tassojunior

It's just a rational observation that the day you get covid you are not recorded as dying of it in a hospital, the lag is up to a month, and the first people to catch a surge are the youngest healthiest people who are out and about socializing more and not fragile elderly who are sequestered. I suspect once Omicron reaches the most vulnerable deaths may again surge.

as someone who has driven the length of Florida a couple times I have a very hard time with that.

In a week or two it may mean more but when someone first tests positive for covid they're rarely critical and the first wave of a variant is usually young healthy people who expose themselves more anyway. In DC at least the huge numbers are because DC is giving out thousands of new tests for free everyday now and the PCR ones have the person's name and contact info. It seems Omicron just exploded this week here but it may be the thousands of new tests every day. People who formerly would have never known they had covid. But especially with sparse holiday reporting, I'd wait until we have a full month experience to start guessing how severe it is. And even if it's less severe than expected but super contagious, hospitals may be full anyway. It may surprise us for good or bad. Not a risk I'm prepared to take for a couple weeks at least.

If NBC said it was pouring rain I'd look outside before taking an umbrella. Like everyone else they're just filling up airtime with paraphrases of the 24-hour news cycle "everyone knows that...." to look smart. Omicron is really too new to know yet what the mortality rate is. It takes 30 days or so to kill someone with covid and usually another week for death records. New cases seem in South Africa to have ticked down by a very few % for a week. That could be a small blip caused by reporting or uneven spread. Maybe we'll see something encouraging in another week. And in the UK there's no trend down yet at all. (The UK never did have a drastic decline in the Delta surge like other places). Let's be hopeful but a week in very unique South Africa, (that really wants air service to resume btw), is no clear sign yet. Here in DC with 670K people we're getting 2000 new reported cases a day this week where a week ago we were getting under 100 a day. Just from having an elderly population that means our hospitals will fill fast, doctors' offices will shut, etc causing indirect mortality. In a month we'll know better the mortality costs of this incredible surge. Till then I'll get a 4th vaccine and test every other day if possible, but assume I'll be positive at some point soon so no international flying plans for a month and a lot of binge streaming. Guys appealing the end of December won't be ugly by the end of January. And if they are it's probably old photos.

With Omicron all the bowls and college playoffs are in doubt. Texas A&M dropped out of the Gator Bowl already. I'd say Alabama is "America's Team"

Many of us boomers grew up with Lucille Ball shows but this is the GenZ/Hollywood version. I don't recognize her character at all. Kidman is cold as ice even when she's supposed to be warm. I od'ed on her in the Nine Perfect Strangers disaster this year, on top of her prior Top of the Lake disaster. There are parts for human icebergs but I don't relate to Lucille Ball as one at all. And Sorkin had Lucille Ball say "Don't gaslight me !" in 1944. Javier Bardem is old enough to have been Desi Arnaz's father (that should have been a cute guy!). The rest of the characters are just Gen Z-like stereotypes. Video game characters show more depth of character. And they don't even show Jake Lacy nude. In summary making Lucille Ball into a cold humorless person may work as a stereotype for young people but anyone who's seen her work won't relate to the character. Lucy was some years older than Desi:

I assume many people are going to watch the new MacBeth even though they know the story already. There are plenty of times when the plot isn't as important as the acting, directing, scenery, etc. The story itself here is simple (but then you learn the little nuances are the main story). But even so it's the production that is important. And I don't think editing it down would have kept it epic-like which some of the subjects deserve. Brokeback Mountain and God's Own Country (my favorite) have the gay Phil/Bronco Henry story in the flesh but not the other themes/plots of who's good and evil. I haven't even figured out the Native American allegory. I don't know if the book hints at Peter setting his mom up with the Burbanks; I haven't heard so. It does hint he killed his father. Phil's reaction to Peter snapping the rabbit's neck (pulling it's head off?) struck me as a person who thinks they're evil recognizing pure evil. I watched The Piano by Jane Campion after this and it was super-impressed. Then I binged Top-of-the-Lake, which was evidently made for commercial tv and while the 1st season was very good, the 2nd lacked a lot and was a simple detective story.

I hear of this the same day I get advertising asking if I used Truvada for a class-action lawsuit.

I've hired fashion models. Why wouldn't I hire a robot?

I'm being a good boy until after Christmas because.. A new UK study this morning found on MedPage says Omicron may not be milder than Delta: https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19/96284?xid=nl_covidupdate_2021-12-20&eun=g1786879d0r&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyUpdate_122021&utm_term=NL_Gen_Int_Daily_News_Update_active https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/232698/modelling-suggests-rapid-spread-omicron-england/ The study finds no evidence of Omicron having lower severity than Delta, judged by either the proportion of people testing positive who report symptoms, or by the proportion of cases seeking hospital care after infection. However, hospitalisation data remains very limited at this time.

I can now happily confirm that cancelling international award tickets with both Delta and American miles gets immediate full re-deposit. One was to London, one to Argentina. There's one to Argentina on American with British miles that may have to be cancelled or changed so I may find out about BA.

I have heard that more and more tests sites are opening in overseas airports for return-to-US tests. Very good news.

A big question many ponder, and that is alluded to more in the book, do people think Peter also killed his father (who he found after he "hung himself") With Phil's death Peter becomes sole eventual heir to the considerable Burbank family fortune, besides just protecting his mother.

He worked st Secrets for a couple years then once he gravitated to Manhattan he went off the deep end (for most places, not Manhattan).

FWIW- My friends who are in Amsterdam and DC just now say they are doing exceptionally well. Several clients a day and generous. After a busy spring/summer binge they had been having an autumn slowdown but are back to busy.

I have a stunning friend there who's a major professional model I referred a couple guys to but unfortunately he's got something? Covid?

probably not but I'm not sure divorce stops the application for a green card once allowed. IDK. I meant to say I'd assume the pre-nup is unenforceable as many places don't like them at all and it's very expensive and drawn-out to draft one even in a friendly state.

assume it will last less than a year and the pre-nup will be enforceable that's about the odds Vegas would give.

but better at sex than conversation !

I think it's normal in any movie to "follow the story" but after this movie is over you realize the "story" was misleading. On 2nd watching you don't pay attention to the story and realize the acting and personal interactions are amazing (not to mention the scenery). It's a movie of personal interactions and conflicts, not a plot, although after it's over you realize the twisted plot and who was evil and who was good. And it's a gay conflict too. Campion's other huge movie way back "The Piano" was similar style. It's a performance that is better to me the 2nd time when I can catch every nuance from all 4 superb actors. Thankfully it's on Netflix so that's easy.

I can tell you from much recent experience booking/cancelling, airlines vary a lot, especially international ones. With Delta, American, United etc you're fine. (I've had a little hassle with Avianca from US to Columbia recently while British immediately refunded a MIA to Buenos Aires miles award). If you can book on miles do. Miles are refunded immediately with no fees always. Here's all the latest reward refund policies.

from time to time I see social media of some of the big dance clubs with dancers in shorts ...Space?

I've almost been this path but the kicker is , at least in the US and I suspect Canada, Pre-Nups can be not only very expensive but sometimes difficult to enforce. Courts often don't like them.

At first viewing I had no idea who was reciting the narration and at the end did not remember it. It really is a movie more enjoyable on 2nd viewing when you notice the quirks and details more. And that's from someone who hates movies you have to watch twice to figure out.

For those (like me) renewing their passport be aware that they can be picky on the new photo. They just sent me an email that I need a better photo. It was taken at FedEx Office and maybe it's because they used a flash washing out some features and detail. Also gray hair and white backgrounds can blend. Be careful with good detailed photos. (FedEx re-did mine and I mailed it back.)