Yes, it’s been said before, but apparently it needs to be said again. And again. And again!
NOTE: As of 5/3/22 — it appears the referenced post has been removed. Sorry about that.
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Nan's Notebook 
Hello Nan. This was my favorite line from the post Steve wrote. “It used to be the case that “you couldn’t have it both ways,” but in modern politics they are showing that you can.” So true and a sad commentary on the ability to reason for the US people. Well back to working on the roundup. Hugs
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Excellent observations.
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I’m beginning to believe most of the anti-vaxxers can’t read and they just get their opinions from the scum on Fox TV. The reasoning in this letter has been well thought out but there aren’t enough snide and nasty comments for them to believe it.
Huge Hugs
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Hey Nan: Have YOU gone anti-vaxer now?
There were comments from “Nan” promoting all kinds of conspiracy theories????
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What??!?
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i AM SO EMBARRASED. The comment nesting on that blog is REALLY, REALLY CONFUSING. Especially when read on a cell phone screen. Carry on….I completely flubbed the reading of what you were saying versus what you were quoting.
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I kinda’ thought that was what was happening. The comment “nesting” on his blog leaves a lot to be desired, I’ll agree. In any case, I’m glad we’re now on the same page!
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I don’t like conspiracy theories about COVID vaccinations as they didn’t impact my thought of thinking. I had 2 vaccination jabs recently. No ill effects. But those who spread fake news or come up with unproven/unauthorized cure methods are playing with the devil. The best advice comes from Chief Medical Officer of each nation assuming the government has appointed one. New COVID variants may be more toxic and spreadable. The unvaccinated will be in the firing line. You anti-Vaxxes forget about protesting as a death wish isn’t really better.
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This is a repeat of the comment I left on Steve”s blog:
This is what I know. In Alberta right now our hospitals are so full of Covid cases, with one in five in the ICU, that mainstream medicine is no longer being practised. Except for high-emergency surgeries, beds are being given to Covid patients ahead of anyone else. What I want to know is, why are people with a disease they chose not to protect themselves against receiving priority over people who did not choose to get sick? Normally I am all in favour of everyone getting treated under the same rules, but that is not the situation right now. All patients need health care, but we are giving that care to people who chose to risk their lives over people who did not make that choice. As far as I am concerned, the people who chose the risks also chose the possibility they might contract Covid, and the consequences that come with that choice. Make them stay at home and take care of themselves. That is what they wanted. Give it to them.
Meanwhile, give the hospital beds to people who did not choose to need them. Prioritise patients by their willingness to risk not only their lives, but the lives of everyone around them. Their rights were more important than others’ lives, so let then deal with it. Give the beds to the vaccinated. At least they are not risking the health of the medical professionals trying to help them.
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This is an understandable Cri de Coeur, rawgod. The antivaxers and conspiracy nuts infesting the commentariate over at that blog ARE infuriating.
But one could say that a good % of persons needing hospital care are not blameless? COVID is not the only disease mandating treatment? What about lifestyle/diet/slothful lack of exercise/lack of common sense diseases and incidents that often result in really heavy use of the medical system?
I think it would be very difficult to determine who “deserves” medical care. we all do things that are unhealthy in a rational sense.
A triage system in which immediate need is one governing factor is the only rational system?
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As Roseannadanna”s aunt said, there is always something. Yes there are lots of things people choose to do that cause them to need healthcare, but what they do does not overwhelm the health care system and take beds away from other people.
Times are different right now. There was yet another parient on the news tonight who has been waiting 3 years for a surgery date for new knees. It isn’t life-threatening, but having g non-working knees is damned inconvenient. After three years he was supposed to have surgery yesterday, but of course it could not happen. Now who knows howlong he will have to wait before he gets another shot.
I understand what you are saying, but this is a new world, and those who are not brave enough to suffer a little skin pick deserve to suffer on their own time. Once they are too sick to be at home, then they csn get a bed–I’m not a totally uncaring guy. But until that time, leave the beds for others.
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Understandable argument. Some argue, though, that many of those experiencing the worst impacts have serious co-morbidities (obesity and its resulting lifestyle diseases seems to be a factor in serious effects from COVID). So maybe we are not far apart after all!
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If you are saying obesity is a choice, think again. For a lot of people obesity is a glandular or otherwise medical issue. The thyroid is a big factor, and if a person”s thyroid does not work properly some gain weight, a lot of it.
I respect most of what you say, Brian, but not all obesity is a choice! I find your implication extremely offensive.
No I am not obese, but I know a number who are. They eat like birds, but their bodies betray them. They have no choice in the matter.
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Sure. But without delving into the University of Google, thyroid problems as a primary cause of the obesity epidemic is very questionable. A distinct minority of the obese population. The real problems are HABIT exacerbated by the food industry which designs foods designed to addict us. But, as with all addictions, it remains our choice to deal with said habits.
And I am certainly….plumpish. Despite being an exercise junky. I could blame genetics, thyroid issues et. etc. But no, I have bad habits. Terrible habits. I engage in addictive eating. And I don’t believe all addictions can be defined as a disease. Food addictions are habit. And habits are really, really hard to break as they are wired into our minds.
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Addiction? Habit? I became an addictions counsellor (BSW) because I have what is called an addictive personality. I have been fighting my own addictions all my life, and wanted to know more about how to fight them.
But for all my addictions, I also have a very strong mind that kicks into gear once I realize
I have, or am getting, a new addiction? The first question I have learned to ask: Is it hurting me? The second question is: Is it hurting anyone around me? If the a swer to either question is yet, I have to overcome it. Over the years I have defeated many addictions. AndI think I am a better person for it.
But my weight, though not overly obnoxious, is not because I eat junk food or too much food. It is medical, and I know how it feels to be told I just have to eat less, and eat better. People have no idea what is going on in my life, and I hope they never have to go through what I am going through medically.
If a person is overwright, and can do something about it, but choose not to, that is their choice. In general it hurts only them. So leave them to it. But don’t go around telling others to do something about their weight when YOU DO NOT KNOW what is going on in their lives. Don’t project your problems onto others. Judge yourself, I do not care. Judge others, and you are risking them judging you back.
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Guys — this discussion would be more appropriate at my post entitled “Why Obesity? 😊
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Hopefully I have had my say, Nan. I cannot speak for Brian.
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and the language of victimization and disease does not help things. There are internet starts who claim it is HEALTHY to weigh 450 pounds. That it is a good thing to be a 400 pound gentleman whose YouTube career is eating every item on the Cheesecake Factory menu in one sitting. That it is perfectly fine for parents to feed their children to the point that they weigh 200 pounds at age 9.
These victims of themselves are not all suffering from hyperthyroidism.
Di you know there are pro-ANOREXIA groups online who claim it is healthy to purge after every meal?
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Brian, see my comment above. Thanks!
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My favorite word from Steve’s letter is a concise word (okay, two words) that makes my point quickly so that I may move on with my life. The word is “bullshit.” I’ve already started using it. It is often my opinion.
Why waste people’s time. Either folks will do or not do, my rambling on will not change that.
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and how are your daughter and grand-daughter, Nan? you mentioned they both contracted covid
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It was my granddaughters — one of them was hit quite severely. No hospital admittance, but a couple of trips to Emergency. She is doing much, much better now but not entirely back to normal. The other two had fairly mild cases and seem to be doing OK.
Most of my contact about family comes through my daughter — and even that is sporadic since we live in different states and she has a very busy job. Too often this means I’m often “out of the loop.” *sigh*
Thanks so much for asking!!
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great to hear! hopefully she’ll be back to full normal fast.
i wish we could know why some people are hit so severly (even young and healthy) while others barely feel anything. but we might never find out exactly.
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What happened??? The reblogged post has disappeared. I can not find it. The open letter is no longer open. I know, I should not have even tried, but for a while we did tried to play the “idot-whisperers” and get to the bottom of the anti-vaxxers logic in the comment section.
There obviously is no way I can convince people who are not convinced by the doctors, medical officials, or by the journalistic media of the entire world. Yet, I had kind of hoped for some level of a conversation. It obviously did not happen. I was thrown at all sorts of bogus news and offered as authority all sorts of happless individuals, who once may even have held high esteem among medical professionals, but had lost contact to reality in issues like they thought the COVID-19 vaccine could make one magnetic and that the entire war in Ukraine could be a staged thing to cover new vaccination programs – or something. I do not blame him, if Steve got bored with us going absolutely nowhere with the “discussion” in wich the other party seemed not to read my comments and thus deleted the post, but just in case the post was deleted by some lizard people conspiracy to destroy mankind by vaccinations…
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Apparently Steve got sick and tired of the wackos posting *crap.* As you probably noticed, there seemed to be no end to their babbling.
Since this post of mine is several months old, I doubt very many others will notice the link is gone … but thanks for pointing it out.
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Yes. I do feel a bit guilty for “feeding the trolls”, altough I think they were being genuine and sincere in their beliefs. Yet, you are right in that they did not want to engage in an actual conversation, but instead simply saw an opportunity to tell the “world” about their beliefs and indeed managed to convince me, that they thought quantity of sources could replace any demands of quality for said “sources”. Anyway, even though I was getting a bit bored with them, and worried that I was dabling with disturbed individuals and possibly making their mental problems escalate, I kind of found myself curious about what the secret grand conspiracy they thought was behind everything…
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