There is a new blog post entitled, “We are monsters.”
I finally managed to get my second COVID-19 booster. The glitches that bedeviled my previous attempt to schedule one seemed still present, though I got a bit farther with the Walgreen’s scheduling this time—only I did not receive a confirmation, leaving me somewhat skeptical that I had actually succeeded in scheduling it. As it turned out, I had indeed failed.
Looking at the listed plentiful available time slots, however, I suspected they’d be able to fit me in if they weren’t just being all bureaucratic about it and, sure enough, they did. I have previously received the Pfizer shot, but I was aiming for the Moderna shot this time because I suspect there is some benefit to mixing vaccines.[1] The Moderna shot also appears to be more effective.[2]
Other folks trying to do something similar, please note: Walgreen’s does Pfizer at some locations and Moderna at others. If you want a particular shot, you need to be fussy about location accordingly.
There was ache as she injected the vaccine and if I rub my hand over the site now, roughly eight hours later, it’s still sore. Otherwise I’m fine. But I very much expect that you should expect your mileage to vary.
It’s not just that I’m (well) over fifty and therefore eligible.[3] It’s that as an Uber driver, I don’t know the vaccination status of anyone getting in my car and they often decline to wear masks. Uber continues to require masks, but this is a policy I don’t dare enforce because passengers retain the ability to retaliate against me.[4]
In other news:
My @Google #pixel days seem to be over. My #pixel6pro decided to stop connecting to cellular data, this with the April update, and @madebygoogle support has descended to the level of Uber, which is to say, a complete waste of time.
Simply can't do this.
— David Benfell, Ph.D. (@n4rky) April 9, 2022
This is an absolute catastrophe for me as an Uber driver especially as I’m currently trying to raise money to pay my taxes. I need a properly functioning cellphone just like I need a properly functioning car. This tweet generated a response that seemed relatively intelligent, however, so we’ll see how it plays. It’s possible I may be doing something like driving to Chicago to get a replacement because I just can’t wait for FedEx Stupid to get it to me.
Police White supremacist gangs
Rick Earle, “Officers fired over tasing death of Jim Rogers officially appeal decision,” WPXI, April 7, 2022, https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/officers-fired-over-tasing-death-jim-rogers-officially-appeal-decision/ZZJIGZOTNBCLZNLDLUMSUKIJWE/
Dani Anguiano, “Water, weed and racism: why Asians feel targeted in this rural California county,” Guardian, April 8, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/08/california-asian-discrimination-water-rights-siskiyou
Dale Russakoff and Deborah Sontag, “Pa. agrees to pay $865k to Latino victims of state police traffic stops and arrests after Inquirer/ProPublica investigation,” Philadelphia Inquirer, April 8, 2022, https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania-traffic-arrests-latino-immigration-20220408.html
John Fetterman
So Donald Trump endorsed[5] the carpetbagger from New Jersey[6] who’s running for the U.S. Senate race.[7] From what I can see of the yard sign race, John Fetterman retains a huge lead, especially around Erie. I did see my first Dr. Oz yard sign today.
But really, about now, I’d have to say around Pittsburgh the big action is in the Pennsylvania governor’s race where about the only yard signs I see are for the very, very Trumpist Doug Mastriano.[8] I don’t even know who’s running on the Democratic Party side.
Jonathan Tamari, “Donald Trump endorses Mehmet Oz in Pa. Senate race,” Philadelphia Inquirer, April 9, 2022, https://www.inquirer.com/news/trump-endorses-mehmet-oz-pa-2022-20220409.html
- [1]Tala Michel Issa, “Is it safe to mix-and-match COVID-19 vaccines? Here’s what we know so far,” Al Arabiya, June 23, 2021, https://english.alarabiya.net/coronavirus/2021/06/23/s-it-safe-to-mix-and-match-COVID-19-vaccines-Here-s-what-we-know-so-far; Peter Loftus and Felicia Schwartz, “Moderna and J&J Covid-19 Boosters, Mixing and Matching Authorized by the FDA,” Wall Street Journal, October 20, 2021, https://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-authorizes-covid-19-vaccine-boosters-from-moderna-j-j-11634763535↩
- [2]Maggie Fox, “Moderna’s vaccine is the most effective, but Pfizer and J&J also protect well, CDC-led study says,” CNN, September 17, 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/17/health/moderna-vaccine-most-effective-cdc-study/index.html; Lena H. Sun and Joel Achenbach, “Unvaccinated people were 11 times more likely to die of covid-19, CDC report finds,” Washington Post, September 10, 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/09/10/moderna-most-effective-covid-vaccine-studies/↩
- [3]Carolyn Y. Johnson, “FDA authorizes second coronavirus booster shot for people 50 and older,” Washington Post, March 29, 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/03/29/fda-authorizes-second-booster-shot/↩
- [4]David Benfell, “The expendable worker,” Not Housebroken, May 14, 2021, https://disunitedstates.org/2020/07/05/the-expendable-worker/↩
- [5]Jonathan Tamari, “Donald Trump endorses Mehmet Oz in Pa. Senate race,” Philadelphia Inquirer, April 9, 2022, https://www.inquirer.com/news/trump-endorses-mehmet-oz-pa-2022-20220409.html↩
- [6]Jonathan Tamari, Ryan W. Briggs, and Jonathan Lai, “Senate candidate Mehmet Oz says he’s a Pennsylvania resident now. So why’s he still hanging out in his New Jersey mansion?” Philadelphia Inquirer, December 2, 2021, https://www.inquirer.com/politics/pennsylvania/does-dr-oz-live-in-pennsylvania-20211202.html↩
- [7]Trip Gabriel, “Dr. Oz Says He’s Running for Senate in Pennsylvania,” New York Times, November 30, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/30/us/politics/dr-oz-senate-run-pennsylvania.html↩
- [8]Associated Press, “State Sen. Doug Mastriano opens Pennsylvania election audit plan,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, July 7, 2021, https://triblive.com/news/pennsylvania/pennsylvania-state-sen-doug-mastriano-opens-election-audit-plan/; Holly Otterbein, “Pennsylvania GOP pledges full allegiance to Trump,” Politico, January 26, 2021, https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/26/pennsylvania-republican-party-trump-support-462843; Marley Parish, Stephen Caruso, and Cassie Miller, “Pa. GOP lawmaker — and Trump ally — Mastriano initiates ‘forensic investigation’ into state elections,” Pennsylvania Capital-Star, July 7, 2021, https://www.penncapital-star.com/government-politics/pa-gop-lawmaker-and-trump-ally-mastriano-initiates-forensic-investigation-into-state-elections/↩