Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[Rootbeer]

12 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

If I were hiring someone to come into my home for Home Health, I would insist to see and verify their vaccine card. After I had surgery, I had in home health care a couple of times a week. This was a year before Covid. They came through the hospital. I would still ask if it were today. 

If the current movement towards requiring all health care providers who are paid by Medicare/Medicaid to be vaccinated; this particular job ad will be irrelevant anyway.  Very few medical care providers, including home health care agencies, do not receive payment from Medicaid/Medicare for some of their clients.

So, they can hire someone who's unvaccinated today, but, odds are, that person will either get the vaccine or be gone in the next few months.

[ginger90]

38 minutes ago, Rootbeer said:

So, they can hire someone who's unvaccinated today, but, odds are, that person will either get the vaccine or be gone in the next few months.

 

I do wonder though, if an agency is technically “non medical” would the proposed vaccination policy apply?

Or, could the unvaccinated be sent to private pay, etc. people exclusively and get away with it?

[GeeGolly]

20 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

I do wonder though, if an agency is technically “non medical” would the proposed vaccination policy apply?

Or, could the unvaccinated be sent to private pay, etc. people exclusively and get away with it?

My agency, a mental health agency, accepts payments from Medicaid and Medicare insured clients and although the agency already mandated vaccines, its my understanding we are included in the new federal mandate.

Private practices can choose what insurances they accept. If they don't accept Medicaid and Medicare (and many don't because of the cheap rates) they aren't required to comply.

[ginger90]

Just now, GeeGolly said:

Private practices can choose what insurances they accept. If they don't accept Medicaid and Medicare (and many don't because of the cheap rates) they aren't required to comply.

So, this mandate would apply to the agency as a whole, not the fact that some people served aren’t Medicare or Medicaid recipients? 

 

Just trying to understand.

Btw I’m not asking because I’m not vaccinated, I am. 

[GeeGolly]

7 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

So, this mandate would apply to the agency as a whole, not the fact that some people served aren’t Medicare or Medicaid recipients? 

 

Just trying to understand.

Btw I’m not asking because I’m not vaccinated, I am. 

I think that's a really good question actually. For clinicians, in my state anyway, you have to have a certain license to be eligible to bill Medicaid and Medicare. I'd say less than half of our clinicians are eligible, but our entire agency is mandated, because the money goes into the agency budget.

[SunnyBeBe]

Did the opossum play dead?😁 They really do that.  
 

I checked with Duke to see how they were on staff vaccines and it’s pretty good. I have several appointments coming up with endocrinology, ophthalmology, and podiatry at Duke. (Next to big Duke).  They report 91% compliance and if those who aren’t fully vaxxed by Oct. 1, will be let go.  I think they give you one more grace period , after you are let go, but if you miss it, you won’t be hired back.  I’m grateful.  
 

 

[CalicoKitty]

2 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

If the current movement towards requiring all health care providers who are paid by Medicare/Medicaid to be vaccinated; this particular job ad will be irrelevant anyway.  Very few medical care providers, including home health care agencies, do not receive payment from Medicaid/Medicare for some of their clients.

So, they can hire someone who's unvaccinated today, but, odds are, that person will either get the vaccine or be gone in the next few months.

I know someone who works as a pharm tec for a large chain, and I understand they are now requiring vaccinations.  For some unknown reason that we cannot understand, she refuses to be vaccinated.  She is a single mom, and it is a very good job.  She will receive full benefits.  I guess it is easier to do nothing and rely on alimony and the government.  I feel sorry for her parents who will feel obligated to help her out.  I just don't get it.  When I was a nurse, we were required to get a flu shot each year.  Every year there were a couple of nurses that had to wear a mask all the time because they would not get the shot.  I think now vaccination is required, however.  Make sure your kids get all their shots, but refuse something so important for yourself.  I just don't understand.

Edited September 10, 2021 by CalicoKitty

[SunnyBeBe]

I’m getting really more than annoyed.  People in my community are dying. Children are seriously ill and on life support. My livelihood is getting hit, not to mention my social life.  Enough is enough.  For those who refuse vaccines, there needs to be separate facilities for them to go, so they don’t monopolize emergency services, depriving fully vaxxed people and children from needed emergency care.  (I’m not referring to those who are not medically allowed to get vaxxed, though I think there are very few adults who fit that category.)

I’ve prepared my parents for the fact that our family has several people who are likely to die from covid.  They are high risk, refuse to get vaxxed, don’t use precautions and are in total denial…..☹️  I will be shocked if they survive another 6 months.  

Edited September 11, 2021 by SunnyBeBe

[realityfan26]

@SunnyBeBe I feel your frustration. My lifelong friend, 60+ years, won't get vaccinated. Since I watch my grandchildren I won't be seeing her. She won't listen to reason at all.

[SunnyBeBe]

1 hour ago, realityfan26 said:

@SunnyBeBe I feel your frustration. My lifelong friend, 60+ years, won't get vaccinated. Since I watch my grandchildren I won't be seeing her. She won't listen to reason at all.

It’s unfortunate.  I can imagine how frustrated you are.  People are dropping like flies.  Everyday, I read about so many people in their 20’s, 30’s, through 60’s, dying from covid….pregnant women, policeman, coaches, radio hosts, nurses, teachers, etc.  it really boggles the mind.  It’s sad that I’m getting used to it.  Now, I’m really worried about resources they are taking from other patients who need the care.  I should pray for them more, I suppose.  Things should be improving, but we are held back due to these people’s stubbornness.  I wonder how they will be described in history. 

Edited September 11, 2021 by SunnyBeBe

[Scarlett45]

2 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Did the opossum play dead?😁 They really do that.  

No it didn’t! (I did know they actually do that)

[Marshmallow Mollie]

3 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Did the opossum play dead?😁 They really do that.  
 

I checked with Duke to see how they were on staff vaccines and it’s pretty good. I have several appointments coming up with endocrinology, ophthalmology, and podiatry at Duke. (Next to big Duke).  They report 91% compliance and if those who aren’t fully vaxxed by Oct. 1, will be let go.  I think they give you one more grace period , after you are let go, but if you miss it, you won’t be hired back.  I’m grateful.  
 

 

I think I have mentioned this before, but last year my husband was a sub-contractor for a building for Duke Medical Center. No contact with patients - the building was still unoccupied. But he had to have a current flu shot and TB test to walk on the property. He isn’t given a badge to work there without producing those documents. I was pleased!! 
 

Monday and Tuesday he is working at UNC. I am less pleased ;) Go Deacs! 🎩 

[Rootbeer]

6 hours ago, ginger90 said:

So, this mandate would apply to the agency as a whole, not the fact that some people served aren’t Medicare or Medicaid recipients? 

 

Just trying to understand.

Btw I’m not asking because I’m not vaccinated, I am. 

There are several parts to the mandate. 

First, ANYONE who works for ANY employer of any sort that has 100 or more employees will be required to either be vaccinated or get tested weekly.  The employer is required to give employees paid time off to get vaccinated.  This will be an OSHA mandate, the same folks who require safety goggles, steel toed boots and otherwise enforce workplace safety on behalf of the government.

Then there is the federal mandate for those working in healthcare settings which accept Medicare/Medicaid as well as any business with federal contracts and any facility that houses a Head Start program.  These mandates are not limited to employers with over 100 workers. The specifics have not been spelled out in detail, but there's no reason to believe that they won't be as strict as the OSHA rules nor that they won't include all employees. 

The specifics as to what exemptions to vaccination will be allowed have not been released either.  Obviously, some people will have allergies or other health conditions that might prevent vaccination.  There is going to need to be a ruling on how religious or personal exemptions would be handled.  Presumably, weekly testing is going to be the minimum requirement.  It's also not clear whether employees who are completely working from home would be exempt.  There is also going to have to be a ruling as to who pays for the weekly COVID testing for employees who refuse vaccination for personal reasons and whether employers can pass the cost along to those workers through payroll deductions, etc.

The penalties for businesses that fail to comply are substantial.  Every single violation is a fine of over $13,000.  Once the fine is imposed, there is a deadline to come into compliance.  If the deadline isn't met, another fine of over $13,000 per violation.  Then, if it is determined that the company is willfully or repeatedly violating the rules $130,000+ per violation.  Employers are going to enforce the rules or else.  I cannot imagine any company not giving employees a deadline and then terminating their employment if they don't comply.

[BetyBee]

15 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Did the opossum play dead?😁 They really do that.  

This made me remember an experience I had with an opossum many years ago. There was one lying dead in our driveway. I don't like dealing with critters dead or alive, but I couldn't let my dogs out until it was gone, so I went outside to shovel it up. It appeared to have been hit by a car and crawled up our driveway to die. I stood there with a garbage bag and a shovel kind of screaming and moaning at the unpleasant task. My next door neighbor came out to help me. I told her, "You are too kind. I try to be a good person, but I doubt that I would help you if the situation were reversed!" She laughed and asked if I was sure it was dead. My facial reaction was probably cartoon worthy. Thankfully, it wasn't only merely dead. It was really most sincerely dead! 

[CouchTater]

4 minutes ago, BetyBee said:

This made me remember an experience I had with an opossum many years ago. There was one lying dead in our driveway. I don't like dealing with critters dead or alive, but I couldn't let my dogs out until it was gone, so I went outside to shovel it up. It appeared to have been hit by a car and crawled up our driveway to die. I stood there with a garbage bag and a shovel kind of screaming and moaning at the unpleasant task. My next door neighbor came out to help me. I told her, "You are too kind. I try to be a good person, but I doubt that I would help you if the situation were reversed!" She laughed and asked if I was sure it was dead. My facial reaction was probably cartoon worthy. Thankfully, it wasn't only merely dead. It was really most sincerely dead! 

I thought I was the only one who moaned and screamed with unpleasant tasks, such as killing huge bugs!

Glad your critter was well and truly dead!  🙂

[SunnyBeBe]

I wanted to post something in honor of those lost and affected on 9/11.  This is a touching and uplifting video.  

 

[awaken]

12 hours ago, Churchhoney said:

 

ETA: I'm not a lawyer. But because I live in DC, with a one-day-one-trial system and a very active federal court --  I've been on numerous juries, both in the DC court and federal court. And what's clear when you've participated in a bunch of different kinds of trials is that the sources of the reasonable doubt are quite different in kind and number in different kinds of cases, or so it seems to me, anyway.

Interestingly, I’ve lived here for 24 years and only been called for DC jury duty once ever- and that was on September 11, 2001. I was heading into the courthouse in DC that morning when we heard the pentagon get hit and the world flew into chaos. 

[jcbrown]

On 9/10/2021 at 12:31 AM, MargeGunderson said:

Yay for Cosmo! And boo for the opossum, they are gross, especially the tails. 

I always enjoy seeing the Cosmo pics, even though I am owned by cats. And @Scarlett45, I am so happy that Cosmo is getting a wonderful second act with you. My sister took in my dad's kitty when he moved into the memory care facility and gave her (the kitty) a great second act, as well. That's a special thing to be able to do and I love to see how well it is working for both you and Cosmo.

I actually think opossums are totally cool. We had two of them visiting our deck (~10 feet off the ground) some years ago and I named the biggest one Petunia. They are nearly immune to rabies and they are nature's sanitation engineers. I think they are so ugly they almost wrap back around to cute.

[Churchhoney]

45 minutes ago, awaken said:

Interestingly, I’ve lived here for 24 years and only been called for DC jury duty once ever- and that was on September 11, 2001. I was heading into the courthouse in DC that morning when we heard the pentagon get hit and the world flew into chaos. 

Wow! You must have slipped off both jury lists. Because I get called and called and called since the 80s..... 

And what a weird day to have as the one day you were there....

 

[Minivanessa]

Over in the Sweet Fellowship topic, there's some discussion of "tractors" vs. riding mowers, and the John Deere brand was mentioned. In 2009 I spent a lovely October day exploring Hampton Court Palace. I turned a corner and saw this parked, apparently one of the grounds maintenance vehicles. Had to snap the photo! This is neither a tractor nor a mower; it's a Gator. I suppose John Deere has some market share in the UK. 

[Scarlett45]

11 hours ago, jcbrown said:

I always enjoy seeing the Cosmo pics, even though I am owned by cats. And @Scarlett45, I am so happy that Cosmo is getting a wonderful second act with you. My sister took in my dad's kitty when he moved into the memory care facility and gave her (the kitty) a great second act, as well. That's a special thing to be able to do and I love to see how well it is working for both you and Cosmo.

I actually think opossums are totally cool. We had two of them visiting our deck (~10 feet off the ground) some years ago and I named the biggest one Petunia. They are nearly immune to rabies and they are nature's sanitation engineers. I think they are so ugly they almost wrap back around to cute.

You’re so sweet thank you. I am so glad he and Blake are getting along. I think Blake secretly likes having him, for 6 months he was an only pet and I’m sure this is better. 

[ginger90]

Sunday thought…….

[awaken]

12 hours ago, Churchhoney said:

Wow! You must have slipped off both jury lists. Because I get called and called and called since the 80s..... 

And what a weird day to have as the one day you were there....

 

You are popular 😁 they must value your well thought out opinions!  My husband has never yet been called!  

[Churchhoney]

4 minutes ago, awaken said:

You are popular 😁 they must value your well thought out opinions!  My husband has never yet been called!  

It's very strange. Cause I know people who have my experience and others who have your experience....and nobody can figure out why they have the path they do.... Maybe this is just what randomness looks like from the perspective of the balls in the lottery hopper? Dunno. 

I just don't want to get on the grand jury lists!😁

ETA: And I have had some interesting times. Once I was the foreperson for a very high profile trial.....got chased by media and by all the lawyers when it was over. 😁

Edited September 12, 2021 by Churchhoney

[GeeGolly]

In my area you can only be called for jury duty once every three years. Is it different in other states?

[iwantcookies]

I have been called to jury duty once. 

[Churchhoney]

13 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

In my area you can only be called for jury duty once every three years. Is it different in other states?

I think every state sets their own. In the DC courts, we can be called every 18 months. And I forget what the time is for the federal -- although three years kind of rings a bell for me, so maybe it's that. ....

Our federal court has a huge case load....So when you combine the two courts, and the fact that our state court can call you twice as often as yours can, that pretty much accounts for some people's being in a lot .... And then of course there are the people like @awaken and her husband, who don't get called! So....

All that said, i haven't been called for DC duty since late 2017. But I last got called for the federal court in late 2018.....(In federal court you're eligible to be put on a jury for three weeks )-- 

Edited September 12, 2021 by Churchhoney

[BetyBee]

The first time I was called to jury duty, I got on an interesting criminal trial. Because I now have a family member who is incarcerated, I no longer get selected to serve. But I still get called, once even to Federal Court. I consider it a privilege to serve and a fascinating learning experience.

[Minivanessa]

1 hour ago, GeeGolly said:

In my area you can only be called for jury duty once every three years. Is it different in other states?

As @Churchhoney said, each state has its own rules and laws about that. Here in Colorado, we can be called for state court jury duty only once every twelve months. I think it's a "once every two years" rule for Federal court jury service. 

I've been summoned for jury duty in state court several times. And have served on two juries, for a civil trial in the 1980's and a DUI trial about 8 years ago. Colorado has a "one day, one trial" system for jury duty. You are called to report on a specific date. If at the end of that date you are neither sitting on a jury, nor in a courtroom on a jury panel with jury selection still not completed? You're done. (If you're on a jury panel that was selected on that day you will of course complete that trial and then you're done. Also if you're in a courtroom in the middle of jury selection, once that process is done for you, your service is over - i.e., you're either selected to sit on the jury in which case you'll be there through the trial, or if you're not selected, you're done when the final jury is selected.) That system replaced the older system which required you to block out a couple of weeks in which you could be summoned any day to the courthouse, and people often would sit through a few jury selection processes, be rejected, and still have to come back to the courthouse. The one-day one-trial system is IMO much better. 

[CalicoKitty]

2 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

In my area you can only be called for jury duty once every three years. Is it different in other states?

In California it is not only different from other states, the rules are different in every county.

[Liddy52]

I have served on a murder trial and a grand jury. Grand jury was very difficult because of a child molestation case involving very young children.  It was interesting to see the process though with the more run of the mill cases. We also had to visit the jail and write up a report. The murder trial was strange. The victim was a known drug dealer (Gary)  who was shot by his brother in law (Curtis) over a family argument. The court appointed lawyer for the defendant kept confusing the names of his client and the victim.  It was quite obvious that Curtis, the defendant was at least of low average intelligence and maybe even lower. His lawyer never tried to make that point clear. The police did a TERRIBLE job of investigating.  I learned later that they were just glad to have the drug dealer off the streets.  Other people who were present during the argument that resulted in the shooting had the nicknames of Antdog and Lil' Stink(female). They were not called as witnesses but just referred to by the one young man who was called as a witness. Bless his heart, he was a sad case himself. When we went back to the jury room to deliberate,  we were handed a brown paper bag with no explanation.  When one of the jurors opened it, it contained a very bloody shirt which we assumed the victim had been wearing.  However it was NEVER mentioned during the trial,nor entered into evidence. The whole thing was very bizarre and very different from any trial ever on any TV show. But maybe it was more what really happens in most cases. Or maybe it was just small town life.

[Nysha]

3 hours ago, Churchhoney said:

All that said, i haven't been called for DC duty since late 2017. But I last got called for the federal court in late 2018.....(In federal court you're eligible to be put on a jury for three weeks )-- 

I was called for federal court many years ago when I still had 2 of my 5 kids at home. If I was selected I would be required to be in isolation with the other jurors for the length of the trial. I requested to be removed b/c I was a widow and my 15 year old daughter was so out-of-control she couldn't be left alone and nobody I knew would take her for longer than a weekend. Her therapist wrote a letter collaborating what I said, so I ended up not having to serve. 

Edited September 12, 2021 by Nysha

[Cinnabon]

One of these fundie families may be next.

Parents of 5 Children Including Newborn Die 2 Weeks Apart From COVID

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newsweek.com/parents-5-children-including-newborn-die-2-weeks-apart-covid-1628223%3famp=1

[andromeda331]

My mom thought you could only get called once a year for jury duty. She found out the hard way that's not techincally true just as she finished up on jury for municipal court. She got a jury notice for county. Then spent the rest of the year praying not to get called on for state or federal.

My dad got ended up on jury duty for a murder trial. They actually ended up liking being on jury. It was interesting to see how a real trial worked. His last day there we had lunch together because I had been called. I ended up getting dismissed by the defense. 

[GeeGolly]

In my state there's no guarantee you won't be called for jury more than once during a three year period, but you can submit it as a valid excuse to opt out if you are. Our system switched from a 2 week hurry up and wait system, to a one day system, to a call in, in the morning system, years ago. So most who are called up for jury duty never even leave their home now.

[awaken]

22 hours ago, Churchhoney said:

ETA: And I have had some interesting times. Once I was the foreperson for a very high profile trial.....got chased by media and by all the lawyers when it was over. 😁

What a memorable experience!

[iwantcookies]

19 hours ago, Cinnabon said:

One of these fundie families may be next.

Parents of 5 Children Including Newborn Die 2 Weeks Apart From COVID

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newsweek.com/parents-5-children-including-newborn-die-2-weeks-apart-covid-1628223%3famp=1

Gut with ears survived this long 😂. Jill must be made outa plexus cuz she is still standing.

[Cinnabon]

57 minutes ago, iwantcookies said:

Gut with ears survived this long 😂. Jill must be made outa plexus cuz she is still standing.

So far . . .

COVID cases in Ohio kids surpass previous record with nearly 10,000 in a single week

 

https://amp.dispatch.com/amp/5651633001?__twitter_impression=true

 

Edited September 13, 2021 by Cinnabon

[iwantcookies]

23 minutes ago, Cinnabon said:

So far . . .

COVID cases in Ohio kids surpass previous record with nearly 10,000 in a single week

 

https://amp.dispatch.com/amp/5651633001?__twitter_impression=true

 

I doubt Jill would even take the kids to the hospital. She really doesn’t care about her progeny.

[SunnyBeBe]

Moore county, NC school board members are getting threatening letters due to the public school mask mandate!  Well, what they said in their protest letter to the school board members was, We know where you live!  I’d take that as a threat.  Honestly, I really wish people could use reason and their common sense.  It’s almost like they want harm to come to their child.  😩

Edited September 13, 2021 by SunnyBeBe

[BetyBee]

An old co-worker with whom I was FB friends commented snarkily on my niece's comment on my updated profile pic today, asking my niece to explain how an unvaccinated person can infect a vaccinated person. Now, I don't want any dramatics on my FB page at all, so I didn't ask for any of that. But I was shocked that this woman, a dental hygienist, is so ignorant of how vaccines work!  She never likes or comments on anything I post, but there she was diving in on my page, going after a stranger. I unfriended her because we're not really friends anyway. I also went to my settings and made my page more private by no longer allowing any comments on my page. 

I know leaving FB is the best option, but my elderly Mom finds it an easy way to stay in touch. My close friends also have a messenger thread which we use to stay in touch and make plans. I'm boring (by choice!) on FB and Insta, rarely posting anything. I prefer being boring!

[ginger90]

It hasn’t been determined if the town I work in had a tornado last night yet. No power, trees and lines down.  One of the nicest posts I’ve seen on Facebook this morning:

 

I'm on xxxxx street, no power till 11 tonight. I have a generator. so for all my neighbors that need cell phone charged meds refrigerated coffee let me know. I'm just one person but if I can help just ask .

[SunnyBeBe]

1 hour ago, ginger90 said:

It hasn’t been determined if the town I work in had a tornado last night yet. No power, trees and lines down.  One of the nicest posts I’ve seen on Facebook this morning:

 

I'm on xxxxx street, no power till 11 tonight. I have a generator. so for all my neighbors that need cell phone charged meds refrigerated coffee let me know. I'm just one person but if I can help just ask .

Omg, that is nice.  I hope they get your services back up soon.  

[Mindthinkr]

During Hurricane Florence we lost power for a bit over a week. Out of 30 homes, I was one of the 7 homeowners that stayed. 4 had generators. They were always so kind. We rotated and every night we all got a hot meal, Phone charge and those needing to keep their insulin in a fridge were able to use one of the neighbors. The men all worked daily on clearing the roadways with chainsaws, as well as putting tarps over ripped roofs, and using pumps to hasten drainage. We women cleaned out the refrigerators for those that evacuated so they wouldn’t come home to a smelly mess. (They also told us to help ourselves to the steaks etc in the freezers,  which we grilled as there was only so much room in the running freezers to store all the food.) @ginger90 It sounds like you too have a great neighborhood. How kind of that person to leave that post. A phone charge means a lot when family members are calling to check on you and you have limited use. 

[Ijustwantsomechips]

That red Honda they just showed stuck in the water on the Weather Channel is in my area. I hope the water isn't too high for me to get home.

[iwantcookies]

7 hours ago, ginger90 said:

It hasn’t been determined if the town I work in had a tornado last night yet. No power, trees and lines down.  One of the nicest posts I’ve seen on Facebook this morning:

 

I'm on xxxxx street, no power till 11 tonight. I have a generator. so for all my neighbors that need cell phone charged meds refrigerated coffee let me know. I'm just one person but if I can help just ask .

The neighbor is really nice! Hope you get your power back ASAP.

[CalicoKitty]

My brother's book of devotions is now two books.  It turned out too large to be a soft bound book that would not fall apart.  He chose the final cover photo yesterday for vol two, and received the first "finished" typeset copy of the first volume yesterday.  He is checking for errors today and tomorrow, and he hopes they will both be on sale by the beginning of November.  I have learned a lot about this whole process by talking to him.  I have a new respect for authors.

[CandyCaneTree]

Why do the fundies use the word courting? We all know that means we are engaged. 

[Absolom]

They're engaged to be engaged.

[CandyCaneTree]

14 minutes ago, Absolom said:

They're engaged to be engaged.

Just like Middle and High school romances.