Pestilence or: How I Learned to Worry Constantly and Live with COVID

[Lallante]

The thing is, legally they were correct to reject his visa, they just fucked up the process

[theBlind]

The whole Novax Djocovid debacle is a classic case of buck passing and Government incompetence sprinkled with naked self-interest.

You have three parties in Oz - The Federal Government responsible for international borders, the Victorian State Government responsible for state borders, and Tenis Australia. Initially - and mostly due to the huge number of days Victorians spent locked down - the Victorian Government stated that no one not double vaccinated would be allowed entry into Victoria. Tenis Australia wanted the maximum number of top players for financial reasons so in the background exemptions were put in place. The Federal Government sent a letter to Tenis Australia stating that Federal border rules stand - although they also allow for exemptions - but no one informed (?) the Victorian State Government.

So Tenis Australia and the Victorian State Government set up a process to hand out exemptions to tenis players. This exploited a loophole where having Covid meant that you had to delay getting vaccinated (not that it excused you for refusing to be vaccinated) so they issued an exemption to a number of players including Novax Djocovid.

Along comes Omnicron and suddenly we are having cases everywhere. The public were already angry that the Covid rules that had kept citizens out of Australia or locked out of States seemed to be waved for celebrities and business leaders, so politically it became an issue that a obvious anti-vaxer was being allowed to game the system and come in.

The whole VISA application offshore is basically filling out forms on a website. So it's an honesty system that only gets checked at the point of entry at the border. That's the first time Novax got stopped and had his VISA cancelled.

However like most Government departments with massive power Border Force didn't follow proper procedures and that allow Novax to have the cancellation overturned in court.

That threw it over to the Federal Minister who has the power to cancel VISAs. While they considered what to do, more and more information casting doubt on when Novax tested positive, when he was notified, whether he entered Spain without declaring he had covid, and his dickheadish behaviour in not isolating according to Servian rules meant that the minister was always going to cancel the VISA.

However the whole "his presence will encourage antivaxers" seemed pretty weak given he was here and won in 2021, but the court decided that the minister had the power so bye-bye Novax Djocovid. Other players were also ejected by Novax got all the press.

So what should have been a simple "no vaccine no entry" stance got completely fucked up by backdoor exemptions and people gaming the system.

Antivax and antimask crowd is screaming that the entire case shows that supposedly "Democratic" judiciary in Australia actually has less independence than Serbian openly corrupts and subserviently to dictator judiciary, since the judges accepted such bullshit statements just to please the minister in charge.

This is your regular reminder that right wing taking points do not have to make sense, they only have to stand up to the most cursory inspection, be loud and by the time they are debunked, the next (or several) loud talking point will have replaced them.

[Lief Siddhe]

The murdersniffles finally got to my neck of the woods. 10 days of vitamins, videogaems and weed, here I come.

[Spartan Dax]

Got my booster shot yesterday and spent the entire night shivering and most of today laid out. Wasn't particulary good for my migraine either.

But as long as the migraine gives in I should be good to go tomorrow.

[Alistair]

Going back and rereading some of the earlier pages from this thread the thing I am most struck by is how all the COVID sceptics stopped posting. Where is Alastair, Candy Crush, Larkonis (ok I know this one) etc?

No need to try to whip up arguments. Isn't the most charitable explanation, that they were initially sceptical, but as more data became available they changed their minds?

and stopped posting

Hello Lall.

I'm not dead. I'm not a COVID sceptic (and don't believe I was in the past, but /shrug). I'm Vaxxed and Boosted, was amongst the first in my area to be so on both counts. Haven't had COVID yet far as I know.

I don't post here anymore because I honestly didn't feel welcome or wanted here in this community anymore. No big deal, it happens.

I check in from time to time (more rarely now-a-days, obv.), but I don't think I have much to say anyone here would want to read anymore.

Hope everyone is well, safe and healthy, surviving and thriving as much as you can.

Best wishes to all.

-Al

[Zeekar]

Going back and rereading some of the earlier pages from this thread the thing I am most struck by is how all the COVID sceptics stopped posting. Where is Alastair, Candy Crush, Larkonis (ok I know this one) etc?

No need to try to whip up arguments. Isn't the most charitable explanation, that they were initially sceptical, but as more data became available they changed their minds?

and stopped posting

Hello Lall.

I'm not dead. I'm not a COVID sceptic (and don't believe I was in the past, but /shrug). I'm Vaxxed and Boosted, was amongst the first in my area to be so on both counts. Haven't had COVID yet far as I know.

I don't post here anymore because I honestly didn't feel welcome or wanted here in this community anymore. No big deal, it happens.

I check in from time to time (more rarely now-a-days, obv.), but I don't think I have much to say anyone here would want to read anymore.

Hope everyone is well, safe and healthy, surviving and thriving as much as you can.

Best wishes to all.

-Al

I generally like reading your posts. Quite more often than lalls.

[Sacul]

Going back and rereading some of the earlier pages from this thread the thing I am most struck by is how all the COVID sceptics stopped posting. Where is Alastair, Candy Crush, Larkonis (ok I know this one) etc?

No need to try to whip up arguments. Isn't the most charitable explanation, that they were initially sceptical, but as more data became available they changed their minds?

and stopped posting

Hello Lall.

I'm not dead. I'm not a COVID sceptic (and don't believe I was in the past, but /shrug). I'm Vaxxed and Boosted, was amongst the first in my area to be so on both counts. Haven't had COVID yet far as I know.

I don't post here anymore because I honestly didn't feel welcome or wanted here in this community anymore. No big deal, it happens.

I check in from time to time (more rarely now-a-days, obv.), but I don't think I have much to say anyone here would want to read anymore.

Hope everyone is well, safe and healthy, surviving and thriving as much as you can.

Best wishes to all.

-Al

I generally like reading your posts. Quite more often than lalls.

Same

[Keckers]

ditto

[Lief Siddhe]

Lall in another of his failed "gottem" attempts gets schooled by old man Alistair. Gotta love it.

[Lowa [NSN]]

Pretty much.

[teds :D]

Going back and rereading some of the earlier pages from this thread the thing I am most struck by is how all the COVID sceptics stopped posting. Where is Alastair, Candy Crush, Larkonis (ok I know this one) etc?

No need to try to whip up arguments. Isn't the most charitable explanation, that they were initially sceptical, but as more data became available they changed their minds?

and stopped posting

Hello Lall.

I'm not dead. I'm not a COVID sceptic (and don't believe I was in the past, but /shrug). I'm Vaxxed and Boosted, was amongst the first in my area to be so on both counts. Haven't had COVID yet far as I know.

I don't post here anymore because I honestly didn't feel welcome or wanted here in this community anymore. No big deal, it happens.

I check in from time to time (more rarely now-a-days, obv.), but I don't think I have much to say anyone here would want to read anymore.

Hope everyone is well, safe and healthy, surviving and thriving as much as you can.

Best wishes to all.

-Al

you're class pal (as is lall i must say, forums are often different to the person) and please never stop posting. Good to hear you're well!

[evil edna]

Dont stop posting you fat twat

[Jack Coutu]

The discord is alot friendlier and just overall good vibes, but even then I'd rather read an Ali post than a Lall one.

[Grendelfreak]

I'm dealing with the worst case of "I told you so!" in my life at the moment.

My 65 year old unvaccinated housemate who has fallen into all sorts of conspiracy / new age nonsense got a positive result on Sunday. The result? One day of fever / high temperatures and now she is almost 100% except for a cough now and then. And she has never been happier as this counts as a medical exception to vaccination (allegedly), while repeating that it was always only a flu. Even her vaccinated family members who were the source of the infection had a worse time with it.

Meanwhile I have very mild symptoms but still negative so it could just be one on the endless colds / nasal infections I get.

[Zeekar]

My reaction to the vaccine was harsher than to the illness but thats just anecdotal evidence... Stats dont lie but explaining that to people who don't want to hear it is pointless.

[Spartan Dax]

My reaction to the vaccine was harsher than to the illness but thats just anecdotal evidence... Stats dont lie but explaining that to people who don't want to hear it is pointless.

It's especially hard when they go "Vaccine side effects aren't beeing reported and/or covered up" And when you point them to statistics of the numerous side effects that have been collected and how common they are, then you apparantly have confirmed their suspicion that vaccines are dangerous instead of refuting their earlier claim. The problem is these people can't do math, logical arguments and reason and I'm done with it. They're fucking relentless in their ignorance.

The amount of time and energy they put into this.. Like get a life, you have kids ffs!

[Stoffl]

I'm dealing with the worst case of "I told you so!" in my life at the moment.

My 65 year old unvaccinated housemate who has fallen into all sorts of conspiracy / new age nonsense got a positive result on Sunday. The result? One day of fever / high temperatures and now she is almost 100% except for a cough now and then. And she has never been happier as this counts as a medical exception to vaccination (allegedly), while repeating that it was always only a flu. Even her vaccinated family members who were the source of the infection had a worse time with it.

Meanwhile I have very mild symptoms but still negative so it could just be one on the endless colds / nasal infections I get.

Easy, just poison her in her sleep.
I TOLD YOU SO!

[Stoffl]

My reaction to the vaccine was harsher than to the illness but thats just anecdotal evidence... Stats dont lie but explaining that to people who don't want to hear it is pointless.

It's especially hard when they go "Vaccine side effects aren't beeing reported and/or covered up" And when you point them to statistics of the numerous side effects that have been collected and how common they are, then you apparantly have confirmed their suspicion that vaccines are dangerous instead of refuting their earlier claim. The problem is these people can't do math, logical arguments and reason and I'm done with it. They're fucking relentless in their ignorance.

The amount of time and energy they put into this.. Like get a life, you have kids ffs!

And one third of patients who received a placebo shot instead of a covid vaccine reported side effects so there's that.

[Lowa [NSN]]

Got notified that I can get #3 today. \o/ But finding a time is almost impossible it seems, hearing the same thing from other friends too. Doesnt feel as urgent at this stage so if it takes a couple of weeks its ok.

[Spartan Dax]

You live down south yeah? I just dropped in at Vaccinova at Center syd. No reservation required.