I rode out the pandemic in Texas, where it was crazy but sane compared to the rest of the world. Exactly one (1) year ago I took my first trip out of the state to DC - I was in for quite the awokening (see what I did there).
I’m actually back this week. Not as bad, but not like Texas!
I wish you had decided to wear the mask just long enough to get in the room with the doctor and then pulled it off and told him why you were going to a different optometrist. 😂
Might not have been an option but it would’ve made me laugh.
“Because fuck them. That’s why.” Omg.....I love this! I live in the woke California. I was born here, never lived anywhere else. That sums up my sentiment exactly. I am retired so California might force me out by making it impossible for me to afford to live here but short of that I am seeing this out to the end. Thank you for writing what you do, making me smile some, and always letting me know there are a few sane people left and I am not alone (although my own sanity just might be in question sometimes....).
Im in CT, but New Hampshire has the "free state project" encouraging freedom lovers of any flavor to congregate in that state to condense our political power. I will be visiting their porcupine fest this June. www.porcfest.org or .com
It's doomed, because it chose to place itself smack in the middle of "enemy territory". Seriously, you cannot drive to NH without passing through unfree states. Demographic bleed is going to vastly overwhelm any effect they might have. The number of people coming in from MA alone is more people than are showing up for FSP reasons. They'd have done much better with somewhere like Wyoming or New Mexico. Or possibly even Utah, despite that state having a large population.
Who their neighbors are, and the distance to them, is a critical datum that was discounted when the decision was being made.
I've been meaning to do this for a while, but that story sent me over the edge. Time to finally subscribe to my first two Substacks: yours and Josh's. I love you both for the quality of your writing, your tenacity, and your willingness to engage with the extremely uncomfortable, regardless of consequences.
Holly I'm in Waterbury, VT and there are still some holdouts, but I haven't had this experience to this extent for at least a year.
I'm done with masking. If a business asks, I just don't go back. There are more than a few places that I used to love to visit but I don't anymore. I'm in a very tourist-heavy area, so maybe that has something to do with the lack of strict masking holdouts.
It can be difficult for people who've trusted our institutions to recognize that the trust is now misplaced in a lot of ways. My oldest son is a 1st year surgical resident, he has two little boys, 4 and 2. He got them jabbed probably 6 or 8 months ago, literally about a week before the CDC came out and said that they really didn't have any evidence at all that the jab had any efficacy for pediatrics. After I begged him to hold off until more info came out.
Note that he's not a dummy - BS from USNA in quantitative economics while also being a 4 year letterman in a D1 athletic program. But after 4+ years of being hammered over the head by The Medical Institution, he couldn't overcome it. Politically, he's more libertarian/free thinker than anything else. He's just been inculcated with institutionalism. It's going to take life and probably a few years of actually being a practicing surgeon for him to realize how screwed up the medical institutions are, and that their proclamations on anything have to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, not as a unified whole.
I understand. It took four years at an extremely Woke college to make me really see things for what they are, and even then it's only because I had a based therapist helping me see through the bullshit. If an actual adult hadn't been teaching me critical thinking the whole time, I'd be in the cult, myself. I have zero doubt of this.
He'll get there. It'll hurt, but he'll get there. I hope very much that your grandkids are ok.
Josh, I agree. I have really tried not to be a conspiracy theorist but damn there are just way too many tentacles to this kraken of the woke to not believe it is a nefarious plan to control us. It’s like they won’t be satisfied until we are poor, starving, suicidal, weak, and too afraid to go out whatever hovel we will be in.
Josh, A tough thing for me to admit, as I largely see the world in black and white WRT ethics. But there's a bit of modal logic that should be applied here as well. From where I sit, there are 3 categories of people we're talking about:
1. the frog who trusts that the scorpion won't sting him
2. the frog who has been stung by the scorpion but still can't reconcile how it was possible
3. the scorpions
Some people can learn vicariously, others need to be stung first.
How many grains of sand does it take before we can call it a pile of sand?
I have the same answer today that I had in late 2020 when we were told that the vaccines were safe and effective. That was a bald faced lie, and anyone who knows anything at all about statistics and the way medical studies are conducted knew it was a lie.
Not everyone has the benefit of my (or your, or Holly, or Bret, or Heather's) education and experience. For some people, I'm [reluctantly] happy to extend the benefit of the doubt, especially people who don't grok math the way we do, or understand how/why those in power will tend to abuse it.
The door to redemption must always remain unlocked. Even the strident atheist Ayn Rand acknowledged this in the character of the Wet Nurse from Atlas Shrugged. If there is to be alienation, let it come from their side, not ours.
Christian or no, there is some wisdom to be found in Matt 10:12-18
Josh, did you see Dr. Malones substack about the relationship between WEF and academia/universities? Connections run deep. Permits rapid global spread of the agreed upon narratives. Sick
I would just like for you to know that this post finally converted me into becoming a paid subscriber. Not that there's anything specific about this post, just that it's one more added to a great pile of excellent work that has now weighed the scale down enough that I'm ready to open my wallet. Thanks for everything you do.
When you said "deep south," I can't help that I thought Cape Horn / Tierra del Feugo.
The optometrist did you a great favor by allowing you to not give them any money in light of their crazy viewpoint discrimination. I live in a "red" state, but there's still plenty of crazy to go around, including our public universities. The brave people are the ones changing the "blue" states from within.
Holly, I’d recommend you send a complaint to the state optometry board about this. Not offering an accommodation is a clear violation of disability laws.
I believe we can finger the feds for this effed up foul up. They require medical facilities that get Medicare and Medicaid funds to demand their patients be masked. I am not sure, but hazard a guess that optometrists feed at the federal trough in some way.
I doubt that's it, as I've been seen in several places that I know get Medicaid (since I went to them back when I was on Medicaid) and had masks be optional for me. Also, if that were the case, why not simply say that? Why the song-and-dance over my feelings?
This reminds me of something that's been bugging me for a while. Slightly off-topic, but why does it take a full on medical examination by a medical doctor just to figure out what kind of lenses you need in your glasses? The procedure they use to determine how your vision needs to be corrected seems fairly rote. Why can't this be done by a technician, or even better, a machine?
I would bet that the response is something like "but finding your lens prescription is just a part of the comprehensive eye exam that you should be getting done annually anyway!" but let's get real here, *nobody* is out there getting annual eye exams unless they wear glasses.
I enjoyed the whole post, but loved the last line. They may be a little crude for some, but they are words that make you stand tall, square your shoulders, and stare down whatever is coming at you.
I rode out the pandemic in Texas, where it was crazy but sane compared to the rest of the world. Exactly one (1) year ago I took my first trip out of the state to DC - I was in for quite the awokening (see what I did there).
I’m actually back this week. Not as bad, but not like Texas!
I wish you had decided to wear the mask just long enough to get in the room with the doctor and then pulled it off and told him why you were going to a different optometrist. 😂
Might not have been an option but it would’ve made me laugh.
Heh. If only my dirty feelings hadn't contaminated me to the point that they had to send me home without an exam.....
They should tell them that the surgical masks prevent contamination from feelings as well. They’d believe it.
😂😂😂
Righteous.
“Because fuck them. That’s why.” Omg.....I love this! I live in the woke California. I was born here, never lived anywhere else. That sums up my sentiment exactly. I am retired so California might force me out by making it impossible for me to afford to live here but short of that I am seeing this out to the end. Thank you for writing what you do, making me smile some, and always letting me know there are a few sane people left and I am not alone (although my own sanity just might be in question sometimes....).
There’s always room in Texas. We have Californians moving here in droves!
Yes, my roots are in Texas-both Mother and Father- and I have relatives all across the state. I just hesitate on the damn humidity...sheesh.
It’s not that bad one you get used to it.
Come on over - the water’s nice, the state is free AF, and the people are mostly decent human beings. The barbecue is great too!
*Fuck* humidity.
I'll fight the Californians for my desert for the aridity alone! 🤪
I wish that weren't the case in New Mexico as well.
"Stay home! Don't infect my home with your stupid politics!"
You should be asking them if they ever even walked on the same side of the street as a Dem. though. I'm not even a smidge jesting.
Im in CT, but New Hampshire has the "free state project" encouraging freedom lovers of any flavor to congregate in that state to condense our political power. I will be visiting their porcupine fest this June. www.porcfest.org or .com
I have heard about that. I really need to read up a bit more on that project.
It's doomed, because it chose to place itself smack in the middle of "enemy territory". Seriously, you cannot drive to NH without passing through unfree states. Demographic bleed is going to vastly overwhelm any effect they might have. The number of people coming in from MA alone is more people than are showing up for FSP reasons. They'd have done much better with somewhere like Wyoming or New Mexico. Or possibly even Utah, despite that state having a large population.
Who their neighbors are, and the distance to them, is a critical datum that was discounted when the decision was being made.
I've been meaning to do this for a while, but that story sent me over the edge. Time to finally subscribe to my first two Substacks: yours and Josh's. I love you both for the quality of your writing, your tenacity, and your willingness to engage with the extremely uncomfortable, regardless of consequences.
Thank you, and thank you for supporting Josh too! ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you very much Shmuel.
I have been reading and sharing your posts for a while now, but I just upgraded to paid.
Why?
The last line in this post. Brilliant!
Thank you!!
You're welcome!
BTW - I'm still laughing out loud, literally!
“Because Fuck Them.” 😎 Amen sister.
Holly I'm in Waterbury, VT and there are still some holdouts, but I haven't had this experience to this extent for at least a year.
I'm done with masking. If a business asks, I just don't go back. There are more than a few places that I used to love to visit but I don't anymore. I'm in a very tourist-heavy area, so maybe that has something to do with the lack of strict masking holdouts.
It can be difficult for people who've trusted our institutions to recognize that the trust is now misplaced in a lot of ways. My oldest son is a 1st year surgical resident, he has two little boys, 4 and 2. He got them jabbed probably 6 or 8 months ago, literally about a week before the CDC came out and said that they really didn't have any evidence at all that the jab had any efficacy for pediatrics. After I begged him to hold off until more info came out.
Note that he's not a dummy - BS from USNA in quantitative economics while also being a 4 year letterman in a D1 athletic program. But after 4+ years of being hammered over the head by The Medical Institution, he couldn't overcome it. Politically, he's more libertarian/free thinker than anything else. He's just been inculcated with institutionalism. It's going to take life and probably a few years of actually being a practicing surgeon for him to realize how screwed up the medical institutions are, and that their proclamations on anything have to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, not as a unified whole.
I understand. It took four years at an extremely Woke college to make me really see things for what they are, and even then it's only because I had a based therapist helping me see through the bullshit. If an actual adult hadn't been teaching me critical thinking the whole time, I'd be in the cult, myself. I have zero doubt of this.
He'll get there. It'll hurt, but he'll get there. I hope very much that your grandkids are ok.
They have had well long enough to understand. We are not seeing a lack of understanding, and it is no longer about a holdover of trust I believe.
It is the institutions themselves. They are doing this consciously. Their motives are not pure. Their motives are control.
No more excuses.
Josh, I agree. I have really tried not to be a conspiracy theorist but damn there are just way too many tentacles to this kraken of the woke to not believe it is a nefarious plan to control us. It’s like they won’t be satisfied until we are poor, starving, suicidal, weak, and too afraid to go out whatever hovel we will be in.
Keep your distance from people who are still making excuses for why it's just "misguided." You will get hurt around them. They cannot be trusted.
Good advice.
Ugh it's infuriating that people still extend good faith to bad faith actors. They've fkin TOLD us what they're doing. Sigh. Grrrr.
Glad you're here on Team No Forgiveness.
Josh, A tough thing for me to admit, as I largely see the world in black and white WRT ethics. But there's a bit of modal logic that should be applied here as well. From where I sit, there are 3 categories of people we're talking about:
1. the frog who trusts that the scorpion won't sting him
2. the frog who has been stung by the scorpion but still can't reconcile how it was possible
3. the scorpions
Some people can learn vicariously, others need to be stung first.
How many grains of sand does it take before we can call it a pile of sand?
You better figure out an answer quick, but you're on your own.
I already have my answer. You're the one in danger of getting swept away.
Bonne chance.
I have the same answer today that I had in late 2020 when we were told that the vaccines were safe and effective. That was a bald faced lie, and anyone who knows anything at all about statistics and the way medical studies are conducted knew it was a lie.
Not everyone has the benefit of my (or your, or Holly, or Bret, or Heather's) education and experience. For some people, I'm [reluctantly] happy to extend the benefit of the doubt, especially people who don't grok math the way we do, or understand how/why those in power will tend to abuse it.
The door to redemption must always remain unlocked. Even the strident atheist Ayn Rand acknowledged this in the character of the Wet Nurse from Atlas Shrugged. If there is to be alienation, let it come from their side, not ours.
Christian or no, there is some wisdom to be found in Matt 10:12-18
Peace, amigo.
42
3 isn't, 4 is. Sand that is. Sorites Paradox and Trolley Problems; I'm allergic. Either are the "philosophy" of boneheads.
Josh, did you see Dr. Malones substack about the relationship between WEF and academia/universities? Connections run deep. Permits rapid global spread of the agreed upon narratives. Sick
Economics and athletics. I think you are wearing rose coloured glasses.
I would just like for you to know that this post finally converted me into becoming a paid subscriber. Not that there's anything specific about this post, just that it's one more added to a great pile of excellent work that has now weighed the scale down enough that I'm ready to open my wallet. Thanks for everything you do.
Thank you!!!
When you said "deep south," I can't help that I thought Cape Horn / Tierra del Feugo.
The optometrist did you a great favor by allowing you to not give them any money in light of their crazy viewpoint discrimination. I live in a "red" state, but there's still plenty of crazy to go around, including our public universities. The brave people are the ones changing the "blue" states from within.
Holly, I’d recommend you send a complaint to the state optometry board about this. Not offering an accommodation is a clear violation of disability laws.
I'm thinking about it.
Don't think; DO.
Because fuck them is an excellent reason!
I believe we can finger the feds for this effed up foul up. They require medical facilities that get Medicare and Medicaid funds to demand their patients be masked. I am not sure, but hazard a guess that optometrists feed at the federal trough in some way.
I doubt that's it, as I've been seen in several places that I know get Medicaid (since I went to them back when I was on Medicaid) and had masks be optional for me. Also, if that were the case, why not simply say that? Why the song-and-dance over my feelings?
That’s what we were told at my husband’s urologist’s office. Maybe it was a way to keep us from complaining any more than we did 🤨
It's hard to know. Medicaid is state-administrated, for one thing, and the states handle these things wildly differently. *shrug*
https://www.ebglaw.com/insights/medicare-and-medicaid-providers-take-note-new-cms-rules-require-health-care-workers-to-be-fully-vaccinated-by-january-4-2022/
State administered by federally controlled!
You will be amused that these rules do not apply to 100% teleworkers. 🤪
I just checked the VT Medicaid provider website and this optometrist is not listed. But the federal bureaucracy is so huge, who knows.
This reminds me of something that's been bugging me for a while. Slightly off-topic, but why does it take a full on medical examination by a medical doctor just to figure out what kind of lenses you need in your glasses? The procedure they use to determine how your vision needs to be corrected seems fairly rote. Why can't this be done by a technician, or even better, a machine?
I would bet that the response is something like "but finding your lens prescription is just a part of the comprehensive eye exam that you should be getting done annually anyway!" but let's get real here, *nobody* is out there getting annual eye exams unless they wear glasses.
I'm so used to having it done by a technician with a machine that bit didn't register. By gum, the USA is a very silly country.
I enjoyed the whole post, but loved the last line. They may be a little crude for some, but they are words that make you stand tall, square your shoulders, and stare down whatever is coming at you.
Plus, it made me laugh out loud.