Northam’s New Rules. Worse Than the Old Ones

by Kerry Dougherty

I missed Gov. Ralph Northam’s Thursday presser. But I heard and read all about it.

Two things stand out: First, his idiotic curfew is simply the action of a little man attempting to flex his muscles for a populace that is growing weary of his arbitrary and capricious rules. Second, this secular leader is dancing dangerously close to telling Virginians how to worship.

Careful, there, Ralph.

As usual, Northam’s edicts had nothing to do with science or data, despite his insistence that he was being guided by both.

Will someone please tell this man that simply saying “science” over and over doesn’t make it so. While you’re at it, tell Joe Biden too.

Just as there was no science behind Northam’s order several weeks ago to slap masks on the little faces of 5-year-olds and there was zero science behind his punitive order that limited the number of spectators to 250 at football games in stadiums that hold more than 60,000, there is no science behind his new curfews.

Yet Northam sternly ordered us to stay home between midnight and 5 am.

Just because he can.

In fact, when asked what led him to this latest infringement on the rights of Virginians, Northam glibly parroted something his parents used to say when he was a naughty teenager.

“Nothing good happens after midnight,” he replied, according to The Roanoke Times. 

Seriously? That’s the best he could do? Why should any of us pay attention to this man’s foolish bromides?

Even if you never venture out after midnight, you should be infuriated by a government official ordering you to stay in your home. We are not children in need of a bedtime. We are adults, Northam works for us and he insults the intelligence of Virginians every time he calls a press conference and enacts some nutty new rule.

There’s more.

Newsweek reports that Northam then blamed churches for the spread of Covid:

“Northam told reporters that while most places of worship have implemented safety measures, the ones that have not have contributed to a rise in coronavirus cases.

‘Quite frankly, we know that a lot of the spread is coming from this because individuals that are in places of worship and contract the virus then go out to their place of work, or to the grocery store or convenience store, and that’s how it spreads,’ he said.

He asked worshippers to think about attending indoor services, saying that ‘you don’t have to sit in a church pew for God to hear you.’

‘This year we need to think about what is truly the most important thing. Is it the worship or the building? For me, God is wherever you are.’”

Thank you for the sermon, Rev. Northam, but how dare a secular public government official tell Virginians that they needn’t go to church to be close to God.

Frankly, this fervent supporter of abortion is the last person in Virginia who ought to be lecturing us on what the Good Lord wants.

Stay in your lane, Governor. You’re way out of line.


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102 responses to “Northam’s New Rules. Worse Than the Old Ones”

  1. I happen to belong to an astronomy club, where we go out to select mountaintops to observe with telescopes and cameras overnite. Personally I am not very active, but some of the folks go out often especially clear nights. Suffice it to say my list-serve inbox is full of emails from sad amateur astronomers. They have to be home by midnight and we are limited to 10 on a mountaintop.

    2020 was a big year in the sky, I did go out in July we had Comet NEOWISE, then we had close approach of Mars, couple smaller comets in recent weeks, and the historic Jupiter/Saturn conjunction right about now.

    Turns out amateur astronomers are verbose, so my inbox is often full anyways.

    1. James Wyatt Whitehead V Avatar
      James Wyatt Whitehead V

      I went up to the top of Red Oak Mountain in Rappahannock County this summer to get a good look at Neowise. I was blown away. Covid had reduced summer time pollution greatly and the night sky was never more clear. Can’t remember the last time I saw the Milky Way in this area. Neowise was crystal clear with the naked eye. Don’t miss the Jupiter Saturn conjunction on December 21!

      1. LarrytheG Avatar

        There was a lot less “particulate matter” ? 😉

  2. I happen to belong to an astronomy club, where we go out to select mountaintops to observe with telescopes and cameras overnite. Personally I am not very active, but some of the folks go out often especially clear nights. Suffice it to say my list-serve inbox is full of emails from sad amateur astronomers. They have to be home by midnight and we are limited to 10 on a mountaintop.

    2020 was a big year in the sky, I did go out in July we had Comet NEOWISE, then we had close approach of Mars, couple smaller comets in recent weeks, and the historic Jupiter/Saturn conjunction right about now.

    Turns out amateur astronomers are verbose, so my inbox is often full anyways.

    1. James Wyatt Whitehead V Avatar
      James Wyatt Whitehead V

      I went up to the top of Red Oak Mountain in Rappahannock County this summer to get a good look at Neowise. I was blown away. Covid had reduced summer time pollution greatly and the night sky was never more clear. Can’t remember the last time I saw the Milky Way in this area. Neowise was crystal clear with the naked eye. Don’t miss the Jupiter Saturn conjunction on December 21!

      1. LarrytheG Avatar

        There was a lot less “particulate matter” ? 😉

  3. Peter Galuszka Avatar
    Peter Galuszka

    What does abortion have to do with controlling the pandemic?

  4. Peter Galuszka Avatar
    Peter Galuszka

    What does abortion have to do with controlling the pandemic?

  5. LarrytheG Avatar

    I think part of Northams problem is “style”:

    ” Governor Hogan Announces New Restrictions for Maryland Restaurants, Hospitals, and Churches”

    Northam can’t seem to keep from stepping in it sometimes.

    1. James Wyatt Whitehead V Avatar
      James Wyatt Whitehead V

      Is this Q code speak?

      1. LarrytheG Avatar

        Well it means both Hogan and Northam announce restrictions that affects churches but Hogan does it in a way that is harder to attack him for singling churches out and Northam does it in a way that makes it easy to attack him for singling churches out.

        That’s one of DJ’s complaints – style.

        1. James Wyatt Whitehead V Avatar
          James Wyatt Whitehead V

          I was talking about an endless line of letters and numbers that are now gone from the post. Looks like you fixed something.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar

            tried to post an image but it was not a jpg or gif and it goofed up.

        2. djrippert Avatar

          Hogan believes the science and uses the facts to justify his decisions. Many Marylanders disagree with him but they are confronted with the need to refute his facts and figures in their disagreement. Northam is a remnant of the Byrd Machine – he considers himself entitled (presumably by God) to make arbitrary and capricious decisions with no more of a rationale than “nothing good happens after midnight”. The man is a clod.

    2. djrippert Avatar

      Hogan links data and science to his decisions. He is not a member of Virginia’s Plantation Elite and does not believe that God conferred upon him divine powers of insight.

      Northam’s problem is not “style”. His arrogant, condescending plantation elite mentality means that he is beholden to nobody and nothing. Not to the voters and not to the “science” the bobblehead constantly invokes but only in the abstract.

      1. LarrytheG Avatar

        You say that but what exactly is Northam doing MORE restrictive than Hogan?

  6. LarrytheG Avatar

    I think part of Northams problem is “style”:

    ” Governor Hogan Announces New Restrictions for Maryland Restaurants, Hospitals, and Churches”

    Northam can’t seem to keep from stepping in it sometimes.

    1. James Wyatt Whitehead V Avatar
      James Wyatt Whitehead V

      Is this Q code speak?

      1. LarrytheG Avatar

        Well it means both Hogan and Northam announce restrictions that affects churches but Hogan does it in a way that is harder to attack him for singling churches out and Northam does it in a way that makes it easy to attack him for singling churches out.

        That’s one of DJ’s complaints – style.

        1. djrippert Avatar

          Hogan believes the science and uses the facts to justify his decisions. Many Marylanders disagree with him but they are confronted with the need to refute his facts and figures in their disagreement. Northam is a remnant of the Byrd Machine – he considers himself entitled (presumably by God) to make arbitrary and capricious decisions with no more of a rationale than “nothing good happens after midnight”. The man is a clod.

        2. James Wyatt Whitehead V Avatar
          James Wyatt Whitehead V

          I was talking about an endless line of letters and numbers that are now gone from the post. Looks like you fixed something.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar

            tried to post an image but it was not a jpg or gif and it goofed up.

    2. djrippert Avatar

      Hogan links data and science to his decisions. He is not a member of Virginia’s Plantation Elite and does not believe that God conferred upon him divine powers of insight.

      Northam’s problem is not “style”. His arrogant, condescending plantation elite mentality means that he is beholden to nobody and nothing. Not to the voters and not to the “science” the bobblehead constantly invokes but only in the abstract.

      1. LarrytheG Avatar

        You say that but what exactly is Northam doing MORE restrictive than Hogan?

  7. Steve Haner Avatar
    Steve Haner

    Come on, am I the only one who noticed it means no Midnight Mass or other midnight service on Christmas morning and no New Year’s Eve parties that last past midnight? Actually, Kerry had noted in advance the other states that had a curfew and predicted Northam would impose one in solidarity. I think that is what this was, lining up with the other governors….but he didn’t go to 10 pm like some of them.

    1. LarrytheG Avatar

      Then why does Kerry keep targetting Northam like he is outside the norm?

      We have had a long standing tradition of getting together with a group of friends for New Years – maybe 15 or so but this year, a month or more ago, we knew it was going to be a no-go and it had nothing to do with Northam and everything to do with common-sense. The group voted – and it was unanimous and the group is 1/2 liberal and 1/2 conservative.

      1. Steve Haner Avatar
        Steve Haner

        Since things relaxed earlier this year, he has yet to impose a single rule that impacts me one little bit. Things are plugging right along at the gym (nicely spaced crowd today), and we’ve been avoiding inside restaurant dining anyway (but buying plenty of takeout). Northam and COVID restrictions has a strong parallel with those congressmen who signed that hopeless SCOTUS case — constituents demand you DO something! So they do. I watch Cuomo and Murphy and Newsom and Northam looks pretty moderate.

        1. djrippert Avatar

          You say moderate, I say capricious. His orders don’t have any material impact. As you say, ” … he has yet to impose a single rule that impacts me one little bit.” Restrictions that don’t impact people don’t impact the disease either. There are only two conclusions:

          1. He doesn’t care about the spike in cases and deaths in Virginia.
          2. Despite being a lame duck he lacks the courage to simply admit that he’s going to let it play out until the vaccines are distributed.

      2. Your story actually supports the philosophy that government covid restrictions should be minimal. Unless of course you are trying to claim that you and your friends are the only people in the Virginia with common sense.

  8. Steve Haner Avatar
    Steve Haner

    Come on, am I the only one who noticed it means no Midnight Mass or other midnight service on Christmas morning and no New Year’s Eve parties that last past midnight? Actually, Kerry had noted in advance the other states that had a curfew and predicted Northam would impose one in solidarity. I think that is what this was, lining up with the other governors….but he didn’t go to 10 pm like some of them.

    1. LarrytheG Avatar

      Then why does Kerry keep targetting Northam like he is outside the norm?

      We have had a long standing tradition of getting together with a group of friends for New Years – maybe 15 or so but this year, a month or more ago, we knew it was going to be a no-go and it had nothing to do with Northam and everything to do with common-sense. The group voted – and it was unanimous and the group is 1/2 liberal and 1/2 conservative.

      1. Steve Haner Avatar
        Steve Haner

        Since things relaxed earlier this year, he has yet to impose a single rule that impacts me one little bit. Things are plugging right along at the gym (nicely spaced crowd today), and we’ve been avoiding inside restaurant dining anyway (but buying plenty of takeout). Northam and COVID restrictions has a strong parallel with those congressmen who signed that hopeless SCOTUS case — constituents demand you DO something! So they do. I watch Cuomo and Murphy and Newsom and Northam looks pretty moderate.

        1. djrippert Avatar

          You say moderate, I say capricious. His orders don’t have any material impact. As you say, ” … he has yet to impose a single rule that impacts me one little bit.” Restrictions that don’t impact people don’t impact the disease either. There are only two conclusions:

          1. He doesn’t care about the spike in cases and deaths in Virginia.
          2. Despite being a lame duck he lacks the courage to simply admit that he’s going to let it play out until the vaccines are distributed.

      2. Your story actually supports the philosophy that government covid restrictions should be minimal. Unless of course you are trying to claim that you and your friends are the only people in the Virginia with common sense.

  9. Peter Galuszka Avatar
    Peter Galuszka

    Northam is moderate on this issue. Some people ignore what happens outside of this state.

    1. Steve Haner Avatar
      Steve Haner

      I think he is grossly exceeding his lawful authority, but the General Assembly finally did come to town and refused to clip his wings. Cowards. That was a tacit endorsement.

    2. djrippert Avatar

      Moderate = illiterate or dishonest. I’m keenly aware of what goes on outside of this state. Here’s a simple yes or no question for NoPlan Northam – is the resurgence a real problem in Virginia? If so, he needs to do a lot more than he is doing. If not, why the parade of useless restrictions?

      I think he’s so far over his head he can’t see the surface of the water when he looks up. He’d rather play politics by dangling ineffective restrictions in an effort to keep the lefties happy while avoiding any real actions to preserve some level of endorsement among the righties.

      How many times have I heard the liberals on this blog screech like horned owls about the “Republican governors” refusing to take strong actions to corral the virus? Where is that same criticism of NoPlan Northam as cases, hospitalizations and deaths spike in Virginia?

      On December 10 Virginia recorded 54 COVID deaths. The record from this spring was 57 on May 28. If it was necessary to close indoor dining in May why is it unnecessary now? Did Random Ralphie screw up in May or is he screwing up now?

      All I hear is the silence of limousine liberalism.

      1. LarrytheG Avatar

        did you read that Virginia has the 8th lowest rate of spread – even lower than Maryland?

        Is that Dumb luck or some of the things that Northam as done?

        1. djrippert Avatar

          Dumb luck, timing and questionable data recording and reporting. On Sept 15 Virginia reported 96 COVID deaths. The only thing we know for sure is that Virginia didn’t suffer 96 COVID deaths on Sept 15. It was chalked up as a “data error”. Who knows whether the data being reported is accurate. It certainly wasn’t accurate on Sept 15.

          Steve Haner has commented on the timing of the spread. At one point last spring West Virginia was the last US state to be COVID free. No more.

          We’ll know where Virginia stands only when this is all over.

          However, if you think Northam has reacted properly to the recent resurgence you must believe he over-reacted to the original spread. We now have higher case rates than in the spring and ever closing death rates. Last spring Northam closed schools across the state, banned indoor dining, closed gyms, etc. Now he has instituted a curfew between midnight and 5am.

          Was he right then or is he right now?

          Meanwhile, Texas – long the subject of liberal rants has a 7 day case rate per 100,000 of 40.2. Virginia stands at 45. Are you telling me that all the liberal criticism of Texas was wrong all along? California, on the other hand, imposed extensive restrictions and now stands with a case rate per 100,000 of 75.8 (over the last 7 days). Did their mask mandate, social distancing requirements and other liberal-led restrictions fail?

          When you argue that Northam is doing the right things in the face of record cases you are essentially arguing that the Republican governors were right all along because Northam is really doing nothing.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar

            geezy peezy – is this about Northam and the plantation elite or liberals or what?

            I’m no big lover of Northam but I also don’t think he is the devil incarnate either.

            It’s not like he has done nothing – hells bells – the critics have been all over him including you and not to mention Kerry and others.

            And what he has done – compare than to Hogan or other Govs.

            Did he restrict MORE or LESS or about the same?

            He’s no Cuomo, Hogan or Kristi Noem for sure…

            you got a bug up your you know what on Northam… no?

    3. I actually do write about what goes on in other states but as a Virginian, I write more about my own governor. And I agree, Cuomo, Whitmer and Newsom are appalling. Bacon’s Rebellion focuses on Virginia and those are the posts James graciously reprints here.

  10. Peter Galuszka Avatar
    Peter Galuszka

    Northam is moderate on this issue. Some people ignore what happens outside of this state.

    1. Steve Haner Avatar
      Steve Haner

      I think he is grossly exceeding his lawful authority, but the General Assembly finally did come to town and refused to clip his wings. Cowards. That was a tacit endorsement.

    2. djrippert Avatar

      Moderate = illiterate or dishonest. I’m keenly aware of what goes on outside of this state. Here’s a simple yes or no question for NoPlan Northam – is the resurgence a real problem in Virginia? If so, he needs to do a lot more than he is doing. If not, why the parade of useless restrictions?

      I think he’s so far over his head he can’t see the surface of the water when he looks up. He’d rather play politics by dangling ineffective restrictions in an effort to keep the lefties happy while avoiding any real actions to preserve some level of endorsement among the righties.

      How many times have I heard the liberals on this blog screech like horned owls about the “Republican governors” refusing to take strong actions to corral the virus? Where is that same criticism of NoPlan Northam as cases, hospitalizations and deaths spike in Virginia?

      On December 10 Virginia recorded 54 COVID deaths. The record from this spring was 57 on May 28. If it was necessary to close indoor dining in May why is it unnecessary now? Did Random Ralphie screw up in May or is he screwing up now?

      All I hear is the silence of limousine liberalism.

      1. LarrytheG Avatar

        did you read that Virginia has the 8th lowest rate of spread – even lower than Maryland?

        Is that Dumb luck or some of the things that Northam as done?

        1. djrippert Avatar

          Dumb luck, timing and questionable data recording and reporting. On Sept 15 Virginia reported 96 COVID deaths. The only thing we know for sure is that Virginia didn’t suffer 96 COVID deaths on Sept 15. It was chalked up as a “data error”. Who knows whether the data being reported is accurate. It certainly wasn’t accurate on Sept 15.

          Steve Haner has commented on the timing of the spread. At one point last spring West Virginia was the last US state to be COVID free. No more.

          We’ll know where Virginia stands only when this is all over.

          However, if you think Northam has reacted properly to the recent resurgence you must believe he over-reacted to the original spread. We now have higher case rates than in the spring and ever closing death rates. Last spring Northam closed schools across the state, banned indoor dining, closed gyms, etc. Now he has instituted a curfew between midnight and 5am.

          Was he right then or is he right now?

          Meanwhile, Texas – long the subject of liberal rants has a 7 day case rate per 100,000 of 40.2. Virginia stands at 45. Are you telling me that all the liberal criticism of Texas was wrong all along? California, on the other hand, imposed extensive restrictions and now stands with a case rate per 100,000 of 75.8 (over the last 7 days). Did their mask mandate, social distancing requirements and other liberal-led restrictions fail?

          When you argue that Northam is doing the right things in the face of record cases you are essentially arguing that the Republican governors were right all along because Northam is really doing nothing.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar

            geezy peezy – is this about Northam and the plantation elite or liberals or what?

            I’m no big lover of Northam but I also don’t think he is the devil incarnate either.

            It’s not like he has done nothing – hells bells – the critics have been all over him including you and not to mention Kerry and others.

            And what he has done – compare than to Hogan or other Govs.

            Did he restrict MORE or LESS or about the same?

            He’s no Cuomo, Hogan or Kristi Noem for sure…

            you got a bug up your you know what on Northam… no?

    3. I actually do write about what goes on in other states but as a Virginian, I write more about my own governor. And I agree, Cuomo, Whitmer and Newsom are appalling. Bacon’s Rebellion focuses on Virginia and those are the posts James graciously reprints here.

  11. LarrytheG Avatar

    re: lawful authority –

    Does the Governor (of any state) – have the right to restrict a person who has an infectious disease that puts others at risk?

    Take infectious diseases other than COVID – like tuberculosis or ebola, or other disease. Does the Govt have the legal authority to restrict such people? Would you want that person in the gym or preparing your takeout food?

    1. “Does the Governor (of any state) – have the right (sic) to restrict a person who has an infectious disease that puts others at risk?”

      The governor (or more accurately, the state government) may very well have the power to restrict the activities of a person who has an infectious disease, but he/they does/do not have the power to treat EVERYBODY as if they are a such a person.

      1. LarrytheG Avatar

        true . But if one agrees the State does have authority on public health issues, it becomes a matter of what restrictions for what risks.

        Hogan of Md says: “Wear the Damn Mask”. is he overstepping?

      2. Nancy_Naive Avatar
        Nancy_Naive

        “Does the Governor (of any state) – have the right (sic) to restrict a person (sick) who has an infectious disease that puts others at risk?”

        1. Nicely done!

          1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
            Nancy_Naive

            There is humor in a eulogy if you look for it.

  12. LarrytheG Avatar

    re: lawful authority –

    Does the Governor (of any state) – have the right to restrict a person who has an infectious disease that puts others at risk?

    Take infectious diseases other than COVID – like tuberculosis or ebola, or other disease. Does the Govt have the legal authority to restrict such people? Would you want that person in the gym or preparing your takeout food?

    1. “Does the Governor (of any state) – have the right (sic) to restrict a person who has an infectious disease that puts others at risk?”

      The governor (or more accurately, the state government) may very well have the power to restrict the activities of a person who has an infectious disease, but he/they does/do not have the power to treat EVERYBODY as if they are a such a person.

      1. LarrytheG Avatar

        true . But if one agrees the State does have authority on public health issues, it becomes a matter of what restrictions for what risks.

        Hogan of Md says: “Wear the Damn Mask”. is he overstepping?

      2. Nancy_Naive Avatar
        Nancy_Naive

        “Does the Governor (of any state) – have the right (sic) to restrict a person (sick) who has an infectious disease that puts others at risk?”

        1. Nicely done!

          1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
            Nancy_Naive

            There is humor in a eulogy if you look for it.

  13. fromthefuture Avatar
    fromthefuture

    “First, his idiotic curfew is simply the action of a little man attempting to flex his muscles for a populace that is growing weary of his arbitrary and capricious rules.”

    No, we grow weary of bullshit spewed by this writer.

    1. djrippert Avatar

      For your own benefit … here’s a hint – if you want to post anonymously you should probably use a different name and picture for your Gravitar ID than you use for your GitHub Account.

    2. And yet you continue to read “this writer.” You’re a fan.

      1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
        Nancy_Naive

        Define “fan”.

      2. fromthefuture Avatar
        fromthefuture

        Hardly. You just happen to be on these RW blogs in Virginia. Got to keep up with the other side. Your posts are just laughable.

  14. fromthefuture Avatar
    fromthefuture

    “First, his idiotic curfew is simply the action of a little man attempting to flex his muscles for a populace that is growing weary of his arbitrary and capricious rules.”

    No, we grow weary of bullshit spewed by this writer.

    1. djrippert Avatar

      For your own benefit … here’s a hint – if you want to post anonymously you should probably use a different name and picture for your Gravitar ID than you use for your GitHub Account.

    2. And yet you continue to read “this writer.” You’re a fan.

      1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
        Nancy_Naive

        Define “fan”.

      2. fromthefuture Avatar
        fromthefuture

        Hardly. You just happen to be on these RW blogs in Virginia. Got to keep up with the other side. Your posts are just laughable.

  15. What’s the point of a curfew?

    Is the governor privy to information which indicates that the virus spreads more readily during the hours between midnight and 5:00 a.m.? If so, he should present this information to the public instead of repeating trite old clichés such as: “Nothing good happens after midnight”.

    “Nothing good ever happens after midnight” is something you tell your teenaged daughter when she starts dating, it should not be the basis for public policy.

    This far I have not criticized the governor very much or very often for his handling of the covid situation – it cannot be easy to manage such a crisis for an entire state. However, I think he has “gone off the rails” a bit by implementing a curfew.

    1. djrippert Avatar

      The only point of a curfew is to end some New Year’s Eve parties early. If the bars are closed by 10 who is out between 12 and 5? I’ve been out coming home from or going to airports during those times. Social distancing is very easy.

  16. TooManyTaxes Avatar
    TooManyTaxes

    When does the “immediate emergency” end, such that government must go back to normal and not operate almost solely by executive order? Could FDR have governed by executive order during all of WWII? How about during the Depression (March 4, 2933 through December 7, 1941)?

    And think about some of the actions taken by presidents during times of trouble. Lincoln suspending the right of habeus corpus. Wilson taking over the railroads and cracking down on dissidents. FDR’s wholesale movement of Japanese-Americans from the West Coast to interior impoundment camps.

    1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
      Nancy_Naive

      70% inoculated with both, if ncessary, doses.

      1. Steve Haner Avatar
        Steve Haner

        Uh, 70% of those who haven’t already had the disease or who don’t have innate immunity being vaccinated. We’ll actually get there quicker than many realize. Gottlieb states close to 30% in the US have either had it, or had enough exposure to develop antibodies. I accept that. The Governor getting a shot is nice PR, but he as a recovered patient should fall behind others on the list.

        1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
          Nancy_Naive

          Yeah but… we don’t really KNOW about those 30%. That needle in the arm is certain. You’re right, of course, 70 to 75% is the minimum needed for “herd immunity” and a large number have had the disease. 15M confirmed, so maybe 45M additional unconfirmed and you’re at 17 or 18% now.

          It’s entirely conceivable with millions of the most susceptible inoculated that by April that the hospitalizations drops like a stone. And that’s all that is needed. We’ll still lose a lot of people in 2021, but more like the flu than 5x it.

        2. Nancy_Naive Avatar
          Nancy_Naive

          Not entirely PR. It’s eating the red berries. Monkey see, monkey do.

          BTW, I wasn’t kidding about Archer Daniels Midland being a contributor to the mortality rate. I’ve eliminated my teaspoon of sugar in my coffee.

          I also learned to shop for food. More fresh and frozen, and read the ingredients. The ingredients labeling is on the producer. There is no such requirement on the packagers.

          The packager can buy a product in bulk, and label the product “No Sugar Added” if they, the packager, did not add sugar, but if the producer added sugar then the ingredients list must label it.

          Happens all of the time.

  17. fromthefuture Avatar
    fromthefuture

    And I use the same handle on twitter!

    1. djrippert Avatar

      Works for me if it works for you. Given you have a GitHub account I figured you either didn’t care or it was an oversight.

      1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
        Nancy_Naive

        Or… that too is an alias. Take me for example. My hotmail, established in 1997, is linked to an aliased Yahoo! account established with a temporary military email from NRL for vistors.

        Now, of course, a NSA secretary could break my cover, or a good IT trained person with some hack skills, but the average poke and hoper ain’t going any further than a batch assigned IP.

        I used to use Tor on top of all that, but I’ve softened. There are too many pyschos out there to say what you want without the internet version of body armor.

  18. fromthefuture Avatar
    fromthefuture

    And I use the same handle on twitter!

    1. djrippert Avatar

      Works for me if it works for you. Given you have a GitHub account I figured you either didn’t care or it was an oversight.

      1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
        Nancy_Naive

        Or… that too is an alias. Take me for example. My hotmail, established in 1997, is linked to an aliased Yahoo! account established with a temporary military email from NRL for vistors.

        Now, of course, a NSA secretary could break my cover, or a good IT trained person with some hack skills, but the average poke and hoper ain’t going any further than a batch assigned IP.

        I used to use Tor on top of all that, but I’ve softened. There are too many pyschos out there to say what you want without the internet version of body armor.

  19. What’s the point of a curfew?

    Is the governor privy to information which indicates that the virus spreads more readily during the hours between midnight and 5:00 a.m.? If so, he should present this information to the public instead of repeating trite old clichés such as: “Nothing good happens after midnight”.

    “Nothing good ever happens after midnight” is something you tell your teenaged daughter when she starts dating, it should not be the basis for public policy.

    This far I have not criticized the governor very much or very often for his handling of the covid situation – it cannot be easy to manage such a crisis for an entire state. However, I think he has “gone off the rails” a bit by implementing a curfew.

    1. djrippert Avatar

      The only point of a curfew is to end some New Year’s Eve parties early. If the bars are closed by 10 who is out between 12 and 5? I’ve been out coming home from or going to airports during those times. Social distancing is very easy.

  20. TooManyTaxes Avatar
    TooManyTaxes

    When does the “immediate emergency” end, such that government must go back to normal and not operate almost solely by executive order? Could FDR have governed by executive order during all of WWII? How about during the Depression (March 4, 2933 through December 7, 1941)?

    And think about some of the actions taken by presidents during times of trouble. Lincoln suspending the right of habeus corpus. Wilson taking over the railroads and cracking down on dissidents. FDR’s wholesale movement of Japanese-Americans from the West Coast to interior impoundment camps.

    1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
      Nancy_Naive

      70% inoculated with both, if ncessary, doses.

      1. Steve Haner Avatar
        Steve Haner

        Uh, 70% of those who haven’t already had the disease or who don’t have innate immunity being vaccinated. We’ll actually get there quicker than many realize. Gottlieb states close to 30% in the US have either had it, or had enough exposure to develop antibodies. I accept that. The Governor getting a shot is nice PR, but he as a recovered patient should fall behind others on the list.

        1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
          Nancy_Naive

          Yeah but… we don’t really KNOW about those 30%. That needle in the arm is certain. You’re right, of course, 70 to 75% is the minimum needed for “herd immunity” and a large number have had the disease. 15M confirmed, so maybe 45M additional unconfirmed and you’re at 17 or 18% now.

          It’s entirely conceivable with millions of the most susceptible inoculated that by April that the hospitalizations drops like a stone. And that’s all that is needed. We’ll still lose a lot of people in 2021, but more like the flu than 5x it.

        2. Nancy_Naive Avatar
          Nancy_Naive

          Not entirely PR. It’s eating the red berries. Monkey see, monkey do.

          BTW, I wasn’t kidding about Archer Daniels Midland being a contributor to the mortality rate. I’ve eliminated my teaspoon of sugar in my coffee.

          I also learned to shop for food. More fresh and frozen, and read the ingredients. The ingredients labeling is on the producer. There is no such requirement on the packagers.

          The packager can buy a product in bulk, and label the product “No Sugar Added” if they, the packager, did not add sugar, but if the producer added sugar then the ingredients list must label it.

          Happens all of the time.

  21. I’m having trouble understanding the “science” of snow days for virtual instruction.

    “Fairfax County Public Schools is warning parents that just because kids are at home doing virtual school doesn’t mean that snow days are a thing of the past:”

    “If conditions are warranted, we do anticipate that there will be ‘typical’ snow days as we have had in past years.”

    https://clarion.causeaction.com/2020/12/15/fairfax-county-public-schools-warns-parents-there-still-could-be-snow-days-even-though-school-is-virtual/

    1. Maybe they are worried that snow will freeze up their Inter-Webs…

      1. idiocracy Avatar

        It’ll probably just cause trees to come down on power lines causing power outages. A predictable result when the electric utility (Dominion) doesn’t believe in “Right of Way Vegetation Management”.

        1. Or is there any chance that teachers are accustomed to having these days off, and feel like it’s an entitlement?

          Might these decisions be weighted more toward what the teachers want, as opposed to what the students need?

          1. Matt Adams Avatar

            Perhaps it’s a reach to semblance of normalcy. However even with virtual there are a fair number of teachers at least in the Spotys area who teach from their classrooms vs. from home.

          2. “…a fair number of teachers at least in the Spotys area who teach from their classrooms vs. from home.”

            If that’s the case, I can see the logic.

  22. I’m having trouble understanding the “science” of snow days for virtual instruction.

    “Fairfax County Public Schools is warning parents that just because kids are at home doing virtual school doesn’t mean that snow days are a thing of the past:”

    “If conditions are warranted, we do anticipate that there will be ‘typical’ snow days as we have had in past years.”

    https://clarion.causeaction.com/2020/12/15/fairfax-county-public-schools-warns-parents-there-still-could-be-snow-days-even-though-school-is-virtual/

    1. Maybe they are worried that snow will freeze up their Inter-Webs…

      1. idiocracy Avatar

        It’ll probably just cause trees to come down on power lines causing power outages. A predictable result when the electric utility (Dominion) doesn’t believe in “Right of Way Vegetation Management”.

        1. Or is there any chance that teachers are accustomed to having these days off, and feel like it’s an entitlement?

          Might these decisions be weighted more toward what the teachers want, as opposed to what the students need?

          1. Matt Adams Avatar

            Perhaps it’s a reach to semblance of normalcy. However even with virtual there are a fair number of teachers at least in the Spotys area who teach from their classrooms vs. from home.

          2. “…a fair number of teachers at least in the Spotys area who teach from their classrooms vs. from home.”

            If that’s the case, I can see the logic.

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