Notes_Norton

As music is my profession, I claim every penny earned and take every deduction allowed. My wife/duo partner, who does the same, got audited 3 times by the IRS and came out smelling like a rose in all 3. It pays to be legit. Notes

I'm not partisan, and see faults on both sides of the fence, so to me it's figuring out who is the lesser of the evils. America is #1. The greatest number of COVID cases and deaths in the world. So the question might be, "What do we do now?" There will be a demand for live music as soon as we get this plague under control. People like live music and have liked it since the first cave man beat on logs. So how do we get this plague dealt with as soon as possible so we can get back to gigging? 1. Protect yourself and others. Wear your mask, wash your hands, turn air conditioners off and let fresh air in, keep social distancing, don't involve yourself in unnecessary crowds from gyms to bars to protests and do all you can to avoid getting or spreading COVID. 2. Vote out the incompetents who made us #1 in the world, because they have bungled it for over a half year and there is no sign they are going to do anything but bungle the response I'm sorry if #2 is slightly political, but it is not partisan. I've voted both parties and third parties as well. I have no partisan axe to grind and I do not believe what they say on either FOX or MSBNBC because I know about half of what they report runs from "Mostly False" to "Pants On Fire". And there are worse liars on either side of the fence. Notes

You can't talk about COVID and it's implications on working musicians without talking politics. I'm a +50 year registered independent, moderate voter and I reserve the right to blame people from either party. The present administration thought their self-image and personal financial gains were more important than the lives of their constituents and thousands died because of that. It's not the first time the present administration put their personal needs above the law and their constituents, and by not pointing that out, we run the risk of rewarding them with a re-election. That will make our return to gigging pushed much farther to the future. The present administration touted non-mask wearing, injecting bleach into our veins, it's a hoax, it'll be gone by April, take hydroxychloroquine, don't listen to the scientists instead listen to the real-estate salesman, and on and on and on and on. Thanks to Trump and his anti-mask Republicans and Fox propaganda station my sister-in-law, her son and his fiance have COVID because Trump and Fox told them masks were unnecessary and they believed the propaganda. I criticized Obama, Bush, Clinton, Bush and Reagan for what I thought they did wrong, but none of them were as totally incompetent as Trump and his GOP sycophants. After all, what kind of a businessman can bankrupt a gambling casino? And why would anyone vote for someone who previously had been found guilty of fraud multiple times? Oh that's right Hillary used the server she inherited from Rice who inherited it from Powell who installed the first one. Duh. If we don't realize the incompetence of our present rulers, we won't learn our lessen and we might re-elect them so we get another 4 years of selfish greed and incompetence. Trump and his GOP Cronies are the reason why the USA is THE hot spot of CORONA in the world. Poverty stricken India with a billion more people than us has far fewer COVID deaths. China with a billion more than us has a fraction of our deaths. Other countries have this almost under control, and their live music will go back to work probably years before we do (there, I'm back on thread). I'm sorry, this is the fault of Trump and his Republican sycophants and if we don't get them out of office, we won't fix this problem. I'm sorry DM if I stepped over the line, but somebody had to say it. I'll try to be good now. Insights, incites and a minor rant by Notes

He "Changed His Mind" because they finally convinced him the denial was hurting his re-election possibilities. Hopefully the damage to that re-election is already done. At the last minute, the Elephants will put out fraudulent press on Facebook, Fox and worse to discredit the other side. By doing it and blitzing it the other side doesn't have enough time to defend themselves. Like they did with Clinton's e-mail server which she got from Rice and which was installed by Powell. It was OK when they did it, and a big crime with she followed suit. Remember, she wasn't convicted of anything and was way ahead in the polls before that fraud happened. Without the Internet, they've done these dirty tricks since at least Reagan. And if you don't want to lose your social security read this WIKI page and then follow it up with your own research elsewhere. Notes

Another problem with opening schools is that they are air conditioned and not built for fresh air anymore. It's been proven that the air conditioner, unless equipped with hospital grade filtration systems (read: very expensive) simply recirculate virus cells around and around causing a build up on the people as new exhalations add to the total quantity. Our governor in Florida is pushing to open schools, but none of the children in his extended family are going to sit in classrooms. I doubt that the children in Trump's extended family are either. The leader should not ask others to do what he/she does not do. And yes, I know children do better in a classroom situation. But a sacrifice for a year seems to me would do less harm than catching and spreading a very contagious disease that can result in death and/or permanent major organ damage. Back on the thread... Which is exactly why if I get offered a gig, there will be a lot to consider before I accept or reject it. Right now, they would have to be outdoors, no Air Conditioned gigs for me. I can't wear a mask and play sax or wind synth. Social distance needs to be in place as well, the closest human to the band should be at least 10 feet away and downwind. There are no good answers, but our leaders need to choose the lesser of the evils for the population, not the best solution for their bank accounts (which is what too many of them are doing). Insights and incites by Notes.

You have a point. And bacteria longer than that. And in a way, bacteria are immortal. Think about it. So you have this bacterium and it splits in two. Which is the original? The only logical answer is both. So those two split now you have four. Which is the original? The only logical answer is all 4. There is no way to choose which is the original is there? Then 16 originals, then 32 ... ... ... ... ... Down the road there are zillions. You may kill a few and yes, some of them are gone, but all the ones left are all the original. Sometimes I think we humans are simply a life-support system for our mitochondria. All 7 species that have lived in humans since the beginning live on today. Notes

So have cockroaches and red ants. I've often thought humans are the smartest animals on the planet and at the same time the dumbest animals on the planet. One brother-in-law is a world famous doctor among other doctors and he tells us how bad this plague is and how we need to protect ourselves. "You don't want to catch this disease" he says. Another BIL (his brother) is a Trump/DeathSantis fan, a Faux News watcher, an "it's like the flu" believer, and an anti-masker. This BIL now has a wife, son, and future daughter-in-law all with COVID and the hospital is so full people are in beds in the hallway. It's too late for Ctrl+Z or Command+Z. He can't UNDO this. He now says he has a big S on his chest, for "Stupid." A little piece of cloth on your face is not really a big deal, unless you want to make it one. Unfortunately those misleading our once great country have chosen to divide and conquer us. Insights and incites by Notes

My brother-in-law is a Fox watcher, Trump fan, herd immunity preacher, anti-masker, it's just the flu believer, and other than that, an all-around good guy. He called to say he now has a big red S on his chest, for Stupid. His wife, son, and future daughter-in-law all now have COVID and the hospitals are so full they have patients in the corridors because there are no rooms for them. Herd immunity sounds great until you and/or your loved ones get sick. If you get this dreaded disease there is no Ctrl+Z, Command+Z, or Undo. You can't go back and put that mask on or avoid that gathering. Instead you have to deal with the consequences and you might end up with a big S on your chest, for stupid. Insights and incites by Notes

I'd like that, and if possible, I'd show up on yours.

Our ears are our most important musical instrument. IMO It pays to protect them.

Diphtheria, Polio, Measles, Smallpox, Tetanus, and other plagues used to be killers, but we contained them without exposing the entire population to the possibility of death or permanent organ damage. Do what you want. I'm not playing COVID roulette any more than I have to. I hope when this plague is under control, we'll both be here to talk about our differences. Notes

For us, March 17, 2020 was "The Day The Music Died" :( If I was offered a gig right now, I don't think I'd take it. Sooner or later (hopefully sooner) the plague will probably be over, just like all the historic plagues. My goal is to be a survivor so I can gig again when the plague is over and the new normal emerges. So we rehears a few times a week to keep our chops up. When things start looking hopeful, we'll learn new songs. Notes

So are we owned by Sweetwater now or are they just a good sponsor? Not that it matters, I'm just curious. (they are a good on-line store IMO) Notes

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear. I did not mean people who gig, I meant people who go out in public without wearing a mask and protecting their fellow citizens from a possibly lethal or organ damaging disease are uncivilized and not compassionate. It's a simple thing to do that could minimize this disease. And it's not only the fatality, I read where a huge percentage of survivors, young and old alike end up with permanent brain, lung, heart, kidney and other major organ damage. We had a guy around here, healthy in his 40s who could dive to 60' and stay down for about a minute before running out of air. Now he can't make 30' on one breath. He teaches skin/scuba diving and will no longer be able to do that. It's a serious disease. Thanks for your concern about the situation in Florida. Notes

Until there is a vaccine, our industry is kaput because unlike most other countries, we don't have the compassion to put a rag on our face to keep others from getting sick and dying. The USA is no longer civilized IMO. I've been to quite a few foreign countries from North America to Europe to Asia to Australia to Central America and plenty of islands, and we have become the least civilized that I've been to. "It's me first and f*** everyone else. I'd rather the others die than to slightly inconvenience myself. The safety rules are for wimps." If there is no vaccine, same result for the same reason. In Florida, the bars are closed -- the tourists aren't coming because we are a major hot spot -- the yacht clubs are closed -- the country clubs are golfing outdoors but nothing indoors -- there are no concerts -- the cruise ships are gone -- the hotels are empty -- the charter fishing boats sit idle on the docks -- and things are getting worse. We keep breaking the record for the most cases in a day, which I believe now is 11,500. Where in the hell do you think we are going to play? I'd love to get back to work, but it looks like it isn't going to happen this year or next. Right now the USA has about 1/4 the COVID cases in the world, and we certainly don't have 1/4 the worlds population here. We also have about 1/4 the fatalities in the world, and again, we don't have 1/4 of the world's population here. We are obviously doing something wrong, something very, very, very wrong. https://ncov2019.live/ China has 1.393M people, India has 1.353M, the USA 328M and we have 1/4 the world's deaths and cases. So perhaps if we started being civilized and compassionate about other people and did our best to stop the spread of this disease like other countries, perhaps we could get back to gigging sooner? Nah. Too many of us would rather believe a propaganda "news" pundit, Facebook/Twitter bot, preacher, real estate salesman, flat-earther, anti-vaxxer, anti-science person or anyone but the scientists who actually study and know about diseases. So we are screwed. But then I guess it's better unemployed than under the sod. Insights and incites by Notes

To deny the seriousness of this disease because some preacher, real-estate salesman, PR Person with an agenda, "News" pundit on a propaganda station, flat earther, FB/Twitter bot, Russian spy or anyone else other than what respected, published, peer reviewed medical scientists say is foolish at best, stupid and deadly at worst. Every day science learns something new about the disease. Sometimes that means what they though last week or month is wrong because new evidence disproved it. That's how science works, and that's why we can now get vaccinated against flu, smallpox, measles, tetanus, and others plus get cured of hundreds of diseases that used to mean certain death. Science is why we have computers and the Internet plus smart phones. Your phone is more powerful than the computers that put humans on the moon. Why? Because science learns as it goes. Science is not infallible, but by publishing papers in peer review journals for other scientists to duplicate, confirm or point out fallacies is one very good way to learn what works and what doesn't. And it is as important to know what doesn't work. If you believe the wrong non-scientist, you have have injected Clorox into your vein and died a painful death. Listening to the wrong people is much worse than listening to what scientists currently think. Insights and incites by Notes

In Florida, OVER HALF the deaths have with people under 65. So just how does that relate to a disease of the elderly? The USA is still averaging over 1,000 per deaths per day, they haven't gone down. That makes 365,000 deaths per year. I think that is much more than the flu (12,000 to 61,000 per year), traffic accidents (3,223 last year) combined. Minimizing the effect of the flu, is not going to help yourself or anyone else. Don't listen to what "news" pundits on propaganda stations, science deniers, real estate salesmen, preachers, flat-earthers, anti-vaxxers, FB/Twitter bots, and anyone else except for respected, peer-reviewed, published medical scientists say. My Brother-in-law is a world famous doctors among other doctors and has published over 100 papers in respected peer reviewed journals. He was one of the first to identify COVID as a blood disease that is primarily spread by Airborne Transmission. He says this disease makes the flu look like a walk in the park. The amount of permanent destruction this does to your internal organs is unprecedented, even among the cured, mild cases. He emphasizes you don't want to catch this disease. So go out and catch it if you want, but please wear your mask so you don't inadvertently harm or kill innocent bystanders. It's the civil thing to do and I think we want to live in a civilized country. --- And yes Phil, it has now been demonstrated that COVID is both a droplet and airborne disease that can also linger on many surfaces. --- LeftyJay I also pretty much gave up the bar business for the yacht clubs, country clubs, retirement developments and resorts (RV and Mobile Home) here in South East Florida in 1990 when we got off the cruise ships. It has been very good to us. If I can work 2 days a week, I make more than I can in a bar for 5 or 6. Come COVID everything stopped. But it would have if I was still playing in Bars as they are closed too. I may have my one-day-per-week seasonal lunchtime gig in an outdoor restaurant come lat October. The owners want us back, but it depends on business. We've been doing this one, it's our public exposure, once a week for 12 years and two owners. I've got mixed feelings about going back if we continue to be the hot spot of the USA. I think it's going to be a looooong time before the live music business starts to recover. Our current hope is a vaccine, but that is not a given, it might not be possible for this disease although it does seem slightly hopeful right now. So wear your masks, and your gloves, keep your distance and stay healthy everyone. Notes

Science changes as we learn new things. If it didn't we would still have blood letting at the barber ship an leeches for viral infections. Well over 90% of the scientists are recommending face masks. And yes, not to wear one and protect your fellow citizens is definitely uncivilized. In a civil society we don't expose our neighbors to unnecessary risks, especially if it could cause permanent disability or death. That is how a barbarian society acts. Insights and incites by Notes

I read in the paper this morning the corrected figure is almost 12,500 confirmed cases. I figure I'm out of work for at least a year. With the possible exception of our once a week outdoor gig we've had for 12 years. They owners are planning on having us back if the business will afford us in late October. Difference between Airborne Disease and Droplet Disease is Airborne is Dry and can travel for much greater distances, Droplet is wet but can still travel quite far (remember, the humidity in the air is comprised of droplets of water). Both are spread by Airborne Transmission. It's going to be a long, quiet, winter tourist season. Insights and incites by Notes

OK, I checked it out. COVID-19 is not technically an Airborne Disease by definition it is a Droplet Disease. On the other hand the primary mode of infection of COVID19 is Airborne Transmission. Although Airborne Disease and Airborne Transmission use the same word, they are not the same thing. So when someone says, "I'm not wearing a mask because COVID-19 is not an airborne disease." A person could counter with, "While you are technically correct, airborne transmission is it's primary mode of transmission." COVID is not a contact disease either, but it can also be transmitted by contact with an infected person. Insights and incites by Notes

I read a report in the early days of reopening, at 10% capacity where people closest to the air conditioner return vent in over a dozen restaurants had the highest rate of infection. Nobody coughed or spit on all these people in all these restaurants. The virus is definitely airborne. This from trusted sources, not FOX or MSNBC or anything more extreme than that. I'll believe the scientists that studied this. Notes

Great attitude. IMHO this is exactly what is wrong with the USA right now. Aggressive, verbally violent, name calling behavior to someone who simply disagrees with you. I could retaliate by saying, "I hope you go out get COVID and die a long, agonizing death on a ventilator after you infect all your loved ones" but won't because I do not want to lower myself to those standards. Instead I'll say, "When you go out and mix, I hope you are one of the lucky ones who don't get infected." We have ceased to become a civilized country where people care about each other and are moving towards becoming a barbarian country where anger, hate, and fear rule -- it's "Me first and screw the rest of the world. and if you disagree with me and my chosen pundits, you aren't worth the air you breathe." And I put a lot of the blame on political propaganda stations such as FOX and MSNBC that use hate and fear to manipulate their audiences. Fox and MSNBC are about half lies / half truth, and there are plenty of extremes past that threshold on both sides of the divide. And dividing the country is good for the oligarchy, because a divided country is much easier to control. And the super-rich get richer at our expense. We're all in this together. COVID doesn't care if you are rich, poor, republican, democrat, independent, young, old, middle aged, religious, atheist, or anything else. If the virus lands on you, all it cares is if you are a good host to replicate itself on. We're all playing "COVID Roulette", but those who play it safe are not playing it as often, and those who don't wear protection are increasing the amount of live ammunition in the barrel. The economy is going to tank whether we open up and kill millions or shelter in place and cause it to tank due to lack of spending. The US Government waited 6 weeks with our leaders telling us "it's just the flu and will be gone by May." while their experts were telling them how serious this was. In the meantime, they were secretly selling their stocks, protecting their fortunes, and not caring about the people they were sworn to protect. The US and Taiwan got the first case 1 day apart. Taiwan acted immediately, and now our percentage of infection is well over 1,000 times greater than that of Taiwan. The window to save the economy was squandered by the Republican party and the POTUS. They blew it to save themselves. We are now have the most cases in the world, and the blame falls on the ruling political party and the propaganda stations that tell us not to abide by our last hope, safety measures. So the economy is going belly-up either way. I choose to err on the side of caution. You can do what you want, but I ask you not to use childish name calling and hate speech against those that disagree with you. That tells the world a lot about your level of civility and empathy. Peace, Notes

Sorry to hear that. Sadly it makes me feel better about being unemployed. Our season (October through May) is usually booked by now, and we have zip - nada - zilch. Here in SE Florida we are dependent on the tourists and winter residents. I guess their plans are on hold. I've been unemployed since March 17. Fortunately the mortgage is paid and I have zero debt. That makes me one of the lucky ones I guess. Notes

Good luck on your vacation. That is a beautiful part of the country. Notes

Sventvkg the lame excuse about more testing was disproved so then our trumpuppet decided to blame it on the "Watermelon Picking Mexicans" (typical GOP lame blame it on the defenseless instead of "the buck stops here"). The testing was minimal, the cases hundreds of times more than the increased tests. Yes, a depression will be bad, but the depression caused by killing millions will be worse, and people will be dead. Despite what the GOP bumblers say, this is worse than anything since the Black Death. My brother-in-law is a world famous to other doctors doctor. He is known all over the world. He said, "You don't want to get this disease. It's extremely contagious, and highly destructive. Worse than SARS and anything else in the past couple of centuries. It makes the Spanish Flu look like an amateur. Let me guess, you get your news from FOX and further to the right than that. Yes? Notes