Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

“I never thought they’d lock HIM up,” sobbed a distraught member of the Lock Her Up Party.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

Meanwhile over at truth Social, the former president is busy confessing to crimes.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Battle won, war still ongoing.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

It’s a doggy dog world.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 Coronavirus / Monday Evening Open Thread: Status Symbols

Monday Evening Open Thread: Status Symbols

by | 232 Comments

This post is in: ,

Personal note: Spousal Unit and I just got our first vaxx doses, at a Walgreens a mere 40 minutes from home, after I’d stalked FindAShot.org for the past couple of weeks. Can highly recommend Walgreen’s COVID-19 platform (once you get past the annoying website registration) — it automatically booked our second shots for exactly three weeks after the first (same site, same time), sent out confirmation emails to print & bring along, and emailed a reminder this morning. The process at the pharmacy was quite smooth, too; even though we’d deliberately staggered our appointments, we were in and out within half an hour.

Came home and found this on one of my usual twitter reads…

IIRC, there *was* a check-off box somewhere in the online registration where one could express a preference for Pfizer or Moderna — along with a warning that being picky might mean waiting longer for a slot. Needless to say, we were willing to take what was available.

Reader Interactions

232Comments

  4. 4.

    Suzanne

    I got Moderna. I’m wondering if I should also get Pfizer. There’s no shortage of doses these days.

  5. 5.

    cain

    I’m scheduled for whatever vaccine on Wednesday -can’t wait to take it and then I’m going on vacation to the Virgin Islands.

  6. 6.

    Comrade Colette

    @Suzanne:  What?!? No! Moderna is officially 94% effective compared to Pfizer’s nominal 95%. They’re the same, for all practical purposes, and it’s not like one protects you from different diseases than the other or something.

    Unless you were kidding. My snark detector has gone the way of my knee cartilage and ability to make small talk.

  7. 7.

    Nicole

    It was a pretty droll article.  And yeah, humans will look for ANYTHING as an opportunity to wield status.  But, as the article also says, the best vaccine for you is the one that goes in your arm.

    Congrats on getting your first shot, Anne Laurie!  Thursday at 12 noon I join the ranks of the fully vaccinated (2 weeks after the 2nd shot).  A good friend’s mother and sister are both in the hospital with Covid, both still quite ill.  Her mom is on the way back up, but will have to spend some time in rehab.  Her sister is still in the thick of it.   It’s awful.  I’m glad vaccine eligibility has been opened up to everyone today.

  8. 8.

    MisterForkbeard

    We’ve got Moderna shots. I’m confused about the ‘status vax’ thing, because the vaccine are virtually identical in terms of results.

    But I guess the article goes into why the idea exists, so… interesting, I guess?

  10. 10.

    piratedan

    is fortunate to be fully vaccinated, 2 week post vaccination protocol ends tomorrow… which means that I can get a haircut with a certain element of safety.

    like most, I really wasn’t concerned about the manufacturer, more focused on the likelihood that post vaccination that the pandemic would not be directly responsible for my demise (although there’s plenty of indirect vectors tyvm).

  11. 11.

    Kropacetic

    Recently completed vaccine training and administered my first dozen-ish doses yesterday and today. Lots of new faces from miles around. I’m glad to see that enthusiasm and people willing to travel a bit to get their doses.

  12. 12.

    Baud

     I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all vaccines are created equal.

  13. 13.

    randy khan

    That was an extremely weird article.  It’s not like they’re allocating the vaccines by wealth or status – you get what you get.

  14. 14.

    Kristine

    I admit that I sometimes feel like my J&J shot status is along the lines of “the last puppy in the shop.”  But it works and supposedly efficacy improves over the weeks and hell’s bells, I got my shot.

  15. 15.

    NotMax

    Needless to say, we were willing to take what was available.

    Ah, the secret Santa gambit.

    :)

  16. 16.

    Central Planning

    CVS did the same thing for my kids and didn’t require signing up for an account.

  17. 17.

    Ohio Mom

    I get a flu shot every year, I’m due for a tetanus booster next year, eventually I will go get the “new” shingles — I had the first not-all-that-effective version, I dunno, about ten years ago?

    It has never occurred to me to care who made any of these vaccines, or anything else about them. I trust that my doctor is recording the lot number, just in case.

    I went in for my Covid jab willing to take whatever I got, which turned out to be the Pfizer. The main upshot has been that I have learned how to spell Pfizer.

  18. 18.

    debbie

    Now that everyone’s talking about needing boosters, I wonder if we will have to stick to the brand of vaccination we initially received.

  19. 19.

    JaneE

    I had Moderna, the difference in efficacy is small, and may well be because of the slightly different criteria used to determine if you had Covid-19 or not.  Both will reduce my risk of hospitalization or death to the point where it is acceptable, and probably less than just driving back and forth on the highway or freeway, if the number of near misses I have seen lately is anything to go by.

    I fully expect to need a booster sometime in the few years, with any luck longer.  The @#$)*)(& virus is too wide spread to keep from accumulating mutations enough to eventually need a tweaked vaccine.  Thanks GOP.

  20. 20.

    Nicole

    @Kristine: I wanted the J&J, because yay, one and done and it was the only one of the 3 that they had trial data on efficacy against the new variants, but, as the saying goes, you get what you get and you don’t get upset and I’m glad to be on the post-shot side.  Six hours of driving, total, for both of them.  Happiest road trips I’ve taken in a long time.

  21. 21.

    Darrin Ziliak (formerly glocksman)

    The nice thing about Walgreens is that the information/consent form is a fill-in PDF, so you can walk in ready to go instead of sitting in the pharmacy with a clipboard filling out the form.

    I liked it because my handwriting is nearly illegible due to hand tremors.

  22. 22.

    Cheryl Rofer

    I am extremely pleased with my Moderna vaccination because Kizzmekia Corbett is one of the developers, and she was in an American Chemical Society student program that I support.

  23. 23.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @Kristine:

    As time goes on and morons be morans, various variants might maybe defeat some of the current vaccines. Today’s CEO vaccine could be tomorrow’s Ken Lay ouchy. Today’s last puppy in the shop could be tomorrow’s Rottweiler on Roids.

    Happiness to all who are fully vaccinated. This thing of beauty is a joy for at least today.

  25. 25.

    trollhattan

    Had a slight preference for Pfizer because of the shorter interval between shots and seemingly fewer anecdotes of reaction frequency and levels. But would have taken either, gladly. J&J hadn’t been approved by the time I got mine.

  26. 26.

    Kristine

    @Nicole:

    Happiest road trip I’ve taken in a long time.

    It’s been almost 3 weeks since I learned I got the shot and not the placebo, and I still feel such a sense of relief.

  27. 27.

    JoyceH

    I wonder if Pfizer got the status because it was the first vaccine approved so it got a lot of coverage? The news organizations were so desperate for a good COVID news story, they covered the loading and departure of that first truck like it was the moon landing!

  28. 28.

    trollhattan

    Apple decides the kids were apologizing sincerely, this time.

    “Apple will let Parler, a social media app popular with conservatives, back onto the App Store after Parler made attempts to improve its speech detection and moderation,” Axios reports.

    “Parler is getting access to Apple’s massive App Store again after being suspended for inadequate hate speech policies following the January 6 Capitol riot.”

    Yeah, not so sure guys.

  29. 29.

    Stuart Frasier

    Moderna and Pfizer encode for the same protein, so it’s not as if there could be much functional difference.  Had Pfizer #2 Saturday.  Will refrain from making any tired 5G reception jokes.

  31. 31.

    mrmoshpotato

    IIRC, there *was* a check-off box somewhere in the online registration where one could express a preference for Pfizer or Moderna

    No choice for me. I finally was able to make an appointment at a Chicago Walgreens, and the nurse who stabbed my shoulder! administered the shot just said I was getting the Moderna vaccine.* Second dose in a little over a week away.

    *And I’m fine with it, you vaccine snobs assclowns!

  32. 32.

    JML

    I ended up with Pfizer, but that’s just because that was what was available that I could schedule. (9 days to shot #2!) I would have happily gone with Moderna. I wanted whatever vaccine was available to me the soonest. J&J? sure! sign me up. I’m driving 90 minutes to get it done and would happily go double that.

    Just vaxx me, baby.

    That said, every time I hear one of my friends also got Pfizer, I’m calling them my Pfizer buddy.

  34. 34.

    Falling Diphthong

    Summer camps have long played off this human tendency with color days. Distribute four colors of T-shirts, and people will discover that the red T-shirt wearers (coincidentally themselves) are the good people, superior at all things unless they are not in which case they are the scrappy underdogs everyone will root for. The yellow, blue, and green T-shirt-clad are obviously the real losers.

  35. 35.

    Nicole

    @Kristine:

    It’s been almost 3 weeks since I learned I got the shot and not the placebo, and I still feel such a sense of relief.

    So true.  I’m still wearing a mask when I go outdoors (although I agree with the data indicating that it probably isn’t necessary, as outdoors seems to be very low risk of transmission), but it’s amazing how much less stressful it is when there isn’t fear tied up in it.

  36. 36.

    Martin

    I didn’t care which vaccine I got, but when they gave me Pfizer I took that as affirmation of my inherent superiority as a human being. I now understand how fortunate you all are by my being here.

  37. 37.

    Kropacetic

    @Nicole: I’m just praying peopme in general decide to continue wearing masks in public. I was thrilled w the low incidence of flu this year. H

  39. 39.

    Brachiator

    I got the Moderna vaccine. I think the tail I grew is sleeker than those who got the other vaccines.

  42. 42.

    Nicole

    @Kropacetic: And the lack of colds, too!  I’m planning on making masks part of my winter wardrobe going forward.

    I also discovered just how much the sun is a trigger for my rosacea; my nose and cheeks looked better this winter than they have in YEARS.

  43. 43.

    JaneE

    @Ohio Mom: Definitely get the new shingles vaccine.  I only had the first one when it came out, and just had shingles, too.   Taking the anti-viral for that meant a delay in getting my Covid-19 vaccine too.  Grrrr.

  49. 49.

    Roger Moore

    @Kristine: ​
     
    My employer prefers the J&J shot in some cases. In particular, they think it’s better for patients waiting to be fully vaccinated before they have an important procedure. Not having to wait for a booster is a big advantage.

  51. 51.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Martin:

    Is Backpfizergesicht the word for a an unvaccinated unmasked face in need of punching? 

    It can be that too!  The slapdicks!

  53. 53.

    MagdaInBlack

    I’ve always been oblivious to status symbols. I’m getting my 1st shot Thursday, and I believe it is Moderna.

  55. 55.

    NotMax

    FYI.

    Puerto Rico will receive more than $8 billion in Hurricane Maria recovery money withheld during former President Donald Trump’s tenure and have “onerous” restrictions removed over how it can access and spend a larger pool of disaster relief money, the White House said on Monday.

    The combined moves are the latest actions from President Joe Biden’s administration to broadly reset the federal government’s relationship with the territory, releasing billions of dollars of financial aid years after it had been approved by Congress.
    [snip]
    Of the roughly $67 billion in aid Congress assigned in response to the 2017 storm, about $17.8 billion, or less than a third of the amount, has been disbursed. Source

  56. 56.

    Martin

    @WereBear: It’s not about signaling our inherent superiority – it’s the quiet confidence as you mingle among the rabble that you are indeed the better person. You wouldn’t understand.

  57. 57.

    prostratedragon

    Give me that Moderna vax shot,
    Give me that Moderna vax shot,
    Give me that Moderna vax shot,
    It’s good enough for me.

    It was good for Dr. Fauci …

    (Actually I and my immediate family are team Pfizer, as befits descendents of Ashanti.)

  58. 58.

    Roger Moore

    @Nicole: ​

    @Chief Oshkosh: ​
     
    As I understand it, the spike protein expressed by the three approved vaccines is identical at the amino acid level, so there shouldn’t be any difference in their ability to confer immunity to variants. Of course that’s the theory, and the reality might be different, but there’s no reason to expect a difference.

  59. 59.

    Roger Moore

    @Stuart Frasier:

    Moderna and Pfizer encode for the same protein, so it’s not as if there could be much functional difference.

    The encode for the same protein, but there might be some minor differences in how your body expresses it that might result in one being more effective than the other.  Similarly, the J&J encodes for the same protein, too, but the immunogenicity of the adenovirus vector might result in a difference in efficacy, either by priming the immune system better or by distracting the immune system with another invader to worry about.

  60. 60.

    sab

    @Brachiator: I agree. Mine is very sleek. My cat is jealous. If only it were prehensile. I could be a tiny elephant, except it can’t spit water or blow bubbles.

  62. 62.

    RSA

    My sense of superiority is only slightly dimmed by knowing that a hundred million other people have gotten the identical Pfizer shots to mine. Not to mention that Pfizer is a fall-back choice for vaccinating homeless people. Superiority is in the eye of the self-beholder, after all.

  64. 64.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Martin:  I made myself some buttons that say “Who’s got two thumbs and been vaccinated against Covid”, and I wear this along with a double mask.

    This should be a reliable indicator of vaccination.

  66. 66.

    sab

    @Roger Moore: Of course. it’s nose. Nobody blows bubbles out their tail. But the vaccine tail allegedly grows out of the forehead. Pretend it’ s a tail

    Damn. Now you have me confusing vaccine tails with elephant noses.

    What is wrong with you!

  68. 68.

    different-church-lady

    “Sure, the Moderna, but was it the batch 378 from the Louisville facility Moderna, or one of the 600 series from Charlottesville that has the musky aftertaste? I hear the good prep shools are dinging the kids for some of the batches…”

    jesus I hate everyone.

  72. 72.

    different-church-lady

    @Roger Moore:

    As I understand it…

    We should have a rule that unless you are an actual epidemiologist every comment about vaccines must begin with this phrase. Nice work.

  73. 73.

    Ksmiami

    I’m all done- got the second Moderna in Dallas on Saturday- drive thru line was huge but worth it. Just get vaccinated everybody!

  74. 74.

    Kropacetic

    @sab: [not a scientist. COMPLETELY made that up.]

    Oh, thanks, I was totally at risk of taking you seriously.

  75. 75.

    different-church-lady

    Don’t spread this around, but The Smart Set is getting all three vaccines.

  76. 76.

    Rand Careaga

    The spousette and I received the Pfizer pflavor in February/March, because that was what was on offer at the racetrack in Berkeley. We would cheerfully have accepted another product, but it’s pleasant to know that our “coastal elite” status has been, so to say, validated as well as vaccinated.

  77. 77.

    L85NJGT

    Emergent BioSolutions Inc. was told by U.S. regulators to stop making Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine at a facility where 15 million doses worth of a key ingredient had to be discarded, adding to roadblocks preventing wider use of the single-dose shot.

    J&J had to take over the plant last week, and now the FDA is there doing an inspection.

  80. 80.

    Kropacetic

    @sab: We do have strays from Fox twitter.

    Then I welcome all our new patrons. I’m sorry Fox doesn’t take your insurance anymore. The re-education center is to the left.

  81. 81.

    Roger Moore

    @different-church-lady: ​
     
    I am at least a scientist, and I’ve spent my entire career working around immunologists, so I actually have a fair understanding of a lot of this stuff. But I will readily admit that working with immunologists doesn’t make me one, and I haven’t been following all the details as carefully as I might. If anything, knowing a lot of the science means you know all the caveats, which makes you less prone to making grand pronouncements and more prone to hedging your bets.

  83. 83.

    Roger Moore

    @L85NJGT: ​
     

    J&J had to take over the plant last week, and now the FDA is there doing an inspection.

    Good. After a screw up like they had, they need an inspection to make sure they aren’t making more mistakes. Having been through an FDA inspection or two* I do not envy them, but it’s necessary to make sure they’ve fixed their shit.
    *Actually three, now.

  85. 85.

    Ken

    @Miss Bianca: And of course the version in Brave New World: “Oh, I don’t want to play with Pfizer children. And J&Js are still worse. I’m so glad I’m a Moderna.”

    (In fairness, in that book’s society your class prejudices really were the truth. They went to a great deal of trouble with chemicals in the artificial wombs and post-birth conditioning to make them so.)

  86. 86.

    Lyrebird

    @Kristine: Got the shot, yay!  & as a bonus, you don’t have to wait 3-4 weeks to get another one!

     

    Seriously I am so frustrated, why would Slate even publish that stuff?  Only over-65s have choice in my state just now.  You get what they have at the facility where you’re eligible for an appointment, and thank heaven!  They are ALL like 100% against intubation & worse.

  87. 87.

    Ivan X

    When people ask me which one I got I say I got the Qualcomm and they don’t get my 5G joke. Except for one pal who said that he got the Gates.

  88. 88.

    LurkerNoLonger

    Roger Moore: Similarly, the J&J encodes for the same protein, too, but the immunogenicity of the adenovirus vector might result in a difference in efficacy…

    Took the words right out of my mouth.

  90. 90.

    WaterGirl

    @trollhattan: Good news all around!  The Parler guys have learned their lesson.  Just like the supreme court knowing we didn’t need those pesky rules about states needing to have pre-clearance because they were bad in the past.  Everybody has learned their lessons!  Yay!

    *Not intended as serious statements.

  91. 91.

    Baud

    We need to stop this tribal warfare and focus on what unites us: our superiority to AstraZeneca.

  95. 95.

    Jay

    @debbie:

    they are doing “mix and match” clinical trials, to see if First Shot A, works with Second Shot B.

    From those trials it should be pretty clear if there is any significant difference. If there is none, or minimal, it would suggest that any booster will do.

  97. 97.

    Kent

    My 18 year old daughter has her appointment on Wednesday morning.  She was looking forward to getting J&J and is EXTREMELY disappointed to find out it will now be Pfizer due to the J&J pause.

    She is extremely needle-phobic and was very much looking forward to the 1-shot regimen.  Now she has to buckle up and get two.

  99. 99.

    sab

    @sab: While I am typing away here my husband wants meatloaf. Balloon Juice held me up at least an hour. Seriously impacts meatloaf quality. Plus I forgot the ketchup (catsup) !!!!!

  101. 101.

    Bodacious

    Thnks AnneL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I want my morning updates to continue uninterrupted as long as we both shall live! You have just completed the most essential step in securing that.

  103. 103.

    NotMax

    Substitute the elderflower with VOV* and it becomes a Moderna?

    (I’ll leave it to others to dream up what would comprise the unusual suspect variation to be christened “Pfizer Söze.”)

    *Working with V for vaccine as the premise, was originally going to go with V-8, but ewww. Plus something egg-based seems to better fit the bill.

    ;)

  104. 104.

    aliasofwestgate

    Roomie and i made our appt today to get our 2nd Pfizer dose on Thursday afternoon.  I am very glad of that. We pretty much took anything we could get, and that’s what we ended up with.  We don’t have to drive far, since it’s one of many clinics going on all over the city and the state here in WI. Much less the local pharmacies doing their thing too.  Hell, the day or so after we got our 1st doses, we got notification from our Dr’s offices to make an appt to get a vaccine if we needed one.  I have happily declined to let others get access via that way.

  105. 105.

    Chacal Charles Caltrop

    You know what’s annoying? Vaccines in NY were so hard to get for so long, and people were road tripping everywhere to get them, and then boom all of a sudden they were widely available. All we had to do was just wait a few weeks – and since the whole two-step vaccination process is six weeks to full immunity, what’s a couple of weeks?

    oh well. I still appreciate the tentacles.

  112. 112.

    RandomMonster

    Anne Laurie: I’m impressed you got the shot so easily and close by. I registered with a mass vaccine site in Baltimore snd had to join a cattle call line. But I won’t really complain, I was in an out in an hour.

    Aaaand…I’m done with both now.

  116. 116.

    Roger Moore

    @Ken:

    That’s really bad.  As he says, the root problem is that management is making promises production can’t meet, and then they’re demanding they cut corners in quality and safety to try to reach them.  Dealing with QA/QC is a pain in the ass, but you have to deal with that pain if you want to succeed.  Cutting corners sounds like a great way to save time and effort, but it costs a lot more when you get caught.  Instead of being a bit slow to deliver, they’ve had to scrap entire batches, and now they have to shut down for a while while they deal with their problems.  That will put them further behind than they would have been if they had been doing things the right way all along.

  118. 118.

    sab

    @mrmoshpotato: I was wasting my time here and I suddenly realized  meatloaf “forgot ketchup.”. Thought to mention  it to jackals, who were quite concerned. Mentionned it to husband ( who has to eat my cooking) and he was beyond concernerd,  more like outraged. So ketchup/catsup applied okay. Thanks to you all I got it on in time. Cannot believe I forgot.

  121. 121.

    JMG

    Moderna the company is running help wanted (you know the type, come join our team, etc.) ads on sports talk radio here in Boston! That’s got to mean they need more people ASAP, because I doubt those are stations that play in biotechnical labs that much.

  127. 127.

    sab

    @debbie: Cut them some slack. They could have screwed up and not told anyone. Aztrateca tried that for quite a while. Vaccines people gotta trust you. J and J good at that.

  130. 130.

    debbie

    @sab:

    No slack. Too many possible consequences. J&J never wanted production farmed out to other places to begin with.

  133. 133.

    Ken

    @mrmoshpotato: Someone had to have used to duplicating program.

    Maybe I should have said “too much free processor time on their hands,” since it does work out to about six mouse clicks (plus god knows how much local storage and upload time).  When I think of how many cycles were wasted, that could have been used for computing checksums of NFTs…

  134. 134.

    Kay

    This is a mostly Moderna county but I got the Pfizer because it was at Rite Aid and I couldn’t get to the health department.

    People tell me “it’s fine! It’s probably fine” in a way that makes me think Moderna is superior.

  139. 139.

    Roger Moore

    @sab:

    They could have screwed up and not told anyone.

    That is not a long-term solution. Unless you’re willing to go completely over to the dark side and falsify records, you will be caught the next time the FDA shows up. Even then, there’s a good chance you won’t do a good enough job of it and you’ll get caught anyway. If you admit your mistakes, the FDA will usually take mercy on you and let you try to work through them. Cover things up, and they’ll nail you to the wall. Like many federal agencies, FDA has a very narrow bailiwick, but they can cause really nasty problems to anyone who falls afoul of them within it.​
     
    ETA: And this would be particularly short-term thinking in this case. They knew the FDA would come soon, since there would have to be an inspection before they were allowed to start full-scale production.

  143. 143.

    citizen dave

    Moderna man here, which I like because I like to think it was made down the road by fellow Hoosiers in Bloomington.  But of course tonight I found this article saying the contractor plant had some past violations, etc.  Ruh Roh!  https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/12/17/947628608/how-will-moderna-meet-the-demand-for-its-covid-19-vaccine

     

    The thing that entertains me about MyPillowGuy is that every new time I see him his hair just a shade darker.

  144. 144.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Ken:

    When I think of how many cycles were wasted, that could have been used for computing checksums of NFTs… 

    Yes. ?

  145. 145.

    sdhays

    @Comrade Colette: I think my brain is wired differently than these people because I sort of think of Moderna as the “better” vaccine. To me, 94% and 95% in similar studies is essentially the same and I recall Moderna is substantially cheaper (although still not cheap) and has less extreme storage requirements. Which may not mean much to me as a consumer of a “free” vaccine, but I find that more impressive (if I’m looking for something to differentiate the mRNA vaccines, and mostly I’m not).

    J&J’s efficacy study, as I understand it, really can’t be compared to Pfizer and Moderna because it was conducted with a much larger range of people and actually included variants in the study which Moderna and Pfizer did not (because their studies were conducted before those variants became widespread). Obviously, the mRNA vaccines seem to be impressively safe, which gives them a slight edge. But J&J needs only one shot and can be stored in the refrigerator, which is important too.

    I would have taken any of them without a thought, but Moderna was what was offered and that’s what I’m getting on Thursday.

  146. 146.

    Spanky

    Well, I’ve had both Moderna shots, but now I’m thinking I should get me some of that SinoVax or RooskieVax just to be sure.

  147. 147.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Kay:

    People tell me “it’s fine! It’s probably fine” in a way that makes me think Moderna is superior. 

    Do you ask them if they have read any reports on the two vaccines efficacy, and then call them slapdicks when the answer is “Uuuuuhhhhh no.”?

  148. 148.

    Sure Lurkalot

    My experience with signing up at Kroger was much the same as AL’s at Walgreens. It was hit or miss getting slots, but I was able to schedule both mine and spouse’s over the same weekend, one day apart, at 2 different pharmacies less than 5 miles from home and both 1st and 2nd appointments. Email reminders for both.  Very efficient check in and short wait.  Moderna, thanks Dolly.

  150. 150.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Suzanne:

    My kink is vaccinations. No shame. 

    “Can I get the smallpox vaccine as well?”

    “Smallpox has been eradicated.”

    “Oh Doc.  You tease.”

  152. 152.

    citizen dave

    @sdhays: You remind of the same thoughts I had a couple months ago (when moderna went in my arm).  moderna doesn’t need the fancy cooling stuff, so it’s better.  of course!

  154. 154.

    Ken

    @Spanky: I should get me some of that SinoVax or RooskieVax just to be sure.

    Sure of what, I vaguely wonder…

    It’s sounding a bit like collecting all seven Horcruxes, or Infinity Stones, or whatever multipart MacGuffin your DM is using in the current campaign.

  155. 155.

    Ruckus

    Pfizer-Moderna. Moderna-Pfizer.

    What the hell difference does it make? They work on the same premise, they are very, very similar in effectiveness, close enough to say there really isn’t any effective difference.

    This concept of who’s better because you have this instead of that, that you got cancer from Pall Malls instead of Camels, or that your shit doesn’t stink because you wiped with Charmin is just ridiculous.

    Cops are killing people over an air freshener hanging from their mirror, and because they have more melanin. If you can tan, you have melanin. And people are worried about getting the “right” vaccine for status?

    I can’t. I just can’t.

  156. 156.

    Keith P.

    @Jeffro: I kid you not that my mother had a Mondale-Ferraro pin from 1984 (and I suspect my brother has it by now) for “Fritz and Tits”.

  157. 157.

    Jay

    So, Day 11 after my first Moderna shot.

    I climbed three flights of stairs carrying topsoil, with out getting winded, fuzzy brain is less, I have more energy.

  158. 158.

    JML

    Mondale was a good dude, a great public servant, and a heck of a nice guy. Minnesota legend. I’m gonna miss him.

  163. 163.

    Unique uid

    @Kristine: “ It’s been almost 3 weeks since I learned I got the shot and not the placebo, and I still feel such a sense of relief”

    Oh, you were in Ensemble2, right? Me too, but I ended up with placebo. I’ve been worried Watergirl would find out and I would have to stand in front of the jackals and get my sticker torn off

    I was scheduled to get J&J today, but after the pause was announced I got cold feet. Was able to get Moderna last Wednesday at Kroger.

    Except they told me it would be Pfizer when I signed up. I didn’t care which one. At least they were playing good old people music in Kroger- Moody Blues, Al Stewart, The Who….

  167. 167.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    So, what do you all think of the judge in the Chauvin trial saying that Maxine Waters’ recent “We’ve got to be more confrontational” comments could be grounds for an appeal if Chauvin is convicted? That the conviction could be overturned? Is there any truth to this

    Congressional Republicans are also calling for her expulsion from Congress, apparently

  170. 170.

    Jay

    @raven:

    got a metal rack on the patio. Have 4 large storage containers with lids. Lids become the drip tray, holes drilled in the bottom.

    carrots, tomatoes, peas, lettuce, spinach, pak choy, bunching onions, along with nasturtiums for the humming birds, on the 22nd floor,

    In addition to the herbs, lilies, perennials, we planted up last year.

    Keeps me from looking down.

  172. 172.

    geg6

    @Just Some Fuckhead:

    Ohhhh!  Congratulations to all!  Wow, twins.  I’m sending good thoughts to mom and dad.  It’s a lot with one, but two!  At once!  My hat is off to them.  And to you.

  176. 176.

    Geminid

    During a Covid briefing a few weeks ago, Virginia Governor (and medical doctor) Ralph Northam addressed questions about the relative merits of different Covid-19 vaccines. “The best vaccine,” Northam said, “is the one you get.”

  178. 178.

    NotMax

    @Jeffro

    “There are worse things than losing an election; the worst thing is to lose one’s convictions and not tell the people the truth.”
      – Adlai Stevenson
    .

  182. 182.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Gin & Tonic:

    And yet Henry Kissinger is still alive.

    In the immortal words of Jello Biafra:

    “God must be dead if you’re alive”

  184. 184.

    Steeplejack

    @Kay:

    People tell me “it’s fine! It’s probably fine” in a way that makes me think Moderna is superior.

    LOL. More like a way that makes you think they got Moderna.

  185. 185.

    Barbara

    @sab: They only came forward after committing such an outrageous mistake that it would have been caught by either manufacturer.  That error was precipitated by many smaller errors that were neither corrected nor reported.

  186. 186.

    MomSense

    I just wanted to say how impressed I was with the Northern Lights vaccination clinic in Bangor. It was well organized and everyone was so nice. Maine’s vaccination rate is now #1 in the country and I am so proud of how our public health and medical professionals are meeting this challenge.

  189. 189.

    KrackenJack

    I’m a post-Monderna man myself, but I now find myself in a mixed marriage. Can it last?

  191. 191.

    Barbara

    @Geminid: I just wish Virginia made getting it easier.  They are sticking to the original priorities for vaccines administered by the state or county health authorities, which means the darwinian struggle for vaccines continues apace at local pharmacies. Thanks to the link posted earlier by Betty I was able to sign up at a Walmart near where my husband grew up. It’s a 2 hour drive. Nothing was closer.​

    ETA: My friends are driving to mass vaccination events in rural Maryland.

  192. 192.

    Jay

    @MomSense:

    sadly, they were “hero’s” for about 3 weeks when Covid hit.:,

    my DS and AssMen are still pissed, that I still give a 50% discount to all Health Care Workers.

    Fuckem.

  193. 193.

    geg6

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
    He’s a fucking hack.  She’s not wrong and it’s only a problematic statement if you equate “confrontational” with threatening the jury.  Who should not have been following the news per their oaths.  People are free to say whatever they wish, per the First Amendment according to the GQP, regardless of what the results of those words may bring.  And any party that still tolerates Margery Taylor Greene, Paul Gosar and Matt Gaetz as members of their caucus in good standing can just STFU.

  195. 195.

    Kristine

    @Unique uid:

    Oh, you were in Ensemble2, right?

    Yup. I was slated to get shot #2 last Thursday, but they called and scheduled for early May. If the pause goes much longer than that, I’ll be outside the timing window. Not sure what comes next if that happens. The study has been running since November, so I assume a bunch of folks have already received shot #2.

    I didn’t have much of a reaction to the first shot–tenderness at the injection site, a slight fever spike the next day. Some aches across my upper back.

  198. 198.

    dmsilev

    @MomSense: I don’t think I’ve heard any stories of a bad vaccination experience. Lots of trouble getting appointments of course, but everyone seems to be very happy with the process from that point forward. Pretty amazing, given the scale.

  201. 201.

    Barbara

    @NotMax:  Walmart’s site was easy to navigate, but it’s hard to get an appointment because they appear randomly and then disappear immediately, and I wouldn’t lie about residency in DC to get one there, 20 minutes away and with much readier availability.

  202. 202.

    J R in WV

    @Jeffro: ​
     

    Looks like Fritz Mondale has passed away at 93

    Too bad, he was a good egg… getting old means seeing all the old warriors age out and die. Sad! And movie stars, and athletes, and muscians, and, and…..

  203. 203.

    Mike in NC

    Been looking with Google Earth at a lot of National Park Service historic sites recently, so I like to think there will never be a plaque on a goddamn building stating that it was Donald Trump’s birthplace and museum.

  207. 207.

    PsiFighter37

    My wife had signed me up for Javits (which is Pfizer); I ended up moving to a week earlier at a location near West Village that was providing the Pfizer shot because I would have still had an extra week between doses for Moderna anyways, so it did not make sense (to me) to bother seeking out the Moderna shot earlier, since the second shot would have been at the same time. That made it more challenging to try and find an earlier dose, though, because geographically speaking, Manhattan seemed to get a lot more of the Moderna vaccines, with only some locations on the western half of Manhattan seemingly getting the Pfizer shot. I have no idea how vaccine distribution was organized, but it would be interesting to learn about down the road.

    Shot #2 is in 10 days. Coincidentally, my moving up my shot also means I am now getting the shot on the same day as my wife, who is getting Moderna #2 then. Hopefully at least one of us doesn’t have meaningful side effects…otherwise it is going to be a miserable weekend taking care of a toddler while feeling terrible.

  208. 208.

    NotMax

    @Barbara

    The Walmart here is so filthy inside I’d certainly think thrice before going there. Not all that old a store, either. Instructions apparently were given to build it dilapidated.

  209. 209.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Miss Bianca:

    Waters said that protestors should “get more confrontational” if Chauvin is not convicted

    The judge, Cahill, said her comments were “abhorrent” in his own words and claimed that her words could be grounds to have a conviction overturned on appeal. MTG has herself introduced a resolution to have Maxine Waters expelled from Congress. She’s got some fucking gall, I’ll give her that. McCarthy has accused her of “inciting violence” and has vowed to bring action “this week” if House Dems don’t censure her. Pelosi has already said Waters should not be punished for what she said, rightfully so

    Her words are of course being taken out of context

    The fact that Judge Cahill called her words “abhorrent” explains a lot and says a lot about him

  210. 210.

    Redshift

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

    So, what do you all think of the judge in the Chauvin trial saying that Maxine Waters’ recent “We’ve got to be more confrontational” comments could be grounds for an appeal if Chauvin is convicted? That the conviction could be overturned? Is there any truth to this 

    From what I read from the legal types on Twitter, judges say stuff like that all the time in response to mistrial motions. It basically means “no, I’m not declaring a mistrial, you can try to use that in an appeal of you want.” I don’t think the judge’s statement has any effect on how likely such an appeal is to succeed.

  213. 213.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Jay:

    Those fascist fucks are going to kill him. I thought his comments about Trump’s being banned from Twitter were foolish, but he’s very brave for returning to Russia

  215. 215.

    citizen dave

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): The Navalny situation is so sad, but I just can’t see it as Putin killing him.  Instead it seems like a martyrdom.  It doesn’t seem like enough of the Russian population supports revolution or democracy.

  216. 216.

    stinger

    Unintended hilarity often ensues when reading comments without strict attention to who’s replying to whom. This evening it’s #110 and #111.

     

    Congrats, JustSome!

  219. 219.

    NotMax

    @Amir Khalid

    when you pronounce the P

    Didn’t make Desmond one teensy bit less insulting, an abject embarrassment and a full-blown turkey.

    Kilbourne, Lincoln’s chief of staff in the program, walks into the kitchen to find Pfeiffer sitting with his legs stretched out among the breakfast dishes. “The slaves haven’t been emancipated yet,” Kilbourne barks. “Get your feet off the table, Pfeiffer.” Pfeiffer stands and, with all the dignity he can muster in his British colonial accent, replies, “Sir, you may be chief of staff and my immediate superior, but I must remind you that we are both men, both human beings, both equals.” At which Kilbourne breaks out in a great horse laugh and bellows, “Both equals? Hello! You’re in Americaaaaa!” There is more, including a minstrel blackface sequence and jokes about cotton-picking and black dialect. Source

    ;)

  221. 221.

    Roger Moore

    @Ken: ​
     

    It’s sounding a bit like collecting all seven Horcruxes, or Infinity Stones, or whatever multipart MacGuffin your DM is using in the current campaign.

    The technical term you’re looking for is plot coupon, not McGuffin. A McGuffin is a thing that drives the plot but whose details are so unimportant that you can write a script just saying “McGuffin” and use find and replace later to change it to whatever object you’ve chosen. A plot coupon is the target of a subquest; the characters need it to advance the overall plot even if it isn’t the major goal.
    So, as an example, the Maltese Falcon is a McGuffin. It’s something the characters are all interested in and which drives the plot forward, but which could be substituted with any other similarly desirable object- top secret documents, a suitcase full of bearer bonds, or whatnot- without materially changing the plot. The Infinity Stones are plot coupons- they’re the target of subquests- but they aren’t McGuffins because Thanos increases his power as he collects them and can do new and plot-relevant things using them.

  223. 223.

    cain

    Congrats to Grandpa Fuckhead! :) I hope your life is further enlivened by the arrival of two these precious new lives. :)

  224. 224.

    Jay

    So, we have an alley that wraps around the building. It’s so that delivery trucks don’t have to back up and reverse direction.

    Assholes use it as a cheat to avoid two traffic lights.

    Yesterday, some asshole in a Porsche used it to run over one of our young Lot Associates, despite all the safety orange, and then fucked off.

    My DS texted me half an hour ago, to let me know he was moved into the ICU.

    Fuck, fuck, fuck.

  225. 225.

    Thor Heyerdahl

    Confirmed I get my first Astra Zeneca shot next Monday in Toronto. All the antibodies from A to Z!

  227. 227.

    Citizen Alan

    @NotMax: Man, that’s a blast from the past. My impression at the time was that Desmond was meant to be an Americanized take on Blackadder III, in which a sleazy and sarcastic butler is the only intelligent man surrounded by historical figures who turn out to be morons and lunatics, and said butler is the only reason anything got done. And since it was on Fox, they decided to dumb down the humor for Americans AND make it a commentary on race relations.

  229. 229.

    Jay

    @Dan B:

    I really hope that it works for all long haulers,

    and it is effective life long.

    We will see.

    Just glad to be mostly back, not just crawling around and surviving.

    thanks.

  230. 230.

    Jay

    @Dan B:

    BTW, when I get my second shot, in 3-4 months, I can go back out as a medic for the unhoused.

    looking forward to that.

  231. 231.

    fancycwabs

    But, because they had stars, all the Star-Belly Sneetches
    Would brag, “We’re the best kind of Sneetch on the Beaches.”
    With their snoots in the air, they would sniff and they’d snort
    “We’ll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!”
    And whenever they met some, when they were out walking,
    They’d hike right on past them without even talking.

  232. 232.

    wkiernan

    @Kent: Tell her this: when I got the first shot of the Pfizer vaccine, I looked away for a couple of seconds and when I looked back the nurse was putting on a band-aid.  I asked “Did you already give me the shot?”  She said “Yes.”  I said “I didn’t feel a thing!” She said “I’m a pro!”

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