Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Vampires and Vaccinations


Here's some graffiti that recently appeared by the steps leading down to the creepy and rather forbidding footpath known as Billy Fury Way. Is it pro-vax or anti-vax? Or maybe it takes no position. It's just a big needle. You can barely see a council street sweeper down on the path beyond the bush, vainly trying to clean up the massive quantities of litter along the walkway. You'd need a garbage truck to get it all -- probably several garbage trucks. And haz-mat suits.

I busted out the Halloween decorations at work yesterday. It might seem a bit early, but it's October -- so close enough. I hung my big rubber bat over my desk and created a Halloween book display:



I'm not sure it would win any prizes but it gave me something to do! I made sure to prominently feature "The Graveyard Book," my most recent Newbery. I'm now reading one from the 1930s called "Invincible Louisa," a biography of Louisa May Alcott. When it was written, a few people who knew Alcott were still alive, so apparently it contains some first-hand accounts. I'm not exactly thrilled at the prospect of reading it -- I've never even read "Little Women," which I probably should remedy someday -- but as is often the case, maybe it will be more interesting than I anticipate.

Ellen recently mentioned on her blog a new right-wing theory that liberals are trying to trick conservatives into not taking the Covid vaccine, in order to kill more of them off. The theory is that by advocating for the shot, "the organized left is deliberately putting unvaccinated Trump supporters in an impossible position where they can either NOT get a life-saving vaccine or CAN feel like cucks caving to the ugliest, smuggest bullies in the world," according to John Nolte, a columnist for Breitbart. (Since when do doctors and scientists constitute the "organized left"?) Nolte's column is fairly nasty but at its heart he embraces statistics about Covid deaths and the need for the shot -- although he backs off a bit at the end, insisting that he's "not telling or badgering anyone to go out and get vaccinated. That’s your choice."

The Atlantic did an interesting article about Nolte's column, exploring the possibility that right-wingers avoid Covid vaccines merely because people they perceive to be leftists are telling them to get vaccinated. To be contrary, in other words. Personally, I think Nolte is trying to advance an idea that will enable Trumpers to get the shot without feeling defeated by better-educated experts, i.e. "leftists." If they see getting vaccinated as an act of rebellion against a liberal plot, they might go for it. It's laughably absurd, but to employ a phrase I used to hear on TV shows as a kid, "it's so crazy it just might work!"

Did you notice when Facebook crashed yesterday? Dave did -- he spends a lot of time on Facebook. He kept exclaiming about it being down, and when he'd been saying that for a couple of hours I went online and read about the outage. I must confess I would never have noticed it myself -- I haven't been on Facebook in a couple of weeks. (Or Instagram in many months. I'm not on What's App at all.)

It's funny -- when I first got my Facebook account in the mid-to-late aughts, I loved it. It seemed amazing to be able to keep in touch with so many people from my past. But now it seems onerous, and not just because of questions about its algorithms and the ways it manipulates users. I'm tired of the scrolling mentality, the barrage of information about so many people, some of whom -- to be honest -- I barely know. I've even thought about taking my account down, at least temporarily, but I haven't yet. Blogging seems so much more civilized and thoughtful, even when I'm writing about walking the dog!

57 comments:

e said...

I agree about blogging. I do check messages on Facebook but have not posted anything new in quite sometime, just recycling memories which us what that platform does if the account holder does not post any new content.

Anonymous said...

Facebook being down here in Australia was a catastrophy, if you believe the media. Never mind, it was back by 9am. How many people missed it at 3am.

I really like the lateral thinking about right wing anti vaxxers. Clearly evidence hasn't worked, so maybe play on their emotions and beat them at their own game of conspiracies.

The strong colours and the dark red tell me it is not a pro Covid vaccine mural.

crafty cat corner said...

I think Facebook is horrible. My son recently had a conversation with someone and apparently the recipient decided that what he said was bullying and reported him, he got a warning. If you knew my son you would soon realise that he is one of the most gentle and kind people (he is a nurse and loves his job) he has deleted his account and it affected him badly. In these days of correctness one has to be careful of offending people over the most trivial things.
Like you I think blogging is a much nicer way of communicating.
Briony
x

Frances said...

I only noticed that whatsapp wasn't working because I had sent a message to my DIL asking how my poorly grandson was getting on and she hadn't answered. I saw that there were no grey ticks, indicating that it had been sent, but it was quite a few hours later that I heard that the whole of the world was " down" on it and FB and Insta!

Moving with Mitchell said...

I love the silver skull. It’s not too early for a Halloween theme in the library. Kids need time to read. My guess is the graffiti is pro-vaccine -- the vaccine blazing across the virus, but who knows. Were it not for the fact that many of my old friends only read my blog when they see the link on facebook, I would drop facebook in a heartbeat. Wasn’t AT&T taken apart decades ago to stop communications monopolies? And Facebook is so socially and morally irresponsible.

Cheryl Seaman said...

I always like the Little Men series better! Or Eight Cousins.

Ursula said...

Tell your son not to worry, Briony. There will be people, in any of the social media outlets, who will take and twist a comment, even the most benign, to serve their own agenda. And woe will betide you should you put another view point. It is my one big gripe, I am talking blogland as I don´t use Facebook, that some blogs´comment boxes are designed as echo chambers. Propping up someone´s ego. Trying to initiate an exchange of views is taken as personal attack. And you will be out on your ear. Wide eyed, non comprehending. Let no one, including your son, be disheartened. There are many ways to skin a cat. Actually, forget that last image. It´s horrible.

U

Ursula said...

Steve, re Louisa Alcott. I think you are a little too old (and possibly the wrong gender) to bother with "Little Women". World Literature it ain´t if an entertaining read when you are very very very young, not to say a girl. If I remember correctly there were four sisters. And each represented a different approach to life as a woman. Which was most instructive as it taught me that we are all wired differently. And little we can do about it. That one of the sisters (the kindest) died fairly early can only be attributed to her playing the piano and to the trials and tribulations of the time they lived in. And here WE are weeping into our assorted masks over a spell of Covid. People don´t appreciate how good they have it.

U

Bob said...

That theory about the vaccine doesn't work, because there are constantly people on the left, and not just in politics, begging people to take the vaccine, while the people on the right, Fox News, are pushing anti-vax news even though they are ALL vaccinated and mandated to be so.

I heard Facebook was down long after it came back up. It did make me wonder where so many people were getting their opinions from without Facebook telling them what they think.

Mary said...

Nice job with Halloween book cart.

Since I never joined any social media outlets, I don't miss them when they're down. Only read about it in headlines. No interest. If my children want to share photos of grandchildren, they can just text them. My older grandchildren text me if they want to share stuff. My MiL spends hours on F(abricated)B(S). I'd rather read interesting blogs.

The Bug said...

I blamed Mike for the outage - I got a notification that he tagged me on Instagram & when I went to see what he'd posted I couldn't get in. I'm on Insta for a ridonkulous amount of time every day - mainly following news accounts or people who break the news down for me (love love love @sharonsaysso). I dip into FB just to see what my people are up to, but it's not as big a deal to me. I'd be sad if Insta disappeared because I do enjoy it, but I really worry about what Mike would do. It's the only way he socializes with people.

Anonymous said...

I hardly ever post on Facebook, but I have a lot of friends who do so I check in regularly to see how they're doing. I prefer blogging and am grateful everyday that you do too.
I read about that crazy blame the left for the conservatives not wanting to be vaccinated idea. Just one more way to get people not to accept responsibility for their own bad choices. Oh well. Humans are a very interesting species.

Ellen D. said...

Yeah, telling people to get vaccinated isn't about saving lives...it's all about messing with the Trumpers! LOL! I can never even imagine the next crazy idea they are swallowing! Yikes!
I used to like Facebook for finding old friends but this political scene has ruined that. When some of the old friends started spouting the conspiracies, I just couldn't keep listening to them spread the hate and lies so I have had to drop a bunch of old classmates. I can't have that poison in my life.

Sharon said...

I read something a week or so ago about that circular thinking by some of the Trumpers and their thoughts about vaccinations as well as other things. It's an amazing (and just plain stupid) way of looking at things.
I deleted my Facebook account 4 years ago because of all Russian fraud that they let get past them. I do admit that I still post photos to Instagram which I guess defeats my silent protest. I did notice it was down yesterday. Since stories about the Facebook whistleblower were all over the news yesterday, I wondered if the outage was related in some way.

Linda Sue said...

Having dumped social media all sorts except for blog land and the few that I read- I am more content with this one beautiful life! I agree, at first it was great connecting with old friends and relatives in far away places and then politics , conspiracies, and fear dominated making it all just one huge wad of anxiety. The latest whistle blower determines it is intentional , (no Shit Sherlock) Then , as expected ads came rolling in- fear based outrageous posts appeared and Voila- Gotcha! DUMP FACE BOOK - it is a monster.

Ed said...

Although I consider myself independent, I do get labeled as someone leaning to the right on many subjects and I too admit I don't understand the thought process of those not getting the vaccine. The Republicans have probably lost half a million votes to death in the next election by pushing this non-sense. Perhaps they will lose more when people like me who have voted for our Republican governor in the past will no longer do so just because of her stance on Covid and mask mandates. If she refused to listen to scientists trained specifically on the subject, I no longer trust her judgment.

Allison said...

Instagram and Facebook are really a mystery to me. I look at them once in awhile, see what people are up to; but I don't like, I don't respond or interact. That could be why I don't get weird stuff in my FB in box or what ever it is.
The whole refusal to get vaccinated to own the libs is the most stupid thing I've witnessed - ever.

Ms. Moon said...

Dang it! I wrote a comment and it did not make it through.
One of the things I said was that people who are religious have an easier time accepting convoluted thinking which could explain some of that BS theory about liberals trying to kill conservatives by embracing the vaccines because they believe in a god who, although his eye is on the sparrow, allows things like the holocaust to happen.
Just my opinion.

Blondi Blathers said...

Hear, Hear!
F(abricated)B(S).
I agree; too much there for the gullible.
I'd rather read interesting blogs, too.
-Kate

John Going Gently said...

It worries me how everyone reacted when Facebook and what’s app crashed
How we have changed since my salad days of a house phone and public phones and which ate only 10p pieces

Susan said...

I agree wholeheartedly that FB is a mind-numbing waste of time. I have been thinking about closing out my account and have decided to opt out. Social media is a complete misnomer - it should be anti-social media.

Kelly said...

I've refused to ever set up a FB account, but I'll admit Instagram is my happy place. I never post about people or politics... it's mostly just nature and animals. (and a little food here and there)

In my opinion, Halloween decorations can go up any time after the autumnal equinox, but definitely for the entire month of October!

Sarah said...

Your book display looks good. And not too early either! I just finished watching 'Squid Game' tonight. I thought it was really good and very well acted. Apparently the suits the contestants wear are becoming popular Halloween costumes!

ellen abbott said...

I noticed I couldn't log on to FB yesterday. didn't miss it a bit. I don't spend much time on it these days, has gotten too repetitive. mostly I use it to stay in touch with the glass art community. about the only things I post are links to my blog, pictures of my art, and pictures of other people's art, and once in a blue moon some sort of social commentary. there are very few people's posts I interact with.

and true to who they are, Trumpers and far right wing nuts never own their shit, it's always someone else's fault for whatever they do or don't do.

Margaret said...

I'd heard that theory too. Ridiculous enough that many people will believe it. I missed Facebook because it's how I keep in touch with far flung former students and colleagues. I prefer blogging which is more real to me. FB is Margaret Lite.

Red said...

Fun days in Middle school when the kids enjoyed special days like Halloween. Good on you for make a display for the kids.

Catalyst said...

Walking the dog. Wasn't that a trick done with a yo-yo?

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, I've used messenger more recently than my actual Facebook account. But I can get by even without that, I think.

Steve Reed said...

It's funny how everyone freaked out when it went down. I guess it was just such a rare situation!

And yes, I thought it was pretty clever to out-conspiracy the conspiracy thinkers!

You might be right about the mural. It definitely looks menacing.

Steve Reed said...

At least in blogging, you can really think about what you're saying and convey it in an adequate amount of space, with nuance. Facebook lends itself to short posts that contain no subtlety. (And Twitter is even worse.)

Steve Reed said...

Bummer about your grandson! I hope he's OK!

Steve Reed said...

I like the skull too! A little treasure from our storage closet. I never post my blog links on Facebook. The thought of having all those people come to my blog freaks me out. LOL

Steve Reed said...

I've never read those either! Funny how "Little Women" is the one everyone knows best, but I'm sure her other books are good too. I remember aspiring to read "Little Men" when I was a kid, believing it to be the boy's alternative to "Little Women," but my mom said it wasn't as good so I never picked it up. I seriously wonder whether SHE ever read it!

Steve Reed said...

Well, as we all know, I'm fine with reading so-called children's literature! And I hate the idea that certain books are "girl" books and certain ones "boy" books, although I agree some generalizing is possible based on gender. I tend to like pretty much anything as long as it's well written, and I figure "Little Women" is such a foundational book I probably ought to give it a go sometime.

Steve Reed said...

That theory doesn't quite work for many reasons -- mainly because it's loony -- but it IS entertaining.

Steve Reed said...

Mary: Glad you like the display! Dave's mom uses Facebook a lot, but my mom never really took to it. It's funny how different personalities react to it.

Blondi: It's a shame it isn't still more like it was when it started -- just friends sending each other messages.

Steve Reed said...

Mike did it!! Seriously, I get what you're saying about his socializing -- Dave is the same way. A major amount of his daily social interaction occurs on FB.

Steve Reed said...

Humans really ARE interesting. I find it fascinating that so many of us have a paranoid streak wired into our brains. I guess it served an evolutionary purpose but it works against us now!

Steve Reed said...

That's when I started using FB less -- during the last election. I agree, I just couldn't take the poison and the hostility. I didn't drop anyone, but now I've kind of dropped EVERYone.

Steve Reed said...

It's funny what people can talk themselves into believing, isn't it?! It is ironic that the outage occurred the same day the whistleblower was testifying.

Steve Reed said...

It's a shame that it became such a monster. It didn't have to be that way.

Steve Reed said...

I just find FB too overwhelming these days. I like seeing what people are up to now and then, but I don't need all that detail every day. Blogging is even MORE detail but it seems more conversational and well-considered.

Steve Reed said...

I HATE IT when I lose a comment! Blogger's commenting has been very wonky lately. A tip: if you lose one and hit the "back" button on your browser, a lot of times it reappears, just FYI.

You're probably right about the religious element. A lot of the comments I read on right-wing web sites are from very religious people spouting Biblical doctrine. (Or their interpretation of it, anyway.) There probably is something about people who are better able to take things on faith that makes them more prone to believing conspiracies, which are all about faith, ultimately.

Steve Reed said...

Those were the days, right?! Sometimes it wasn't so bad to not be able to reach each other so easily and quickly. A little independence didn't hurt!

Steve Reed said...

It's true -- it's so poisonous, in ways I still don't quite understand.

Steve Reed said...

I never took to Instagram, which might seem surprising given that I'm so into photography. I didn't like the square-photo format, and I understand that's changed now but I just never warmed to the platform. I'm still on Flickr!

Steve Reed said...

Glad you liked "Squid Game"! Those WOULD be great Halloween costumes!

Steve Reed said...

It's true -- there's always a lot of blaming going on.

Steve Reed said...

Blogging is more real because we can explain more, offer more well-rounded opinions and beliefs. FB is so direct and all of social media rewards pointed, snarky comments rather than anything well thought-out.

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, the kids love Halloween. They were all so excited to see the decorations go up!

Steve Reed said...

It is! And "cat's cradle," right? I haven't thought of those in ages.

Frances said...

He is fine thanks....we saw him yesterday....just a cold, but it gives kids high temperatures!

crafty cat corner said...

Thanks for the comment on the Dr Steve.
As for the energy crises I'll take it as it comes.
I remember when I was young there were people who walked around with placards saying 'The end of the world is nigh' I tend not to take too much notice.
Saying that my predictions have come true on the food shortages and look like coming true with the energy, mind you they aren't my predictions but another site I follow.
I'm actually thinking of getting a small camping stove in case we can't make a cup of tea, lol.
Briony
x

Moving with Mitchell said...

Too many people? Not a problem for me. I don’t have that many friends!

Janie Junebug said...

Although I've seen various film version of Little Women and enjoyed them all, I think the book is dull. I tried reading it to my daughter when she was young. It was the one book we never finished. If a librarian put up a Halloween display in a public school in the US, I'm pretty sure some parents would complain. I think your display looks great. I tried to get on Facebook on Monday. When it didn't work, I didn't know what was wrong and didn't know till mid-evening. I'm okay without Facebook. I'd be fine if it disappeared.

Love,
Janie

37paddington said...

I'm with you about Facebook. It's overwhelming, a wilderness, and yet I keep my account up, even though I hardly check it anymore. The reason I dont think there's a plot by libs the keep conservatives from getting the vaccine is that they could simply get it in secret and then deny they got it, as indeed many of the most vocal anti-vax proponents have (Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Green, dont get me started). Billy Fury Way looks like something out of a BBC murder mystery procedural show.

Steve Reed said...

Some Republicans have tried to push back and encourage the shot -- even Trump, briefly. But they got shouted down. Many people can't seem to get past a visceral impulse to scream "YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"