General Info

[SinfullyKorean]

It's funny. And just like that, US is banned from Philippines. Seems like this is due to the new more contagious covid strain.

New list from the government as to who is barred from entering. Only 15 days but the absence of USA, Brazil and India is odd given these are some of the worst (incl UK) countries for COVID and the new variant is spreading.

What I found more scary is the comment about undocumented Filipinos entering via Sulu who may have the new variant. Later in the article. Given that many pinoy seem to think fiestas etc are not part of the covid rules this is not a good place to be (many many pinay / pinoy friends bemoan all the times about the 'hard headed' nature of their compatriots!

Am this is not new news to those with blue blues who dream that all is well with the county.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1784736/world

[Drbombay]

I had said in other forums that give it until Fall 2021 and things will get better. Lo and behold latest from Dr. Fauci was that he expects the US to start to return to normal until near the end of 2021. In other words, the Winter Games in Beijing will go on as expected and the international flights will start back in full swing making their Asia rounds, and other variants of COVID will be deemed more transmissible but less deadly (I. E. A bad cold). As we continue on down the road in 2021 we will see more organizations and governments start moving in this direction.

Don't get me wrong, not trying to say this whole thing is a hoax, lost a few folks I knew, but the approaches that have been taken leave me to be suspect on a few things. I. E. They were not doing as best as they could while Trump was in office but now that he's out, look at this we have a clear way ahead but if he would have mentioned, it nothing but claims of a hoax, etc.

I hope Fauci is right, the vaccines work and people can start back getting to normal, but quit playing around and give us the truth and let us decide what we need to do.

[Kabul Guy]

98.7% effective in keeping you from dying. Not so much for keeping you from getting symptoms. The vaccines are much better at keeping you from getting symptoms than your immune system. Most of us would rather avoid having fever, loss of taste, lingering symptoms, hence the vaccine.

....

I would take getting the symptoms and feeling like a bag of shit for a couple weeks if I knew I would live through it.

I will take the vaccine as soon as it of available to me, even if it costs a pile of pesos to get as a foreigner in country and jump the queue.

I would much rather have 20 p less than leave an extra 20 k p to my kids.

[Golfinho]

The disease and vaccines have not been around long enough, with enough people vaccinated, to determine if the vax also stops transmission to others.

Uh-huh. When a false sense of security is better than non at all, get the jab.

[Soapy Smith]

Well the threat is that she will leave early or not perform up to par. He made that clear in his post when he said this additional money will be for you following this protocol.

This argument is silly on its face. I regret having replied to your earlier post.

[AggieDad1]

However the vaccination does not stop you from contracting Covid and becoming an asymptomatic, infectious to others (bad for everyone else around you). The disease and vaccines have not been around long enough, with enough people vaccinated, to determine if the vax also stops transmission to others.

Great response Westie. I would also add that a recent article in Lancet on Covid transmission in Singapore showed that there is probably some transmission by people who are asymptomatic. However, the rate of transmission by people who are asymptomatic appears to be around 30% of the transmission rate for Covid patients with symptoms. If this is true then asymptomatic people would not have a transmission rate high enough for the virus to sustain itself.

[WestCoast1]

Meanwhile the human immune system is 98.7% effective. Your move.

98.7% effective in keeping you from dying. Not so much for keeping you from getting symptoms. The vaccines are much better at keeping you from getting symptoms than your immune system. Most of us would rather avoid having fever, loss of taste, lingering symptoms, hence the vaccine.

My understanding of the 94% and 95% effectiveness is after second shot. Why not just wait for both shots and then go?

So, you get both shots, and are included in the 94% of the folk who will not get symptoms. Good for you. However the vaccination does not stop you from contracting Covid and becoming an asymptomatic, infectious to others (bad for everyone else around you). The disease and vaccines have not been around long enough, with enough people vaccinated, to determine if the vax also stops transmission to others.

[Wicked Roger]

New list from the government as to who is barred from entering. Only 15 days but the absence of USA, Brazil and India is odd given these are some of the worst (incl UK) countries for COVID and the new variant is spreading.

What I found more scary is the comment about undocumented Filipinos entering via Sulu who may have the new variant. Later in the article. Given that many pinoy seem to think fiestas etc are not part of the covid rules this is not a good place to be (many many pinay / pinoy friends bemoan all the times about the 'hard headed' nature of their compatriots!

Am this is not new news to those with blue blues who dream that all is well with the county.

https://www.arabnews.com/node/1784736/world

[Mr Enternational]

Extortion: "the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats. " Where is the force or threat when GE offers a tip?

Well the threat is that she will leave early or not perform up to par. He made that clear in his post when he said this additional money will be for you following this protocol.

It is not really a tip if you are offering it to someone beforehand. It is a payment to get what you want, which the original payment was actually supposed to be.

If you tell the waitstaff please bring my food in a timely manner and make sure it is hot and make sure my drink is refilled and I will give you a tip; isn't that already what they are supposed to be doing seeing that is what their job is? You should not have to bribe them with extra to make sure they are doing what they are paid to do in the first place.

If I paid a guy to come work on my roof and he came to the house and just sat on his ass, I should not have to say if you get up and put the roof on and clean up after yourself I will give you a tip. That is ridiculous. So telling the chick well if you stay the entire time and you do what hookers are supposed to do then I will pay you extra is equally ridiculous. Extra should be paid for extra, not for obtaining what you are already supposed to be getting.

*Tipping in the USA is a totally different thing. It has come to be understood that you are actually paying the restaurant for the food and you will pay for the service separately in the form of a tip. The amount of this type of tip is generally contingent upon the consumer's perception of the quality of the service they received.

[Soapy Smith]

Why would you pay more to get what you are already supposed to be getting? Agreeing to not cheat a person if they give you more money is some mob extortion shit.

Extortion: "the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats. " Where is the force or threat when GE offers a tip? Waiters and waitresses hustle and go to some lengths to please diners because they anticipate a better tip. Following your analogy these wait staff are engaging in extortion. Are you opposed to tipping in restaurants? After all, we expect food to be served at our table simply by ordering.

Various AC mongers indicate they don't tip over and above the barfine. If this is so, then bargirls do not necessarily expect a tip, and so I assume they would be pleased with GE's proposition. If implying a tip is inappropriate, should mongers simply not mention running and instead wait with a club and beat the shit out of the woman when she tries to run?

[Mr Enternational]

I find the "I'll give you a nice tip if we have a good time and you stay until breakfast" works well and I've never had a runner.

Why would you pay more to get what you are already supposed to be getting? Agreeing to not cheat a person if they give you more money is some mob extortion shit.

[CheckMate1]

I would argue that this could be a one-off, a coincidence. Alternately, already doctors in the media are saying the nurse didn't have enough time for the vaccine to work. My question: How long is long enough? Another thought: If the vax is only 94% effective, then 6% of those vaccinated will still get the disease and get symptoms; hence making ME's case that Matthew is one of those.

NB: Regarding the efficiency percentage (94%, 62% those numbers only regard if the vaccine keeps you from getting symptoms if you become infected. Assuming you do become infected and have the vaccine, you won't get symptoms, you become an asymptomatic carrier. You can still pass on the virus to others. Hence, from the perspective of receiving countries such as Phils or Brazil, your (and other travelers) having had the vaccine prior to entering Phils is not a big help to Filipino's. You don't show any symptoms, but you could easily be passing it on to everyone else. Hence my argument that until herd immunity develops in Phils / Brazil, they would not be wise to allow entry to foreigners. I could be wrong.

My understanding of the 94% and 95% effectiveness is after second shot. Why not just wait for both shots and then go?

[Bushes]

Unfortunately there really is no one good source of advice. The WHO is closest to the best source for now.

Politics, money and CYA are tainting most previously reliable sources. Including the US CDC.

Most normal people would not be able to digest the scientific data released or even be able to analyze them to formulate some conclusions.

For now, I just follow whatever the rules are and try to live. I take calculated risks, as we al do.

The WHO just announced that we should prepare for a deadlier pandemic. There are some surfacing but have not spread.

Anyway. Happy New Year!

[Golfinho]

The Pfizer vaccine has to be given twice. The second shot has to be given three weeks after the first and then it takes one week more for the vaccine to be fully effective. Or 94% effective actually.

Meanwhile the human immune system is 98.7% effective. Your move.

[Goferring]

I find the "I'll give you a nice tip if we have a good time and you stay until breakfast" works well and I've never had a runner.

GE.

A valid point. I should have pointed out that my recent visit's sample size of Barfines is now very small. Actually one from one failures. Previous visits have included great BFs but they were many years ago.

However, all my online or freelance hook ups were as advertised and enjoyable.