@ShiroKuro said in Will you be able to get a COVID vaccine?: I also need a tetanus booster, another arm-killer. I have to get the tetanus in order to register for spring piano classes on campus, so that has to be done by mid-Oct I think. So now I have to think about the timing of all these shots After doing some research about tetanus and diphtheria immunity, I decided to do a little science experiment and had my titers checked. I did it on my own and had to pay for the test. Lo and behold, despite the fact that I am well past the 10 year interval for a booster, my antibodies for both diseases are well above what is considered protective. https://www.questhealth.com/product/tdap-tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis-test-13815M.html A discount code pops up, I think it was 10 percent off. The pertussis test is kind of useless, not sure why they include it. But Quest was the cheapest titer test I could find for tetanus and diphtheria so I went for it. I don’t know if the uni will accept a titer in lieu of a vaccination. But for me, it gives me peace of mind that I have protection without having my already ailing left deltoid subjected to another arm-killer. My last two Tdap boosters did not go well. Edit: info about duration of immunity. And discussion about possible adverse effects of overvaccination. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4826453/

Also, perhaps an NP or PA’s statement could fill in as physician?

@pique said in Sleep apnea and c-pap machines--experiences?: Wondering if Medicare considers these machines to have a limited life span and if they will replace the machine at that point? They do at some point. I'm on my third machine right now. I got my first one through my health insurance while I was still working. It was a Phillips Respironic that was subject of a recall. By that time I was on Medicare and had to get a new sleep study before I could get a replacement, which was a ResMed. The humidifier on that one failed a few months ago out of warranty and I got a replacement ResMed but had to pay the usual Medicare medical equipment copay. I was cautioned that if it had been much longer (10 years?) that I might have had to get yet another sleep study. I'm glad to hear you're now having some success. Big Al

@pique said in Rest in peace, Robert Redford: @jon-nyc said in Rest in peace, Robert Redford: Humphrey Bogart It was Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca, which of course was set in Morocco. Lauren Bacall and Bogart first co-starred in "To Have and Have Not" and maybe that was in Cuba? (I'm not sure, it was a tropical setting). They also co-starred in "Key Largo" which was in Florida, not Cuba. So I think you are thinking of "To Have and Have Not" ? Redford was so impossibly handsome. And a good guy, too. Such an icon that it seems impossible that he was mortal after all. No I got the title right and the actress wrong.

@Bernard said in Now Jimmy Kimmel: @pique We need a national strike. For me, watching and reading Jen Rubin and Norm Eisen at The Contrarian helps a lot. totally agree about the national strike. long overdue. I have had to stop watching all the podcasts and stuff on substack. my inbox was becoming a nightmare.

It's official. The county I live in is experiencing an extreme drought.

Day three. If anything the white flour one is more vigorous. Didn’t expect that. Next up - rye flour. https://share.icloud.com/photos/002x5wBQqdBNbtk4Umq8eM3zg

Notes: https://share.icloud.com/photos/00d73loFoR-3Up861T1LKsN3A

@Bernard It sounds like a wonderful place! I love the idea of group class you're in! Not at all what I think of when I hear "group piano." You'll have to post back as things progress and share how it goes!

ICE detained 2 in this county yesterday. Not surprised. The ski industry would collapse without immigrants. Restaurants patrons objected. Neighbors objected. "They are hard working people and cause no problems." Of the many immigrants in the county, I know one who walked from Guatemala. She became a maid at Keystone resort, and has worked up way up from that to a management position, married, had kids and is well respected. I don't know her official status as an immigrant.

OK now I am curious. Is India just another layover? Or will you be spending significant time in India? Where in India? I haven't been there since the 70s and I'm very curious to know about your experience. If India is just a layover, what is your actual destination? I spent my long layover at Heathrow in the airport, so I'm no help.

Who skip childhood vaccination? https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/09/15/childhood-vaccines-parents-post-kff-poll/ The American parents who are choosing to skip or delay vaccines for their children are more likely to home-school their children, be White and very religious, identify as Republican or be under 35, ... [image: 1757972347356-img_7808.jpeg] The CDC says 92.5 percent of kindergartners received their MMR vaccines last school year. But those rates are lower in parts of the country, ... ... but you need 95%+ vaccination rate for herd immunity for MMR to be effective.

@Amanda Thanks, Amanda. My air bag (car didn't have side air bags) did not inflate and I think it's because I was pushed and travelled sideways. I got some closure when I went down to the tow company last week to retrieve my license plates and personal belongings from the car. I really liked that little car, and it was good to see the damage again. It made the verdict of 'totaled' more sensible. AAA has called it a total loss and the amount of the settlement covers the outstanding balance on the loan, plus a couple thousand more. I'm satisfied with that. The car was 11 years old. I had it only 2 years, but still, it had only 83K miles on it. I'm seriously thinking of leasing now. I am not driving anywhere near as much as I did when I first moved here and it seems to me leasing would alleviate the headache of repair costs and angst about breakdowns. I'm thinking another Hyundai. Like I said, I liked the one I had and they are affordable. My rental is a Nissan and it is not for me. (Apologies to anyone for whom Nissan is their car of choice. It's a fine car, but I don't like the exterior styling and there are some control layouts that annoy me. Personal stuff.) Your accident sounds ghastly, Amanda. Glad you are OK. I always hear good things about Camry's.

Told the gang at a recent AA meeting, "Had three eye surgeries. The good news is I can see you better. The bad news is I can see you better."

He is probably alive today because of the rapid research done to mitigate Covid.

Funny thing is, they were getting lunch from local Indian stalls. Of course they were probably legal UK citizens selling the onion bhajis, but there was a touch of irony. If we forcibly removed all nonwhites our society would undoubtedly collapse. However Illegal immigration is a problem and that rally did little to help solve it.