Thanksgiving 2020

[Starfox]

Which government may I ask ?...

Australian, my folks live there. In fact the state they live in just had a minor breakout of cases(less than the number of cases in my small village here) and the whole state went on lockdown immediately.
The country has taken the elimination approach and it has, for the most part worked.
The country can have sporting events with spectators and as long as the run of no community transmission continues there will be no need to cancel Christmas.

The rate we are going overr here I doubt there will be a Christmas next year too. At least one I can spend with my family. The kids are growing up fast, still kids now but it´s starting to look as if they´ll be teens the next time they see their grand parents.

 

[AlainK]

Australian, my folks live there.

OK. I think islands like Australia or New Zealand can cope with the virus better than we do here in Europe or the US : we've got "open borders" so it's more difficult to tackle the problem than in countries with wide open spaces with a low density of population. When drastic measures are taken, it must be easier to contain the spread of the virus, though I'm well aware that there are larghe cities or connubations even in Australia that can be compared to Paris or New-York.

What I really don't understand is the very low percentage of French people, compared to the rest of the European population, ready to take a vaccine when it's available. I thought our people was the most "enlighted" on earth...

Fake news. Stupidity has no borders in the time of "social" media.

 

[Starfox]

OK. I think islands like Australia or New Zealand can cope with the virus better than we do here in Europe or the US : we've got "open borders"

Largely nonsense, how open are these borders now?
I can´t come to France you can´t come to Spain at the moment, each country is in control of their own borders and right now they are largely shut throughout, but it´s easy enough to keep them open for trade reasons and logistics. I can´t even go to a neighbouring community like Murcia or Catalonia, not that I´d want to given there is a global pandemic and it´s time people should act like it. Even China would serve as an example of a very large, high density country that has got things under control. Same as many high density Asian countries, even some African ones.

The evidence is clear, after the first lockdown way back in March by June the numbers dropped to practically zero here in Spain. It worked but then the EU leaders had their little pow wow on the 27th and decided to live with it and open things back up which was the exact opposite of what should of been done and it was almost to the day that marked the start of cases rising again for this second wave. Now we all have these half arsed restrictions, border closures and curfews which will not work in the same way and should of been implemented as soon as those numbers did reach zero. By now we could all be back to something approaching normal. But we wont because now there is space for you in the ICU . We will come out of this latest round of restrictions just in time for Christmas and by Februray we´ll be in the midst of a monster 3rd wave. Rinse and repeat.

So there we are, it is what it is. What should of already been done wont ever be done. All of ourselves and our families will have to run the gauntlet until a vaccine is out and I will never, ever forget that or those who put my family at risk.

What I really don't understand is the very low percentage of French people, compared to the rest of the European population, ready to take a vaccine when it's available. I thought our people was the most "enlighted" on earth...

Fake news. Stupidity has no borders in the time of "social" media.

You´re not alone there.

Just 24% of Spaniards would get Covid vaccine as soon as possible

According to a survey carried out by 40dB for EL PAÍS, four in every 10 people in Spain believe there is a conspiracy behind the vaccinations

english.elpais.com

 

[AlainK]

Even China would serve as an example of a very large, high density country that has got things under control.

I understand. But would you like to live in a country like China, with all the restrictions that go with a totalitarian state ?

It's the limit between "collective responsability" and "Big Brother decides for you".

Are totalitarian systems more prone to reduce the spread of viruses, and if so, should we support totalitarian systems ?

I don't think so. I think we can find another way out of this mess.

It means truth, believing in science, acting for the majority of people, rich or poor. The total opposite of (...)

The total opposite of bigots of all nations supporting crooks like in Poland, Hungary, Turkey, etc., countries where I have friends who could he hanged one day because of religion.

All religious politicians are criminals-to-be.

"No master, no god" :

 

[Paradox]

I can certainly understand the disappointment of not being able to get together this year.
I think we all need to try and step back from what our heart wants and think about the implications of this.
This disease is insidious in that you can be carrying it around without even knowing it and infecting others.
Anyone outside your own immediate household is both a risk and at risk.

I have a 86 year old mother and a 69 year old sister. I have not gone to visit them since last year.
I can not express how devistated I would be if I went to visit them and gave them this virus and one or both of them died because of my carelessness.

We sometimes have to do things that we dont like because it is better for those we love.
It is simply because I love them that I wont go visit them until we have COVID truely under control and hope we have the ability to get together without worry when that happens.

 

[AlainK]

Largely nonsense, how open are these borders now?
I can´t come to France you can´t come to Spain at the moment,

I used to work for a season in a ski resort when in my early twenties. There were trails, and even lifts (on my payroll, my function was "perchman" LOL)

The guy I was working with was a local, his father had a hole in his left ear, the mark of a bullet from the customs officers, or the police, or the gestapo, well, he was a smuggler. Borders were closed then, and you could risk your life trying to cross them. That was in the Alps.

It's the same with the Pyreneans, where one of my sons live now (20 miles from Catalunya) : as long as people can weigh the price between risk and profit, they'll take their decision.

It is simply because I love them that I wont go visit them until we have COVID truely under control and hope we have the ability to get together without worry when that happens.

That makes sense.

I see images on TV of people who yell "count", or "stop counting". How can these people be outbrained like that ?

 

[Carol 83]

I can certainly understand the disappointment of not being able to get together this year.
I think we all need to try and step back from what our heart wants and think about the implications of this.
This disease is insidious in that you can be carrying it around without even knowing it and infecting others.
Anyone outside your own immediate household is both a risk and at risk.

I have a 86 year old mother and a 69 year old sister. I have not gone to visit them since last year.
I can not express how devistated I would be if I went to visit them and gave them this virus and one or both of them died because of my carelessness.

We sometimes have to do things that we dont like because it is better for those we love.
It is simply because I love them that I wont go visit them until we have COVID truely under control and hope we have the ability to get together without worry when that happens.

Well said Sandy. I miss the hugs I used to get from my son, but I know he is trying to protect me, just in case. And he has forbid us (as if he could, lol) to have people over. But out of love.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

I hear all of you in my heart.

There are so many similar stories playing out across the world this year. Thankfully we haven’t lost anyone this year.

Just luck, masking up throughout the family and hunkering down a lot. My main mask is a Seahawks one that my wife made me and I proudly wear it whether they lose or not.

Yet my Bonsai skills have improved a lot and I now know a lot more of my neighbors, even blocks away since they all walk by for exercise.

Once of our daughters is a doctor in the Detroit area and caught the virus in her hospital. Got pretty sick. She’s back at work. Another is a doctor in the Phoenix area. She hasn’t gotten it yet, despite multiple exposures. Luckily, despite the reused PPE that should of been able to be readily replaced and available. We have our fingers crossed for her.

Like @Paradox I’ve got elderly parents, in their 90’s I’ve not seen in a year. My Mom is a retired nurse in TN and won’t let any of us visit.

The story goes on for all of us, in every place all around

Our Thanksgiving will be one of hope, just us together, but never alone with family and friends in our hearts and safe. We hope you all are too!

This is a situation that could unite all of us, I so hope.

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Carol 83]

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving, whatever that looks like for you this year. Just the three of us here, so we're just deep frying a turkey breast instead of doing the giant turkey. But all the traditional sides, just to make it seem somewhat festive. We'll probably be eating it for a week! Stay safe and healthy!

 

[AZbonsai]

Happy Thanksgiving folks. Hang in there it will get better!