General Info

[QUOTE=Goferring;2586638]Without being cynical, as always, the rules are only for the common people. World wide, people have used money, fame or connections to skirt the "rules". Many celebrities, sports stars and the wealthy have been able to travel or return home despite quarantines, flight restrictions and visa limits.

Nothing unusual here.

Daily Mail: Covid: Scott Morrison is stumped by Caitlin Jenner quarantine question.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9812359/Covid-Scott-Morrison-stumped-Caitlin-Jenner-quarantine-question.html[/QUOTE]Good link. The Algerian who wouldn't fight the Israeli was "sent home". There must be special VIP passes but Tokyo to Algeria would be hard right now. Australia is tighter than a koala's bum. But not for all, it seems.

[URL]https://www.marketwatch.com/story/cdc-data-shows-that-74-of-people-who-tested-positive-for-the-virus-in-massachusetts-outbreak-were-fully-vaccinated-11627665558?siteid=yhoof2[/URL]

As per previous discussion of vaccines and covid, this one on breakthrough infections, showing large numbers of fully vaxxed having high viral loads of covid. From the article:

[I]A federal investigation into a COVID-19 outbreak earlier this month in a Massachusetts county thats home to Cape Cod found that 74% of the 469 infections were among vaccinated people, a finding that raises questions about the prevalence of breakthrough infections.[/I]

SNIP.

[I] 274, or 79%, of the fully vaccinated people who tested positive for the virus were symptomatic.

301, or 87%, of the people who had been vaccinated and tested positive were men; their median age was 42.

Earlier this week, the CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, also said that new data had revealed that people who are vaccinated and test positive for the virus can carry the same viral load as people who are unvaccinated and test positive for the virus. This research found that cycle threshold (Ct) values in samples from 127 fully vaccinated people and 84 unvaccinated people were similar.

High viral loads suggest an increased risk of transmission and raised concern that, unlike with other variants, vaccinated people infected with Delta can transmit the virus, Walensky said in a separate statement on Friday. This finding is concerning and was a pivotal discovery leading to CDCs updated mask recommendation.

Back in May, the CDC said that there had been fewer than 10,000 breakthrough cases among the 95 million or so Americans who were fully vaccinated at that time. However, data out of Los Angeles County has found that in June one-fifth of all new cases are breakthrough infections among the vaccinated.[/I]

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;2586677][URL]https://www.marketwatch.com/story/cdc-data-shows-that-74-of-people-who-tested-positive-for-the-virus-in-massachusetts-outbreak-were-fully-vaccinated-11627665558?siteid=yhoof2[/URL]

As per previous discussion of vaccines and covid, this one on breakthrough infections, showing large numbers of fully vaxxed having high viral loads of covid. From the article:

[I]A federal investigation into a COVID-19 outbreak earlier this month in a Massachusetts county thats home to Cape Cod found that 74% of the 469 infections were among vaccinated people, a finding that raises questions about the prevalence of breakthrough infections.[/I]

SNIP.

[I] 274, or 79%, of the fully vaccinated people who tested positive for the virus were symptomatic.

301, or 87%, of the people who had been vaccinated and tested positive were men; their median age was 42.

Earlier this week, the CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, also said that new data had revealed that people who are vaccinated and test positive for the virus can carry the same viral load as people who are unvaccinated and test positive for the virus. This research found that cycle threshold (Ct) values in samples from 127 fully vaccinated people and 84 unvaccinated people were similar.

High viral loads suggest an increased risk of transmission and raised concern that, unlike with other variants, vaccinated people infected with Delta can transmit the virus, Walensky said in a separate statement on Friday. This finding is concerning and was a pivotal discovery leading to CDCs updated mask recommendation.

Back in May, the CDC said that there had been fewer than 10,000 breakthrough cases among the 95 million or so Americans who were fully vaccinated at that time. However, data out of Los Angeles County has found that in June one-fifth of all new cases are breakthrough infections among the vaccinated.[/I][/QUOTE]At least the vaccine helps improve your chances of surviving covid, if you get it. At this point I would like to know who is better protected? Those who have had the vaccine, people who have had covid and recovered, or people who have had both. I hate that government response is to want to put everyone in masks. My oldest daughter was a transplant patient so any family that wanted to visit her right after the surgery had to be trained in hospital PPE. I also was a trained HAZMAT first responder. The masks only provide protection for a max of 4 hours before they actually can be a hazard to the wearer. Don't get me started on how people handle the masks when they take them off.

[QUOTE=AggieDad1;2586701]At least the vaccine helps improve your chances of surviving covid, if you get it.[/QUOTE]Yes. From another article today regarding the same Massachusetts spike.

[URL]https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/eight-hundred-cases-seven-hospitalizations-and-no-deaths-the-provincetown-outbreak-shows-vaccines-work-125324207.html[/URL]

[I]Though effectiveness varies by vaccine brand, most are quite potent against infection and exceptionally so at preventing the kind of infection that causes serious illness. Of the 833 people in the Provincetown cluster as of Wednesday, only seven had been hospitalized. And zero had died.[/I]

SNIP.

[I]Of those 346 people with breakthrough infections, 79 percent reported symptoms, but those tended to be mild, such as cough or headache. Nearly everyone recovered at home. Of the few who had to go to the hospital, several had underlying conditions.[/I]

Of 800 infected, only 7 hospitalized and no deaths. That's great and a vax tribute. But if 79% of vaxxed breakthrough infections reported symptoms, that means 21% are asymptomatic. We have both vaccinated and unvaccinated, some of each showing symptoms and others with no symptoms.

Previously on this board there was discussion of opening up countries to vaxxed travelers. This information flies in the face of that. Can you risk allowing in asymptomatic, infectious vacationers?

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;2586824]

Previously on this board there was discussion of opening up countries to vaxxed travelers. This information flies in the face of that. Can you risk allowing in asymptomatic, infectious vacationers?[/QUOTE]Many countries including Philippines cannot survive without tourists. Rich country citizens can survive with stimulus payment, eviction banned etc. Every girl I talked to has sob stories. They always had before but now with many of our targets are suffering because of KTV, bars, venues shutdowns cannot make easy money. Not many has expat support.

COVID vaccine is godsend. It has improved the economy of many countries who are not much affected by tourism. Lots of countries are opening up for tourists except for Thailand and Philippines.

Sooner they open up it will be better for suffering people.

[QUOTE=Sammon;2586854]COVID vaccine is godsend. It has improved the economy of many countries who are not much affected by tourism. Lots of countries are opening up for tourists except for Thailand and Philippines.

Sooner they open up it will be better for suffering people.[/QUOTE]The pandemic and the way it was handled has devested the economy of the PI. I feel sorry for the girls and all the small business owners who depend on tourism for their livelihoods. But I will also wager with anyone who cares to make the bet that the PI will open their borders before Thailand. Thailand is the #1 mis-managed vaccine rollout country with hot girls in the world IMHO.

In any case, I have been sending rent money to my longest running favorite Thai girl since April 2020. I have been shagging this girl since 2010 when I first met her, and she was the sexiest little spinner in Baccara Go Go in BKK. She is now a 33-year-old Thai women and frankly she has lost a lot of her youthful sparkle, but I still like her, and we still have good times drinking, shagging, and going out for dinners. This is why I continue to send her 3000 baht a month despite the fact that when I am in Thailand, I enjoy shagging a lot of much younger and hotter girls. Damn the Covid! I wish I was there.

Anyway, I am not trying to get anything more from this one other than what she already gives me. The amount of money I give her is basically pocket change to me. I just know she really needs and appreciates what I send her and that is all the thanks I need. Incidentally, all my repeat favorite girls in MNL and BKK asked for help, but this was the only girl that did not ask and therefore was the only one I helped.

I am looking forward to returning to Thailand and the PI hopefully by March 2022. But in the meantime, I have found a new playground where the girls are smoking hot, the best DFK & blow job artists on the planet, and very passionate in bed. I love my new Brazilian acquaintances and I am going back to RJ & SP for my 2nd visit this year in September. The sporting life is still good if you know where to go.

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;2586824]Yes. From another article today regarding the same Massachusetts spike.

[URL]https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/eight-hundred-cases-seven-hospitalizations-and-no-deaths-the-provincetown-outbreak-shows-vaccines-work-125324207.html[/URL]

[I]Though effectiveness varies by vaccine brand, most are quite potent against infection and exceptionally so at preventing the kind of infection that causes serious illness. Of the 833 people in the Provincetown cluster as of Wednesday, only seven had been hospitalized. And zero had died.[/I]

SNIP.

[I]Of those 346 people with breakthrough infections, 79 percent reported symptoms, but those tended to be mild, such as cough or headache. Nearly everyone recovered at home. Of the few who had to go to the hospital, several had underlying conditions.[/I]

Of 800 infected, only 7 hospitalized and no deaths. That's great and a vax tribute. But if 79% of vaxxed breakthrough infections reported symptoms, that means 21% are asymptomatic. We have both vaccinated and unvaccinated, some of each showing symptoms and others with no symptoms.

Previously on this board there was discussion of opening up countries to vaxxed travelers. This information flies in the face of that. Can you risk allowing in asymptomatic, infectious vacationers?[/QUOTE]Some more info about the outbreak.

[URL]https://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2021/07/30/a-gay-rights-activist-explains-why-the-cdcs-provincetown-study-may-be-fatally-flawed/[/URL]

So there is a lot more to this story than people attending summer concerts.

[QUOTE=AggieDad1;2586884]Some more info about the outbreak.

[URL]https://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2021/07/30/a-gay-rights-activist-explains-why-the-cdcs-provincetown-study-may-be-fatally-flawed/[/URL]

So there is a lot more to this story than people attending summer concerts.[/QUOTE]What do you know about the credentials and expertise of this gay activist and his friends? Tucker Carlson got a BA in history from a little religious college in Hartford, CT that nobody has heard of. He has stated that he was drunk through most of his college years. Anthony Fauci finished first in his class in Cornell Medical College in 1966 and has worked on the frontline of HIV, Ebola and other infectious diseases since then. The internet makes possible a lot of open microphones for those who want to be seen and heard, but not all content is equal.

[QUOTE=NattyBumpo;2586877]The pandemic and the way it was handled has devested the economy of the PI. I feel sorry for the girls and all the small business owners who depend on tourism for their livelihoods. But I will also wager with anyone who cares to make the bet that the PI will open their borders before Thailand. Thailand is the #1 mis-managed vaccine rollout country with hot girls in the world IMHO.

In any case, I have been sending rent money to my longest running favorite Thai girl since April 2020. I have been shagging this girl since 2010 when I first met her, and she was the sexiest little spinner in Baccara Go Go in BKK. She is now a 33-year-old Thai women and frankly she has lost a lot of her youthful sparkle, but I still like her, and we still have good times drinking, shagging, and going out for dinners. This is why I continue to send her 3000 baht a month despite the fact that when I am in Thailand, I enjoy shagging a lot of much younger and hotter girls. Damn the Covid! I wish I was there.

Anyway, I am not trying to get anything more from this one other than what she already gives me. The amount of money I give her is basically pocket change to me. I just know she really needs and appreciates what I send her and that is all the thanks I need. Incidentally, all my repeat favorite girls in MNL and BKK asked for help, but this was the only girl that did not ask and therefore was the only one I helped..[/QUOTE]You are a good man, I do the same. To most of us a few hundred bucks a month means nothing. To them it can be shelter and food. I hope more are doing this as COVID has hit them hard especially the bar girls.

[QUOTE=SoapySmith;2586932]Tucker Carlson got a BA in history from a little religious college in Hartford, CT that nobody has heard of. Anthony Fauci finished first in his class in Cornell Medical College in 1966 and has worked on the frontline of HIV, Ebola and other infectious diseases[/QUOTE]Very helpful of you to put things in context. For a little more context: it was Fauci who during the initial AIDS panic fast-tracked the toxic AZT drug which got a lot of homosexuals killed. Here we are now in another pandemic panic and it's Dr. Fauci once again on the frontline pushing experimental 'vaccines. '

Following along on the vaccine issue.

Headline: [B]About 99.999% of fully vaccinated Americans have not had a deadly Covid-19 breakthrough case, CDC data shows"[/B].

[URL]https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/less-0-001-fully-vaccinated-224313663.html[/URL]

From the article:

[I]More than 99.999% of people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 have not had a breakthrough case resulting in hospitalization or death, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[/I]

SNIP.

[I]The CDC reported 6,587 Covid-19 breakthrough cases as of July 26, including 6,239 hospitalizations and 1,263 deaths. At that time, more than 163 million people in the United States were fully vaccinated against Covid-19.[/I]

I enjoy watching Reekay'sLifeBeyondTheSea YouTube channel. In this link he outlines changes coming to the BI which will increase the length of time a visitor can initially stay in the Philippines, but no longer allow for a Visa on Arrival option. Visas must now be approved through a Philippine Consulate prior to arrival in the Philippines. I only hope that the Philippines will be as efficient as Vietnam is in processing their visas but with the Philippines, change does not necessarily mean increased efficiency. Some posts in the comments section following the video may also be of interest.

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQV_xgEkPl4[/URL]

[QUOTE=Amanut;2587779]I enjoy watching Reekay'sLifeBeyondTheSea YouTube channel. In this link he outlines changes coming to the BI which will increase the length of time a visitor can initially stay in the Philippines, but no longer allow for a Visa on Arrival option. Visas must now be approved through a Philippine Consulate prior to arrival in the Philippines. I only hope that the Philippines will be as efficient as Vietnam is in processing their visas but with the Philippines, change does not necessarily mean increased efficiency. Some posts in the comments section following the video may also be of interest. [/QUOTE]Informative post.

In the past, the LA Phils Consulate has always processed my visa applications in less than 24 hours when I send it to them. Always, regardless of what state I was living in, my passport and new visa was back in my hands within 5 days of my sending it. If I sent it (next-day air express, going and coming back to me) on Monday, it was back in my hands on Thursday or Friday. FedEx / UPS tracking showed it was at the Consulate for about 8 hours each time. The remainder of the several days was spent at sorting facilities or 'In Transit'. Also at the consulate are windows for in-person visa application. This too was fairly efficient; a friend tells me that after dropping it off at the window, the PP and visa was back in his hands in a few hours. BTW, it costs more to send it 'express' than it does to process the visa.

Having said that, its important to note that Phils government offices that are still open (some, such as city hall Makati, close some parts or all during ECQ), are operating at 50% employee capacity since the start of Covid, including the BI. They have reduced the number of clients allowed inside. They have gone to online appointment-only, so you can no longer just show up and 'fall in line'. Its possible that overseas Consulate or Embassy facilities might be required to do the same, so plan on a few extra days to get your visa processed for your upcoming trip.

[QUOTE=Amanut;2587779]I enjoy watching Reekay'sLifeBeyondTheSea YouTube channel. In this link he outlines changes coming to the BI which will increase the length of time a visitor can initially stay in the Philippines, but no longer allow for a Visa on Arrival option. Visas must now be approved through a Philippine Consulate prior to arrival in the Philippines. I only hope that the Philippines will be as efficient as Vietnam is in processing their visas but with the Philippines, change does not necessarily mean increased efficiency. Some posts in the comments section following the video may also be of interest.

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQV_xgEkPl4[/URL][/QUOTE]I'm not sure the visa before arrival applies to countries that previously had visa upon arrival status. Take a look at the video link below from the Filipina Pea who interviews a branch manager from JRV visa consultancy. Another thing to keep in mind is that it has not been fully approved by the Philippine legislators and is still up for a vote in the Senate. Changes can also still be implemented before final approval.

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjqySx0881w&t=615s[/URL]

This site has a different take about changes to the Visa on Arrivals process. On this site a Filipino Visa worker says that the Visa on Arrival processing will not change. Her take is that applying for a visa from an embassy will only be required by citizens of countries who currently require a visa before arrival in the Philippines. Sorry for causing confusion, however I imagine interpretations will continue to unfold.

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjqySx0881w[/URL]