Thoughts Out Of Season

  No attempts at eloquence here. Relying on the statistics from South Africa regarding the current Omicron variant will be a boon to funeral directors and grave diggers worldwide. Everyone, even white supremist are expressing great confidence that the numbers coming out of Africa is solid as a rock and should be the guide for responding (or not) to the Omicron virus. But there are at least 2 caveats to using South Africa as a model. 1. Every imbecile with an internet connection and basic knowledge of the alphabet point out how less severe their numbers are coming in. 99% are calling it no worse than the cold. "LOOK", they type in capital letters, " look how few people are on ventilator, LOOK HOW FEW DEATHS THERE ARE!". On and on as if their mail order epidemiology degree just came in the mail. Now you cannot argue with facts especially if you don't know the entire story. Some try to counter that the population of Africa is much younger than most other countries ...

If the post I am linking to is correct we got a big problem in New York City. According to her research what we are experiencing is not a surge of Omicron but the much more dangerous Delta variant! If the article holds water true, many people will become severely sickened and need hospitalization. Hospitals are already overburdened but they are not expecting at this time to be overwhelmed because they believe that it's the supposedly "mild" Omicron variant that's causing all the trouble. If this comes to be then our political leaders must be held accountable. Faith in their abilities to perform their basic duties will disappear. They knew Delta was still around but gave no thought to it. They knew viruses thrive in cold, dry weather, but again they never gave a thought that it was actually the Delta virus and not the Omicron virus. A horrendous lapse of judgement. I'm still hoping it is Omicron because, personally I will be furious if it is the Delta variant and ...

Dispelling Distortions of My City I am a native New Yorker and I'll admit we have our ways, but this huge explosion of Omicron is not indicative of any malfeasance by New Yorkers themselves. Many of the citizens have been vaccinated but, and what may surprise you we also follow the rules. We try to sperate as much distance as we can from another. And as for wearing masks we are have no problem with that. We don't feel we are being imposed on our rights being trampled or afraid some super-national government is looking to do us in. Every day I take the subway and to see and unmasked individual is a shear anomaly. The looks usually do not bring an outcry but an acknowledgement and most time the person will put a mask on.  Walk down any street and you will see the greatest majority of passerby wearing masks. No one screaming "Give me Liberty of Give me Death". We have no problems wearing masks when going into supermarkets We accept what's real in this world and we do...

  In an article from KTVO television it is stated with great optimism that "Studies show how booster shots provide strong protection against the omicron variant". Stop right there. The Omicron variant has been described as "mild", "like a cold" and even, a bit more naively "like the Flu "(which incidentally kills 60,000 Americans a year at 4 x less the infectious rate). The issue I have with the article is: SO WHAT?  If this variant causes nothing more than a short period of discomfort, why the hoopla? For one there are numerous reports of viral evasion among those vaccinated including boosters  . Secondly, if the disease is so mild why the damn drum roll? Could it be that the Omicron variant not be what it seems, a harmless, annoying cold but has the potential to be much more devastating? What else?   I guess we will find out real soon

 Sitting up in bed today at 430 am with my old pal Insomnia my attention turned to the television: " MORE THAN 100 FIREFIGHTERS ARE BATTLING A 4 ALARM FIRE IN AN UPPER EAST SIDE BUILDING ON FIRST AVENUE" "Oh shit!" I jump up out of my stupor. My ex-wife and daughter live together on the Upper East Side on First avenue! Breaking out in an immediate sweat, heart beating like Keith Moon on meth, I grab for the remote and increase the volume so I could see the screen better (a trick I learned from my great Aunt Concetta who used to put her eye glasses on to answer the phone)I watch as a helicopter hovers over the scene revealing that, Thank God the fire was approximately 2 blocks south of her address. "WHEWWW", I let out a breath like I was holding it in for an eternity. Finally calmed I'm able to see the screen clearly "What a tragedy!" I say to myself. All those poor people evacuated in the cold! The firemen rushing through the blinding smoke a...

  A variant of Covid 19 recently discovered in Africa has caused world-wide concern that it may cause another very serious wave of infections across the globe just as it seems health officials seem to be getting a hand on the disease At this point in time, it is way too early to say whether it has the same potential to sicken like the original Covid virus but already some disturbing facts are emerging: - If you have had covid in the past it appears the variant can predispose you to being infected Covid again - While there are other variants of Covid such as the Delta variant which is the dominant strain at this time, the number of mutations present on the Omicron are astounding with 30 mu tations on the spike that attaches the virus to the target cell. This may not only cause vaccines" to not see" the which of course may lead to infection but such an infection could be much more prolonged - Early reports suggest that the Omicron virus may be 500 times more infectious than ...

 I'm sitting at a table in a cafe on Arthur Ave with my Uncle Gino watching the news. "The Windows Commision' trial had just ended and the cops were doing the perp walk for the cameras. Each boss sentenced to 100 years My Uncle turns to me "Hey Roc. You wanna be the Boss?' I give him a look like "WTF are you talking about?" He continues "Come on Roc you wanna be the Boss you can be the Boss. I'll call you Boss. When the cops come in and ask who's the Boss, I'll point to you!"

  In case you haven't heard a new variant of Covid 19, known as Omicron is causing world wide concern that we are in for another devastating wave of infection across the globe. There are already travel restrictions popping up against travelers from Africa worldwide.  There in not much known at this time when it comes to virulence and its ability to sicken and cause death as such on the scale of Covid-19 and its Delta variant. What is so concerning to scientists is that there are multiple, as much as 30 mutations identified on the spike that attaches the virus to the cell and thus infect it. These mutations may become "invisible" to any vaccine rendering it ineffective.   The variant has not yet been identified in the United States officially but it would not be out of the question to assume it is already here, For now, same suggestions. Vaccine, booster shots, wear a mask in public. It will probably take several weeks to get a rudimentary handle what we are looking ...