Met Summer Banter

[HIPPYVALLEY]

5 hours ago, radarman said:

Ram was one of his better ones IMO

 

RAM ranks up there with some of the best Beatles records imho.  

[HIPPYVALLEY]

38 minutes ago, STILL N OF PIKE said:

Robinhood IPO had a all time bad debut today 

Also Amazon down 7.5%! after hours on slowing revenue outlook 

August is not going to be a good month for the market.  Just a hunch.  

[powderfreak]

32 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

Baseball needs salary cap parity like the NFL. It's out of control now.

The big question for the Dodgers is if they’ll be able to get out of Trevor Bauer’s $30+ million per year contact from the sexual assault stuff.  Dude hasn’t pitched in a while on administrative leave and it hasn’t looked good for him since court documents/complaints have trickled out.  Those contracts can often have a character unbecoming clause… or something like that where it can be voided for extenuating circumstances.

But yeah for sure, there’s definitely a disadvantage for many markets of teams.  Money solves many issues.  There are always some who are just good at developing talent too and play the Moneyball aspect like the Tampa Bay Rays.

Unfortunately for all us non-Dodger fans, they are both good at developing talent with a strong farm system AND have a shitload of money to budget.  They are like the Rays with money, they develop players other teams want AND sell them off for established superstars.

[bristolri_wx]

26 minutes ago, HoarfrostHubb said:

Agreed.   Although Tampa Bay says “meh”

Right, except Tampa Bay gets 2 good years then 5 mediocre/bad ones with their budget, while LA gets 5 good years and 2 mediocre ones in their budget.

There's at least one or two big market teams consistently in the playoffs every season, while the number of smaller market teams tend to rotate more.  There's exceptions sure, but last 20 years or so that's been the pattern.

[TalcottWx]

Robinhood sucks. Everyone hates them. Especially retail traders. Going to be a terrible stock.

[mreaves]

16 minutes ago, HIPPYVALLEY said:

RAM ranks up there with some of the best Beatles records imho.  

I’m a closet Wings fan 

[Ginx snewx]

2 hours ago, DotRat_Wx said:

Again, it's kinda weak you are using 900 cases on the Cape as some kind of rebuttal to the fact every GOP southern state is having a massive spike. What is your point? Liberals can get sick too? 

Oh IDK

[Ginx snewx]

9 hours ago, Baroclinic Zone said:

How do we know if was the vaccinated that caused the spread vs those that were unvaccinated?  For all we know it could have been entirely the unvaccinated that did it.  We know the vaccine drastically reduces the viral load but the Delta variant is the new kid on the block and resides in the nasal region and there may be more viral load there to transmit but far less than those that are unvaccinated.  The risk is not 0% on transmission of the delta variant in a vaccinated person but it's not 100% either.

 

8 hours ago, DotRat_Wx said:

I'm fed up with idiots raising concern for the most vaccinated states like ours. We're doing perfectly fine. It's the ass hats in the South 

 

8 hours ago, Baroclinic Zone said:

Who cares.  Let them deal with it the way they're going to and be glad you live in an educated State that understands the benefits of a vaccinated population.

CDC docs

[TalcottWx]

We've made it clear the focus is hospitalizations and deaths.... Who cares about cases.... It's about preventing death and serious illness

[powderfreak]

Anyone worried about a COVID related matter can come along too.  Crap game for the Red Sox.

 

[MJO812]

Schwarber to Boston

[powderfreak]

6 minutes ago, MJO812 said:

Schwarber to Boston

An injured rental.  He immediately becomes the Red Sox second highest home run hitter.  25 HRs vs Devers’ 27.  JD’s 20 is the 3rd highest.  But injured.

[Ginx snewx]

1 hour ago, DotRat_Wx said:

We've made it clear the focus is hospitalizations and deaths.... Who cares about cases.... It's about preventing death and serious illness

 

[TalcottWx]

1 hour ago, Ginx snewx said:

 

We've known there is higher risk of hospitalizations and death for old vs young since covid began 

[weathafella]

Update on my nephew.  Anti vaxer dad got pretty sick with covid and was staying in my nephew’s small apartment and then got on a plane Sunday night (7/25).   My fully vaccinated nephew got sick Sunday and was confirmed delta and is symptom free starting today.   Thank you vaccination.  My understanding is his dad is pretty sick.   Athletic fit guy but around 60 years old.
 

I mentioned that I’m now masking indoors in big places like supermarkets but otherwise life is the same, eating out indoors or outside, hanging out with whomever.....but for a month. I totally didn’t mask.   Then again I’m in my mid 70s.   Part time university job is requiring vaccination for all staff on campus.  I’m good with that but most of the work I do for them is remote.

[Lava Rock]

Copied from FB


I'm confused

Actual conversation a friend had with the CDC this week.

ME: CDC, should I get poke if I already had Covid?

CDC: “Yes, you should be poked regardless of whether you already had COVID-19. That’s because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19.”

ME: Oh, okay, we don’t know how long natural immunity lasts. Got it. So, how long does poke-induced immunity last?

CDC: “There is still a lot we are learning about COVID-19 pokes and CDC is constantly reviewing evidence and updating guidance. We don’t know how long protection lasts for those who are poked.”

ME: Okay … but wait a second. I thought you said the reason I need the poke was because we don’t know how long my natural immunity lasts, but it seems like you’re saying we ALSO don’t know how long poke immunity lasts either. So, how exactly is the poke immunity better than my natural immunity?

CDC: …

ME: Uh … alright. But, haven’t there been a bunch of studies suggesting that natural immunity could last for years or decades?

CDC: Yes.

NEWYORKTIMES: “Years, maybe even decades, according to a new study.”

ME: Ah. So natural immunity might last longer than poke immunity?

CDC: Possibly. You never know.

ME: Okay. If I get the poke, does that mean I won’t get sick?

BRITAIN: Nope. We are just now entering a seasonal spike and about half of our infections and hospital admissions are poked people.

ME: CDC, is this true? Are there a lot of people in the U.S. catching Covid after getting the poke?

CDC: We stopped tracking breakthrough cases. We accept voluntary reports of breakthroughs but aren’t out there looking for them.

ME: Does that mean that if someone comes in the hospital with Covid, you don’t track them because they’ve been poked? You only track the UN-poked Covid cases?

CDC: That’s right.

ME: Oh, okay. Hmm. Well, if I can still get sick after I get the poke, how is it helping me?

CDC: We never said you wouldn’t get sick. We said it would reduce your chances of serious illness or death.

ME: Oh, sorry. Alright, exactly how much does it reduce my chance of serious illness or death.

CDC: We don’t know “exactly.”

ME: Oh. Then what’s your best estimate for how much risk reduction there is?

CDC: We don’t know, okay? Next question.

ME: Um, if I’m healthy and don’t want the poke, is there any reason I should get it?

CDC: Yes, for the collective.

ME: How does the collective benefit from me getting poked?

CDC: Because you could spread the virus to someone else who might get sick and die.

ME: Can a poked person spread the virus to someone else?

CDC: Yes.

ME: So if I get poked, I could still spread the virus to someone else?

CDC: Yes.

ME: But I thought you just said, the REASON I should get poked was to prevent me spreading the virus? How does that make sense if I can still catch Covid and spread it after getting the poke?

CDC: Never mind that. The other thing is, if you stay unpoked, there’s a chance the virus could possibly mutate into a strain that escapes the pokes protection, putting all poked people at risk.

ME: So the poke stops the virus from mutating?

CDC: No.

ME: So it can still mutate in poked people?

CDC: Yes.

ME: This seems confusing. If the poke doesn’t stop mutations, and it doesn’t stop infections, then how does me getting poked help prevent a more deadly strain from evolving to escape the poke?

CDC: You aren’t listening, okay? The bottom line is: as long as you are unpoked, you pose a threat to poked people.

ME: But what KIND of threat??

CDC: The threat that they could get a serious case of Covid and possibly die.

ME: My brain hurts. Didn’t you JUST say that the poke doesn’t keep people from catching Covid, but prevents a serious case or dying? Now it seems like you’re saying poked people can still easily die from Covid even after they got the poke just by running into an unpoked person! Which is it??

CDC: That’s it, we’re hanging up now.

ME: Wait! I just want to make sure I understand all this. So, even if I ALREADY had Covid, I should STILL get poked, because we don’t know how long natural immunity lasts, and we also don’t know how long poke immunity lasts. And I should get the poke to keep a poked person from catching Covid from me, but even if I get the poke, I can give it to the poked person anyways. And, the other poked person can still easily catch a serious case of Covid from me and die. Do I have all that right?

ME: Um, hello? Is anyone there?

Sent from my SM-G981U1 using Tapatalk

[Ginx snewx]

1 in 4 health care workers,  according to a new NBC report, are unvaccinated but its the uneducated...I say everyone should get the shot but some of the takes in here....

[HoarfrostHubb]

1 minute ago, Ginx snewx said:

1 in 4 health care workers,  according to a new NBC report, are unvaccinated but its the uneducated...I say everyone should get the shot but some of the takes in here....

In the hospital our son’s gf works at, it is more than that.   Perhaps 40%.    They have to get vaxxed by Sept.  

[rclab]

54 minutes ago, Lava Rock said:

Copied from FB


I'm confused

Actual conversation a friend had with the CDC this week.

ME: CDC, should I get poke if I already had Covid?

CDC: “Yes, you should be poked regardless of whether you already had COVID-19. That’s because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19.”

ME: Oh, okay, we don’t know how long natural immunity lasts. Got it. So, how long does poke-induced immunity last?

CDC: “There is still a lot we are learning about COVID-19 pokes and CDC is constantly reviewing evidence and updating guidance. We don’t know how long protection lasts for those who are poked.”

ME: Okay … but wait a second. I thought you said the reason I need the poke was because we don’t know how long my natural immunity lasts, but it seems like you’re saying we ALSO don’t know how long poke immunity lasts either. So, how exactly is the poke immunity better than my natural immunity?

CDC: …

ME: Uh … alright. But, haven’t there been a bunch of studies suggesting that natural immunity could last for years or decades?

CDC: Yes.

NEWYORKTIMES: “Years, maybe even decades, according to a new study.”

ME: Ah. So natural immunity might last longer than poke immunity?

CDC: Possibly. You never know.

ME: Okay. If I get the poke, does that mean I won’t get sick?

BRITAIN: Nope. We are just now entering a seasonal spike and about half of our infections and hospital admissions are poked people.

ME: CDC, is this true? Are there a lot of people in the U.S. catching Covid after getting the poke?

CDC: We stopped tracking breakthrough cases. We accept voluntary reports of breakthroughs but aren’t out there looking for them.

ME: Does that mean that if someone comes in the hospital with Covid, you don’t track them because they’ve been poked? You only track the UN-poked Covid cases?

CDC: That’s right.

ME: Oh, okay. Hmm. Well, if I can still get sick after I get the poke, how is it helping me?

CDC: We never said you wouldn’t get sick. We said it would reduce your chances of serious illness or death.

ME: Oh, sorry. Alright, exactly how much does it reduce my chance of serious illness or death.

CDC: We don’t know “exactly.”

ME: Oh. Then what’s your best estimate for how much risk reduction there is?

CDC: We don’t know, okay? Next question.

ME: Um, if I’m healthy and don’t want the poke, is there any reason I should get it?

CDC: Yes, for the collective.

ME: How does the collective benefit from me getting poked?

CDC: Because you could spread the virus to someone else who might get sick and die.

ME: Can a poked person spread the virus to someone else?

CDC: Yes.

ME: So if I get poked, I could still spread the virus to someone else?

CDC: Yes.

ME: But I thought you just said, the REASON I should get poked was to prevent me spreading the virus? How does that make sense if I can still catch Covid and spread it after getting the poke?

CDC: Never mind that. The other thing is, if you stay unpoked, there’s a chance the virus could possibly mutate into a strain that escapes the pokes protection, putting all poked people at risk.

ME: So the poke stops the virus from mutating?

CDC: No.

ME: So it can still mutate in poked people?

CDC: Yes.

ME: This seems confusing. If the poke doesn’t stop mutations, and it doesn’t stop infections, then how does me getting poked help prevent a more deadly strain from evolving to escape the poke?

CDC: You aren’t listening, okay? The bottom line is: as long as you are unpoked, you pose a threat to poked people.

ME: But what KIND of threat??

CDC: The threat that they could get a serious case of Covid and possibly die.

ME: My brain hurts. Didn’t you JUST say that the poke doesn’t keep people from catching Covid, but prevents a serious case or dying? Now it seems like you’re saying poked people can still easily die from Covid even after they got the poke just by running into an unpoked person! Which is it??

CDC: That’s it, we’re hanging up now.

ME: Wait! I just want to make sure I understand all this. So, even if I ALREADY had Covid, I should STILL get poked, because we don’t know how long natural immunity lasts, and we also don’t know how long poke immunity lasts. And I should get the poke to keep a poked person from catching Covid from me, but even if I get the poke, I can give it to the poked person anyways. And, the other poked person can still easily catch a serious case of Covid from me and die. Do I have all that right?

ME: Um, hello? Is anyone there?

Sent from my SM-G981U1 using Tapatalk
 

Good morning Lava Rock. Jackie Mason, May he Rest In Peace, could have developed another hit one man show from your (FB) post. When all is said and done, one way or another, we all end up ‘poked’. As always ….

[WhitinsvilleWX]

Lots of good data could be mined from the p- town cases. Is there a correlation with which vax was taken?  How many of the positives were actually sick vs those that had exposure, were asymptomatic, and tested because of contact tracing. 
The biggest takeaway is out of close to 1000 cases, only 7 went to the hospital and from what I understand most were released already. And no deaths. 
Again, this will turn out similar to transmitting a head cold. 

[Ginx snewx]

1 hour ago, Lava Rock said:

Copied from FB


I'm confused

Actual conversation a friend had with the CDC this week.

ME: CDC, should I get poke if I already had Covid?

CDC: “Yes, you should be poked regardless of whether you already had COVID-19. That’s because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19.”

ME: Oh, okay, we don’t know how long natural immunity lasts. Got it. So, how long does poke-induced immunity last?

CDC: “There is still a lot we are learning about COVID-19 pokes and CDC is constantly reviewing evidence and updating guidance. We don’t know how long protection lasts for those who are poked.”

ME: Okay … but wait a second. I thought you said the reason I need the poke was because we don’t know how long my natural immunity lasts, but it seems like you’re saying we ALSO don’t know how long poke immunity lasts either. So, how exactly is the poke immunity better than my natural immunity?

CDC: …

ME: Uh … alright. But, haven’t there been a bunch of studies suggesting that natural immunity could last for years or decades?

CDC: Yes.

NEWYORKTIMES: “Years, maybe even decades, according to a new study.”

ME: Ah. So natural immunity might last longer than poke immunity?

CDC: Possibly. You never know.

ME: Okay. If I get the poke, does that mean I won’t get sick?

BRITAIN: Nope. We are just now entering a seasonal spike and about half of our infections and hospital admissions are poked people.

ME: CDC, is this true? Are there a lot of people in the U.S. catching Covid after getting the poke?

CDC: We stopped tracking breakthrough cases. We accept voluntary reports of breakthroughs but aren’t out there looking for them.

ME: Does that mean that if someone comes in the hospital with Covid, you don’t track them because they’ve been poked? You only track the UN-poked Covid cases?

CDC: That’s right.

ME: Oh, okay. Hmm. Well, if I can still get sick after I get the poke, how is it helping me?

CDC: We never said you wouldn’t get sick. We said it would reduce your chances of serious illness or death.

ME: Oh, sorry. Alright, exactly how much does it reduce my chance of serious illness or death.

CDC: We don’t know “exactly.”

ME: Oh. Then what’s your best estimate for how much risk reduction there is?

CDC: We don’t know, okay? Next question.

ME: Um, if I’m healthy and don’t want the poke, is there any reason I should get it?

CDC: Yes, for the collective.

ME: How does the collective benefit from me getting poked?

CDC: Because you could spread the virus to someone else who might get sick and die.

ME: Can a poked person spread the virus to someone else?

CDC: Yes.

ME: So if I get poked, I could still spread the virus to someone else?

CDC: Yes.

ME: But I thought you just said, the REASON I should get poked was to prevent me spreading the virus? How does that make sense if I can still catch Covid and spread it after getting the poke?

CDC: Never mind that. The other thing is, if you stay unpoked, there’s a chance the virus could possibly mutate into a strain that escapes the pokes protection, putting all poked people at risk.

ME: So the poke stops the virus from mutating?

CDC: No.

ME: So it can still mutate in poked people?

CDC: Yes.

ME: This seems confusing. If the poke doesn’t stop mutations, and it doesn’t stop infections, then how does me getting poked help prevent a more deadly strain from evolving to escape the poke?

CDC: You aren’t listening, okay? The bottom line is: as long as you are unpoked, you pose a threat to poked people.

ME: But what KIND of threat??

CDC: The threat that they could get a serious case of Covid and possibly die.

ME: My brain hurts. Didn’t you JUST say that the poke doesn’t keep people from catching Covid, but prevents a serious case or dying? Now it seems like you’re saying poked people can still easily die from Covid even after they got the poke just by running into an unpoked person! Which is it??

CDC: That’s it, we’re hanging up now.

ME: Wait! I just want to make sure I understand all this. So, even if I ALREADY had Covid, I should STILL get poked, because we don’t know how long natural immunity lasts, and we also don’t know how long poke immunity lasts. And I should get the poke to keep a poked person from catching Covid from me, but even if I get the poke, I can give it to the poked person anyways. And, the other poked person can still easily catch a serious case of Covid from me and die. Do I have all that right?

ME: Um, hello? Is anyone there?

Sent from my SM-G981U1 using Tapatalk
 

All this poking reminds me my wife is in Nebraska,  no poking for me

[Lava Rock]

6 minutes ago, Ginx snewx said:

All this poking reminds me my wife is in Nebraska,  no poking for me

5 knuckle shuffle

[NorEastermass128]

7 hours ago, weathafella said:

Update on my nephew.  Anti vaxer dad got pretty sick with covid and was staying in my nephew’s small apartment and then got on a plane Sunday night (7/25).   My fully vaccinated nephew got sick Sunday and was confirmed delta and is symptom free starting today.   Thank you vaccination.  My understanding is his dad is pretty sick.   Athletic fit guy but around 60 years old.
 

I mentioned that I’m now masking indoors in big places like supermarkets but otherwise life is the same, eating out indoors or outside, hanging out with whomever.....but for a month. I totally didn’t mask.   Then again I’m in my mid 70s.   Part time university job is requiring vaccination for all staff on campus.  I’m good with that but most of the work I do for them is remote.

Congrats on the part time university job!  Adjunct?  And glad to hear your vaccinated nephew is going better. 

[PhineasC]

2 hours ago, Lava Rock said:

Copied from FB


I'm confused

Actual conversation a friend had with the CDC this week.

ME: CDC, should I get poke if I already had Covid?

CDC: “Yes, you should be poked regardless of whether you already had COVID-19. That’s because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19.”

ME: Oh, okay, we don’t know how long natural immunity lasts. Got it. So, how long does poke-induced immunity last?

CDC: “There is still a lot we are learning about COVID-19 pokes and CDC is constantly reviewing evidence and updating guidance. We don’t know how long protection lasts for those who are poked.”

ME: Okay … but wait a second. I thought you said the reason I need the poke was because we don’t know how long my natural immunity lasts, but it seems like you’re saying we ALSO don’t know how long poke immunity lasts either. So, how exactly is the poke immunity better than my natural immunity?

CDC: …

ME: Uh … alright. But, haven’t there been a bunch of studies suggesting that natural immunity could last for years or decades?

CDC: Yes.

NEWYORKTIMES: “Years, maybe even decades, according to a new study.”

ME: Ah. So natural immunity might last longer than poke immunity?

CDC: Possibly. You never know.

ME: Okay. If I get the poke, does that mean I won’t get sick?

BRITAIN: Nope. We are just now entering a seasonal spike and about half of our infections and hospital admissions are poked people.

ME: CDC, is this true? Are there a lot of people in the U.S. catching Covid after getting the poke?

CDC: We stopped tracking breakthrough cases. We accept voluntary reports of breakthroughs but aren’t out there looking for them.

ME: Does that mean that if someone comes in the hospital with Covid, you don’t track them because they’ve been poked? You only track the UN-poked Covid cases?

CDC: That’s right.

ME: Oh, okay. Hmm. Well, if I can still get sick after I get the poke, how is it helping me?

CDC: We never said you wouldn’t get sick. We said it would reduce your chances of serious illness or death.

ME: Oh, sorry. Alright, exactly how much does it reduce my chance of serious illness or death.

CDC: We don’t know “exactly.”

ME: Oh. Then what’s your best estimate for how much risk reduction there is?

CDC: We don’t know, okay? Next question.

ME: Um, if I’m healthy and don’t want the poke, is there any reason I should get it?

CDC: Yes, for the collective.

ME: How does the collective benefit from me getting poked?

CDC: Because you could spread the virus to someone else who might get sick and die.

ME: Can a poked person spread the virus to someone else?

CDC: Yes.

ME: So if I get poked, I could still spread the virus to someone else?

CDC: Yes.

ME: But I thought you just said, the REASON I should get poked was to prevent me spreading the virus? How does that make sense if I can still catch Covid and spread it after getting the poke?

CDC: Never mind that. The other thing is, if you stay unpoked, there’s a chance the virus could possibly mutate into a strain that escapes the pokes protection, putting all poked people at risk.

ME: So the poke stops the virus from mutating?

CDC: No.

ME: So it can still mutate in poked people?

CDC: Yes.

ME: This seems confusing. If the poke doesn’t stop mutations, and it doesn’t stop infections, then how does me getting poked help prevent a more deadly strain from evolving to escape the poke?

CDC: You aren’t listening, okay? The bottom line is: as long as you are unpoked, you pose a threat to poked people.

ME: But what KIND of threat??

CDC: The threat that they could get a serious case of Covid and possibly die.

ME: My brain hurts. Didn’t you JUST say that the poke doesn’t keep people from catching Covid, but prevents a serious case or dying? Now it seems like you’re saying poked people can still easily die from Covid even after they got the poke just by running into an unpoked person! Which is it??

CDC: That’s it, we’re hanging up now.

ME: Wait! I just want to make sure I understand all this. So, even if I ALREADY had Covid, I should STILL get poked, because we don’t know how long natural immunity lasts, and we also don’t know how long poke immunity lasts. And I should get the poke to keep a poked person from catching Covid from me, but even if I get the poke, I can give it to the poked person anyways. And, the other poked person can still easily catch a serious case of Covid from me and die. Do I have all that right?

ME: Um, hello? Is anyone there?

Sent from my SM-G981U1 using Tapatalk
 

The narrative is really starting to break down, hence some of the melts that have been ongoing. 

[PhineasC]

I guess we are really at the point where the Federal government is going to force citizens to get a EUA medical procedure done against their will even if they just sit in a private office all day?

Definitely a dark national turning point.

[WhitinsvilleWX]

2 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

I guess we are really at the point where the Federal government is going to force citizens to get a EUA medical procedure done against their will even if they just sit in a private office all day?

Definitely a dark national turning point.

Govt contractors are mandated. I guess you’ll be going to the local jab shack (ie CVS)

[PhineasC]

Just now, WhitinsvilleWX said:

Govt contractors are mandated. I guess you’ll be going to the local jab shack (ie CVS)

To get jabbed against a virus that I probably already had and is zero threat to me and that I can still catch and spread around, forcing me to still mask and distance anyway. That jab?

[Lava Rock]

Why aren't we looking at places like India and UK as far as the delta surge (I hate the word surge) is concerned, where in those countries they had a spike for ~4-6 wks, then it caved. We're acting is if this is going to be a long protracted increase in cases, regardless of what the hospitalizations/deaths look like. It's just crazy how quick policies and such are changing. Pelosi ordering Capitol police to arrest those not masking??

[PhineasC]

Just now, Lava Rock said:

Why aren't we looking at places like India and UK as far as the delta surge (I hate the word surge) is concerned, where in those countries they had a spike for ~4-6 wks, then it caved. We're acting is if this is going to be a long protracted increase in cases, regardless of what the hospitalizations/deaths look like. It's just crazy how quick policies and such are changing. Pelosi ordering Capitol police to arrest those not masking??

We tried to tell 'em...

Mommy government always ends up here. It would have been better for us to handle this ourselves at the community/business level, but scared weenies insisted that the government come in and mandate the **** out of everyone to "keep us safe." Australia is the next stop for us unless we push back.

[NorEastermass128]

4 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

We tried to tell 'em...

Mommy government always ends up here. It would have been better for us to handle this ourselves at the community/business level, but scared weenies insisted that the government come in and mandate the **** out of everyone to "keep us safe." Australia is the next stop for us unless we push back.

Is this this same govt that you were enjoying happy hour with yesterday?  Or is this a different govt?