Ramble Log

This is my ramble about various topics. You will see them listed in reverse order that I write them so that the newest entries are on top.

Note also that I won't intentionally lie to you. I will always give this my best effort to be factual. If you have any questions about anything here drop me an email at: - I am NOT looking for rants, critiques, or corrections. You can expect me to ignore any of these.

Time to Attack Politicians (in General) - Sep 22, 2021

I'm not generally a political person but there is something that is irritating me.

There are politicians that are against Mask Mandates. I'm OK with that - they have their opinion and I have mine. In fact, I'm not totally in agreement with all Mask Mandates.

A Mask Mandate does indeed infringe on my rights. I don't care since it is actually helping me and others evade the pandemic for as long as possible. That's the whole idea of the mask - slow down the spread. They won't stop it but they will slow it down and lower the severity if you do get sick.

When the politicians want to FORCE me to accept their view by enacting legislation that bans Mask Mandates then that's where I draw the line. What right do they have to ban something that will, without doubt, cause more people to get sick and DIE?

That's why I will be researching all of the candidate's records when it's time to vote and will DEFINITELY vote against any candidate who supports banning Mask Mandates.

Will COVID Ever End? - Sep 1, 2021

It's been a while since I posted something. I was hoping for some good news but it just hasn't happened.

The new Delta variant has changed the game to one we can't win. There appears to be no way to achieve herd immunity. COVID is going to be with us for several years and hopefully it won't mutate into something that is more dangerous before it subsides into the background.

A few vaccinated people are now getting COVID. When they get it they are contagious before they know it and they contribute to the spread.

The number of confirmed cases per day in Ohio has quadrupled, from just under 1000 to nearly 4000 per day, over the month of August. At this rate we will start breaking records sometime in September. We have to do something NOW!

You have to understand that the vaccine may or may not keep you from getting COVID. The vaccine's 'job' is to give your body a jump on fighting it off and cannot outright prevent the infection. You STILL need to take precautions and minimize your risk of contracting the disease. Masks (oh, we are so tired of them), distance, hand washing, and ventilation all help. Doing what you can to improve your immune system (Vitamin D in particular) will also help. All of these things together can improve your own chances.

I know we're all tired of doing this stuff but until the case rates start going DOWN instead of UP it's still the best, and least expensive, way to combat this problem.

And keep in mind that the kids under 12 CANNOT get the vaccine yet. The classroom is going to be a super-spreader environment no matter what we do. I know it's sometimes unpopular but masks for the students and educators will help. The best way to make them work is to EDUCATE everyone about how masks work and the limitations of masks. They're not a 100% thing but they will help.

In summary:

• The denser the virus is in the air the more likely you are to become infected. Higher densities of the virus in the air will also increase your risk of severe infection.
• Wear your mask whenever you are in a group setting such as a store or restaurant.
• Keep doing the distance thing and washing your hands. The hand washing has ALWAYS been a good idea.
• Improve the ventilation whenever possible for situations where multiple people are gathering. The virus spreads through the air. Adding ventilation will dilute the virus and reduce it's spread.
• Keep your own immune system tuned up. Vitamin D is inexpensive and easy to do.

Almost Three Months! - May 22, 2021

Much longer than I thought it was since the last update!

I've had both doses of of the vaccine. The second shot delivered a minor amount of additional side effect. The day after the shot I was a bit sluggish and didn't feel like doing anything - so I didn't. This let me put off a dental checkup scheduled for that day. Certainly not the worst outcome.

Since April 1st I've been 'fully vaccinated' so I have been getting out more and doing things I used to do. I'm back to daily (except Sunday) exercise where I walk 1-1/2 to 2 miles. It helps get me out and doing something on a regular schedule.

This week the Natatorium has started allowing vaccinated people to skip the mask. I kind of stuck with it for most of the week but dropped it when I went today.

Of course there are still people who aren't getting vaccinated. There appear to be two groups of people who haven't gotten vaccinated yet:

1. The people who are just against vaccination for whatever reason. Some reasons are based on false information. Some are people who just don't want it for more valid reasons. This group is unlikely to be swayed by any reasonable means.
2. The people who are apathetic about getting vaccinated. These are the 'Everybody else is doing it so why do I need to?'. This group might be persuaded.

Coronavirus Updates and Minor Rant - Mar 3, 2021

It seems we're getting a handle on this pandemic. Case counts have been going down and it looks like every adult (who wants to) will be able get vaccinated by the end of May. That's great news and I look forward to the second half of this year becoming more normal.

Three or four more months of sticking to the restrictions is not all that long. We can do it. Wearing a mask is NOT THAT HARD!

Of course there will be those who will refuse the vaccine for whatever reason. A few (very few) will have a legitimate reason. Most of the rest are just being brainwashed into thinking something worse than the virus itself will happen to them if they get vaccinated. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Rant time. The STUPIDITY of relaxing restrictions like Texas is doing defies all logic. Texas is already seeing increased case counts and with no restrictions starting next week will no doubt see more. Of course businesses and citizens could choose to continue to do the right thing. Remember - COVID-19 can result in hospitalization, long term effects, and worse.

The Vaccine Shot - 3 Weeks (almost) Later - Mar 3, 2021

It will be 3 weeks tomorrow since my first shot. The only side effects I had were a sore arm the day after the shot so no complaints.

Normally you would get a second shot 3 weeks after the first (for Pfizer) but for whatever reason the schedule I got is for 5 weeks after. Not really a problem for me. I'm sure it let someone else get their first shot a couple of weeks sooner.

I'm ready for the second one. I'll let you know how it goes.

First Vaccine Shot Today - Feb 11, 2021

I got my first shot (Pfizer-BioNTech) at the Summit County office on West Market Street today. The process was smooth and very professional. Thanks to all the people (at least 10-20) who ran this operation. It worked very well.

So far I've experienced no side effects - it's only been a couple of hours though.

While I was waiting after the shot (15 minutes) I was able to get the appointment set up for the second shot.

It was a bit tricky getting this appointment set up. The registration started at 12:00 noon on Tuesday (the 9th) and I got started a bit late (12:03) but still managed to get things going. I have to say that the process did not go perfectly as there were some stutters from the web site. Being a computer geek I managed to bull through the issues.

It wasn't as smooth as the registration I did at Walgreens on Monday. That went perfectly smoothly and I got a 10:20 appointment for the next day. Too bad that it was all a 'mistake' and they weren't really doing vaccinations. I found out when I got there. The pharmacy personnel apologized for the misunderstanding of course. I have not yet received any communications from Walgreens themselves though. This is an inexcusable laps on their part. BOO TO YOU WALGREENS!

The Impeachment 'Trial' - Feb 11, 2021

Yes, the word 'Trial' is in quotes, because this isn't really a trial. If it was the plaintiff would already be in jail. There would also be no possible way he could avoid it either. The evidence is far too strong for any defense argument to counter. There would also be several others joining him in jail.

It's not over yet of course. We'll see what really happens.

No matter what I will be taking names of those who vote against conviction. I'm hoping for zero against but I'd be happy with a low number.

Aargh!!! - Jan 9, 2021

This has been a really 'exciting' week. In case you have been hiding under a rock or don't connect what I'm talking about - January 6, 2021 was the day that our so called president encouraged a group of demonstrators to march on the Capitol and take over congress.

Until 2015 I was not all that interested in politics. Then came the T**** era and all that changed. You had to keep up with what offbeat thing he was doing today. All too many times it was detrimental to the country and it's citizens. It often benefited his cronies and big business to the detriment of us common folk. I wish he had spent more time playing golf.

It's something that has never happened before. It was obviously his last ditch effort to keep power by becoming a dictator. He is so disconnected from reality. I don't know how we all put up with him this long.

There are ways to remove him, even though he's out on January 20th anyway:

1. Removal via the terms of the 25th Amendment of the Constitution. This is probably unlikely unless the president goes really off the deep end. The Vice President just doesn't seem to have the guts to do this. I would be happy if this happens though.
2. Impeachment. This process is actually going go happen. The Articles of Impeachment are already written and are expected to be introduced into the House on Monday. I don't think there will be a problem getting it through the House and sent on to the Senate. Unfortunately Mitch McConnell, the current majority leader in the Senate, has published the 'plan' - wait until January 19th and them MAYBE think about possibly doing something about it. That means nothing will happen before Joe Biden becomes President and Mitch McConnell ceases to be the majority leader. Although this would not get the president removed from office it would block him from ever running for any federal level office in the future, assuming it passes in the Senate - likely after the 20th. Not a bad thing to accomplish.
3. The president could resign. I don't really see this happening but I'd take it if that's what happens.

Coronavirus Updates - Dec 20, 2020

It's been too long since the last update. Thanksgiving has come and gone - along with a SIGNIFICANT increase in infections because far too many people did what they wanted to do instead of what they should have done.

Cases have been climbing since a week or two after Thanksgiving. This was totally predictable. No firm measures were taken trusting on people doing the right thing. Of course they didn't. You can expect the death rate to climb too - just in time for Christmas.

This virus infects everyone differently. Some don't even know they have been infected. Some have what could be classified as a bad flu (you DID get your flu shot right?). Some end up in the hospital - a bad place to be considering only 4 in 5 survive there. Some who have had the virus continue to have significant aftereffects from the virus that may never subside. Some don't make it at all and are added to the list of the dead.

In early January you can expect cases to climb again because again there are no firm restrictions in place. People will NOT stay home and protect those they are visiting. We so much want to be out and visiting people we know that at least some of us are willing to risk spreading or catching this virus.

We are so close to getting this thing under control but so many selfish people just don't seem to get it. Two (soon three) vaccines are here but the supply is limited so we can't just vaccinate everybody all at once. Most of us won't see the vaccine until May or June. I can't wait to get mine but I WILL gladly wait my turn.

Even after the vaccine becomes more widely available we will have to keep taking the measures to slow down the spread until most of us are vaccinated:

• Wear a Mask
• Keep Social Distanced from Others
• Wash Your Hands Frequently

• Keep your immunity strong - Vitamins C and D are IMPORTANT. During the winter months it is unlikely that you are getting enough so supplements are important.
• Keep your exposure to a minimum. Don't go out unless you MUST. Work, groceries, and other essentials are reasonable exceptions to the stay-at-home recommendations. I've found that shopping early, 7:30 AM, or late, after 7:30 PM, works well for me.
• Keep up your social contacts - but not physically. Your mental health can depend on it. Besides, those people want to know you're OK just as much as you probably want to know they're OK.

COVID-19 - Nov 13, 2020

Wear A Mask!