Stacey Ryan - Dancing Queen as a folkie thing
May 30, 2021
Today's Tweet
I think the syntax turns the word "no" into a verb. So he seems to be making a subconscious admission that he supports the opposite of what his conscious mind thinks he supports.
And that's before we consider the wrong usage of "you're" and the randomly possessive "right's".
So many flips and dips and turns and twirls - like the Jitterbug, it plumb eludes me.
What a fuckin' mess we're in.
Meanwhile,... in Trumpburg: pic.twitter.com/bMrctnAy64
— Roshan Rinaldi (@Roshan_Rinaldi) May 30, 2021
Today's Eternal Sadness
The combination of another ho-hum mass shooting (in Miami - for the second time in 2 days) with the fact that gun sales continue to move along at a brisk pace make for a rather gloomy outlook here in USAmerica Inc.
At least 2 killed, 20 injured in Miami mass shooting
At least two were killed, and 20 to 25 others injured, when three people got out of an SUV carrying assault rifles and handguns and started "shooting indiscriminately into the crowd" outside a concert in Miami early Sunday, according to a police statement and the Miami Herald.
Why it matters:
Details:
I never thought I’d own a gun. But there I was, in Hazard, Ky., in the middle of a pandemic on a Saturday, buying a .38 snub-nosed revolver.
I’m not your stereotypical gun owner, and I’m not entirely comfortable with it. Growing up in Kansas, guns weren’t part of my family’s culture. As a student of public policy, I know that owning a gun increases the likelihood that a person will become a victim of gun violence. And as a Black woman, I am a statistical rarity, since most gun owners in America are White men.
But I had come to believe that I had two choices: take steps to protect myself, or become a victim. I decided I needed to be armed.
My journey toward buying a weapon began on Sept. 16, 2018. That was when police in Colorado Springs called me to say that my brother Sheldon had been shot dead by his White roommate. The shooter, Frank Dillard — who was mentally unstable and falsely believed that Sheldon was withholding rent, according to media reports — then turned the gun on himself and took his own life.
It couldn’t be Sheldon, I thought. My 33-year-old brother’s hugs made everything dissolve. His laughter echoed in a room. He almost was my twin — just 11 months older. But my heart sank when the detective read familiar names and numbers from Sheldon’s phone, confirming his identity.
How could this have happened to Sheldon? It could have been his forgiving and easygoing demeanor. It could have been that he stood up for himself, refusing to pay money he didn’t owe. Or maybe it was just my family’s Black skin. Dillard had previously confided to a friend that he might kill Sheldon and himself. And he had previously called the police on my brother — a call that led officers to conclude that Sheldon posed no threat and that it was Dillard who seemed off, according to records obtained by a Colorado news outlet. I can only conclude that race played a part in why so many people minimized the threat Dillard posed to my brother.
My brother was unprotected by a gun. Unprotected by the police. Unprotected by society.
But it wasn’t until one night last April at my Kentucky home that I decided to become a gun owner myself.
The brightness of the living room light startled me from my sleep. Alarmed, I grabbed my phone, locked the bedroom door and woke my husband.
“Did you leave the light on?” I whispered. “No,” he responded. The rustling sounds confirmed that we had an intruder.
I listened, fear pooling in my gut as I heard someone roaming the halls of our home. The invader eventually made his way to the bedroom door. My husband grabbed a lamp and told me to hide. The intruder slammed against the door like a battering ram in an attempt to take it down. He nearly succeeded, shattering the frame, but my husband held the rest of the door shut while I hid on the balcony and called the police.
It took officers more than 45 minutes to arrive, leaving the intruder plenty of time to wander around, collecting our belongings.
My husband, the victim, who had called 911, was eventually greeted by a police officer brandishing his loaded Glock. The White intruder claimed it was his home. Over and over, I had emphasized to the dispatcher that we were a Black family, but apparently it didn’t register. A second officer finally showed up and confirmed our identities by simply looking at the names on the mail. But in that moment, I was taken back to my brother’s murder, and how the threats to his life weren’t taken seriously.
The intruder was ultimately sentenced to two to five years in jail. But I realized we needed protection. And like my brother, we had none.
Three days after the break-in, with my husband’s encouragement, I went to the gun store and purchased my revolver and some hollow-point bullets. I chose the gun because it was compact and easy to handle, and something about it made me feel closer to Sheldon. I would later discover while reading the police and coroner’s files on my brother’s death that it was the same type of gun and ammunition that killed him.
My brother’s murder has profoundly affected my life. In July 2019, I began pursuing a degree in law and policy with a focus on racial disparities in gun violence and gun policy solutions. Today, I am a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation health policy fellow, leading gun legislation in the office of Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.).
A lot of people have been buying guns recently. According to the Brookings Institution, the spring of 2020 saw a huge spike in gun sales, particularly after social unrest erupted over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The National Shooting Sports Foundation reported a 58 percent surge in gun purchases by Black men and women in the first six months of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019, citing a survey of gun retailers. Of all purchasers, 5.4 percent were Black women.
I strongly support private gun ownership and the Second Amendment, but I also support gun regulations.
Gun violence is a public health epidemic in Black America and among Latinos. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black men were more than twice as likely to have died from gun violence than White men in 2019, the last year for which statistics are available. And Latino children were three times as likely to die from a gun homicide than White kids, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun-control group.
To be honest, I am still afraid of having guns in my home — and even of having one in my possession. But we are products of a violent nation, and ultimately, I don’t feel like the police can or want to protect me. In fact, because of the relentless killings by police of Black people, I’m actually fearful of the police.
My first practice shot was a couple of feet from my backyard, bordering the woods. My husband created a target for me to practice on. He wanted to give us some peace from the trauma of the home invasion, which left me struggling to sleep or eat for six months. I couldn’t forget that the police treated us as intruders in our own home because of the Black skin we live in.
Terrified, my hands trembling, drenched in sweat, I anxiously grasped the revolver’s handle while searching for the trigger. Then, lining up the target while calming my breath, I pressed the trigger to hear a POP.
Now, I thought, we are protected.
At least two were killed, and 20 to 25 others injured, when three people got out of an SUV carrying assault rifles and handguns and started "shooting indiscriminately into the crowd" outside a concert in Miami early Sunday, according to a police statement and the Miami Herald.
Why it matters:
It's the second shooting during Memorial Day Weekend in Miami this year — seven people were shot, with one of them dying, in the city on Friday night. The killings come as the country has experienced a spate of mass gun violence during 2021.
Details:
- Investigators with the police's homicide bureau are looking for the perpetrators in the Sunday morning shooting. Police say they got back into the SUV — a white Nissan Pathfinder — and fled the scene.
- Eight of the victims were transferred to hospitals in Miami-Dade and Broward. Twelve other victims "were self transported" to hospitals in the area, per the statement. One of the victims was in critical condition.
- “This type of gun violence has to stop,” said Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo "Freddy" Ramirez III, per the Herald.
- “Every weekend it is the same thing. This is targeted, this is definitely not random.”
WaPo: (pay wall)
I never thought I’d own a gun. But there I was, in Hazard, Ky., in the middle of a pandemic on a Saturday, buying a .38 snub-nosed revolver.
I’m not your stereotypical gun owner, and I’m not entirely comfortable with it. Growing up in Kansas, guns weren’t part of my family’s culture. As a student of public policy, I know that owning a gun increases the likelihood that a person will become a victim of gun violence. And as a Black woman, I am a statistical rarity, since most gun owners in America are White men.
But I had come to believe that I had two choices: take steps to protect myself, or become a victim. I decided I needed to be armed.
My journey toward buying a weapon began on Sept. 16, 2018. That was when police in Colorado Springs called me to say that my brother Sheldon had been shot dead by his White roommate. The shooter, Frank Dillard — who was mentally unstable and falsely believed that Sheldon was withholding rent, according to media reports — then turned the gun on himself and took his own life.
It couldn’t be Sheldon, I thought. My 33-year-old brother’s hugs made everything dissolve. His laughter echoed in a room. He almost was my twin — just 11 months older. But my heart sank when the detective read familiar names and numbers from Sheldon’s phone, confirming his identity.
How could this have happened to Sheldon? It could have been his forgiving and easygoing demeanor. It could have been that he stood up for himself, refusing to pay money he didn’t owe. Or maybe it was just my family’s Black skin. Dillard had previously confided to a friend that he might kill Sheldon and himself. And he had previously called the police on my brother — a call that led officers to conclude that Sheldon posed no threat and that it was Dillard who seemed off, according to records obtained by a Colorado news outlet. I can only conclude that race played a part in why so many people minimized the threat Dillard posed to my brother.
My brother was unprotected by a gun. Unprotected by the police. Unprotected by society.
But it wasn’t until one night last April at my Kentucky home that I decided to become a gun owner myself.
The brightness of the living room light startled me from my sleep. Alarmed, I grabbed my phone, locked the bedroom door and woke my husband.
“Did you leave the light on?” I whispered. “No,” he responded. The rustling sounds confirmed that we had an intruder.
I listened, fear pooling in my gut as I heard someone roaming the halls of our home. The invader eventually made his way to the bedroom door. My husband grabbed a lamp and told me to hide. The intruder slammed against the door like a battering ram in an attempt to take it down. He nearly succeeded, shattering the frame, but my husband held the rest of the door shut while I hid on the balcony and called the police.
It took officers more than 45 minutes to arrive, leaving the intruder plenty of time to wander around, collecting our belongings.
My husband, the victim, who had called 911, was eventually greeted by a police officer brandishing his loaded Glock. The White intruder claimed it was his home. Over and over, I had emphasized to the dispatcher that we were a Black family, but apparently it didn’t register. A second officer finally showed up and confirmed our identities by simply looking at the names on the mail. But in that moment, I was taken back to my brother’s murder, and how the threats to his life weren’t taken seriously.
The intruder was ultimately sentenced to two to five years in jail. But I realized we needed protection. And like my brother, we had none.
Three days after the break-in, with my husband’s encouragement, I went to the gun store and purchased my revolver and some hollow-point bullets. I chose the gun because it was compact and easy to handle, and something about it made me feel closer to Sheldon. I would later discover while reading the police and coroner’s files on my brother’s death that it was the same type of gun and ammunition that killed him.
My brother’s murder has profoundly affected my life. In July 2019, I began pursuing a degree in law and policy with a focus on racial disparities in gun violence and gun policy solutions. Today, I am a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation health policy fellow, leading gun legislation in the office of Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.).
A lot of people have been buying guns recently. According to the Brookings Institution, the spring of 2020 saw a huge spike in gun sales, particularly after social unrest erupted over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The National Shooting Sports Foundation reported a 58 percent surge in gun purchases by Black men and women in the first six months of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019, citing a survey of gun retailers. Of all purchasers, 5.4 percent were Black women.
I strongly support private gun ownership and the Second Amendment, but I also support gun regulations.
Gun violence is a public health epidemic in Black America and among Latinos. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black men were more than twice as likely to have died from gun violence than White men in 2019, the last year for which statistics are available. And Latino children were three times as likely to die from a gun homicide than White kids, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun-control group.
To be honest, I am still afraid of having guns in my home — and even of having one in my possession. But we are products of a violent nation, and ultimately, I don’t feel like the police can or want to protect me. In fact, because of the relentless killings by police of Black people, I’m actually fearful of the police.
My first practice shot was a couple of feet from my backyard, bordering the woods. My husband created a target for me to practice on. He wanted to give us some peace from the trauma of the home invasion, which left me struggling to sleep or eat for six months. I couldn’t forget that the police treated us as intruders in our own home because of the Black skin we live in.
Terrified, my hands trembling, drenched in sweat, I anxiously grasped the revolver’s handle while searching for the trigger. Then, lining up the target while calming my breath, I pressed the trigger to hear a POP.
Now, I thought, we are protected.
And of course she's not protected at all. She said it in the piece - she's now way more likely to become a victim of gun violence. Plus the only way she gains the "protection" of that gun is to use it on someone - and owning the thing obviously sends that likelihood through the fuckin' roof.
Finally - if she needs the help of the cops again, guess what happens when they show up to find a black person brandishing a gun.
I'm so tired of you, America.
COVID-19 Update
World
USA
Vaccination Scorecard
Ready to head back to the movies? Here’s what you need to know.
For the past year, the idea of going to a movie theater and sitting in a dark room for an extended period of time with strangers eating popcorn has seemed like the worst of pandemic nightmares.
But as restrictions around the country ease and more people get vaccinated, you may be ready to trade your streaming service for the big screen. Major movie theater chains have reopened. And with the highly anticipated films “A Quiet Place Part II” and “Cruella” releasing this weekend, now might be the time theaters start making a comeback.
Here’s what you should keep in mind if you’re considering a trip back to the movies.
What do experts say about the risk?
In terms of indoor activities, if you are vaccinated or if social distance and masking measures are in place, going to a movie theater is a “surprisingly benign activity,” says Christopher Sulmonte, project administrator for the Biocontainment Unit at Johns Hopkins Medicine. “You’re sitting and staring at a distance from other people, you aren’t facing each other, you’re not heavy breathing — which potentially produces even more particles — or jumping all around the place,” he says, adding that the fact that you aren’t moving around and potentially getting closer to others also decreases risk.
Of course, if you are not vaccinated, no public activity — particularly one indoors — is without risk. The Centers for Disease Control recommends wearing a mask (make sure it is one that is comfortable for a few hours) and social distancing. As capacity restrictions are lifted, Sulmonte says the risk factor will increase for those who remain unvaccinated.
Before going, Sulmonte stresses the importance of checking local community spread (which will account for variants that spread more rapidly), checking vaccination rates in the surrounding area and assessing your own personal risk factors. Since Sulmonte regularly comes into contact with immunocompromised patients, for whom the vaccine might not be as effective, he is abstaining from visiting the movie theaters to err on the side of caution. “I’m very happy right now with the streaming options at the moment,” he says. “My version of a movie theater is having my big dog sitting on top of me.”
What kind of safety protocols are theaters taking?
In accordance with the new CDC guidelines, AMC and Cinemark announced on May 28 that vaccinated patrons no longer need to wear masks, unless local mandates require them. (AMC is still offering masks for $1 on-site.) Regal had previously updated their mask policy, asking vaccinated patrons to wear masks only where local or state mandates require it.
Capacity restrictions will also vary in accordance with local regulations, which are also changing rapidly. (Theater capacity requirements by state can be found at the bottom of this page.) In many cases, when you reserve tickets online, the system will automatically block off seats on either side of you.
At many theaters, employees are required to regularly wash their hands, and employee temperatures will be checked upon arrival. Theaters will be disinfected between movies, with a focus on high-touch areas such as doors, handles, armrests and seat buttons.
Recent studies suggest that you are not as likely to contract the coronavirus through surfaces such as seat rests or handrails as you are from airborne particles. “We’ve seen what we call direct contact is a more likely method of transmission than what we call indirect contact, which is someone coughing on a surface, someone touching that surface and then touching their mucous membranes,” Sulmonte says.
Should I bring my children to a movie theater?
Because many children may not receive the vaccine until next year, it is important to remember that they will remain vulnerable to infection even as much of the world reopens. Sulmonte recommends taking into account the risk to the child and their close contacts before going to the theater. You should also consider what mitigation measures are possible — not all children will be able to keep their mask for a few hours, as a movie would require.
While serious complications from covid-19 are more rare in children, certain health conditions such as asthma and obesity can increase risk, and children can still pass on the virus to unvaccinated adults.
What movies are coming out that I might actually want to see?
The Post’s Michael O’Sullivan gave 4 stars to “A Quiet Place Part II,” which opens May 28, describing it as “a lean, nearly flab- and gristle-free piece of sci-fi steak.” Coming to theaters in June: the musical/drama “In the Heights,” based off the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical about a bodega owner in New York (June 11), and “F9,” the latest entry in the Fast & Furious Saga (June 25).
July brings the highly anticipated Marvel movie “Black Widow,” starring Scarlett Johansson (July 9). August will see the release of a new “Suicide Squad” movie (Aug. 6); “Free Guy,” which follows a man trapped in a video game that is going offline; and the Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect,” starring Jennifer Hudson as the legendary singer (August 13).
I’m still not ready. Do I have to go to the theater to see these films?
Not necessarily. In ordinary times, you would typically have to wait three months between a movie’s theatrical release and watching that movie at home, but during the pandemic, the release window has shrunk and in many cases been eliminated entirely. In December, Warner Bros. struck a deal with HBO to release all movies simultaneously in theaters and on HBO streaming through 2021. Likewise, Disney and Marvel movies are typically available in theaters and on Disney Plus, and Searchlight movies, too, will usually appear on Hulu at the same time as their theater release.
Of the big upcoming movies, “Cruella” and “Black Widow” (Disney Plus Premier Access), “In the Heights” and “Suicide Squad” (HBO Max) will be available simultaneously on streaming services and in theaters.
What about concessions?
Many theaters are offering a reduced concession menu in an effort to shorten lines and reduce wait times. Some are also closing alternating registers and decreasing employees behind the counter to encourage social distancing. In some parts of the U.S., theaters are not offering concessions in compliance with local requirements that individuals remain masked for the duration of the movie.
Sulmonte encourages moviegoers to keep sanitizer with you, especially if you are going to consume food with your hands in the theater. But if social distancing is practiced, consuming food or beverages in the theater should not substantially increase the risk of infection. However, if you are unvaccinated and the theater’s capacity has returned to normal, Sulmonte advises refraining from eating or drinking in the theater.
How else has the moviegoing experience changed?
Ticketing: While it is possible to buy tickets on-site, theaters strongly prefer customers to buy tickets online in advance. You can do so online or through Regal, AMC and Cinemark smartphone apps. As with concessions, for any on-site transactions, payment with a credit card is encouraged. In some cases, theaters will accept only card transactions.
Seating: Seating protocol varies based on theater. At some theaters, when you purchase your seat(s), the system will automatically create a buffer between you and other parties. Some theaters do not require seat reservations and encourage social distancing with signage.
Refunds: If you feel uncomfortable when you get to the theater, AMC notes on its website that you can ask for a refund. Other chains like Regal and Cinemark make clear that anyone with covid-19-related symptoms or recent exposure can also request a refund.
New Cases: 491,262 (⬆︎ .29%)
New Deaths: 10,887 (⬆︎ .31%)
USA
New Cases: 12,661 (⬆︎ .09%)
New Deaths: 350 (⬆︎ .06%)
Vaccination Scorecard
Total Vaccinations: 167.2 million (⬆︎ .48%)
Total Eligible Population: 59.7%
Total Population: 50.3%
Yesterday, May 29, 2021
0 Vaccinated people
and
10,887 Un-Vaccinated people
were killed by COVID-19
We know there's a very low probability of getting either infected or deathly ill if you've been vaxxed. And the probability is even lower if you've recovered from the disease plus you've been vaccinated.
But the risk is not zero, and there's always going to be some jagoff who not only refuses to follow the basic guidelines, but insists on making an ass of himself in public by purposely doing everything wrong, and going out of his way to share his poor hygiene habits with the rest of us.
So going out again will be pretty weird for a while.
Ready to head back to the movies? Here’s what you need to know.
For the past year, the idea of going to a movie theater and sitting in a dark room for an extended period of time with strangers eating popcorn has seemed like the worst of pandemic nightmares.
But as restrictions around the country ease and more people get vaccinated, you may be ready to trade your streaming service for the big screen. Major movie theater chains have reopened. And with the highly anticipated films “A Quiet Place Part II” and “Cruella” releasing this weekend, now might be the time theaters start making a comeback.
Here’s what you should keep in mind if you’re considering a trip back to the movies.
What do experts say about the risk?
In terms of indoor activities, if you are vaccinated or if social distance and masking measures are in place, going to a movie theater is a “surprisingly benign activity,” says Christopher Sulmonte, project administrator for the Biocontainment Unit at Johns Hopkins Medicine. “You’re sitting and staring at a distance from other people, you aren’t facing each other, you’re not heavy breathing — which potentially produces even more particles — or jumping all around the place,” he says, adding that the fact that you aren’t moving around and potentially getting closer to others also decreases risk.
Of course, if you are not vaccinated, no public activity — particularly one indoors — is without risk. The Centers for Disease Control recommends wearing a mask (make sure it is one that is comfortable for a few hours) and social distancing. As capacity restrictions are lifted, Sulmonte says the risk factor will increase for those who remain unvaccinated.
Before going, Sulmonte stresses the importance of checking local community spread (which will account for variants that spread more rapidly), checking vaccination rates in the surrounding area and assessing your own personal risk factors. Since Sulmonte regularly comes into contact with immunocompromised patients, for whom the vaccine might not be as effective, he is abstaining from visiting the movie theaters to err on the side of caution. “I’m very happy right now with the streaming options at the moment,” he says. “My version of a movie theater is having my big dog sitting on top of me.”
What kind of safety protocols are theaters taking?
In accordance with the new CDC guidelines, AMC and Cinemark announced on May 28 that vaccinated patrons no longer need to wear masks, unless local mandates require them. (AMC is still offering masks for $1 on-site.) Regal had previously updated their mask policy, asking vaccinated patrons to wear masks only where local or state mandates require it.
Capacity restrictions will also vary in accordance with local regulations, which are also changing rapidly. (Theater capacity requirements by state can be found at the bottom of this page.) In many cases, when you reserve tickets online, the system will automatically block off seats on either side of you.
At many theaters, employees are required to regularly wash their hands, and employee temperatures will be checked upon arrival. Theaters will be disinfected between movies, with a focus on high-touch areas such as doors, handles, armrests and seat buttons.
Recent studies suggest that you are not as likely to contract the coronavirus through surfaces such as seat rests or handrails as you are from airborne particles. “We’ve seen what we call direct contact is a more likely method of transmission than what we call indirect contact, which is someone coughing on a surface, someone touching that surface and then touching their mucous membranes,” Sulmonte says.
Should I bring my children to a movie theater?
Because many children may not receive the vaccine until next year, it is important to remember that they will remain vulnerable to infection even as much of the world reopens. Sulmonte recommends taking into account the risk to the child and their close contacts before going to the theater. You should also consider what mitigation measures are possible — not all children will be able to keep their mask for a few hours, as a movie would require.
While serious complications from covid-19 are more rare in children, certain health conditions such as asthma and obesity can increase risk, and children can still pass on the virus to unvaccinated adults.
What movies are coming out that I might actually want to see?
The Post’s Michael O’Sullivan gave 4 stars to “A Quiet Place Part II,” which opens May 28, describing it as “a lean, nearly flab- and gristle-free piece of sci-fi steak.” Coming to theaters in June: the musical/drama “In the Heights,” based off the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical about a bodega owner in New York (June 11), and “F9,” the latest entry in the Fast & Furious Saga (June 25).
July brings the highly anticipated Marvel movie “Black Widow,” starring Scarlett Johansson (July 9). August will see the release of a new “Suicide Squad” movie (Aug. 6); “Free Guy,” which follows a man trapped in a video game that is going offline; and the Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect,” starring Jennifer Hudson as the legendary singer (August 13).
I’m still not ready. Do I have to go to the theater to see these films?
Not necessarily. In ordinary times, you would typically have to wait three months between a movie’s theatrical release and watching that movie at home, but during the pandemic, the release window has shrunk and in many cases been eliminated entirely. In December, Warner Bros. struck a deal with HBO to release all movies simultaneously in theaters and on HBO streaming through 2021. Likewise, Disney and Marvel movies are typically available in theaters and on Disney Plus, and Searchlight movies, too, will usually appear on Hulu at the same time as their theater release.
Of the big upcoming movies, “Cruella” and “Black Widow” (Disney Plus Premier Access), “In the Heights” and “Suicide Squad” (HBO Max) will be available simultaneously on streaming services and in theaters.
What about concessions?
Many theaters are offering a reduced concession menu in an effort to shorten lines and reduce wait times. Some are also closing alternating registers and decreasing employees behind the counter to encourage social distancing. In some parts of the U.S., theaters are not offering concessions in compliance with local requirements that individuals remain masked for the duration of the movie.
Sulmonte encourages moviegoers to keep sanitizer with you, especially if you are going to consume food with your hands in the theater. But if social distancing is practiced, consuming food or beverages in the theater should not substantially increase the risk of infection. However, if you are unvaccinated and the theater’s capacity has returned to normal, Sulmonte advises refraining from eating or drinking in the theater.
How else has the moviegoing experience changed?
Ticketing: While it is possible to buy tickets on-site, theaters strongly prefer customers to buy tickets online in advance. You can do so online or through Regal, AMC and Cinemark smartphone apps. As with concessions, for any on-site transactions, payment with a credit card is encouraged. In some cases, theaters will accept only card transactions.
Seating: Seating protocol varies based on theater. At some theaters, when you purchase your seat(s), the system will automatically create a buffer between you and other parties. Some theaters do not require seat reservations and encourage social distancing with signage.
Refunds: If you feel uncomfortable when you get to the theater, AMC notes on its website that you can ask for a refund. Other chains like Regal and Cinemark make clear that anyone with covid-19-related symptoms or recent exposure can also request a refund.
May 29, 2021
COVID-19 Update
World
USA
Vaccination Scorecard
Vietnam detects highly contagious new coronavirus variant as infections surge
The new variant is a mix of the coronavirus strains first detected in the United Kingdom and India, the country’s health minister said
New Cases: 506,620 (⬆︎ .30%)
New Deaths: 11,977 (⬆︎ .34%)
USA
New Cases: 22,813 (⬆︎ .07%)
New Deaths: 627 (⬆︎ .10%)
Vaccination Scorecard
Total Vaccinations: 166.4 million (⬆︎ .42%)
Total Eligible Population: 59.4%
Total Population: 50.1% ☜ that's a pretty big deal, but...
Yesterday, May 28, 2021
0 Vaccinated Americans
and
627 Un-Vaccinated Americans
were killed by COVID-19
As we celebrate popping up over 50% Vaccinated, we need to remind ourselves that we ain't won nothin' yet.
The monster is still astride the world and will continue to be a vexation for us.
If we're smug enough (again) to think we can sit here in USAmerica Inc and be protected by sheer distance and the fact that we're "separated" from the world by our mighty ocean barriers, then we're in for a few more rude surprises.
First, and I think foremost, in a world of interlocking economies, there's no such thing as "distance" anymore.
We are no more protected from a pandemic by geography than we're protected from Russian propaganda in a world connected by the internet.
And people behave stoopidly - they always have - apparently they always will.
Vietnam detects highly contagious new coronavirus variant as infections surge
The new variant is a mix of the coronavirus strains first detected in the United Kingdom and India, the country’s health minister said
Vietnam’s Health Ministry announced Saturday that it had detected a highly transmissible new variant of the coronavirus that has helped fuel a recent wave of covid-19 infections in the country.
Genetic sequencing indicated that the new variant was a mix of the coronavirus strains first detected in the United Kingdom and India, said Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long, according to the VnExpress newspaper.
The minister said that the new variant was particularly contagious via air and that viral cultures have revealed that it replicates extremely quickly, the newspaper reported.
“The new variant is very dangerous,” Long said in a statement.
The Health Ministry didn’t return a Saturday afternoon request for comment.
Scientists said that further study was needed to determine the effect of a variant in “real world settings.”
“A lot of different mutations happen as the virus is transmitted and most of them are not of clinical significance,” said Todd Pollack, a Hanoi-based infectious-disease expert at Harvard Medical School. “Just because they say [the new variant] has features of one and the other … doesn’t mean they got together in one patient and spit out some combined hybrid ‘supervirus.'”
There were seven known coronavirus variants in Vietnam before Long’s announcement, according to Reuters.
Vietnam, which has reported around 6,400 covid-19 infections and 47 deaths, has been one of the world’s coronavirus containment success stories. A well-run public health care system, quarantine camps operated by the military and strict, targeted lockdowns kept case numbers low until late April, when a spike in infections began.
Many of the recent infections were detected in two industrialized provinces in northern Vietnam, where factory employees often work in close proximity. Plants there that manufacture for global brands like Apple have implemented social distancing measures, Reuters reported. Such factories are key to Vietnam’s export sector, which has boomed amid trade tensions between the United States and China.
Restrictions are also in place in Hanoi, the capital, and Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s economic hub.
Singapore and Taiwan, which had effectively eliminated transmission of the coronavirus at the start of the year, recently reintroduced curbs as infections return.
Many countries that managed the pandemic with “non-pharmaceutical interventions are finding that more transmissible variants are more difficult to control with these measures,” said Pollack. “This is the biggest challenge that [Vietnam is] facing since covid-19 came onto the scene.”
Vietnam is operating one of the slower inoculation programs in the world, with fewer than 0.1 percent of its 103 million residents having been fully vaccinated as of Friday. It has approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Sputnik V shots and recently signed a deal to buy more than 30 million Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses. Vietnam is also developing its own Nanocovax vaccine, whose final-stage trials are set for completion in the second half of the year.
Hanoi has a rocky relationship with Beijing and, unlike many other middle income nations, it has not approved the use of Chinese-developed vaccines.
Genetic sequencing indicated that the new variant was a mix of the coronavirus strains first detected in the United Kingdom and India, said Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long, according to the VnExpress newspaper.
The minister said that the new variant was particularly contagious via air and that viral cultures have revealed that it replicates extremely quickly, the newspaper reported.
“The new variant is very dangerous,” Long said in a statement.
The Health Ministry didn’t return a Saturday afternoon request for comment.
Scientists said that further study was needed to determine the effect of a variant in “real world settings.”
“A lot of different mutations happen as the virus is transmitted and most of them are not of clinical significance,” said Todd Pollack, a Hanoi-based infectious-disease expert at Harvard Medical School. “Just because they say [the new variant] has features of one and the other … doesn’t mean they got together in one patient and spit out some combined hybrid ‘supervirus.'”
There were seven known coronavirus variants in Vietnam before Long’s announcement, according to Reuters.
Vietnam, which has reported around 6,400 covid-19 infections and 47 deaths, has been one of the world’s coronavirus containment success stories. A well-run public health care system, quarantine camps operated by the military and strict, targeted lockdowns kept case numbers low until late April, when a spike in infections began.
Many of the recent infections were detected in two industrialized provinces in northern Vietnam, where factory employees often work in close proximity. Plants there that manufacture for global brands like Apple have implemented social distancing measures, Reuters reported. Such factories are key to Vietnam’s export sector, which has boomed amid trade tensions between the United States and China.
Restrictions are also in place in Hanoi, the capital, and Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s economic hub.
Singapore and Taiwan, which had effectively eliminated transmission of the coronavirus at the start of the year, recently reintroduced curbs as infections return.
Many countries that managed the pandemic with “non-pharmaceutical interventions are finding that more transmissible variants are more difficult to control with these measures,” said Pollack. “This is the biggest challenge that [Vietnam is] facing since covid-19 came onto the scene.”
Vietnam is operating one of the slower inoculation programs in the world, with fewer than 0.1 percent of its 103 million residents having been fully vaccinated as of Friday. It has approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Sputnik V shots and recently signed a deal to buy more than 30 million Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses. Vietnam is also developing its own Nanocovax vaccine, whose final-stage trials are set for completion in the second half of the year.
Hanoi has a rocky relationship with Beijing and, unlike many other middle income nations, it has not approved the use of Chinese-developed vaccines.
May 28, 2021
Today's Quote
It actually doesn't take much to be considered a difficult woman -
that's why there are so many of us.
- Jane Goodall
Today's Deep Thought
There's someone out there who holds the all time record for being the most secretive person in the world.
And nobody will ever know who it is.
Overheard Revisited
Whenever I hear "conservatives" whining about "how do we pay for all this stuff?" - and how providing help for regular people is going to "ruin the economy" - I just substitute "rich people's yacht money".
"How can we possibly respond to the pandemic without sacrificing rich people's yacht money?"
"Saving the environment sounds great, but what about rich people's yacht money?"
"Medicare For All would complete destroy rich people's yacht money."
"Yes, we all want good schools and broadband for everybody, but all that federal spending will cut into rich people's yacht money."
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