pubic_assistance

Same for me growing up in Central PA. My extended family are all super conservative and traditional. Even though that wasn't MY choice of lifestyle, I still enjoy returning to my childhood memories for the Holidays. Mincemeat pies with Deer meat, and dark, heavy, sweet fruitcake with a little bite of liquor in the candied fruit brings back many happy memories of simpler times, celebrating Christmas with, ( now gone members) of my grandparent's, and great-grandparent's generation.

Because that's not how inflation works. "When inflation goes down" means the RATE OF INCREASE reduces. Prices never go back to where they were. SHORTAGES cause temporary spikes in prices during an inflationary period, but the current inflation is partially due to a collapse in the dollar. It's like saying, I remember when a cup of coffee was 25cents, gee I wish we could go back to those times. YOU CAN'T. Once the dollar value crashes, the market adjusts to the new value and that sticks ( with only minor adjustments for supply chain issues ).

I've been to Puerto Vallarta twice for New Years Eve. Always had an amazing time. I didn't spend any time, in gay bars but I didn't need to. There are always a lot of young attractive gay men out-and-about. The general vibe seems to be very open minded toward the gay community with lots of PDA that nobody bats an eyelash over. Costa Rica, in contrast is an extremely homophobic culture. Of course, the resorts, like many poor countries are completely cut off from the rest of the place. So you may find a gay resort that shelters you but overall there is no comparison to the obvious acceptance level in P.V. and the access to great restaurants, clubs, art galleries and socializing in general.

My friend is a published text-book immunologist ...so he IS one of the leading experts on immunology research and how its done. I am not "confused". He made it clear that data is gathered that is representative and the rest is extrapolation. ( Guess-work). He DID say that Omicron is quite virulent, and that most everyone who lives in an urban area is likely going to get it, no matter how much they mask up. Plus he said that because those are the people participating in testing/ vaccinations and hospitalizations, the data is going to be skewed toward urban Americans. There is no way of knowing what's going on in Rural America because they're not getting tested and are more inclined to stay home when sick. His conclusion was that 94% sounded reasonable for the cities, but that without the research data in-hand there is no way of knowing how they estimated for rural people who don't have as much contact / aren't tested and haven't reported illness.

A quick search in most places shows 18% . Correct. 11% cumulative is ridiculous. It was nearly 9% for part of 2022 alone .

So I just spoke to my friend who is a text-book immunology expert. He confirmed this research is extrapolation and not based on actual numbers of infected. Millions of Americans have not been tested so it's all guess work based on the virulency of the virus not actual infection data. He was also skeptical of the 94% estimate as this doesn't account enough for rural Americans who aren't being tested at all and aren't getting infected at the same rate as urban dwellers. He did explain that unlike many other diseases, you can have Covid and still test negative a few weeks later. This explains why so many people would think they never got it. I know that confused me. I've been testing every other month ..so I assumed if I had it the tests would have picked it up...but he said that's not necessarily true. Most people have been infected with Omicron without even knowing it. That does explain the "extrapolation" at such a high percentage. But in the end...it is all guess-work and not hard data.

Strawberry custard sounds delicious.

I own a business too. Inflation for 2022 alone has been a steady 8 to 9 percent. My costs compared to pre-Covid years are up more than 20% in many cases. Your cumulative is off. I just looked it up myself. It's a little over 18% from beginning of 2019 to the end of 2022.

Those are two of my absolute favorite holiday treats. Although it is difficult to find a good version of either one...so I think most people dislike them because they've never had a good one . I see "mincemeat" pies sold in supermarkets that doesn't even have any meat in them ! Everyone in my family looks forward to these treats at Christmas. But I am aware that these are an old fashioned custom that mainstream America has forgotten.

I have no idea where you're getting that statistic.

The dollar is worth about 20% less than it was in 2019. So $ 275 in 2019 now $ 330. Any smart provider will hedge a little and bump that up to $ 350. since inflation doesn't seem to be showing any signs of ending soon.

Yup. Caught myself and redirected.

I can't discuss my feelings about that until the politics forum is back up for the season.

I am not saying I am "more knowledgeable" than anyone. I am saying my sample group is so drastically different than this statistic that it can't be coincidental. I'm going to circle back around since its the holidays and do my own little research project. As I pay holiday greetings to my tribe, I want to see how many people I know who have been tested multiple times and are still Covid negative. Call me skeptical.

Some people who lack reading comprehension, will try and hijack the conversation to a subject that they CAN talk about instead. Sadly, with the poor state of education in this country, you are starting to see this anti-intellectual behavior more and more.

That's not how immunity works. If you come into contact with a virus, your body makes T cells that carry markers indicating their introduction to every virus they've encountered.

Just counting my New York Friends ..we got together Thanksgiving weekend and asked that everyone be tested as we had a few elderly guests. Among the 50 guests only one of them was testing for antibodies. Everyone else tested negative. My family in Pennsylvania test frequently because my father has emphysema and would definitely die from Covid. None of them has tested positive. My wife needs to test frequently at work and only a few of her teammates have test positive. My kids test frequently as they participate in extracurricular activities . None of their friends have tested positive. Am I living in some alternative universe or are these statistics being exaggerated with a lot of guess work ?

Yes. But keeping in mind the Covid deaths of 2022 are primarily elderly people who would also likely die from a case of influenza. Cancer and Heart Disease are four times as likely to take you out. Young / healthy people aren't dying from the current variants.

I guess because I'm married and have an intimate life at home ...I have absolutely no interest in kissing someone else. I also rarely hire escorts more inclined toward erotic masseur services so its definitely not something I personally care about. That said ...turning it around the other way it could be a level of intimacy that goes beyond "sexwork" for some providers.

I am so lost. How is it possible this is "factual" and accurate but my sampling of several hundred people is overwhelmingly Covid negative ? This is a very bizarre coincidence if this statistic is true. I wonder what is unique about all these people and/or their habits. Maybe all my friends wash their hands more than the rest of you 😜

There is very much an IMPORTANT distinction between disapproval and "hate". Hardly a trivial matter.

Reading comprehension is important in a conversational thread. No one mentioned anything about "hate". QUOTE: "In the late 2010s survey results showed a declining trend in young adult approval of gays." The conversation here is about "approval". I disagree with your opinion about the poly community being incapable of prejudice. The poly community is quite sure they've found nirvana and are in fact quite prejudiced against people who subscribe to the traditional categories including homosexuals.

Same here. My family is mixed but the primary social structure was based on English standards of etiquette. A lot of that kind of sweeping someone's feelings under the carpet is met with great offense by people of color who have had their voice suppressed for more than a century. I have run into this more than once, and occasionally with friends who I've known for years.

I don't find that surprising at all. That is why I am always supportive of the rights of providers to be selective about clients. (A subject that many customers find offensive, since they choose to hire as a place to avoid being rejected.)

No one ? Quote: "average twinkie looks, average dick, inflated ego"