Why Covid Rules are Useless

 #1 - one way aisles in stores

Ask yourself what difference it makes if we are all going the same direction in an aisle — or opposite directions. If you’re breathing, your “droplets” are in the air regardless. It makes them no less dangerous for me to breathe them in coming from behind you, than it does if I’m in front of you. 

#2 - masks

While they absolutely slow the droplets being expelled to the front of your body, they do nothing to prevent the escape to the side and into your eyes. Also, many mask wearers are constantly fiddling with them. Lowering them. Raising them. Hanging them under their noses. Wearing them about their chins. Putting them back over their noses. Now. If covid can live on surfaces up to 72 hours, and you’ve just touched multiple contaminated surfaces — and then your face, what have you just done? Potentially infected yourself. Without the mask, you certainly wouldn’t have been touching your face as often. 

Also, there are bacterial diseases caused by mask wearing — particularly if you wear them too long without changing them or not washing them frequently enough.  Legionnaires is one.

Plus, the majority of these disposable masks come from the country that infected the world to begin with. Oh, and let’s not forget how much more we are impacting the environment with these  

#3 - closures and crowd restrictions

If social distancing works, we should be quite all right hanging out with one another with the appropriate distance between us, but, no, we are all gonna die if there’s more than 50-100 in the same room.

And WHY did we close small businesses down but Walmart, Costco, Canadian Tire, Rona, and Home Depot got to remain open? Now, the topic is how poor the economy is. Yes. Yes, it is. Trudeau intentionally destroyed the economy — particularly small business — but is happily throwing covid money around like its candy. I think the majority of Canadians would’ve preferred to keep the economy going through this virus, rather than having to depend on government hand outs.

#4 - the paranoia

Seriously. Why the extreme paranoia?  The panic buying at the beginning. The glove phase. The masks. The staying away from our loved ones cuz you might kill grandma. What’s the best way to slow a virus??? Oh, right. Wash your hands. Don’t touch your face. They must have an entrance to the body, and this is most often through mucous membranes.

We’ve been dealing with many viruses over the centuries. Some more deadly than others. Covid is no different than influenza. This family of viruses also kills thousands every year, despite having a vaccine. On top of which, I think far more have had covid BEFORE it was a big deal. Most recovered with no medical intervention whatsoever, but certainly felt worse than with other illnesses.  

The main cause of paranoia with covid? The media and governments won’t shut up about it. And every death is contributed to covid — although 94% of “covid” deaths had an average of 2.5 co-morbidities. Meaning, 2.5 other illnesses that also contributed to that individual’s demise. (Why don’t we have these stats available in Canada?) 

At the end of these restrictions, what will be left? Massive amounts of depression because of forced separation. Ramped up bullying. Anxiety. Germaphobia. Domestic violence. Societal crime. Broken homes due to financial stress. More addiction. More business destroyed. Billions of dollars in federal debt. 

All for what? To “prevent” a virus that will continue to circulate until the human population has achieved some modicum of immunity. Although, the experts say this isn’t possible, while madly attempting to create a vaccine to help us achieve immunity. 

Unfortunately, covid simply feels like a worldwide social experiment to see who is willing to comply vs who will not because they see through the bullshit. 

So. Settle down. Wash your hands. Keep ‘em off your face. But, for gods sakes’, please get busy living instead of trying not to die — cuz we’re all gonna die. It’s the circle of life. 

Subjects I’m Sick of Hearing About

Climate change. Gender equality. The evils of natural gas and oil.

Climate change:

Is it real? Absolutely. Is it due to people? I don’t believe it is. Why? The climate has been changing since the earth has existed. There’s been other ice ages. There’s been other warm ages. These eras happened long before people were so plentiful. Long before current living standards with all the pollutants belching forth to keep us warm. So, yes, climate change is real but should not be used as a political reason to tax.

It is extremely arrogant to assume humans have any effect on what Mother Nature is doing or has done. It is even more arrogant to think we can control these changes. The reality is, the only thing we can control is cleaning up after ourselves in this over-the-top throwaway society.

Gender equality:

I don’t know about you, but I find it insulting to all women that some employers feel it necessary to put a woman in a position of authority to keep their company “gender balanced”. Did I earn the position? Am I qualified? Or did I get it just cuz I’m a girl? Because that’s insulting if it’s the reason any woman is able to climb the ladder. Most of us want to be recognized by merit, not a give-me.

The evils of oil and natural gas:

The rhetoric is always the same. We need renewable energy. Why? Oil and gas is baaaad. What are renewables? Wind and solar are the two most popular answers. So. What are solar panels made with? What is used to store the energy from these panels? Silicone and lithium batteries, respectively. Is lithium renewable? How is it harvested? What about silicone? What is it’s main product? What is their life span? (Longer than a windmill, but I don’t know the exact length.) What are the main products used to make windmills? Is steel a renewable resources? How is it harvested? What is the life span of a windmill? (A mere 25 years.) Not to mention the many health concerns people have living near a wind farm. Why aren’t more people asking these questions?  Why do people so blindly follow popular bandwagons?

Also, the two provinces most virulently opposing oil & gas transportation are also dumping raw sewage into the very waters they claim to want to protect. Why isn’t there an uproar about this blatant — and highly unnecessary — pollution that can cause multitudes of disease and damage to water ecosystems?

No one ever considers without the current monetary benefits from oil and gas, our country would not be so well funded with social programs, like health care or education. Nor do they consider what would happen to our quality of life if we simply shut this industry down because of hypocritical activists. Canada’s oil and gas sector has some of the highest regulations in the world that help protect our environment while harvesting a very necessary product.

So I wish everyone would sit down, shut up and use their damned heads for 5 minutes on all three subjects to think it through — from every angle. But for gods’ sakes, quit believing all the media hype.

To Immunize or Not to Immunize

Recently, Alberta decided not to force vaccines on everyone. I agree with this decision.  Why? No law should ever be put in place to force anyone to put something in their bodies they don’t want there.

Before we go any further, I believe most vaccines are meant to protect us. Most have very good prevention rates, such as MMR, whooping cough, meningitis, chicken pox, etc. The only real exception, in my mind, is the flu shot.  This vaccine is literally a guessing game when developed, based on the 5-6 most popular strains from areas that have winter before North America. It has also been proven that the flu virus mutates every 6 weeks, meaning the vaccine used may offer very little protection against any new, mutated strains. This is why some years the flu shot works well; some years it doesn’t.

Lots of people say we must also rely on something known as “herd immunity” with approximately 95% of the population needing to be vaccinated for this to happen.  Canada’s immunization rates are between 77% and 89%, depending on the province.  Now, if you do a bit of research, you’ll find that perhaps this isn’t as truthful as we’ve all been led to believe.  Here’s a link for one such article:  https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/herd-immunity-a-false-rationale-for-vaccine-mandates/.

The popular mentality to herd immunization is that we protect the vulnerable — those with immune deficiencies or those unable to receive vaccines due to other health issues.  This is where this conversation always goes downhill.  Swiftly and with absolute rudeness.  I get it. We all want to believe our loved ones are safe because everyone else has been vaccinated when they cannot be.

However, there’s something we often forget.  There are many different viruses that we are not vaccinated for.  We have the potential to contract these every time we leave our homes.  Particularly those with compromised immune systems. My question is this: how do we protect against these? Do we invest a ton of money into research for a vaccine for every possible harmful virus and bacteria? Do we freak out about these every day threats?  No. We don’t. We choose to practice good hygiene. Or perhaps, we choose to stay home more to avoid seasons where viruses spread more quickly.

The other mentality that seriously irritates me with this entire conversation is the people who vaccinate themselves and their kids are often the ones freaking out the most. Which begs the question, do you not trust the vaccine? Because if you do, you need to chill out and mind your own business.  If you don’t trust the vaccine, then by all means, freak out.  🤷‍♀️

There’s also a popular misconception that those who choose not to vaccinate are doing so based on Jenny McCarthy’s claim that MMR is the cause of autism. I have asked several anti-vaxers their reasoning. Their reasons are often well-thought out, not based on whimsy and simply following along with celebrity opinions.  I have to respect this.  Why? It’s not my life. Not my body.  Not my choice.

There are also increasing vaccine related injuries, with some pretty horrific results. These ARE few and far between, but I do believe we deserve to know all possibilities before choosing what to put in our bodies.  The medical community is absolute shit about educating us on side-effects of pretty much every drug out there. So wrong.

And really, that’s what this entire conversation boils down to.  Choice.  We all think differently. We reason differently based on facts.  We all know the risks of not vaccinating.  We need to know more about side effects related to vaccines. Seriously. Start questioning doctors, nurses and pharmacists more. Our society has become far too dependent on drugs of all manner to “cure” us.

The next time this conversation comes up, be respectful. You don’t get to tell other people what to put in their bodies.  Period.

Destroying History??

First of all, I haven't been following this story very closely and am sure I'm lacking on the nitty-gritty details.  I'm thoroughly disgusted by people in the US who willfully destroyed a confederate statue this week, in response to a white nationalist rally in another area where a woman died.  How is this in any way a justification???  Isn't there law enforcement dealing with it?  Wasn't someone arrested?  Do you extremists feel better now or you have something else to destroy because there wasn't "enough" done?

I've wondered for ages how destroying a statue changes -- or rewrites -- history...  That's a seriously twisted corner of a person's mind to think destroying the symbol erases the history.  Honestly, I think it creates more hatred from one side to the other.  What happened historically, still happened.  There was still slavery, and that fact is still in every damn history book available.  The past cannot be changed.  What can be changed is our present and future.  Unless we continue this bullshit mindset of "us against them".

To me, an extremist is an extremist.  Whether they are a "white nationalist" or "antifa".  You all need to learn to play nicer in the middle of the sandbox because neither of your mindsets is right.  Let the past go. Learn from it, yes, but MOVE FORWARD and please.  Quit behaving like spoiled children who haven't gotten their way.

Refugee or Not to Refugee

I think we've all seen the comparison of Middle Eastern refugees:  "if you knew 3 candies out of 100 were poisonous, would you take a handful?"  Valid point.

Many have also seen the counter argument:  "I'd take several handfuls if meant saving a few people from a worn torn region".  Also a valid point.

Realistically, both of these examples are false.  Here's why:  Three poison candies will realistically kill only three people -- unless you somehow managed to get all 3 in your handful.

Three extremists have the capability to kill many.  Paris.  Brussels.  Orlando.

There really is only one solution:  end the war -- by whatever means -- that will bring a long-lasting peace to that constantly war-torn region.  Don't spread the war by spreading the people.

Type 1 Diabetes Parents DO Understand

As the parent of a type 1 diabetic teenager, life gets tough.  Often.  This damned disease throws a kink into every aspect of her life, and it radiates outward from there.  She has to think about every morsel of food that goes into her mouth.  It makes her think about testing every time she feels gross.  It makes her worry that she's going to drop low during exercise -- or when she sleeps and might not feel it.  It causes extra issues in the parent/kid relationship that would not be there if this disease hadn't come into our lives.

So is it any wonder our teens sometimes say "fuck it" and don't do what they need to do in order to stay healthy???

There's days I'm sick to death of dealing with this disease -- and it's not even my body going through the ups and downs.

Unfortunately, a quote from a type 1 in her early twenties, irritated me.  It was:  "you can't understand, but I do.  Sometimes we just don't want to be diabetic."  Sweetheart, you are so wrong if you think a parent doesn't understand much of what you go through.

My girly was 9 at diagnosis.  She may not have fully understood the ramifications of having this disease then.  Sometimes, I don't think she does, even now.  She didn't understand how to care for it, make calculations for insulin with her meals, or how to make adjustments to basal insulin.  She got to be a kid and this is the weight I carried and still do.  Now, to me, the "mechanics", if you will, is the easy part of this disease.  The emotional part??  Now that shit's hard.

I remember my daughter being afraid to come home from the hospital because she thought we couldn't care for her.  I held her while she cried because she had to have her sweet, little fingers poked 4+ times a day.  Occasionally, at the beginning, I had to hold her down while I gave insulin injections -- again, 4+ times a day (thank goodness for insulin pumps that minimize this).  Cried in the bathroom when she began to resign herself to all the poking needed to keep her alive and healthy.  Came home and was sick every morning for a month after taking her to school.  Helped her when she was low.  Made calculations to correct a high.  Tested every two hours -- day and night -- during regular illnesses to keep blood sugar in check.  Held her hair while she vomited violently from ketones, due to illness or a failed infusion site.  Force fed her sugar during a stomach flu because her blood glucose was dropping.  Have had to kick her ass multiple times to test, count her carbs correctly, deliver insulin through her pump.  To please look after yourself so this damned disease doesn't win.

I'm here to tell you that the ONLY thing I don't understand is what it FEELS like to have this disease.  I don't know what it feels like to have my blood sugar drop like a stone.  I don't know what it feels like to have sky-high sugars that just will not respond to insulin.  I don't know what ketones feel like.  I don't know what it feels like to have to poke my fingers multiple times a day.  I can tell you, though, I'd take this fucking disease into my body so she didn't have to deal with it.  And I'd do it in a heartbeat, without a thought, because no child should have to realize at 9 years of age that they are NOT invincible.  They shouldn't have to carry the weight of a chronic disease.

So, yes, parents of type 1 diabetics UNDERSTAND that some days you just don't want to be diabetic any more.  We don't want you to be either.

#typeonediabetes

Thoughts of the Day

The idea that every child "deserves" to participate in a sport of their choosing is a bit ludicrous.  Wonder where their sense of entitlement comes from with constant ads regarding this???  Every child used to participate -- in street hockey, soccer in an empty field, baseball with no diamond, skating on an outdoor rink -- for hours.  Never had to pay a dime to participate in these activities.

All the "progressive" people out there supporting a transgender person's "right" to use a public restroom of the sex they identify with (not biologically are and look like) -- never ONCE considered they are stomping all over the rights of the majority who simply want a bit of privacy when our pants are down.

All the "bigots" out there who denounce a religion rooted in hate and violence -- hat's off to you.  You are not a bigot or a racist simply because your eyes are open to the evil buried within Islam.  Bigots and racists are the people forcing everyone to accept this violent religion -- and the people embroiled in it -- by simple bullying tactics.

Emotional voting is the devil's advocate.  Justin Tru-doh.  Nutley.  Need I say more???  With every political party's platform at your finger tips via the internet, read it.  Carefully.  Make an informed decision not "I just want so-and-so out".  Oh, and when a Jr. comes along, don't vote for them.  Usually doesn't go well.  JT and his daddy -- the latter still happily dividing Eastern and Western Canada from his grave.

All politicians should have a 3 month trial period for their jobs.  Can't do it???  Out you go.

Unions are past their usefulness.  Abolish them.  Maybe then the cost of health care and education would go down significantly.  Not to mention other public sector areas that are part of a union.  Plus, it would be easier to fire the people who aren't doing their jobs well.

Last, but not least, if you immigrate to our country, don't expect the rules to change to suit your needs.  You have the same rights as I do.  Don't be a jerk and demand more because you "feel" discriminated against.  Heck, my ancestors would eat you whiny pricks for breakfast.  They helped settle this beautiful, wild country and built it into a desirable place for your entitled ass.  Go ahead and wear your religious headgear -- just not at a traditional ceremony that requires its removal.  Also, since we were kind enough to take you in, pay your way here and continue to pay your way -- while our own do without food, clothing and shelter -- I think you can get off your lazy butt and go where the government places you and start contributing.  Don't want to?  I'm sure the refugee camp you just came from will take you back.