OT: The Official COVID/Omicron Variant+ thread

[HarthorneWingo]

This made me smile this morning. Good work Neil Young.

Edit: Just read that Joni Mitchell is following Neil’s lead and pulling all of her music too. CSNY can’t be far behind.

Read on Twitter

?s=21

[Clyde_Style]

For Wingo and the other ancients, Joni Mitchell just wrote she stands with Neil Young.

I have the unpopular opinion of not giving a **** what Neil Young or Joni Mitchell think. Why are we trying to hold a podcast to higher standards than Fox News? I also have the unpopular opinion of thinking Joe Rogan is mostly correct, children should not be taking the vaccine. If you look at the VAERS data, children aged 5-11 had a 0.24% chance to have a serious event after receiving the vaccine. Of the 850,000 people who died of covid, less than 750 were children under the age of 18. I am vaccinated as is my wife but I will not subject my kids to it.

I also think they should stop calling it a vaccine as it does not provide immunity and does not prevent spreading the disease. The CDC recently changed the definition from "immunity" to "protection".

Get your health in order and realize the virus is never going away. We are sacrificing a generation of our young so that a bunch of boomers feel safe. I'll be here wearing my tinfoil hat.

I don't follow Rogan closely, but I believe there has been far more pushed than being anti-vaxxing for kids. He strikes me in general as a guy who spitballs ideas a lot regardless of his preparedness to opine on a subject. He's a talk show host who throws things against the wall to see what sticks. That's not necessarily a big deal for most topics, but this is a guy who self-medicated with Ivermectin preaching to tens of millions of rabid fans, many without critical thinking skills of their own. He is like the last person to go to for medical advice, but his influence means he is the primary educational source for the segment of the population that, at least earlier in the pandemic, probably spread the infection more than most demographics.

[HarthorneWingo]

So last eeek this guy, who frequents the same dog park I do, told the few of us that were talking that about COVID that he’s a union delegate for the carpenters union here in NY (probably a local) and that he may have to quit his job because he refuses to get vaccinated that’s now mandated. Then he volunteers that he got himself a fake COVID card which we both agreed could land him in jail.

Then this article came out yesterday.

https://www.newsday.com/long-island/crime/fake-covid-19-vaccination-cards-nurses-amityville-1.50492260#utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Morning-Update&lctg=d6cf2681e2fe35cf4b6bc0dc83bdeab7f4ab2e0b6af67eefb29e13d906216729&utm_term=sub

Two Amityville nurses accused of faking COVID-19 vaccination cards

About $900,000 in cash and a ledger documenting profits in excess of $1.5 million were seized in a phony COVID-19 vaccination card scheme, according to Suffolk County prosecutors.

By Nicole Fuller
nicole.fuller@newsday.com @NicoleFuller
Updated January 29, 2022 10:18 AM

Two Amityville nurses were arraigned Friday on charges they fraudulently filled out COVID-19 vaccination cards and entered the false vaccine status information in the state database in a scheme authorities say garnered $1.5 million in profit, Suffolk County authorities said.

[CharlesOakley]

I don't follow Rogan closely, but I believe there has been far more pushed than being anti-vaxxing for kids. He strikes me in general as a guy who spitballs ideas a lot regardless of his preparedness to opine on a subject. He's a talk show host who throws things against the wall to see what sticks. That's not necessarily a big deal for most topics, but this is a guy who self-medicated with Ivermectin preaching to tens of millions of rabid fans, many without critical thinking skills of their own. He is like the last person to go to for medical advice, but his influence means he is the primary educational source for the segment of the population that, at least earlier in the pandemic, probably spread the infection more than most demographics.

Cancelling people that we don't like or agree with is only going to fuel the nut jobs. We have seen twitter give a life-time ban to Dr. Robert Malone who helped develop mRNA technology. There have been plenty of other medical professionals banned as well for not toeing the party line.

I'd prefer to see their ideas refuted publicly rather than banning them. When we can't have scientists discussing an evolving epidemic in the public space, we only further support the conspiracy theorists and nut jobs. We are moving dangerously close to a totalitarian regime. The social media platforms have too much power to shape the narrative of all things and it seems like the average person is hoping for more censorship rather than less.

The result of banning doctors is less trust in science, not more. Every ban feels like winning to a certain group and losing to another. People have become addicted to destroying those with whom they don't agree. There is no public discourse, no persuasion, just a growing sense of the "other".

Always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.

[thebuzzardman]

This made me smile this morning. Good work Neil Young.

Edit: Just read that Joni Mitchell is following Neil’s lead and pulling all of her music too. CSNY can’t be far behind.

Read on Twitter

?s=21

How many 90 year olds listen to spotify?

Is there some contract where it's pumped into nursing homes and spotify will lose this nice chunk of business?

[thebuzzardman]

For Wingo and the other ancients, Joni Mitchell just wrote she stands with Neil Young.

I have the unpopular opinion of not giving a **** what Neil Young or Joni Mitchell think. Why are we trying to hold a podcast to higher standards than Fox News? I also have the unpopular opinion of thinking Joe Rogan is mostly correct, children should not be taking the vaccine. If you look at the VAERS data, children aged 5-11 had a 0.24% chance to have a serious event after receiving the vaccine. Of the 850,000 people who died of covid, less than 750 were children under the age of 18. I am vaccinated as is my wife but I will not subject my kids to it.

I also think they should stop calling it a vaccine as it does not provide immunity and does not prevent spreading the disease. The CDC recently changed the definition from "immunity" to "protection".

Get your health in order and realize the virus is never going away. We are sacrificing a generation of our young so that a bunch of boomers feel safe. I'll be here wearing my tinfoil hat.

I don't follow Rogan closely, but I believe there has been far more pushed than being anti-vaxxing for kids. He strikes me in general as a guy who spitballs ideas a lot regardless of his preparedness to opine on a subject. He's a talk show host who throws things against the wall to see what sticks. That's not necessarily a big deal for most topics, but this is a guy who self-medicated with Ivermectin preaching to tens of millions of rabid fans, many without critical thinking skills of their own. He is like the last person to go to for medical advice, but his influence means he is the primary educational source for the segment of the population that, at least earlier in the pandemic, probably spread the infection more than most demographics.

Rogan does a lot of speculation on all sorts of stuff and is pretty willing to allow different ideas onto his show and into discussion.

He leans pretty heavily into the anti vax stuff though. It's more than an occasional topic for him. On the other hand, he's not going on about it every single podcast etc.

Neil is trying to leverage the market/private company thing so good for him, though I doubt it matters much.

[Clyde_Style]

I don't follow Rogan closely, but I believe there has been far more pushed than being anti-vaxxing for kids. He strikes me in general as a guy who spitballs ideas a lot regardless of his preparedness to opine on a subject. He's a talk show host who throws things against the wall to see what sticks. That's not necessarily a big deal for most topics, but this is a guy who self-medicated with Ivermectin preaching to tens of millions of rabid fans, many without critical thinking skills of their own. He is like the last person to go to for medical advice, but his influence means he is the primary educational source for the segment of the population that, at least earlier in the pandemic, probably spread the infection more than most demographics.

Cancelling people that we don't like or agree with is only going to fuel the nut jobs. We have seen twitter give a life-time ban to Dr. Robert Malone who helped develop mRNA technology. There have been plenty of other medical professionals banned as well for not toeing the party line.

I'd prefer to see their ideas refuted publicly rather than banning them. When we can't have scientists discussing an evolving epidemic in the public space, we only further support the conspiracy theorists and nut jobs. We are moving dangerously close to a totalitarian regime. The social media platforms have too much power to shape the narrative of all things and it seems like the average person is hoping for more censorship rather than less.

The result of banning doctors is less trust in science, not more. Every ban feels like winning to a certain group and losing to another. People have become addicted to destroying those with whom they don't agree. There is no public discourse, no persuasion, just a growing sense of the "other".

Always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.

If you are looking at this as a free speech issue that has been booted around these boards multiple times. Social Media platforms may be where we spend our time, but they are NOT the "Commons" in political terms. This board we're posting on and all of the other platforms are PRIVATE enterprises and they can choose whom to allow to post or not. You can call it censorship, but it their prerogative to ban or allow certain posters.

Moreover, Spotify is free to take the financial hit and back Rogan, but they're really only going to protect their investment in him, not his right to say whatever he wants. If they were all about that then they wouldn't have removed numerous past Rogan shows. They picked and chose which of his episodes to make available to subscribers long before Neil and Joni made their stand.

And it goes both ways since Young and Mitchell are choosing to forego a major royalty stream so I'd say they are exercising their free speech by putting their money where their mouth is.

It is a MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS, not a public park with a soapbox where you are protected by first amendment. They voted, just like Spotify has voted.

If the market doesn't support Rogan, then he's out of a job. Not that that is going to happen, but that's the deal. Pretending he is owed some form of protection against backlash is frankly absurd and anti-thetical to actual freedom of speech. Let people vote with their pocketbooks without turning this into a false narrative about a disrespect for freedom of speech, because in America people vote with their pocketbooks. They always have and they probably always will

Saying bad ideas should be given a platform is just an opinion, not a fact. They can be shot down on those platforms or told to take it somewhere else to be shot down, but Twitter and Spotify don't owed anybody an explanation. If you don't like their stance, don't use them. Or stop listening to Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, because they really don't give a chit if you do or you don't so they don't need your protection and neither do loud mouths who get de-platformed.

[NowWHYcee7]

Spotify will be just fine.

LOL @ Neil Young. Dude got thrown out the window like that dog in Out For Justice.

[Gorilla Monsoon]

Disgusting

Watch on YouTube

[Gorilla Monsoon]

I don't follow Rogan closely, but I believe there has been far more pushed than being anti-vaxxing for kids. He strikes me in general as a guy who spitballs ideas a lot regardless of his preparedness to opine on a subject. He's a talk show host who throws things against the wall to see what sticks. That's not necessarily a big deal for most topics, but this is a guy who self-medicated with Ivermectin preaching to tens of millions of rabid fans, many without critical thinking skills of their own. He is like the last person to go to for medical advice, but his influence means he is the primary educational source for the segment of the population that, at least earlier in the pandemic, probably spread the infection more than most demographics.

Cancelling people that we don't like or agree with is only going to fuel the nut jobs. We have seen twitter give a life-time ban to Dr. Robert Malone who helped develop mRNA technology. There have been plenty of other medical professionals banned as well for not toeing the party line.

I'd prefer to see their ideas refuted publicly rather than banning them. When we can't have scientists discussing an evolving epidemic in the public space, we only further support the conspiracy theorists and nut jobs. We are moving dangerously close to a totalitarian regime. The social media platforms have too much power to shape the narrative of all things and it seems like the average person is hoping for more censorship rather than less.

The result of banning doctors is less trust in science, not more. Every ban feels like winning to a certain group and losing to another. People have become addicted to destroying those with whom they don't agree. There is no public discourse, no persuasion, just a growing sense of the "other".

Always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.

If you are looking at this as a free speech issue that has been booted around these boards multiple times. Social Media platforms may be where we spend our time, but they are NOT the "Commons" in political terms. This board we're posting on and all of the other platforms are PRIVATE enterprises and they can choose whom to allow to post or not. You can call it censorship, but it their prerogative to ban or allow certain posters.

Moreover, Spotify is free to take the financial hit and back Rogan, but they're really only going to protect their investment in him, not his right to say whatever he wants. If they were all about that then they wouldn't have removed numerous past Rogan shows. They picked and chose which of his episodes to make available to subscribers long before Neil and Joni made their stand.

And it goes both ways since Young and Mitchell are choosing to forego a major royalty stream so I'd say they are exercising their free speech by putting their money where their mouth is.

It is a MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS, not a public park with a soapbox where you are protected by first amendment. They voted, just like Spotify has voted.

If the market doesn't support Rogan, then he's out of a job. Not that that is going to happen, but that's the deal. Pretending he is owed some form of protection against backlash is frankly absurd and anti-thetical to actual freedom of speech. Let people vote with their pocketbooks without turning this into a false narrative about a disrespect for freedom of speech, because in America people vote with their pocketbooks. They always have and they probably always will

Saying bad ideas should be given a platform is just an opinion, not a fact. They can be shot down on those platforms or told to take it somewhere else to be shot down, but Twitter and Spotify don't owed anybody an explanation. If you don't like their stance, don't use them. Or stop listening to Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, because they really don't give a chit if you do or you don't so they don't need your protection and neither do loud mouths who get de-platformed.

Okay... and if Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, RealGM etc. were all right-leaning platforms instead of the left-leaning platforms that they are, and were banning liberals, democrats or anyone who posted anything that went against their right-wing narrative and cited capitalism and the free market as their reason for doing so... I highly doubt you or anyone currently supporting this type of censorship would be singing the same tune. I'm sure you would be outraged. Be careful what you wish for.

[Clyde_Style]

Cancelling people that we don't like or agree with is only going to fuel the nut jobs. We have seen twitter give a life-time ban to Dr. Robert Malone who helped develop mRNA technology. There have been plenty of other medical professionals banned as well for not toeing the party line.

I'd prefer to see their ideas refuted publicly rather than banning them. When we can't have scientists discussing an evolving epidemic in the public space, we only further support the conspiracy theorists and nut jobs. We are moving dangerously close to a totalitarian regime. The social media platforms have too much power to shape the narrative of all things and it seems like the average person is hoping for more censorship rather than less.

The result of banning doctors is less trust in science, not more. Every ban feels like winning to a certain group and losing to another. People have become addicted to destroying those with whom they don't agree. There is no public discourse, no persuasion, just a growing sense of the "other".

If you are looking at this as a free speech issue that has been booted around these boards multiple times. Social Media platforms may be where we spend our time, but they are NOT the "Commons" in political terms. This board we're posting on and all of the other platforms are PRIVATE enterprises and they can choose whom to allow to post or not. You can call it censorship, but it their prerogative to ban or allow certain posters.

Moreover, Spotify is free to take the financial hit and back Rogan, but they're really only going to protect their investment in him, not his right to say whatever he wants. If they were all about that then they wouldn't have removed numerous past Rogan shows. They picked and chose which of his episodes to make available to subscribers long before Neil and Joni made their stand.

And it goes both ways since Young and Mitchell are choosing to forego a major royalty stream so I'd say they are exercising their free speech by putting their money where their mouth is.

It is a MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS, not a public park with a soapbox where you are protected by first amendment. They voted, just like Spotify has voted.

If the market doesn't support Rogan, then he's out of a job. Not that that is going to happen, but that's the deal. Pretending he is owed some form of protection against backlash is frankly absurd and anti-thetical to actual freedom of speech. Let people vote with their pocketbooks without turning this into a false narrative about a disrespect for freedom of speech, because in America people vote with their pocketbooks. They always have and they probably always will

Saying bad ideas should be given a platform is just an opinion, not a fact. They can be shot down on those platforms or told to take it somewhere else to be shot down, but Twitter and Spotify don't owed anybody an explanation. If you don't like their stance, don't use them. Or stop listening to Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, because they really don't give a chit if you do or you don't so they don't need your protection and neither do loud mouths who get de-platformed.

Okay... and if Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, RealGM etc. were all right-leaning platforms instead of the left-leaning platforms that they are, and were banning liberals, democrats or anyone who posted anything that went against their right-wing narrative and cited capitalism and the free market as their reason for doing so... I highly doubt you or anyone currently supporting this type of censorship would be singing the same tune. I'm sure you would be outraged. Be careful what you wish for.

You're wrong though. Every platform is run by a different set of people with different agendas. Facebook has large foreign stakeholders and it is well documented how much they facilitated Trump's campaigns, including sending Facebook operatives into the offices of Cambridge Analytica to show them how to target FB users. And what do you think Peter Thiel is, a liberal?

[Gorilla Monsoon]

If you are looking at this as a free speech issue that has been booted around these boards multiple times. Social Media platforms may be where we spend our time, but they are NOT the "Commons" in political terms. This board we're posting on and all of the other platforms are PRIVATE enterprises and they can choose whom to allow to post or not. You can call it censorship, but it their prerogative to ban or allow certain posters.

Moreover, Spotify is free to take the financial hit and back Rogan, but they're really only going to protect their investment in him, not his right to say whatever he wants. If they were all about that then they wouldn't have removed numerous past Rogan shows. They picked and chose which of his episodes to make available to subscribers long before Neil and Joni made their stand.

And it goes both ways since Young and Mitchell are choosing to forego a major royalty stream so I'd say they are exercising their free speech by putting their money where their mouth is.

It is a MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS, not a public park with a soapbox where you are protected by first amendment. They voted, just like Spotify has voted.

If the market doesn't support Rogan, then he's out of a job. Not that that is going to happen, but that's the deal. Pretending he is owed some form of protection against backlash is frankly absurd and anti-thetical to actual freedom of speech. Let people vote with their pocketbooks without turning this into a false narrative about a disrespect for freedom of speech, because in America people vote with their pocketbooks. They always have and they probably always will

Saying bad ideas should be given a platform is just an opinion, not a fact. They can be shot down on those platforms or told to take it somewhere else to be shot down, but Twitter and Spotify don't owed anybody an explanation. If you don't like their stance, don't use them. Or stop listening to Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, because they really don't give a chit if you do or you don't so they don't need your protection and neither do loud mouths who get de-platformed.

Okay... and if Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, RealGM etc. were all right-leaning platforms instead of the left-leaning platforms that they are, and were banning liberals, democrats or anyone who posted anything that went against their right-wing narrative and cited capitalism and the free market as their reason for doing so... I highly doubt you or anyone currently supporting this type of censorship would be singing the same tune. I'm sure you would be outraged. Be careful what you wish for.

You're wrong though. Every platform is run by a different set of people with different agendas. Facebook has large foreign stakeholders and it is well documented how much they facilitated Trump's campaigns, including sending Facebook operatives into the offices of Cambridge Analytica to show them how to target FB users. And what do you think Peter Thiel is, a liberal?

Personally I think we're all being toyed with and pitted against each other by a common enemy. A group of global elite who are neither liberal or conservative. They are only loyal to the grandest agenda of all: a one world government. And it is now closer to being a reality than ever. But you don't want to hear that, so I'll bow out now and go back to one of the other threads where we can all be friends and agree about Julius Randle's piss poor attitude.

I leave this thread with one final comment though: I will never take the vaccine. I just easily beat Covid for the second time in 2.5 years and will continue to enjoy the wonderful natural immunity that science has proven I now have. Same goes for my wife, and many of my friends and family who are all alive and well, including my Uncle who is in his 60s and battling a very rare and brutal stomach cancer, and also just recently survived Covid. Same goes for my beautiful little nephews who have had zero vaccines since birth, and are healthy and happy and autism free, living on a farm in Florida. And anyone who thinks any of us deserve fines or jail time for holding firm to our beliefs about this can rot in hell.

[Clyde_Style]

Okay... and if Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, RealGM etc. were all right-leaning platforms instead of the left-leaning platforms that they are, and were banning liberals, democrats or anyone who posted anything that went against their right-wing narrative and cited capitalism and the free market as their reason for doing so... I highly doubt you or anyone currently supporting this type of censorship would be singing the same tune. I'm sure you would be outraged. Be careful what you wish for.

You're wrong though. Every platform is run by a different set of people with different agendas. Facebook has large foreign stakeholders and it is well documented how much they facilitated Trump's campaigns, including sending Facebook operatives into the offices of Cambridge Analytica to show them how to target FB users. And what do you think Peter Thiel is, a liberal?

Personally I think we're all being toyed with and pitted against each other by a common enemy. A group of global elite who are neither liberal or conservative. They are only loyal to the grandest agenda of all: a one world government. And it is now closer to being a reality than ever. But you don't want to hear that, so I'll bow out now and go back to one of the other threads where we can all be friends and agree about Julius Randle's piss poor attitude.

I leave this thread with one final comment though: I will never take the vaccine. I just easily beat Covid for the second time in 2.5 years and will continue to enjoy the wonderful natural immunity that science has proven I now have. Same goes for my wife, and many of my friends and family who are all alive and well, including my Uncle who is in his 60s and battling a very rare and brutal stomach cancer, and also just recently survived Covid. Same goes for my beautiful little nephews who have had zero vaccines since birth, and are healthy and happy and autism free, living on a farm in Florida. And anyone who thinks any of us deserve fines or jail time for holding firm to our beliefs about this can rot in hell.

I'm not saying this to beat you up, but lay off the global conspiracy rap. It's just a convenient way to package reality in a world you don't particularly like, but it has very little to do with how messy reality actually is. The one world government concept is complete and utter rubbish and the opposite of what is happening. We're in a world full of competing interests and diminishing resources trying to make sausage with the resurgence of nationalism. If anything, the transparency of borders exposed how small-minded and tribal human beings are and the last effing thing you're going to get out of that is a globally coorindated unified government run by billionaires. You're just a sucker if you keep peddling that moronic nonsense. Seriously, time to grow up and stop looking for answers in stupid youtube videos

Yes, Randle sucks. Agreed

And Biden is not going to imprison your relatives. Jesus

[robillionaire]

put all unvaccinated people in Florida and build a wall on the border until we can figure out what the hell is going on down there

[Clyde_Style]

put all unvaccinated people in Florida and build a wall on the border until we can figure out what the hell is going on down there

Just do it after June 1st. Thanks in advance

[Kampuchea]

Disgusting

Watch on YouTube

I’m all for the vaccine but in no way should anybody be forced to take it. And they want to lock people up now for not taking it? Communists

[Kampuchea]

put all unvaccinated people in Florida and build a wall on the border until we can figure out what the hell is going on down there

I’m a member of some community forums in Florida as my parents live there, lots of complaining about NYers. Someone complained about noise from a church, “go back to NY.” Someone called police about gun use on nearby property “damn northerner”

Mind you they have no idea the identity of the person complaining.

I do wonder if more people moving to Florida will ever turn it back to a 50/50 red/blue state

[HarthorneWingo]

Disgusting

Watch on YouTube

I’m all for the vaccine but in no way should anybody be forced to take it. And they want to lock people up now for not taking it? Communists

Not “lock up”. Just temporarily quarantined. You’re rights end where they begin to adversely effect mine. Your freedoms are compromised by rules, regulations, and laws every day. This is no exception.

And geating vaccinated is the patriotic - and pro-business - thing to do.

[Clyde_Style]

put all unvaccinated people in Florida and build a wall on the border until we can figure out what the hell is going on down there

I’m a member of some community forums in Florida as my parents live there, lots of complaining about NYers. Someone complained about noise from a church, “go back to NY.” Someone called police about gun use on nearby property “damn northerner”

Mind you they have no idea the identity of the person complaining.

I do wonder if more people moving to Florida will ever turn it back to a 50/50 red/blue state

Northerners are the rude, gun shooting yahoos in Florida now?

That's funny. Florida for one is highly transient, but it is still full of native born Floridians, many of whom have never even traveled out of the state. There is plenty of native provincialism in Florida and when they are rude they are as rude and loud as they come. An invasion of northerners is not suddenly turning Florida into a lawless state. It was the way it is now a long time ago

As far as incoming people changing the voting demographic, I'm not so sure it will get more blue. The types of people Florida attracts is still typically Republican

[Kampuchea]

Disgusting

Watch on YouTube

I’m all for the vaccine but in no way should anybody be forced to take it. And they want to lock people up now for not taking it? Communists

Not “lock up”. Just temporarily quarantined. You’re brights end where they begin to adversely effect mine. Your freedoms are compromised by rules, regulations, and laws every day. This is no exception.

Like people not taking flu shots can adversely impact you. Especially with the new variants being less severe, people need to rely on their own actions and also the REASONABLE actions of others. It’s Reasonable for people to not want the vaccine. It’s not reasonable for them to cough in your face.

You’re making unreasonable demands of people, and yes forced vaccination is unreasonable.