[BozemanLUG] Update on the meeting tonight - online only

[Scott Dowdle]

Greetings,

After talking to a few folks, we have decided here on the day of the meeting... to change it to an online-only meeting... and to make all meetings for the foreseeable future, online-only again.  Why?

Well, when the vaccine(s) came out and then everyone had no trouble getting them... except for a few age groups of which some still aren't eligible... we all thought... GREAT... the crisis is over... or at least in the USA as yeah, the vaccine wasn't available all over the world to everyone yet... and won't be for some time to come.  But that was good enough for us.  Vaccinated people could basically return to normal because it was unlikely we'd get infected and if we did, not only did it have very little chance for a negative outcome, it was also so weak we couldn't really spread it to anyone else.

Unfortunately a significant number of people have been caught up in the politics and have decided for whatever reason... not to get vaccinated... yet the vast majority of the unvaccinated (feel free to let me know if anyone disagrees) ALSO wanted to return to normalish life.  The problem with that is the virus is still out there and with almost nothing mitigating it among the unvaccinated, a worse version of it is spreading and now.  A version that if a vaccinated person gets it they ARE infectious and can spread it.  Infections are up like never before... and with laws changed in so many states taking away the ability for local policies to mandate things... it appears destined to continue to spread unimpeded.  The cycle of, "please get vaccinated" and "no" being the answer isn't going to work... and I don't currently see how anything is going to change for the better.  I guess once everyone has been infected and the survivors remain... and maybe they get it a second or third time... and a decade has passed... maybe, and that's a big maybe... we'll have hit "herd immunity.

Supposedly the FDA anticipates being able to unlock the vaccine for all remaining age groups by Veteran's Day which is in mid-November... but still a significant number of people are going to remain in the high-risk group... like my son Bryan who has had a major organ transplant (kidney).

Anyway, after coming out of denial about an hour ago and talking to a few people, I decided we should make this change anyone who is unhappy with it can blame me.  We can still have our meetings, they'll just be online... using Google Meet... and I'll send out a link to the mailing list and update the web page with the link shortly before meeting time at 7PM.

Feel free to give me your 2 cents on the above paragraphs if you feel so inclined. :) 

TYL,
-- 
Scott Dowdle
704 Church Street
Belgrade, MT 59714
(406)388-0827 [home]
(406)994-3931 [work]