SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Welcome back.

Been a bit since you've been around these parts.

We've also registered with United for their "vaccine lottery":

https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/your-shot-to-fly-sweepstakes.html

Not that I'm trying to decrease my odds of winning, but if you have done your part, why not .

 

That also reduces the non vaccinated percentage Maybe it's Darwinism at work in a new "woke" section of society ... after all, the whole Darwin principle is to kill off the weakest to make the herd stronger, physical isn't the only type of weakness ......

Australia has just had another outbreak and one state locked down to curb the spread while they find the source of this new hybrid variant. The fine for not wearing a mask in public and on public transport is now around $200, but there is talk of that going up to a three digit figure in the near future.

The Federal govt has finally caved in and are now going to fund purpose built quarantine facilities after this outbreak was traced back to someone actually catching the virus while in hotel quarantine. It must have been in the last days of the 14 day lock up because each person is tested before they leave, but there is a 48hr gap between testing and receiving the results .....

The next big advance will be filters to kill the virus and mandatory fitting of them to every air conditioning inlet and outlet to stop the spread in large buildings

T1 Terry

 

Alabama has apparently hit the vaccination wall:

The vaccination rate has flattened compared to many other states. COVID-19 denial was and continues to be rampant.

Bob Wilson

 

jeez - red cross will do ya way more generously than that - not that trinkets woo many into giving up a pint.
.

 

they need to get creative, gun and pickup lottery

 

Use the ones confiscated by the cops.

Bob Wilson

 

Free giveaways for getting the vaccine may have reached a new low and supplied a very sad commentary on our current American society

Free Marijuana For Covid-19 Vaccines Proves To Be A Popular Perk

Joints for Jabs: Washington state allows free weed with COVID vaccine

This was interesting to me as we just celebrated Memorial Day and the many sacrifices and even lives that were freely given up for our country by the 'Greatest Generations that ever lived WW 1 and WW 2.

 

i had to venture out to the hospital in boston this week, after 16 months of isolation.

almost every billboard on the turnpike was for cannabis

 

It does treat dementia…with an alternate diagnosis.

Bob Wilson

 

Don't go to Vegas then.

It's definitely in the air.

Hope everything is ok .

 

Free weed with a jab, wow, we still have the free bed and breakfast for 12 mths for weed possession over here .... well except for the territory (ACT) where the federal parliament lives, it's decriminalised there ........ maybe that Cheech & Chong skit with Mr Stadako was right "Only dopes use dope" because you wouldn't call the latest batch of pollies up there the sharpest tools in the shed :lol:

T1 Terry

 

Your nation has different immigration modalities (which affect the stoner's supply pipeline) different health care (affecting vaccination policy) and MUCH different election laws (affecting EVERYTHING!)

 

T1 Terry our state in the US has similar laws as your home for Maryjane or weed. You could add a felony conviction for your record also if the amount you are caught with is within certain guidelines.

You will also be charged with driving under the influence if you are stopped with it in your possession and there is evidence of smoking in the car you will not get to pass go but go directly to jail in that case. You will also probably have to then go through a special driving course to be able to drive again as well as most likely be referred to drug court for sentencing.

Please do not get the impression that all of the United States is okay with legalizing weed or casual drug use.

 

Certainly not "all" - but with lawmakers(sic) discovering that legalizing (and taxing) cannabis makes for a very robust source of more $$$ for them to spend - many of them are looking quite favorably on at least "decriminalization" of MJ.

When even super-conservative states like Texas are having serious discussions on the topic, then you know the tide is turning.

After all, it wasn't so long ago (less than ten years) that you couldn't order a beer with your dinner in many counties in Texas. Sure, that's still the case in some places - but now "Blue laws" are so watered down that they almost don't exist.

I live in a county that was "dry" - even ten years ago, it was pretty "moist" as "private clubs" could sell beer and wine and some even had "full licenses". Private club? Wanna join? - YOU'RE IN! You still can't buy packaged hard alcohol on Sunday - but that's about the limit of the old restrictions.

I think too that states are quickly realizing that people with cars will drive an hour or so to the state line and buy whatever they want. That's lost income.

I'm waiting for Texas to legalize casino gambling. Most of the cars in the parking lots in Shreveport/Bossier, LA and Thackerville, OK have Texas plates on them.

 

You make some great points.

Our particular area was 'dry' 8 years ago. Then voted to go partial 'Wet' and now fully Wet with even Krogers selling beer and wine.

I might add our small town local paper publishes all arrest record each week. Probably 60% of the published arrests are for driving under the influence. These arrest clog the jails and tie up our small Police force.
We actually have knuckleheads being arrested in our small towns downtown area for public intoxication - but the politicians did get their tax revenue. To be fair the decision to go Wet was made by public vote and the decision to go Wet passed overwhelmingly.

 

I noticed bamatracker gave up reporting, since The Religion of The Blessed Virus is waning, and people are finally getting back to enjoying their lives again.

all the stores I visited yesterday while searching for plumbing supplies were 100% open and NORMAL again.

it's so nice to see smiling faces.

 

funny how the law makers claim religious, personal, and crime related issues when interviewed about legalizing weed/casinos/prostitution, right up until they realize a few extra million in taxes.

then everything is aaaaaa ok

 

Our paper thinks the local city and sheriff's "police blotter" is big news her as well.

That said, the DUI arrests are far outnumbered by thefts, domestic abuse, assault. Only 2 out of 15 were alcohol-related.

 

For the vast majority of the country, casual use of a very deadly mind altering drug has been the accepted norm, and quite legal, for a very long time: Alcohol.

Only very recently has the death toll of another mind altering drug, the opioid family, started coming close to that.

Deaths associated with weed / marijuana are quite minimal compared to the above.

(Don't forget that nicotine-associated deaths vastly exceed all the other drugs, legal and illegal, combined.)

 

As well as random blood alcohol testing for drivers, they now have "licky sticks" that take a sample off your tongue and analysis it for a wide range of drugs. It can show up on these tests 24 hrs after the drug was used. Drug driving has even harsher penalties than drunk driving if the blood alcohol was low range, higher than 0.05 but lower than 0.09. The preliminary test is either a blow through the plastic piece that fits in the top of the hand held anayliser, or just a talkie device that analyses the speak pattern. If you fail the first one they take you back to the bus if it's a big blitz, or back to the station if a one off event, and you get tested on the big flash machine or you can elect to have an actual blood analysis where two samples are taken and you can choose to have that independently tested ..... but there is still a part of the blood sample that is held until the conviction by the courts to cover disputes .....
The police over here are state based/financed with varying numbers depending on the area and how likely they are to catch a driver and make a few $$ for the kitty. There is a section in NSW on a major highway near a town called Goulburn where there seems to be an abnormally high ratio of "highway Patrol" police to the normal beat cops etc, money can be the only reason I can see, it is the major highway between a number of capital cities and connects the ACT (Australian Capital Territory) Victoria, NSW and where the main highway branches off to South Australia. It's not that the drivers along this section are any worse than other areas, but the Highway Patrol concentration in the area means even the slightest err in judgement is jumped on straight away. You can be breath tested and drug test on just suspicion ..... and they are a very sus bunch up that way :lol:

T1 Terry