Random Thoughts

joey con carne wrote:I just put in my vacation days for the rest of the year

December 17, 18, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31

I have to take a continuing education course on the 16th all day so I'm pretty much done with work starting on the 15th. I won't be going back into work until January 4.

joey con carne wrote:Fuck yea. This has been a hell of a year for me.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use on Friday, according to three people with knowledge of the decision who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it. The action means millions of highly vulnerable people will begin receiving the vaccine within days.

The authorization is a historic turning point in a pandemic that has taken more than 290,000 lives in the United States. With the decision, the United States becomes the sixth country — in addition to Britain, Bahrain, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Mexico — to clear the vaccine. Other authorizations, including by the European Union, are expected within weeks.

The action followed an extraordinary sequence of events on Friday morning when the White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, told the F.D.A. commissioner, Dr. Stephen Hahn, to consider looking for his next job if he didn’t get the emergency approval done on Friday, according to a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter. Dr. Hahn then ordered vaccine regulators at the agency to do it by the end of the day.

The authorization set off a complicated coordination effort from Pfizer, private shipping companies, state and local health officials, the military, hospitals and pharmacy chains to get the first week’s batch of about three million doses to health care workers and nursing home residents as quickly as possible, all while keeping the vaccine at ultracold temperatures.

Pfizer has a deal with the U.S. government to supply 100 million doses of the vaccine by next March. Under that agreement, the shots will be free to the public.

Every state, along with six major cities, has submitted to the federal government a list of locations — mostly hospitals — where the Pfizer vaccine is to ship initially. In populous Florida, the first recipients will be five hospitals, in Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Hollywood. In tiny, rural Vermont, only the University of Vermont Medical Center and a state warehouse will get supplies.

McKesson Corporation, a giant medical supplier, is sending kits of syringes, alcohol pads, face shields and other supplies to the same sites, where they will meet up with the vaccines that Pfizer is shipping in special boxes, packed with dry ice, designed to keep them at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Pfizer packaging will include a device that tracks the location of the box, plus a thermal probe that will make sure the deep freeze is maintained throughout the journey from the company’s distribution sites in Michigan and Wisconsin.

The decision is a victory for Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, which began working on the vaccine 11 months ago. Vaccines typically take years to develop. The companies’ late-stage clinical trial, which enrolled nearly 44,000 people, was found to be 95 percent effective.

An expert panel advising the F.D.A. on Thursday gave its approval of Pfizer’s vaccine for people 16 and older, and the agency was planning to release the formal authorization on Saturday. That timeline was accelerated by half a day after President Trump attacked Dr. Hahn for failing to authorize a vaccine more quickly. But the accelerated announcement was not expected to speed up the delivery of vaccines around the country.

Mr. Trump told Dr. Hahn on Twitter on Friday morning to “stop playing games and start saving lives!!!” He called the F.D.A. “a big, old, slow turtle,” flush with funds but mired in bureaucracy.

Mr. Trump has repeatedly accused the F.D.A. and the drugmakers themselves of slow-walking the approval process in order to harm him politically. Allies of Dr. Hahn have been on tenterhooks for weeks, expecting him to be fired any day.

The president wrote that with “my pushing,” the administration had shaved years off the development of vaccines. “Get the dam vaccines out NOW, Dr. Hahn,” he wrote, misspelling the expletive.

The threat to Dr. Hahn’s job was first reported by The Washington Post. In a statement, Dr. Hahn denied that Mr. Meadows told him he should consider seeking another job, calling it “an untrue representation of the phone call." Instead, Dr. Hahn said, his agency was “encouraged to continue working expeditiously.”

Even though the F.D.A. was going to approve the Pfizer vaccine in any case, some experts warned that the pressure from the White House could undermine public trust in the agency’s decision-making.

“This may actually do more harm than good, because all it will do is inject more politics into a scientific process,” said Dr. Aaron S. Kesselheim, a professor at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

A similar vaccine, developed by Moderna, is also under review by the F.D.A. and could soon be cleared for emergency use. On Friday, the federal government announced it had ordered another 100 million doses from Moderna, adding to a deal this summer for an initial supply of 100 million doses. Other vaccines, including ones developed by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, are in late-stage trials and could be authorized in the next few months.

In anticipation of the vaccine arriving across the country, Americans expressed both hope and anxiety.

Dr. Samu Queen, a physician in Portland, Ore., said her geriatric patients are especially eager to receive the vaccine. “They are all very anxious,” she said. “Pretty much everyone, at every appointment, is ready to get it.”

Dr. Queen said she was watching closely to see how initial subjects in Britain were responding. She described herself as “somewhat apprehensive about how safe it is, versus not.”

Joshua Ball, the associate executive director of Shaping Our Appalachian Region, an economic development group in eastern Kentucky, has been a primary caretaker for his father, who had a stroke earlier this year and has other health issues. During the pandemic, he has had to try and help remotely as much as possible.

A vaccine could change that. It could also allow him to go back to church, and to attend the seasonal festivals that are cultural staples for many small towns in his region.

“I miss the fellowship of shaking hands, and seeing people, and celebrating birthdays and church meals and vacation bible school,” he said.

Still, state health officials remain deeply concerned about what they describe as insufficient funding for the biggest immunization campaign the country has ever embarked on. State health officials have asked Congress for at least $8.4 billion to do the job well. But so far, they have received only about $350 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for vaccine distribution and administration tasks. Those tasks include expanding online systems to track and share information about who has been vaccinated; recruiting and training doctors, nurses and pharmacists to administer the shots; and convincing the public of the importance of getting immunized.

Supplying enough of the vaccine has also proven to be a challenge without a clear resolution. Pfizer had to scale back earlier estimates because of manufacturing setbacks, and has said it will be able to supply up to 25 million doses before the end of the year, and 100 million total vaccines by March.

This week, federal officials said that rather than using all 6.4 million doses that the government initially ordered from Pfizer to vaccinate people, it is holding back half of the supply for a booster shot to recipients three weeks after their first vaccination. But even though only about three million people will receive a vaccine in the first week, officials have held firm on their estimate that, between the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which each require two shots, they hope to give at least 20 million people their first dose of a vaccine by the end of the year.

Questions also persist about how quickly a vaccine will be available to anyone that wants one. Federal officials have said they expect to be able to vaccinate the bulk of the U.S. population by the middle of next year, but recent setbacks have challenged those estimates. Pfizer has told the federal government that it may not be able to provide an additional 100 million doses to the United States before the middle of next year because of agreements it has with other countries. And three other experimental vaccines, developed by Novavax, Sanofi and AstraZeneca, have faced delays in their clinical trials.

joey con carne wrote:This whole process is so fucked. It takes more than a few months to come up with a vaccine. I sure as hell don't trust it and I do not want to get it yet.

I had to liquidate a lot of my portfolio when I bought my house. Currently saving up again to put some back into the market. With mortgage payments, property taxes, and upkeep, it's a little bit of a slower grind but I'll get there soon.

WyldeMan wrote:I wonder who's gonna be first for their sterility shot. 

In other news, Joey how is your portfolio doing?

My Moderna stock has been fuckin killin it for me lately.

If you'll remember back in May I took position in MRNA of 250 shares at $46.72.

Today it closed at $156.93. I'm feeling pretty good about holding.

UltimateMarvel wrote:

WyldeMan wrote:I wonder who's gonna be first for their sterility shot. 

In other news, Joey how is your portfolio doing?

My Moderna stock has been fuckin killin it for me lately.

If you'll remember back in May I took position in MRNA of 250 shares at $46.72.

Today it closed at $156.93. I'm feeling pretty good about holding.

Nice! You've more than doubled your profit. I would keep holding too. Just get out when it starts to take a dive.

Are you still on cryptocurrency? I heard it was the highest it's ever been last week since 2017.

joey con carne wrote:Deebo died? Holy shit

Rusty wrote:Good to see they let him cut his hair.

Hope they don't have him doing Karate kicks though. That would be shit.

           

Jeff Bridges Cancer Update: Shaved Head, New Puppy & “Feeling Good”

The Dude definitely abides.

Jeff Bridges shared an update on his health amid his ongoing treatment for lymphoma on Monday. "Here’s the latest: Feeling good. Shaved my head. Got a puppy - Monty. Had a Birthday - 71, man," he wrote alongside a picture of him smiling with the new pup and hairstyle.

His post also pointed people to a longer update on his website, which included a shoutout for fans to support his longtime friend, musician John Goodwin, and to donate to No Kid Hungry.

The Academy Award-winning actor, who is known for his work in such films as The Big Lebowski, True Grit, and Crazy Heart, first revealed he had been diagnosed with lymphoma in October.

"As the Dude would say.. New S**T has come to light," Bridges shared at the time. "I have been diagnosed with Lymphoma. Although it is a serious disease, I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good. I’m starting treatment and will keep you posted on my recovery."

Bridges, who most recently starred in 2018's Bad Times at the El Royale, is currently in production on the FX series The Old Man, which he's also executive-producing.

joey con carne wrote:How did Supernatural end? I forgot about that shut until I saw that Walker trailer.

joey con carne wrote:That Supernatural ending sounds good. Russ, did you cry when you saw it? UM? I know you guys watched it all so I would like to know if you found that ending satisfactory.

Rusty wrote:

joey con carne wrote:That Supernatural ending sounds good. Russ, did you cry when you saw it? UM? I know you guys watched it all so I would like to know if you found that ending satisfactory.

Haha. To be honest, after 15 years, they had no choice but to end it that way. After how the storytelling devolved over the last 10 years, I had no emotional connection to the show and only stuck with it out of sheer habit.

joey con carne wrote:That Supernatural ending sounds good. Russ, did you cry when you saw it? UM? I know you guys watched it all so I would like to know if you found that ending satisfactory.

joey con carne wrote:Ugh it sucks. Lotsa snow. The guy across the street thought he was slick and shoveled out last night. Overnight it hailed and turned to freezing rain before going back go snow. Now his shit has a frozen layer and he tried to shovel that up this morning

Me? I waited til this morning and its still kinda snowing but when I put my shovel down it all came up with one scoop. The ice is on top of soft snow. Ha! I will wait til the snow stops around the afternoon before I shovel. Work smarter not harder, dawggies.

And to my neighbor? Suckaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

The US Food and Drug Administration approved an emergency use authorization for Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, clearing the way for the drug to be distributed across the country.

UltimateMarvel wrote:"She passed out after she heard the stimulus check was $600 instead of $1200." Gotta love the comments. LOL

Even if she did pass out because of the vaccine, I doubt they would tell us. If she has a condition of passing out, why did she choose to do it on live TV? You don't want to scare the people.

Also, they say there are 2 vaccines available right now (Pfizer and Moderna) and I'm not sure which one they are giving them in the video.

joey con carne wrote:And today is the 23rd anniversary of Titanic.

One tragedy and one blessing. God lights even the darkest tunnels.

WyldeMan wrote:Oh yeah, "I pass out all the time, at least once a week I try to get in a quick work nap." That's what it sounded like to me when she said she's passed out six times in six weeks.

WyldeMan wrote:I think Moderna will win out just because it doesn't require special refrigeration requirements. It makes it easier to store and transport, that's why I put my money on MDRNA when I did.

WyldeMan wrote:I'll eventually get the vaccine too but not until I let them use the rest of the population as guinea pigs.

joey con carne wrote:I cannot say I was a Chris Farley fan. I only knew his works from SNL and a few of his movies like Tommy Boy, Beverly Hills Ninja, and Wayne's World.

I did enjoy what I have seen of his work but part of me wishes he did something dramatic instead of, what I call, "fat comedy".

joey con carne wrote:I like Titanic. It was silly at times but I would go as far as to say it was a good movie. A couple parts got me right in the feelings.

UltimateMarvel wrote:I didn't know that about Moderna. You actually invested in it? It looks like it's gone down the past week.

United Airlines Passenger Dies After Lying About COVID Symptoms

A passenger on a United jet with nearly 200 others onboard was pronounced dead shortly after the pilot made an emergency landing, and it's almost certain the man had COVID.

It's gotta be terrifying for the other passengers ... the man was on the plane shaking and sweating, as the jet was making its way from Orlando to L.A. The situation became so dire the pilot made an emergency landing in New Orleans. Medics performed CPR on the man, to no avail. He died at a local hospital.

Now here's the scary part .... a United spokesperson tells TMZ the passenger declared he was not diagnosed with COVID and had no COVID-related symptoms. That apparently was not true ... the spokesperson says during the emergency the man's wife was overheard saying her husband did indeed have COVID-related symptoms, including loss of taste and smell.

The incident occurred last Monday, and the CDC is now scrambling to contact the 179 passengers who were onboard.

Word to the wise ... intentionally coughing into a crowded elevator can result in bodily harm -- as proven in this surveillance footage of said cougher catching an ass-whooping.

This video's crazy ... the pandemonium started when a man tried to get into an elevator car that already had 3 passengers. Someone inside appeared to signal to the fourth guy to wait for another ride ... 'cause in a pandemic, three's definitely a crowd.

He initially seemed okay with waiting, but as the doors began to close ... he hopped onboard, and tempers started to flare. The 4th wheel guy started getting the business, verbally, from another passenger -- but decided to respond by pulling down his face mask and intentionally coughing.

That's what ya call the last straw, and as soon as the elevator doors opened again ... the brawl was on!!! The cougher got beat down, and dragged out of the elevator ... where he was forced to wait for another one to arrive.

Probably what he should have done in the first place.

As we've seen over the last 9 months -- keep your coughing to yourself, whether it's on people, or even grocery produce.

Rusty wrote:Loved Chris Farley

UltimateMarvel wrote:Wait......I don't get it. Was that at me or is it a random post? lol

Rusty wrote:

UltimateMarvel wrote:Wait......I don't get it. Was that at me or is it a random post? lol

haha. It's just a random post relative to the date.