Covid Check In

Been a while since we checked on all things Covid.

Ontario is cautiously, cautiously re-opening activities. We are about 83% fully vaccinated and - based on my non-scientific observational study last week - fully half of the people on the streets are wearing masks.   

So is Covid still out of control in Ontario?  I don't know. But if you listen to the media, it's hell on wheels.

[This little diddy courtesy of the Toronto Star.]

But is it?  More on that later.

But let's check some places that are out of control.

These charts compare Covid case rates per capita (all on the same scale) for each US state and Canadian province/territory.

So the northern and western states seem to be the ones out of control.  Even Canada's Northwest Territories leads the pack in the Great White North.

Let's look a little deeper.....

Again more western and northern states have the higher rates.  And now one of Canada's western provinces makes an appearance.

Interesting that Saskatchewan  - the bogeyman in Canada at #2 - is lower than 22 other states.

What about the petri dish of Covid infection even further west - Alberta?

What?  Its "out of control" rate is lower than 38 states.

So where is fearful and cautious Ontario....?

Look down.  Look way down.....

Our dreaded fourth wave isn't even a pimple on the graph. In fact, Ontario is now lower than all the US states and 8 of the 13 provinces and territories.

But I hear you.  You say, UC, the rate is low because we have been locked down for longer than anybody.  Maybe so.

But here's the most shocking part of this graph:

Florida, who if you listen to the US media can't be anything more than an open crematorium for Covid deaths, now sits third in case rate.

Third lowest!  [#49 on the chart] And they haven't been locked down at all.  How does that work?

But just like that elusive groundhog, I think it's time for Ontarians to cautiously pull the curtains back and stick their heads of the door. But not too quickly, or the media will pounce.

Yup. Ontario must be the most dangerous place on the planet....

[Post script: you may say that Florida has had many more deaths than Ontario or a lot of the US states.

Couple of points:

• Florida ranks 10th on deaths per capita in the US (less than New York & New Jersey, but the rate is very low now [because most of them have already died?]   
• Florida has 10 times the population density of Ontario. 20 million people crammed into that little peninsula. With many more millions of disease toting tourists.
• Florida has the second highest % of seniors in the US.  [Well, it used to before most of them died, too.]   
• So nobody's perfect, but both Florida and Ontario looks to be in pretty good shape now.]

Balls This Big

 

Who would have been the guy to have to tell her that?

Telling the freakin' Queen of England to cut back on the booze!

Back in the day, that would have been enough to have your head lopped off.

Reminds me of the time I told my 97 year old mother that I thought she was taking too many aspirin, it wasn't good for her.

Oh my God, the look on her face was like, is my son a moron?

Luckily being my Mom, and a classy lady, what she said was "Does it really matter?"

I wonder what the Queen said.  Guessing she was not amused.....

About Time!

 Astute Arnotti readers will notice something different with this picture....

Yes.  This picture is from the same location as an earlier one, with one difference.

Click Not What I Had In Will! for a reminder of the original.

Or if you are too dang lazy to click it, here is the "After" and "Before" pic. [Click to zoom in]

Looks like they finally buried the old man.  That mound of dirt (and Dad?) had been there for several months.  Likely reasons:

• one of the sons finally said, okay, okay bury him.
• maybe they buried him someplace else, as his flowers are now dumped in the dirt around this tree, below.
• or the family finally coughed up the dough for their bill

But before that happened.....?

Purely Fictional

So Hillary Clinton has written (another) book. 

This time with the help of Canadian author Louise Penny!

The article said Penny brings the writing chops and Clinton brings the deep, geopolitical insight and insider knowledge into foreign affairs to together write a fictional thriller called State Of Terror.

[Ed. comment: looks like Clinton has now become one of the sister wives.]

This is a thriller "based in reality but all the characters are purely fictional."  So let's see if this is true...

From the article, the theme is "there's a new president in the White House, installed after a tumultuous four years in which the previous administration screwed up everything it touched. The former US president, Eric Dunn, is known to even perhaps his closest associates as Eric the Dumb."

Purely fictional.

Hillary continues "all of our characters are fictional and I want to make that absolutely clear." 

She went on, "Dunn is not based on any former president we might be familiar with but with a fictional version of a president who, in 4 years, showed us that you can have a president who is manipulated by foreign powers, who was indifferent to institutions and the rule of law."

Right, purely fictional.

The protagonist?  "A young Ellen Adams is the new Secretary of State." [Gee, what was Hillary's position with Obama. Oh yeah, Secretary of State.] Of course, this is another entirely fictional character. 

She went on to describe how difficult it was for a woman to be Secretary of State. "Even more difficult, one thinks, as a woman on the international stage. The toughness of what she faced on a day-to-day level and what she brought to it comes across in the way we wrote Ellen's part." 

"Ellen Adams was used to people underestimating her. Accomplished, middle aged women were often by diminished by small men." 

What a fun read this sounds like.

And no bitterness there on Hillary's part because it's a completely fictional character!  From above "I want to make that absolutely clear." 

I'm not trying to be harsh, but wow, Hillary is still consumed with rage for Trump, I mean Dunn, no, I mean Trump a there is no connection between to the two. And still obsessed with how she was perceived as Secretary of State.  Where have I heard that before? Oh yeah, her previous book.

But the only thing fictional about this new book is thinking it is about fictional characters.

Will The Real Robbie Ray Please Stand Up

 Robbie Ray was the ace of the Toronto Blue Jays staff this year.

And arguably the ace of the entire American League as he is considered the odds on favourite to win the American League Cy Young award.

So will be great to see him in blue and white for many years to come.

But here's the rub - he will be a free agent in July.  And with a Cy Young award under his belt, he is sure to command top dollar.

But here's the other rub - which Robbie Ray will show up next year?

The one with a 2.84 Earned Run Average (ERA) this year - a career best 2.84 - or will be revert to form and log a more unforgettable 4.9 career ERA in 2022? And beyond.

Do the Blue Jays wat to give that long term, rich contract?  So the question you have to ask them is, Do you feel lucky?  Well do ya, punk?! 

Our second - and similar - exhibit is Jays second baseman Marcus Semien.  Seen here donning the Home Run Jacket.

Who also had a career year this year - and set a major league record for home runs by a second baseman - and also a free agent.

And here's the rub as well.  Which Marcus will show up after signing what surely will be a very lucrative and long term contract?

Because here is a chart of his career WAR - Wins Above Replacement.

Was the this year's 7.1 WAR an anomaly - although 2019 was pretty good - or will he revert to form after signing his likely mega deal and produce his career WAR of 2.7? 

Guys always seem to have career years just when they become free agents.

Go figure.....

Of course, they are certainly a safer bet than some players......

[Another Mr. Boffo rom Joe Martin]

Could This Man Be From Florida...?

 

What?  He's from Missouri.  

Take a back seat, Florida Man.

Pumpkin Eater!

 

And while we're on the sort of the topic, in today's paper......

Wait...What? That's Not What I Had In My Will!

 

Kids will be kids.  "Hey, we're going to Disney World!"

Now some people have impressive mausoleums erected to themselves.

Others something more modest, but still dignified and respectful.

And others, well....not so much.

And in case you're thinking, "Come on UC, this is just temporary", this has been this way for over two months. The tossed flowers are a nice touch.

Now, in the kids' defense, maybe he said something like, "Oh nothing fancy, don't do anything special."

You got it, Pop.

And on a sort of related topic......

[Another Mr. Boffo, from the mind of Joe Martin]

Sign Of The times - Millenial Version

 

 

Too Close To Call

 

So Here's The Thing.....

News item: Ontario's vaccine passport system goes into effect today.

To enter gyms, restaurants, bars, mall food courts, etc., you must show your vaccination certificate.

Awk!

And many people have not got them yet.

So what do you do?  Easy - you go to the Government of Ontario Public Health website and print one off.

So the Urban one decided to try it out.

Oh, what's that?  I'll try it again. Nope, same result.

Turns out, after some sleuthing, the website is down for "regularly scheduled maintenance".

Only the government could do this.

The morning the Vaxport programme goes into effect, the gol darned Vaxport website is down.

If Tim Horton's or Canadian Tire were rolling out a new system, you know for sure that system would have been ready to go, on time.

Do you think someone - just one person - in that Public Health department might have said, maybe we should reschedule that maintenance? Or maybe get it done ahead of time so when the programme goes live we are ready.

So here's the thing....why wouldn't everybody in that Public Health department have thought the same thing?

Why?  It's the government.

A Sign Of The (Covid) Times

 

I Believe It

 

By "believe it" I mean....not the quarter-pounder-is-bigger part but the customers-thought-that-it-was part......

And while I'm at, in the same category......

Help or Hinderance?

 While we're on the topic of the upcoming election, here is another lawn sign.

This looks to be supporting Chrystia Freeland. Okay...

And up in the corner she looks to be running for re-election. Okay...

And down at the bottom looks to be running for the Liberals.  Okay....

But what does that say way up there in the tiny print?

Ohhh..... 

I guess that's about the smallest font available....

And to change the subject completely......