Flyover economics

One of my favorite things to do is travel. I do a lot of it. By road, air, or cruise ship, I love it all. In the seven years my wife and I have been together, we have been to 48 states and 16 foreign countries. We typically take no fewer than 2 plane trips, 4 cruises, and 10 road trips a year. This allows me to compare travel from before COVID to travel now. Let’s take a look at the economics (or lack thereof) in “flyover country,” as the elites are find of calling the areas that are not NYC, DC, or LA.

Starting with my favorite city to visit: Las Vegas. There is something in Vegas for everyone: eco-tours, gambling, the club scene, fabulous restaurants, people watching, and the incredible spectacles of the mega-casinos. We ended 2019 there. We went back in July of 2020. In the intervening 7 months, I can tell you- Las Vegas is dying. It’s being killed by this COVID panic. If you read today’s wire story, you will see that things are not looking any better. Tourism year to date for Las Vegas is down 55%, tourism for 2020 was down 64%.

Orlando is hurting as well. The year 2020 saw a 34% reduction in tourism for the entire state, even though our governor is doing all that he can to keep the state open for business. The tourist areas of Orlando are a ghost town. That isn’t being helped by the left wing county mayor, who has a ‘strike team’ of jack booted thugs travelling the county in search of businesses that are not following his dictates. Most of the hotels in the tourist corridor are empty, with the exception of the national guard troops being housed near the convention center to help run the vaccine center. Most eateries are closed. It frankly was depressing the last time we were there in September.

We visited Savannah, Georgia the week before Thanksgiving. We are familiar with the city. Since it is a 4 hour drive from here, it is closer even than Miami and great for weekend getaways.

Unfortunately, it is a college town and therefore run by a Democrat mayor who is an absolute nut when it comes to mask mandates. Ghost tours, bus tours, walking tours, all of them were at reduced capacity. The restaurants where we love to dine have far fewer customers, and the hotels are not running nearly as full. Even tourism sites are a bit stupid about it.

We also went to Biloxi, MS in July. There isn’t much to do there at the best of times. Certainly not now. The only good thing that can be said is that the pool at the casino resorts isn’t very crowded.

So there is a quick look at the nation. In short, the government and the restrictions they are imposing are what is killing America, not COVID.

Vaccine

I am bringing this to you because all of the major media, as well as social media, have admitted that they have become the official propaganda arm of the Biden administration.

1.- Can I stop wearing the mask?
Government: No
2.- Can they reopen restaurants, pubs, bars etc and everyone work normally?
Government: No
3.- Will I be resistant to covid?
Government Response – Maybe, but we don’t know exactly, it probably won’t stop you getting it
4.- At least I won’t be contagious to others anymore?
Government Response – No, it doesn’t stop transmission.
5.- If I am vaccinated, can I stop social distancing?
Government: No
6.- If I am vaccinated, can I stop disinfecting my hands?
Government: No
7.- If I vaccinate myself and my grandparents, can we hug each other?
Government: No
8.- Will cinemas, theatres and stadiums operate as per normal thanks to vaccines?
Government: No
9.- What is the benefit of the vaccine?
Government Response – We are hoping the virus won’t kill you.
10.- Are you sure it won’t kill me?
Government: No
11.- If statistically the virus won’t kill me anyway (99.7% survival rate) … Why would I get vaccinated?”
Government Response – To protect others.
12.- So if I get vaccinated, I can protect 100% of people I come in contact with?
Government: No, the vaccine doesn’t prevent transmission

  1. – Isn’t that why we are wearing a mask?

Government response: We realized masks didn’t work, so now we are asking that you wear two.

  1. Can you guarantee that I won’t experience adverse affects from taking the vaccine or die from the vaccine itself?
    Government Response – No
  2. – Since you’re encouraging every American to get vaccinated then when people experience severe adverse reactions, long term effects (still unknown) or die from the vaccine will they or their families be compensated?
    Government response: NO – the government and vaccine manufactures have 100% zero liability in experimental stages.
  3. -How long does the vaccine last?
    Government response- we aren’t sure.

I was off by a bit

I remember saying that COVID would disappear after the election. I was wrong. I just didn’t take into account the fact that Democrats would never give credit to Trump for anything. However, look at the miraculous decrease in new COVID cases, beginning the week before the inauguration.

Lacking perspective

Bear Grylls says that the COVID pandemic means that it has never been harder to be a young person than it is today. I am sure that the kids who lived through the Athenian plague of 430 BC, where two thirds of the city was wiped out would feel sorry for the kids of today.

Then there was the Justinian plague during the 6th century AD, which wiped out one quarter of the world’s population.

Or how about the black death of the mid 1300’s? I mean that only wiped out a third of the world’s population. This disease was so severe, that there are still traces of the loss of genetic diversity to be found in the DNA of people today.

The arrival of the Spaniards in the Caribbean in 1492 wiped out 90% of the indigenous populations of the Caribbean isles.

The Spanish flu of 1918 killed 50 million people worldwide.

Over a million died from the Asian flu in 1957.

But hey, that COVID pandemic with the 98% survival rate and the 10% infection rate is the worst EVER.

Papiere, bitte

A couple left for Hawaii for Valentine’s day. Aware of the COVID testing requirement, she got tested swabbing her own nose in the parking lot of a Walgreens, he got tested at the Mayo clinic.

Well, it turns out that the Mayo clinic hasn’t applied or paid Hawaii to be a ‘trusted partner’ so the husband was not allowed to stay Hawaii and had to fly back to Los Angeles. He is hoping to get tested and return to Hawaii in time to spend Valentine’s with his wife.

In other COVID news

I was just contacted by a contact tracer from the health department in the county where I work, because I was exposed to COVID through my in laws. My employer reported me because I told them about the exposure. They informed me that I am under quarantine for fourteen days from the date of exposure. Without too many details:

My in laws, as well as my wife and I, live in one Florida county. My wife works for a school in the same county. I work in the neighboring county directly to the north. My wife was told she could return to work after ten days, which meant she returned to work yesterday.

So I live in South county with my wife, who also works in south county. I work in North county. My wife and I were both exposed on the same day, but I am quarantined for four days longer than she is, because why?

Who knows?

Frustrating

My in laws are the WORST patients ever. They both have COVID. They are both sick as hell, with my FIL being on the verge of needing to be hospitalized. They won’t eat, they won’t drink, I can’t even get them to stay away from other people.

I have asked them to do three things:

  • take their temperature and SpO2 every 6 hours
  • take their medicine
  • stay the fuck home and rest while avoiding other people

They won’t do any of it. I ask what they are eating and drinking, and this is what I get: “In the past 12 hours, I had a cup of coffee, a small bottle of Gatoraide Zero, and half a bottle of water.” I tell them that this isn’t nearly enough, especially since they are telling me that they have diarrhea and a fever of 103, then I point out that if they cannot take care of themselves they are going to wind up in the hospital. The reply? “Good.”

I try to get them to eat, and they tell me that food tastes funny, and they don’t want any. I try to get them to eat soup, and they say that they are tired of soup. We try alternatives. Apple Sauce. Cream of Wheat. Oatmeal. Mashed Potatoes. We even tried burgers (FIL loves burgers). All no.

Then the topping on this cake: I asked if they needed medicine. Several days ago, they told me that they need cough medicine. I brought it. They complained that it was the wrong kind, and wanted Delsym, because someone told them that this brand was better than others. Today, they admitted that they are getting medicine somewhere else. This means that they are either going out or someone else is coming to see them.

This concerns me, because I am not supposed to be leaving the house, since I have been quarantined due to being exposed to them. My job will fire me if they find out that I am working from home and still going places like the store to get their supplies. Why am I going to risk my job to help them, and then find out they are sneaking out? That frankly pisses me off.