Second Rishi meal today, restaurant very busy. No outdoor seating but they were basically at capacity. I'd guess about 60-70% of pre-virus. Usually we'd spend £140 for four of us, today the bill came to £130 after the £40 discount so once again just ended up getting more booze.
They had a temperature check on entry here and a couple got turned away at the door because one of them failed after three attempts, amazing that Heathrow can't implement this but a restaurant can.
If we're doing this, then here are my experiences:
1. First meal out pre-August. Local Thai restaurant. No temperature checks. Seating changed around so much less seating. Glass panels fitted permanently in booths to block adjacent booths. Servers all wears masks or full face shield.
2. Second meal on Monday. Toby Carvery. One way system around the restaurant which we stuck too. Server did everything, no 'help yourself to veg' malarky. They did it. Plates and dishes cleared from one end of the table so servers wouldn't stretch across you. Two 'entrances' normally, so one was converted to entrance only, and the other to exit only. Servers didn't wear masks.
3. Meal this evening. Harvester. They'd reduced the number of tables. That was it. No other effort made at all.
Having businesses rather than the state stand up for things like that is libertarian.
This year the Libertarian nominee is specifically designed to take (or perhaps more correctly, try to take) votes away from Biden and NOT Trumpsky.
How did this happen? You'd have to ask a Libertarian. My surmise is that the Putinists took over the innerworkings. BUT could just be a factional shift. Or could be that flying pigs are just over the horizon.
Not sure if this has got air yet on PB. Molecular proof of cross-reactivity of memory T-cells from common cold coronaviruses to SARS-CoV-2, and not just to the spike protein.
This would go a long way to explaining the high incidence of asymptomatic and non-infections, why getting to herd immunity levels does not seem to be happening, and why the curves are flattening at below expected levels.
This result could mean that people can be vaccinated against COVID 19 using a coronavirus that causes the common cold. The common cold is not dangerous for most people, and presumably vaccine trials for a cold virus would not be required. Hopefully one of the vaccine trials will be successful however.
Why on earth do you think vaccine trials for an inoculation strategy using rhinovirus would not be required?
The virus would be a coronavirus, not a rhinovirus. As for vaccine trials, there has been research into the common cold for decades. This has often involved deliberately infecting people with common cold viruses, so in a sense the trials have already been done. However there will always be some new angle, so trials can be done to see what can be learnt from them. I personally would be prepared to suffer from a cold once a year if it would lead to immunity from COVID 19.
I must add that for some people however, such a people with chronic lung disease a cold can be serious and can lead to hospitalisation, so this would not be suitable for everyone.
Not sure if this has got air yet on PB. Molecular proof of cross-reactivity of memory T-cells from common cold coronaviruses to SARS-CoV-2, and not just to the spike protein.
This would go a long way to explaining the high incidence of asymptomatic and non-infections, why getting to herd immunity levels does not seem to be happening, and why the curves are flattening at below expected levels.
This result could mean that people can be vaccinated against COVID 19 using a coronavirus that causes the common cold. The common cold is not dangerous for most people, and presumably vaccine trials for a cold virus would not be required. Hopefully one of the vaccine trials will be successful however.
More likely to be a common cold coronavirus slightly engineered to provide heightened response to parts of key SARS-CoV-2 proteins, and potentially even modified to reflect the prevalent strain on SARS-CoV-2 in that country/region.
A bit fanciful. Deliberately infecting with an engineered virus would definitely require lengthy preclinical work and clinical trials, and would be way behind the current vaccines.
Why fanciful? That is what the Oxford vaccine is, albeit using an adenovirus, not a coronavirus.
Not sure if this has got air yet on PB. Molecular proof of cross-reactivity of memory T-cells from common cold coronaviruses to SARS-CoV-2, and not just to the spike protein.
This would go a long way to explaining the high incidence of asymptomatic and non-infections, why getting to herd immunity levels does not seem to be happening, and why the curves are flattening at below expected levels.
This result could mean that people can be vaccinated against COVID 19 using a coronavirus that causes the common cold. The common cold is not dangerous for most people, and presumably vaccine trials for a cold virus would not be required. Hopefully one of the vaccine trials will be successful however.
More likely to be a common cold coronavirus slightly engineered to provide heightened response to parts of key SARS-CoV-2 proteins, and potentially even modified to reflect the prevalent strain on SARS-CoV-2 in that country/region.
A bit fanciful. Deliberately infecting with an engineered virus would definitely require lengthy preclinical work and clinical trials, and would be way behind the current vaccines.
Why fanciful? That is what the Oxford vaccine is, albeit using an adenovirus, not a coronavirus.
I think we would all be happy to catch the Common Cold if it wipes out Covid. I do not know anyone who died of a runny nose and day in bed...
Nah it’s just a business guy trying to squeeze money out of a customer he thinks is non price sensitive. Any state that decides to restrict voting by mail because it will cost a few million extra should be ashamed of themselves
I can only speak for Georgia but here there are drop boxes around where you can drop off your absentee ballot without needing a stamp. They are under video surveillance and cleared regularly. The absentee ballot system is rigorous: you have to request a form, return it (with signature) and then an absentee ballot is sent to you with your name and address already completed. On return the ballot is compared with your signature on file from the application form.
Mail-in ballots are likely to be an entirely different and problematic thing, drop boxes or not.
Having businesses rather than the state stand up for things like that is libertarian.
This year the Libertarian nominee is specifically designed to take (or perhaps more correctly, try to take) votes away from Biden and NOT Trumpsky.
How did this happen? You'd have to ask a Libertarian. My surmise is that the Putinists took over the innerworkings. BUT could just be a factional shift. Or could be that flying pigs are just over the horizon.
Not sure if this has got air yet on PB. Molecular proof of cross-reactivity of memory T-cells from common cold coronaviruses to SARS-CoV-2, and not just to the spike protein.
This would go a long way to explaining the high incidence of asymptomatic and non-infections, why getting to herd immunity levels does not seem to be happening, and why the curves are flattening at below expected levels.
This result could mean that people can be vaccinated against COVID 19 using a coronavirus that causes the common cold. The common cold is not dangerous for most people, and presumably vaccine trials for a cold virus would not be required. Hopefully one of the vaccine trials will be successful however.
Why on earth do you think vaccine trials for an inoculation strategy using rhinovirus would not be required?
The virus would be a coronavirus, not a rhinovirus. As for vaccine trials, there has been research into the common cold for decades. This has often involved deliberately infecting people with common cold viruses, so in a sense the trials have already been done. However there will always be some new angle, so trials can be done to see what can be learnt from them. I personally would be prepared to suffer from a cold once a year if it would lead to immunity from COVID 19.
I must add that for some people however, such a people with chronic lung disease a cold can be serious and can lead to hospitalisation, so this would not be suitable for everyone.
Trials are important.
We simply don’t know what the implications of inoculating a large portion of the population with the common cold will be. You may be willing to “take the risk” but it would be grossly irresponsible of the health authorities to mass innoculate without controlled trials
IIRC there are strict rules about using federal property for party purposes... that’s why a President Bartlett always made his campaign calls from the residence not the Oval.
(I may have betrayed my source there)
Could Susan Rice be Biden's Leo Chief of Staff rather than Vice President?
In 2016 the Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson got 3% nationally and was a former Republican governor who took Republican votes, Jorgensen seems to be a left libertarian in which case Trump will be aiming to win some 2016 Johnson voters over to him
Having businesses rather than the state stand up for things like that is libertarian.
You'd think a libertarian would be keen on allowing people to express their opinions so long as it didn't affect their work. If I found that an employee was a Nazi (or any other legal opinion) supporter in their private life I wouldn't dream of sacking them. Similarly when I found as an MP that someone who was working with me on a conservation project was a BNP member, I continued to work with him. I'm not very libertarian (low taxes and all that stuff), but I do think the right to express legal opinions without being sacked for it is important.
I take SSI's point, but I'd have thought this sort of stance would appeal more to the average Trump voter.
Speaking of Libertarians, years ago did some research on relative impact of having a third-party candidate in WA State legislative general elections, as opposed to a straight Democratic versus Republican race.
(This was back BEFORE current Top-Two primary system, when all a third-party needed to make the general election ballot was to get 2% in the primary.)
Anyway, yours truly concluded that third-party candidates had to get OVER 5% of the votes cast before they had an appreciable affect on the outcome. Otherwise, regardless of label, they were essential getting "none-of-the-above" votes.
Anything beyond 5% started coming out of the hide of one or the other major parties. Libertarians, Taxpayers Party, etc from the Republicans; and Greens, Socialists, etc from the Democrats.
In 2016 goodly chunk of the Gary Johnson vote came from Never Trumpers. Few of these are likely to vote for Trumpsky in 2020, though some of other conservative Libs might.
HOWEVER, Trumpsky and his administration are FAR from a model of libertarianism in action.
On slashing environmental regs, hell yes. BUT Our Fearless Leader also famed for his King Donald pretensions and pronuncimentos which are NOT sound lib doctrine to put it most mildly.
Having businesses rather than the state stand up for things like that is libertarian.
You'd think a libertarian would be keen on allowing people to express their opinions so long as it didn't affect their work. If I found that an employee was a Nazi (or any other legal opinion) supporter in their private life I wouldn't dream of sacking them. Similarly when I found as an MP that someone who was working with me on a conservation project was a BNP member, I continued to work with him. I'm not very libertarian (low taxes and all that stuff), but I do think the right to express legal opinions without being sacked for it is important.
I take SSI's point, but I'd have thought this sort of stance would appeal more to the average Trump voter.
In the UK yes absolutely agreed but American culture and working relationships can be very different. In the UK if someone is to be fired it needs to be a fair dismissal, but as a general rule of thumb (excluding tenure etc) the same doesn't apply in the USA.
And it depends upon further context of what was said and how. Bringing a company into disrepute can be a major issue ... If someone is either because of their own high profile or on their social media profile publicly associating themselves with their employer then what is written can be an issue. Eg if a random bus driver says "f**k the Tories" then nobody will care, if Jon Snow from Channel 4 News says it it's a bigger issue.
Nick I am guessing that your conservation project with the BNP member was a public and not a partisan thing? In which case you're not directly associating yourself with them.
If on the other hand you'd found out a close colleague within your Labour Party constituency branch office was a BNP member and activist then would that have caused problems?
Comments
Having businesses rather than the state stand up for things like that is libertarian.
1. First meal out pre-August. Local Thai restaurant. No temperature checks. Seating changed around so much less seating. Glass panels fitted permanently in booths to block adjacent booths. Servers all wears masks or full face shield.
2. Second meal on Monday. Toby Carvery. One way system around the restaurant which we stuck too. Server did everything, no 'help yourself to veg' malarky. They did it. Plates and dishes cleared from one end of the table so servers wouldn't stretch across you. Two 'entrances' normally, so one was converted to entrance only, and the other to exit only. Servers didn't wear masks.
3. Meal this evening. Harvester. They'd reduced the number of tables. That was it. No other effort made at all.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
How did this happen? You'd have to ask a Libertarian. My surmise is that the Putinists took over the innerworkings. BUT could just be a factional shift. Or could be that flying pigs are just over the horizon.
I must add that for some people however, such a people with chronic lung disease a cold can be serious and can lead to hospitalisation, so this would not be suitable for everyone.
Mail-in ballots are likely to be an entirely different and problematic thing, drop boxes or not.
We simply don’t know what the implications of inoculating a large portion of the population with the common cold will be. You may be willing to “take the risk” but it would be grossly irresponsible of the health authorities to mass innoculate without controlled trials
I take SSI's point, but I'd have thought this sort of stance would appeal more to the average Trump voter.
C2 Stingray is not my cup of tea but I can't hate it. It's better than Johnson's Previa, that's for sure.
(This was back BEFORE current Top-Two primary system, when all a third-party needed to make the general election ballot was to get 2% in the primary.)
Anyway, yours truly concluded that third-party candidates had to get OVER 5% of the votes cast before they had an appreciable affect on the outcome. Otherwise, regardless of label, they were essential getting "none-of-the-above" votes.
Anything beyond 5% started coming out of the hide of one or the other major parties. Libertarians, Taxpayers Party, etc from the Republicans; and Greens, Socialists, etc from the Democrats.
In 2016 goodly chunk of the Gary Johnson vote came from Never Trumpers. Few of these are likely to vote for Trumpsky in 2020, though some of other conservative Libs might.
HOWEVER, Trumpsky and his administration are FAR from a model of libertarianism in action.
On slashing environmental regs, hell yes. BUT Our Fearless Leader also famed for his King Donald pretensions and pronuncimentos which are NOT sound lib doctrine to put it most mildly.
And it depends upon further context of what was said and how. Bringing a company into disrepute can be a major issue ... If someone is either because of their own high profile or on their social media profile publicly associating themselves with their employer then what is written can be an issue. Eg if a random bus driver says "f**k the Tories" then nobody will care, if Jon Snow from Channel 4 News says it it's a bigger issue.
If on the other hand you'd found out a close colleague within your Labour Party constituency branch office was a BNP member and activist then would that have caused problems?
It depends upon context surely?