792 replies to this topic

[Lysistrata]

It's all been too convenient. The timing was perfect. The effect on their enemies, anticipated. This was no accident.

 

I think this was the test run.

[Lysistrata]

I don't watch too many games... but I was watching today. I can't stop laughing at this ad. Had to share.

Take it up to 100 with Patrick Mahomes & Troy Polamalu | Head & Shoulders - YouTube

[onbekende]

Heard immunity aside, I fully support opening restaurants/cinemas/travel etc. back up to people who had already been vaccinated. You'd need to present proof of vaccination everywhere you go, yes, but I'm tired of this shit and the economy needs to function as well.

 

Anti-vexxers and other idiots can stay in quarantine until they change their minds.

 

Seeing as that is a nightmare to actually police and rife with abuse, I am more for the "we are all in this together".

 

The anti-vaxxers can take the chance when we re-open tbh.

 

I don't watch too many games... but I was watching today. I can't stop laughing at this ad. Had to share.

Take it up to 100 with Patrick Mahomes & Troy Polamalu | Head & Shoulders - YouTube

 

[Lysistrata]

Wow. A Chinese banker was executed in China for bribery.

Can you imagine the bloodbath if bribery was a death sentence in the USA?

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-huarong-lai-idUSKBN29Y1P2

 

I hear Fauci petitioned the Chinese Communist Party for permission to count it as a Covid Related death... they said no.

[Blade 619]

Wow. A Chinese banker was executed in China for bribery.

Can you imagine the bloodbath if bribery was a death sentence in the USA?

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-huarong-lai-idUSKBN29Y1P2

 

I hear Fauci petitioned the Chinese Communist Party for permission to count it as a Covid Related death... they said no.

 

Haha... Can you imagine? Would need to have a new election on a bi-monthly basis. 

[ccabal86]

Bribery wasn't the reason he was executed. It was falling out of favor...

[Lysistrata]

Bribery wasn't the reason he was executed. It was falling out of favor...

That's even worse    

[ccabal86]

 

Bribery wasn't the reason he was executed. It was falling out of favor...

That's even worse    

 

State corruption is the defualt in China, everyone is doing it, and everyone knows. If someone is prosecuted for corruption, it means that they crossed someone more powerful. Or maybe it's a signal to the higher-ups of that person that they're on a short leash. It's a power game.  

[Blade 619]

 

 

Bribery wasn't the reason he was executed. It was falling out of favor...

That's even worse    

 

State corruption is the defualt in China, everyone is doing it, and everyone knows. If someone is prosecuted for corruption, it means that they crossed someone more powerful. Or maybe it's a signal to the higher-ups of that person that they're on a short leash. It's a power game.  

 

 

Is there a country where corruption isn't common place?

[ccabal86]

 

 

 

Bribery wasn't the reason he was executed. It was falling out of favor...

That's even worse    

 

State corruption is the defualt in China, everyone is doing it, and everyone knows. If someone is prosecuted for corruption, it means that they crossed someone more powerful. Or maybe it's a signal to the higher-ups of that person that they're on a short leash. It's a power game.  

 

 

Is there a country where corruption isn't common place?

 

No. But the degree varies.

[Blade 619]

 

 

 

 

Bribery wasn't the reason he was executed. It was falling out of favor...

That's even worse    

 

State corruption is the defualt in China, everyone is doing it, and everyone knows. If someone is prosecuted for corruption, it means that they crossed someone more powerful. Or maybe it's a signal to the higher-ups of that person that they're on a short leash. It's a power game.  

 

 

Is there a country where corruption isn't common place?

 

No. But the degree varies.

 

 

Is it more the price and the degree of visibility which varies? An openly corrupt system is at least a level playing field, even if your wallet is too small to take significant advantage. 

Conversely somewhere like the UK or the US, if you have the millions of spare capital to throw at lobbying (bribing), or the media empire to blackmail politicians you can tilt the tables in your favour, but if you're average Joe you're fucked. 

[ccabal86]

 

 

 

 

 

Bribery wasn't the reason he was executed. It was falling out of favor...

That's even worse    

 

State corruption is the defualt in China, everyone is doing it, and everyone knows. If someone is prosecuted for corruption, it means that they crossed someone more powerful. Or maybe it's a signal to the higher-ups of that person that they're on a short leash. It's a power game.  

 

 

Is there a country where corruption isn't common place?

 

No. But the degree varies.

 

 

Is it more the price and the degree of visibility which varies? An openly corrupt system is at least a level playing field, even if your wallet is too small to take significant advantage. 

Conversely somewhere like the UK or the US, if you have the millions of spare capital to throw at lobbying (bribing), or the media empire to blackmail politicians you can tilt the tables in your favour, but if you're average Joe you're fucked. 

 

 

Actually, the avearge Joe is truly fucked when he can't get the simplest administrative tasks done - like get a building permit for his garden shed shed - unless he "expedites" the proces by "donating" to the pension fund of the city council clerks. Not necessary of course, although issuing that permit might take a few years. Or maybe he needs urgent medical treatment? Unfortunately the waiting list for that particular procedure is 2.5-3 years, but a little financial incentive and it can be arranged for next month. Or maybe there is a job opening for a decent position in public administration? Well, does he have any relatives working there already? Friends? Nothing? Well then that's not going to work, unless they're willing to pledge absolute loyalty to their boss who will eventually make good on that pledge.

 

There are absolutely places like that on Earth, and in comparison the US and UK is practically corruption-free!

 

Now I believe public services in China for the average citizen are fairly accessible without having to grease too many palms, but I know for a fact that even the lowliest public sector jobs (think elementary school teachere) are given more or less on this basis.
 

[Imran Ehsan]

So has anyone taken the vaccine jab yet? If yes, which one? Any side effects?

[Lysistrata]

So has anyone taken the vaccine jab yet? If yes, which one? Any side effects?

No, not us. It's the one thing I can say I'm not old enough for yet. I won't be volunteering for it either.

Blade is a medical dude, so I would think he's taken the needle already.

[DeathMerchant]

So has anyone taken the vaccine jab yet? If yes, which one? Any side effects?

I know a couple people who got the first shot, and they claimed no side effects. Each of them spoke positively of it and trust it will offer some form of increased protection against COVID.

[Blade 619]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bribery wasn't the reason he was executed. It was falling out of favor...

That's even worse    

 

State corruption is the defualt in China, everyone is doing it, and everyone knows. If someone is prosecuted for corruption, it means that they crossed someone more powerful. Or maybe it's a signal to the higher-ups of that person that they're on a short leash. It's a power game.  

 

 

Is there a country where corruption isn't common place?

 

No. But the degree varies.

 

 

Is it more the price and the degree of visibility which varies? An openly corrupt system is at least a level playing field, even if your wallet is too small to take significant advantage. 

Conversely somewhere like the UK or the US, if you have the millions of spare capital to throw at lobbying (bribing), or the media empire to blackmail politicians you can tilt the tables in your favour, but if you're average Joe you're fucked. 

 

 

Actually, the avearge Joe is truly fucked when he can't get the simplest administrative tasks done - like get a building permit for his garden shed shed - unless he "expedites" the proces by "donating" to the pension fund of the city council clerks. Not necessary of course, although issuing that permit might take a few years. Or maybe he needs urgent medical treatment? Unfortunately the waiting list for that particular procedure is 2.5-3 years, but a little financial incentive and it can be arranged for next month. Or maybe there is a job opening for a decent position in public administration? Well, does he have any relatives working there already? Friends? Nothing? Well then that's not going to work, unless they're willing to pledge absolute loyalty to their boss who will eventually make good on that pledge.

 

There are absolutely places like that on Earth, and in comparison the US and UK is practically corruption-free!

 

Now I believe public services in China for the average citizen are fairly accessible without having to grease too many palms, but I know for a fact that even the lowliest public sector jobs (think elementary school teachere) are given more or less on this basis.
 

 

 

Interesting... I've met a few Chinese people including a teacher... their general conclusion is that the west is technologically backwards for the average citizen and find our cities to be generally unsafe. They don't expect to need to bribe people.

 

 

So has anyone taken the vaccine jab yet? If yes, which one? Any side effects?

No, not us. It's the one thing I can say I'm not old enough for yet. I won't be volunteering for it either.

Blade is a medical dude, so I would think he's taken the needle already.

 

 

Had the jab... had a mild headache for a couple of days and 24h fever on day 1 post jab (38.2C). Apparently that makes me quite unusual... approx 9/10 are without any significant side effect. Our conclusion anecdotally at work is that people who have recently had Covid are experiencing stronger side effects. (Pfizer)

At the end of the day it's a vaccine... it's causing you to mount an immune response. I find that I mounted a temperature reassuring... it shows me directly that my body generated an immune response to the vaccine, therefore likely I have some degree of antibody protection moving forwards.

The data is still reassuring that the approved jabs offer good protection even against the newer strains, though may take longer than we expected to get high levels of protection (ie, 21 days to get 90% rather than 14 days). But the jab is not a definitive solution. It will need to be used in conjunction with good hand hygiene and sensible health behaviour (ie, don't go out / work / visit friends etc when sick) for the foreseeable future. Personally I've lost 2 colleagues to Covid (directly or indirectly) in the last 2 weeks, so I'm not taking chances. A bit of a headache is a more than adequate price to pay to not have a virtual funeral and have my parents outlive me.

[Lysistrata]

Apparently that makes me quite unusual...

Scientific evidence. Now I know I don't want to take the vaccine... I don't want to know how unusual I am. 

[ccabal86]

So has anyone taken the vaccine jab yet? If yes, which one? Any side effects?

Not yet, my wife and I are in the last tiers, as we are healthy and in our 30s. The vaccination is coordinated by the government, and medical staff come first, then the frail and elderly, and so on. We've also made reservations with a private vaccine distributor, in hopes of securing a vaccine through them sooner, but we'll see.

[Imran Ehsan]

Got our first dose today (Astrazeneca-Oxford one). My wife is a doctor so we got it earlier than most in our country. No side effects as yet. Hopefully it is effective.

[ccabal86]

Good for you guys. We're still waiting for our turn.