrat1]

Some may call me crazy but I'm old enough to remember Thalidomide.

Gary

 

[Jeremykeys]

Congrats! I'll be the first to get it when the local shoppers stocks it...

I'm not forgetting that these drugs were rushed to the market in less than a year, from conception to approval.

I'd rather be slow and wait till 30 million other guineau pigs in Canada have had it without growing a third testicle

I realize it's 1 in 100K odds of a side effect, but this is the same government that thinks the lotto is a GOOD thing for people

The older I get, the crazier I get.... I think I miss Donald Trump

Thanks for getting the shot Jeremy Let me know if it makes the third testicle itch or not?

Gary

No worries but does this mean I'm going to lose one?

 

[Jeremykeys]

Well its the 2nd April, the UK has relaxed the rules somewhat, with more to follow.

Not that many are bothering too much, the amount of traffic on the nearby Motorway looked to be at pre-covid levels yesterday and today as people are getting out and about.

There are to be further roll out of the easing of restrictions over the next few weeks.

We are being given figures that show a very significant drop in the infection rates of the most vulnerable.

In the UK 35,000,000+ have been vaccinated at least once and 4.5M have had two doses.

My Wife and I have now had two doses of the Pfizer and we are waiting for side effects to develop.

Stay safe folks.

Glad for you. Here in Ontario we're locking it down again. Our ICUs in the hospitals are getting crammed. I feel sad for the small business owners. They're getting hammered hard. This thing needs to go.

 

[Biggles]

Sad thing is Jeremy I do not think it will go, like flu my expectation is that it is here to stay.

As annual flu injections are routine then covid injections will become routine.

It will only be when herd immunity has built up that Covid will become less of a threat to the normal way of life.

 

[Biggles]

We have a Professor of Public Health and a Virologist Researcher on our BBC every Saturday morning and today they quoted an astounding figure in that over 200,000 new Coronavirus cases were reported in one day in India.

In Canada, Ontario is having a very high surge in cases @ over 4,800 on Friday and a very low vaccine uptake of 22%.

Stay safe Gary.

 

[happyrat1]

We have a Professor of Public Health and a Virologist Researcher on our BBC every Saturday morning and today they quoted an astounding figure in that over 200,000 new Coronavirus cases were reported in one day in India.

In Canada, Ontario is having a very high surge in cases @ over 4,800 on Friday and a very low vaccine uptake of 22%.

Stay safe Gary.

Our premier, Doug Ford is in way over his head. He's totally screwed the pooch on both vaccine delivery and preventative measures. By next month we are anticipating 15,000 new cases per day.

Reporting to you live from the Peel Regional Death Camp

Gary

 

[Biggles]

Gary

Latest on our BBC regarding Canadian vaccinations ...............

There was mixed news on Friday.

Moderna said it would cut its next shipment to Canada by almost half, to 650,000 doses, but Pfizer is to supply an additional eight million doses after it reached a new deal with the Canadian government.

 

[happyrat1]

Col >>> You're not telling me anything that wasn't on local news two days ago man.

I'm looking into updating my estate just in case.

Gary

 

[happyrat1]

Well, here we are now mid-July and 80% of eligible Canadians have had at least one shot.

Things are opening up everywhere with the summer heat.

News services have thankfully stopped broadcasting Covid Death and Hospitalization numbers and hair and nail salons are reopening but everywhere Covid Protocol still stands. Masks, social distancing and lengthy lineups at stores are still the norm.

A neighbour of mine who sells apparel says that changing rooms remain locked and customers may no longer try before they buy.

The local community swimming pool has been open for business for a week or two now and is solidly booked by appointment only, 45 minutes maximum. I've no desire to swim in a giant public urinal so I'm taking a pass.

I finally did get my shot at the local Shoppers Drugs last week and my second shot is scheduled for the end of July. The vaccine du jour is Moderna. Some folks are mixing doses for the second shot but I'm reasonably confident I'll be able to get Moderna again by the end of the month.

Reports coming from World sources are less focused on Covid.

South of the equator winter is in full steam and I'm curious to hear how things are going now in the UK and Australia.

All I've been hearing lately is Delta and Lambda variants and how they are the latest boogeyman to worry about.

So how is everyone dealing with the current season?

Gary

 

[Jeremykeys]

So far so good! My wife and I have had both of out shots now. I just wish all of my friends would but way too many of them are dead against it and think this is all a great plot to control us. The vaccine is deadly, it has a nano chip, it doesn't work, etc. A few say they'll just trust their immune systems. That didn't seem to work out so well for all the dead people. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to let Darwin do his thing and hope that once this is all said and done, I haven't lost too many. Have to run out now so I"ll continue this when I get back.

 

[Jeremykeys]

Ahh! Back again! When the wife says go get, I go get! Where was I? Oh yes, how's everybody doing? Well, we haven't been up to the cottage much. The Gypsy Moth Caterpillars were insane! Millions of them. Seriously! If we listened carefully, we could actually hear them eating the forest canopy. Their fur is toxic too. When they shed as they grow, the wind blows their tiny hairs and if enough get on you, it's like poison ivy. Terrible things. That was back in the middle of June. We went up again last weekend but there were about 50 or so all snuggled up to the lock on the chain that goes across the entrance way so we couldn't even get onto the property.
On a better note, I've been spending a lot of time noodling on my synths and guitars in my studio. Haven't written or recorded anything but I'm having fun and that's what it's all about.
So all in all, we're fine, our cats are fine, our families are fine and the idiots are still idiots.
Let's just make more music and stay safe!

Jeremy

 

[Rayblewit]

curious to hear how things are going now in the UK and Australia.

Here in Melbourne, we have had a little over a week now with no new covid cases. Our restrictions are easing weekly and we have some freedom to move around, shop normally, eat out etc. . albeit with masks and QR entry to shops and venues.
We have had 4 lockdowns since the original outbreak 18 months ago.
We are still restricted to travel as some States are locked out.

Sydney are in full lock down now. They are experiencing what Melbourne had last year. They are at the front end of a huge blow out of new cases. Every day higher numbers. Some people in ICU will undoubtedly die.

The whole of Australia is lagging behind the rest of the world with our jabs. Not sure of percentages but much less than half have not had the first jab (maybe a quarter)
Us over 60's have had no choice but AZ. The other option is Phzier (spelling?) But for under 60's only. Problem is we have no stock. A government stuff up. People can't get a jab if they want it.
Luckily I had my first jab 4 weeks ago. Second is due late August.

Living on a knife edge daily expecting another blow up as Sydney people cross the border and infect us "Mexicans" again.
Depressing times.
Ray

 

[Biggles]

Over here in England its OK for us oldies who are double jabbed, as we are generally not as brain dead as the Yanks who believe they will be controlled by the vaccine, better jabbed than dead.

We have a large pocket of infection where we currently live and that mainly centers on the younger members of society who are getting covid but its only mild for them.

I am just back from a few days in Scotland by myself where I have been sort of working and staying in a Hotel, the people there are so much more careful than those south of the border in everything covid and the hotel staff could not have been more careful and compliant in following hygiene practices.

Rules generally will go out the window shortly and that will co-incide with the schools finishing for the Summer break so time will tell.

With crowds at Wimbledon for the tennis and at Wembley for the Euro Football competition these are tests of the effectiveness of the vaccine and with herd immunity.

watch this space for developments.