Braivo

Overkill. Science suggests low risk of outdoor COVID-19 transmission. Here’s why With natural ventilation, UV light from the sun and now warmer weather, the risk of COVID-19 spread outside is low, research suggests.

I was at my daughter's soccer game this weekend. Outdoors, breezy, sunny. Everyone was sitting at least 10-15 feet apart around the field. Some sort of field director came by on a golf cart and told everyone they needed to wear a mask. There were a lot of sighs and groans. In the conversation that followed we said a lot of what this article states, that requiring masks when they aren't necessary contributes to mask "fatigue". People are more willing to follow rules when they make sense. Much like the excess sanitizing that continues despite proof that Covid doesn't spread on surfaces, the use of masks outdoors, when spaced out, can come to an end and give some hope. Thanks for sharing this.

Japan is high on my list of places to visit someday. Would love to play some golf there. I love reading about how some of the courses near Tokyo are the busiest in the world. There are no pace of play issues there lol. I am happy for Hideki and the country of Japan.

I really enjoy being able to watch live golf on Thursday and Friday mornings, especially now that I work from home. I call it "coffee golf". I know the fields are typically weak, but the golf has a lighter feel to it, and the announcers are quite humorous. Plus they play in some really cool places around the world. Beautiful scenery. Lots of variety. Anyone else enjoy watching European Tour events?

You turn on Golf Channel at 6am on Thursday and Friday morning to watch Live European Tour golf.

I saw Feherty do a live comedy show in Detroit in 2019. Very good fun. Completely not PC at all, it was refreshing. I enjoyed some of his interviews. The John McEnroe one was actually really good.

I agree. This season felt choppy, at best. Verstappen, the number 2 driver in F1, had about 30 seconds of total air time the entire season. They waited until the last 5 minutes of the series to let Hamilton speak on the big social justice issues going on. The "Man on Fire" episode was pretty good, but even then they kept jumping from the crash to a different story in the same episode. Very bizarre.

I've played in USA, Mexico (Cancun), and the Bahamas. I live 20 miles from Canada and amazingly, like @iacas, I don't think I have ever played a real round of golf there.

Some perspective is required. There's still a small chance of catching the virus after vaccination, BUT it's nearly 100% effective at preventing hospitalization and death. So even if you get infected after a vaccine, it's going to be mild. Is that worth being worried about? Not in my opinion. Vaccine = end of pandemic. "Breakthrough" cases makes for a good clickbait headline, but the truth is there's no real story there. Same with variants. The vaccine works against all known variants. Nothing scary there either. The message is simple: Get the vaccine and you eliminate any personal threat of covid taking you down. When enough people get it, it eliminates the broad threat to everyone. End of story. Get the shot. We’re not looking at the most important vaccine statistic Everyone wants to know how well the vaccines work. But a key metric is hardly ever discussed.

True. But is it a "lifetime" appointment once you get the honor? The precedent is that it is.

Good list. The question is, how many do you have at a time? Do you cap that number? And is it a "lifetime" thing that they continue until unable/death? Or do you rotate? Let's say they limit it to 3 and we have Langer/Faldo/Olazabal and they all live/participate until 90, Phil would be 77 before getting a chance.

Fair enough. Who's after Jack and Gary? Too early for Phil and Tiger. Faldo? Tom Watson? Langer?

FDA and CDC urges pause to J&J vaccinations. CDC and FDA Call for Pause on Johnson & Johnson Vaccine After Blood Clotting Cases - The New York Times The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control will stop...

It didn’t become a “tradition” until 2007 (there were no honorary starters 2003-2006). No need to stick with Gary and Jack. They could even have the winner of the ANWA and the drive, chip, putt thing do it. No need to see old guys who can barely swing a club out there. Mix it up.

I can't stop thinking about this picture. I was today years old when I found out that the Butler Cabin interviews were done in what amounts to a TV studio in the basement.

Every Masters after 2019 is going to feel like a letdown in comparison. Always fun to watch, but yesterday lacked some of the "magic" that is typical of a Sunday at the Masters. I think Zalatoris making a birdie at 18 on Saturday and being in the final group with Hideki would've been a LOT more fun. The thin crowds and lack of roars also takes a bit away from it. Hopefully next April it's back at 100%.

@iacas - Definite @billchao - Definite @boogielicious - Definite @BradSomrak - Likely @Hardspoon - Definite @Braivo - Likely, if in Ohio or Western PA

This doesn't get mentioned much, but we get most of our immunity within 10-12 days of the FIRST dose of the vaccine. This chart straight from the vaccine trials shows cases flatlining at day 12. Fascinating stuff. I'm not saying we should skip our second doses, but this might put our mind at ease a little knowing we have significant protection within two weeks of the first dose. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2034577

We are on a fairly grim path here in Michigan. The variant is hitting hard. Cases shooting up exponentially. Hospitalizations of those between 40 and 59 going up 1000 a week. I hope we are an outlier and not just the first of many. The only way out is vaccines. COVID-19 in Michigan: Deaths climb, cases spike as state works to vaccinate more people COVID-19 cases, positivity rates, deaths, and hospitalizations are all up in the past week.

1, 2, and 4. No doubt.

Had my first Pfizer shot yesterday. Got a little achy and tired and went to bed early. Feel fine today except some soreness in my shoulder.

It does look like it's the new variant driving the surge in Michigan. The spring weather should help keep it at bay, but it's a race with the vaccine. The southern states might luck out since their weather has turned before the variant took hold. This is essentially zero for statistical purposes, and it says they died "with" Covid, not necessarily of Covid. It's entirely possible many of them died of other causes while still testing positive. Either way, if the vaccine pushes the death rate to 0.01% then I'd say it's a wild success. BTW, I got my first shot today. Pfizer. Quick appointment at the health department.

Worst in the nation with some of the tightest restrictions.

The Texas mask mandate (and all other restrictions) ended on March 10. They continue to reach new lows in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Doesn't look like a Leon Lett situation to me. Texas hitting record-low numbers in multiple COVID-19 statistics to start April The state's current 14-day average of new daily COVID-19 cases is 2,225. This is the lowest it has been since June 6-19 when it was 2,158.

Ha! I was trying to stay cool and stay out of the arguments then you go tag me and stir the pot?? 😆 First of all, I have a vax appointment for Tuesday morning. I'm getting the shot. Secondly, I have started calling them chin diapers when people put them down around their chins. They either put them on properly or take them off completely. Go one way or another. But yes, I regret my terminology in earlier posts. I was angry because my kids were having some tough times with cancellations, etc. Third, I have not idea what is driving the Michigan case numbers. We remain relatively restricted compared to neighboring states like Ohio, yet our numbers are climbing and theirs are declining. Why? I have no idea. Ohio remained open most of the winter and we did not, so perhaps it's a "catch up" of sorts. Ohio had more of a slow burn where their cases were slightly elevated all winter, now Michigan has a full blown forest fire. Why aren't wide open states like Texas seeing the same surge? I think the trouble is we attribute the surge in cases to either policy or compliance, when the reasons are likely far more complicated. I traveled this week to visit with a terminally ill friend in North Carolina. Hardly anyone there was wearing masks. Restaurants were packed. Etc. and their case numbers are flat. This comparison of state to state doesn't tell the whole story.