I thought I'd be happy...

[MikeS]

The governor of Texas just announced that he is recommending that businesses open to 100% and he is dropping the mask mandate.

I thought that news would make me happy but, sadly, now I'm just confused about what to do.
Since I've been vaccinated, I truly believe that it really doesn't matter to me personally, but I've heard that I could still spread it.
Then, as a gigging musician I need to be aware of the possibility that my audience might feel that me not wearing a mask is putting them in danger. I don't want fans to turn against me for something as trivial as me wearing a mask (It's easy enough to wear one when off stage).

Personally I think opening up right now is premature.

If you chose to comment, please keep it nonpolitical and don't turn it into a name calling match. I'd really like your thoughts on what you would do if they said that in your area.

 

[MarkDyson]

I read that some businesses in Texas intend to continue to require masks to be on their premises. Were I resident there I'd continue to mask up and exercise all safety protocols as a personal choice. The underlying premise behind wearing one is not to protect the wearer, rather to protect those around the wearer by inhibiting the airflow of exhalations.

Now that I'm in line for vaccinations I'll be taking another look at my decisions to avoid going to my favorite brew pub on my off days, or playing in the open mic at the venue that has resumed in-person playing (with safety protocols in place). My decision was based on concern for my own safety so the re-visiting seems appropriate once I've had my jabs. I will still wear a mask and follow all protocols if I resume attendance.

I agree I feel that Texas (and MS from what I understand) are being over-hasty and even reckless, but that's purely my opinion and I'm far from expert on the ramifications. I just hope the act doesn't have severe ones.

 

[CaptainMoto]

Reminds me of the "Freedom Cafe":

Welcome to the Freedom Cafe!
We trust you to make your own choices if you want to wear a face mask. And, in the same spirit of individual liberty, we allow our staff to make their own choices about the safety procedures they prefer to follow as they prepare and serve your food.

We encourage employees to wash their hands after using the bathroom, but understand that some people may be allergic to certain soaps or may simply prefer not to wash their hands. It is not our place to tell them what to do.

We understand that you may be used to chicken that has been cooked to 165 degrees. We do have to respect that some of our cooks may have seen a meme or a YouTube video saying that 100 degrees is sufficient, and we do not want to encroach on their beliefs. Some of our cooks may prefer to use the same utensils for multiple ingredients, including ingredients some customers are allergic to. That is a cook’s right to do so.

Some servers may wish to touch your food as they serve it. There is no reason that a healthy person with clean hands can’t touch your food. We will take their word for it that they are healthy and clean.

Water temperature and detergent are highly personal choices, and we allow our dishwashing team to decide how they’d prefer to wash the silverware you will put in your mouth.

Some of you may get sick, but almost everyone survives food poisoning. We think you’ll agree that it’s a small price to pay for the sweet freedom of no one ever being told what to do – and especially not for the silly reason of keeping strangers healthy.

 

[Mickey Duane]

Well

Ca and Tx and NY have the highest deaths of covid in the US so I'm not sure it is totally cool to throw precaution out the window yet

although time will tell and I hope for positive results

Mean while Mrs. Blueberry and I are still hibernating - her painting when she is able and me playing music because I can

Peace

 

[PapaRaptor]

Since this thread probably won't survive the day...

Welcome to the Freedom Cafe! We trust you to make your own choices if you want to wear a face mask.

That's the end of where the "Freedom Cafe" makes any sense.
Clearly if you run a business in the manner you describe, you are in fact not running it. You are paying people to like you.

• You pay your employees for their work.
• If you are a business owner, you, not your employees dictate company policy.
• You, not your employees determine what are acceptable business practices.

What the "Freedom Cafe" in your post explains is not how business works, but more like how our government works (both left and right facing patterns).

"Freedom Cafe" is an extremely flawed metaphor for what we are going through and is only of value to those who lack the critical thinking skills to understand how poorly it is framed.

Edit: I'm not staking out a position on either side. At this point, I would suggest that the state of Texas is volunteering to be guinea pig. I've read studies put forth by groups in favor of reduced restrictions and by those in favor of keeping existing restrictions and in some cases even more stringent measures.

Since I live in a very sparsely populated area and I'm pretty content to stay on the reservation, neither the restrictions nor the vaccine have been of much concern to me. I wear a mask when I do go out, simply because it puts others at ease, even those who think I'm stupid for wearing one. I'm sure if I lived in an area where my neighbors could hear me snore at night, I would think and act much differently.

This thing called life doesn't come with a how-to manual, so make the best decisions you're capable of. No one knows how your story is going to turn out. I just try to stay off other peoples' toes, literally, figuratively and socially.

 

[MarkDyson]

Since this thread probably won't survive the day....

Heh. I expect you're right, but I hold out a little hope.

 

[PapaRaptor]

Heh. I expect you're right, but I hold out a little hope.

Who knows? I may be the one who takes it down!

 

[CaptainMoto]

Since this thread probably won't survive the day...



That's the end of where the "Freedom Cafe" makes any sense.
Clearly if you run a business in the manner you describe, you are in fact not running it. You are paying people to like you.

• You pay your employees for their work.
• If you are a business owner, you, not your employees dictate company policy.
• You, not your employees determine what are acceptable business practices.

What the "Freedom Cafe" in your post explains is not how business works, but more like how our government works (both left and right facing patterns).

"Freedom Cafe" is an extremely flawed metaphor for what we are going through and is only of value for those who lack the critical thinking skills to understand how poorly it is framed.

I get your point Papa,
Maybe not the best metaphor.
I think the point is; we can't always rely on people, in any position, to do the right thing.
That opens the debate as to if/when government should get involved.

From my perspective, this entire situation is much like traffic regulations.
Reasonable people know you shouldn't drive at 100mph through a school zone and you should stay on one side of the road.
Unfortunately, people don't always do the right thing so, the government steps in and establishes traffic laws installs traffic lights and lane markers to help protect us all.
Without somebody setting safety standards, we are all at the mercy of every individuals interpretation of what's reasonable & safe.

We can't expect, and don't want, government to be our baby sitter but, there is a case for setting standards.

As it relates to the Texas Governor,
If the his position was " Not My Job To Set Mandates" followed by strong recommendations to follow the established heath guidelines, I'd say.......OK I get it!
However, to establish mandates and then retract them sends a message that All Is Clear, when it is not.

 

[PapaRaptor]

However, to establish mandates and then retract them sends a message that All Is Clear, when it is not.

It reminds me of an old TV show (we're talking 50's cold war stuff, might have been Twilight Zone), where several families are all hunkered down in a bomb shelter to survive a nuclear attack. One person insists that the fallout must be over and it's time to unseal the shelter. The rest were unwilling to allow him to break the airtight seal with the outside until it was safe. Their biggest problem was their only outside source of information, a radio had failed, so the decision to sit tight was made. This scene repeated itself over several months. Eventually the scene changed to civil defense workers going around to check on people. They found the bomb shelter still sealed. Upon opening it, they found everyone dead of starvation.

 

[snarf]

I'd continue to mask up and exercise all safety protocols as a personal choice. The underlying premise behind wearing one is not to protect the wearer, rather to protect those around the wearer by inhibiting the airflow of exhalations.

As someone in Texas, this is my take as well.

 

[MikeR]

I just read that Houston was the first city in the US to record the presence of all the new variants of the coronavirus, so it seems to be even more imperative that they continue precautions.

Here in Napa, we just changed our restrictions today to allow indoor dining and other indoor activities (at reduced numbers) and I've got both doses of the vaccine. That being said, I'm not changing anything I do, or places I go, until my wife gets her vaccination and/or the virus is nearly gone.

 

[tommytubetone]

The vaccines are becoming readily available, here in Michigan at least. I just got contacted today by another vaccine provider, which makes it 3 in the last 2 weeks. At some point I'll assume that everyone who wants the vaccine has gotten it. Then I'll stop worrying about protecting those who aren't worrying about it themselves.

 

[MikeS]

I get your point Papa,
Maybe not the best metaphor.
I think the point is; we can't always rely on people, in any position, to do the right thing.
That opens the debate as to if/when government should get involved.

From my perspective, this entire situation is much like traffic regulations.
Reasonable people know you shouldn't drive at 100mph through a school zone and you should stay on one side of the road.
Unfortunately, people don't always do the right thing so, the government steps in and establishes traffic laws installs traffic lights and lane markers to help protect us all.
Without somebody setting safety standards, we are all at the mercy of every individuals interpretation of what's reasonable & safe.

We can't expect, and don't want, government to be our baby sitter but, there is a case for setting standards.

As it relates to the Texas Governor,
If the his position was " Not My Job To Set Mandates" followed by strong recommendations to follow the established heath guidelines, I'd say.......OK I get it!
However, to establish mandates and then retract them sends a message that All Is Clear, when it is not.

His position was pretty much that. The experts are telling you what to do, you know what you should do...
I'm not an expert.
Although... he DID establish then retract them so I KNOW (Sadly) that people will hear what they want to hear in his statement.

During his comments he said that everyone that want vaccine will have access by some time in May. So why not wait a couple of months? Hell, we've already waited a year!

 

[blackcoffeeblues]

No comment from here guys I KNOW IT WOULD BE SHUT DOWN. So go at it. (that is meant as a joke) but some people just don't have a sense of humor.

 

[artyman]

Just to say a friend who tested positive for Covid has now been admitted to hospital for oxygen, this things is real folks so just be sensible, if wearing a mask seems daft to someone else that's their problem, like some drivers seem to have the death wish, they say you can't legislate for idiots.

 

[tommytubetone]

we just changed our restrictions today to allow indoor dining

Yeah, I went to dinner last night for my birthday. I believe it was restricted to 25% capacity. It didn't feel like I was doing anything gutsy.

 

[ChrisGSP]

I think you're entitled to wear a mask if you want to do so. You're doing it to protect other people, and if some of those other people take offense then it's their problem, not yours. By all means wear a mask on stage, bling the bloody thing up so that it looks GREAT, man. It doesn't have to be a plain-jane piece of PPE, it can be a cool accessory
But I'm talking from Australia, not Texas.

 

[blackcoffeeblues]

Very sorry to hear that Arty----hope all goes well with your friend.

 

[PapaBear]

The governor of Texas just announced that he is recommending that businesses open to 100% and he is dropping the mask mandate.

I thought that news would make me happy but, sadly, now I'm just confused about what to do.
Since I've been vaccinated, I truly believe that it really doesn't matter to me personally, but I've heard that I could still spread it.
Then, as a gigging musician I need to be aware of the possibility that my audience might feel that me not wearing a mask is putting them in danger. I don't want fans to turn against me for something as trivial as me wearing a mask (It's easy enough to wear one when off stage).

Personally I think opening up right now is premature.

If you chose to comment, please keep it nonpolitical and don't turn it into a name calling match. I'd really like your thoughts on what you would do if they said that in your area.

If you're on a stage 6 feet from the patrons you don't need a Mask, Georgia was one of if not the first to open back up, we have no more cases, hospilaztions or deaths per capita than the states that clammed up, but we do have capacity restrictions, mask aern't mandated but most people wear them, If I go to place I think is being reckless I don't stay

 

[MarkRobbins]

The vaccines are becoming readily available, here in Michigan at least. I just got contacted today by another vaccine provider, which makes it 3 in the last 2 weeks.

I wish that was the case here in southern Minnesota. I've tried every legitimate avenue available, every day, with no appointment so far. My primary care clinic says they'll contact patients when they are ready for us. Nothing yet. I check the Walgreens, WalMart, and HyVee pharmacy web sites every day. No appointments available. I'm on the VA list; haven't heard from them. Today the County Health Dept. started taking calls; we got through to voice mail, and left a message as requested. It's gotta happen eventually, right?