#Coronavirus positivity rate down

[vague-humanoid]

Just a few days before our interview, Jill’s (Ed: not her real name) immunologist sent her to the hospital to rule out pulmonary embolism, which happens when a blood clot gets stuck in an artery of the lung. In Jill’s case it would be a Long COVID symptom amongst many others she had been battling over the last year: including swelling around the tissue of her heart, memory deficits, sudden heart-rate surges, fatigue and abnormal kidney test results.

By that point, she’d had COVID four times, despite taking stringent precautions. She was born with a primary immune deficiency. And, without a fully functioning immune system she needs weekly injections of human immunoglobulins from plasma donations. A very small viral load can make her sick and she’s at a much higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID than most people.

“Every time I catch it, it adds new layers to my disabilities,” she says. “COVID is slowly killing me.” Her haematologist believes the past COVID infections have further damaged her immune system. She is looking at a possible lupus diagnosis.

Her voice is raspy and soft over the phone. She pauses when I ask how she is doing.

“Well, I got COVID,” she says. “Again.”

At the hospital appointment several nurses were not wearing their masks properly, and one kept pulling it down to talk with Jill, who had to remove hers to get her lungs checked. As someone who is very isolated with her family — everyone works and goes to school from home — Jill believes that the appointment led to her most recent infection.

She’s always been careful with her health but in the past, she worked in the school system. By 2020 she moved to a remote position and at that time still had many options for safely connecting with those around her and she could attend health-care appointments without concern. About a year ago, nearly all restrictions were lifted in Alberta and that’s when she got her first COVID infection.

Three years in, nearly everyone she knows has moved on including — most bafflingly to her — many of the medical professionals she sees. But, Jill says, moving on is not a privilege afforded to people like her.

Recently, PCR testing became inaccessible to health-care providers, who, in the past, were able to test regularly. And while Alberta Health Services (AHS) still requires masks, any health-care settings outside AHS can make their own rules. So, once masking was no longer mandated in public settings, many dropped requirements — this includes many of the specialists seeing immunocompromised people, including those Jill now sees due to Long COVID.

“The variants have been left to run rampant and I have really become more and more scared,” she says.

“Governments are saying: Oh we can re-open because we have all these tools. But they are not available to the immunocompromised population. So, the monoclonal antibodies are no longer effective against the current variants. Because the variants are so immune-based, the vaccines were never particularly effective for immunocompromised people because of the nature of our immune systems.”

As well, Jill says that there are many contraindicated drugs that cannot be taken with Paxlovid, the drug which is used to treat COVID patients in specific circumstances. According to Health Canada, Paxlovid “is used in adults to treat mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients who have a positive result from a severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 viral test and who have a high risk of getting severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death.”

She still takes the vaccines with hopes they will help, and while she believes Paxlovid is saving her life with this current infection, she says it is not a guarantee against more Long COVID symptoms. And, for the infection prior to the current one, the drug was not available due to a kidney infection caused by the virus.

“I have to access my medication, my health care. And by people not masking around me, I have no way to protect myself,” she says. “If you don’t want to wear masks as a society then you are going to leave the immunocompromised people behind.” And she says many high risk people are not able to work from home, or have their kids in online classes or maybe struggle to afford masks or air purifiers — many social and financial issues make individual protections far more challenging or impossible. She is currently in a court battle with her ex.

“He wants increased access, in-person school and group extracurricular activities. All things that put me at higher risk of infection,” says Jill.

Recently, she went to her cardiologist to find that no patients or staff were masking.

“I really realize now I have to be my own advocate,” she says.

She has to constantly think ahead. So, she now calls beforehand to see if the appointment can be done remotely or if the staff can mask. She’s also decided to start carrying around a laminated sheet that explains her medical condition as it is often something she needs to repeat at each appointment or in the emergency room. 

Like many others, she’s found ways to navigate her way around a harrowing array of risks. And yet, even with all these precautions, she can not control the actions of others which can directly affect her health.

Holly (Ed: not her real name), is retired and lives in a small community just outside Edmonton. She’s currently thinking about her next visit to her doctor, who hasn’t been taking precautions from the beginning.

“It’s exhausting always trying to get around how there is no protection for us anymore,” she says. “I’m thinking why am I made to feel crazy when my own doctor won’t wear a mask? Won’t acknowledge that it’s airborne?”

But the worst part, she claims, was that he minimized the effects of COVID, saying it was rarely an issue and only affects a certain demographic. Holly does not believe that is true, but regardless it is of little comfort when her husband, who’s in his 70s, has chronic health complications.

“I think patients are rightfully concerned, particularly when they go in for health care,” says physician Neeja Bakshi. “I think the medical community should be doing whatever we can to protect those who are coming in.”

It’s true, she says, that hospitals are no longer overwhelmed, and fewer people are dying; there is less of an acute emergency. But COVID is still circulating, people are still dying, and Long COVID (aka post COVID-19 condition) should be on everyone’s radar.

Recently, the World Health Organization announced an end to the global health emergency. But it also said earlier that “one in 10 infections result in post COVID-19 condition suggesting that hundreds of millions of people will need longer term care.”

COVID can cause organ damage — particularly affecting the heart, kidneys, skin. Plus, there’s risk of brain and immune damage, along with increased risks for cancer and autoimmune disease.

And, while no one knows yet how long that damage could persist, a study published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine says 59 per cent of Long COVID patients had organ damage a year later.

In 2022, Bakshi started a Long COVID clinic at her health facility Park Integrative Health, treating patients from across Canada. Every week she completes upwards of 20 disability forms for people who need to take time off work due to the debilitating effects of Long COVID.

While certain health complications make Long COVID more likely, anyone can be affected regardless of the severity of their infection or the state of their health. The indiscriminate nature of COVID is one of the things that’s been most shocking to Bakshi. She’s treated a number of elite athletes who went from performing at a professional level to struggling to have enough energy to brush their teeth.

Many patients struggle with stigma not just from medical professionals but from family, friends and employers. It’s an invisible illness, says Bakshi, so patients may look fine and are often misdiagnosed as something psychosomatic.

“I’m immersed in the world. But I don’t feel like you can deny it exists. And I think it’s a bit of ignorance on the medical community’s part if they say they don’t know anything about Long COVID. There are very specific disease patterns and symptoms,” says Bakshi.

There is also a lack of support. The most proven management strategy for Long COVID or even any COVID infection is recovery and rest, says Bakshi. But that’s not possible for many people. Initially, in 2020, there was forced rest through quarantine periods, but that time off has become shorter, as employers don’t have to pay for employees to be off at all.

“We are not a society that is built on support. We’ve already set ourselves up to fail from a recovery perspective,” says Bakshi.

Jill has found validation in Bakshi’s clinic as one of her patients. But that experience stands out amongst a sea of specialists who have given up on precautions.

“Instead of recommending upgraded masks, air cleaners and UV, or working from home, immunologists that manage my condition recommend wearing a mask if you want and enjoying your life—as short as that may be. I am not sure if this is complacency, or giving up… Either way, education and change need to happen or far too many valuable lives will be lost and disabled unnecessarily,” says Jill.

Savvy AF.  Blunt AF.  Edmonton AF.

[guess-my-next-obsession]

love in the time of covid: prologue

pairing: frankie morales x f!reader

chapter rating: M — Frankie’s POV, separations, angsty!frankie, mentions of a past substance abuse issue, covid (this chapter holds no explicit scenes but this entire series is 18+ only due to the amount of smut that will occur)

word count: 1.8k

series masterlist

Frankie had only moved into his apartment a week ago. His boxes were only half-unpacked, his furniture consisting of a well-loved sofa he’d taken off of Santi’s hands. During the move, the pandemic had reached its height, but he was forced to continue with it—having been newly separated from his fiancé. Ex-fiancé. He needed to get that drilled into his head.

Even before he left to Colombia with the boys, things were already practically over between them, neither of them wanting to actually say the words given their new addition—his baby girl, Alondra. They’d hoped their mutual adoration for the infant would save them, would carry them through a lifetime of lukewarm feelings for each other. But, of course, that wasn’t the case.

His things were packed up neatly in boxes and luggage the minute he arrived home from their trip to Colombia, Frankie’s heart dropping at the sight when he set his keys down in the bowl by the front door. His boots were loud in the painfully quiet suburban home, fingers twiddling against his thighs as he walked up the stairs in hopes of finding his fiancé and daughter.

“Oh,” she gasped when she saw him standing in the doorway of their master bedroom, Alondra laying on their bed while she packed up the last bit of Frankie’s wardrobe into a duffel bag. “I-I didn’t know you were going to be home today. Uh,”

They both looked around at the scene, Frankie’s lips parted but nothing coming out.

“This has been a long time coming, Frankie.” She finally sighed and shrugged, looking exhausted. “I think we’re both ready to move on from this constant state of limbo…walking on eggshells for Alondra’s sake. She deserves to see us happy as she grows up.”

“I take that to mean you’ve met someone else,” he chuckled and looked down at his boot, struck by the sudden collapse of his family, but not as hurt by his fiancé’s infidelity as he thought he would’ve been.

“He’s a single dad. His son goes to Alondra’s day care, and we, uh, just got to talking one day.” She frowned a bit as she watched him avoid her eyes. “I didn’t mean for it to happen, Frankie.”

“No, it’s fine.” He lifted his eyes and brushed off his hurt, shrugging. “Long as you’re happy. And as long as I still get to see my daughter.”

“Of course! No, yeah. We’re not…Alondra’s not going anywhere. You may not be the man for me, but you are the man for her. You’re her dad.” That almost did it—almost made him break—but he swallowed it down, nodding as he walked over to his eight-month-old and picking her up. He kissed her cheek and lingered there for a moment, knowing that these moments would now be split up 50/50.

“Alright, baby. Daddy, uh, daddy will see you soon.” He kissed her again and set her back down, biting his cheek as he watched her smile up at him.

“Where will you go?”

“Santi’s. We’ll, uh, we’ll come by this week to get everything.” Frankie scratched his neck and grabbed the duffel she’d just packed for him, his footsteps heavy as he jogged down the stairs, grabbing the few bags he could carry along with the one he’d just brought back with him from his trip and leaving without another word.

One long month later, and here he was, sat in his lonely and mildly pathetic studio apartment—sick with the Coronavirus.

“I’m supposed to stay quarantined for how long?” He sat on the phone with the clinic he went to go take the test at, the doctor informing him that at least two weeks quarantine was recommended, and then he should come in and get a test to be positive he was Covid-free. “Right. Great. Okay, thank you.”

He hung up the phone and sank back into the couch, his body shaking with a chill even in the early summer heat, his bones aching even more than they usually did. He didn’t have a cough or lose his sense of taste and smell, thankfully. But he definitely wasn’t feeling good.

The worst part about this whole quarantine would be missing two weekends of his time with Alondra, time that had become his saving grace during this separation. His daughter reminded him that he had a reason to go on with his sobriety—or to just go on at all. And now that she wasn’t here…

Knock, knock.

His eyes narrowed at the door, wondering who could possibly be knocking on his door when only two people knew where he’d moved to. He stood up with a groan, body sore and so fucking cold. Pressing his eye to the peephole, he saw that it wasn’t Santi or his ex standing on the other side but a young—dare he say attractive—woman carrying a bag of what looked to be take out.

“Yes?” He called out from inside the apartment, not wanting to risk infecting an innocent stranger who probably had the wrong address.

“Hi, sorry. I’m delivering an order, would you like me to just leave it at the door?” He narrowed his eyes. He didn’t order anything.

“I’m sorry, I think you’ve got the wrong apartment.”

“Uh, Frankie Morales—apartment 507?” He watched as she read the ticket, deciding to crack the door a bit. She took a step back out of precaution as he held his hand up. One second later, he came back with a face mask on, opening the door a bit more. “Oh, are you…do you have the virus?”

“Yeah,” he nodded and gestured for you to stay put. “That’s, uh, that’s my name, but I didn’t order anything, I don’t know that I should take it.”

Just after speaking, his phone started to buzz in his pocket, signaling an incoming text. He opened it and nodded as he read that Santi had very kindly sent him over some food, chuckling as he tucked his phone back into his pocket. “My friend ordered it for me, I guess. Sorry about all this fuss.”

“Oh, no. You’d be surprised how often this happens. Especially now with the virus going around.” She chuckled and it made him feel lighter, but perhaps that could’ve been the fever. “Well, I’ll leave it right over here for ya. And be sure to tell your girlfriend to leave me a good review on the app.”

“Oh, no. Not a girlfriend. A boy friend. A man friend. Sorry, it’s a friend who is a man. I’m straight—well, mostly straight. Nobody’s really fully straight, right?” He chuckled at his case of verbal diarrhea and scratched his neck, watching as she chuckled and nodded. “What’s, uh, whats your name? Just so I can be sure that we give a five star to the right person.”

She told him her name and he grinned underneath his mask, nodding at her.

“Well, Frankie Morales, I hope you feel better soon.” She smiled at him as she stepped away and down the stairs of his apartment, her eyes catching his over her shoulder before she disappeared from his sight. Picking up the food, he stepped back inside his studio with a smitten grin, pulling his phone out to call up his best friend.

“Did you get the food?” Santi picked up and started speaking over the sound of music playing in the background.

“Yeah,” Frankie sat down on his couch and sandwiched the phone between his ear and shoulder as he opened up the bag. “Are you having a fucking fiesta over there or what?”

“Yeah, the boys are all here. We felt bad that you’re all alone in that apartment so we sent over some tacos. Figured you already had the beer covered.” Frankie chuckled and looked over at the half-drunken bottle of beer on his coffee table.

“Hey, uh, the girl who delivered my food wanted me to tell you to give her a five star rating.” Frankie felt a blush appear on his face as he thought about her smile, shocked that he could still manage to feel so smitten at his age and after what he’s gone through in the romance department.

“Oh, Frankie’s got a crush on the delivery girl, huh?” Santi teased, Will and Benny making a commotion in the background. “She cute?”

“Yeah, she’s cute. Wish I got her number, but it’s hard to flirt when you’re infected and quarantined. Not really a hot selling point.” He picked up one of the carne asada tacos and lifted it to his mouth, nodding in appreciation at the taste. “What, uh, what app did you use to order this? Just, uh…you know. In case I got hungry.”

“Yeah, hungry alright.” Santi teased again before breaking down and giving him the app and restaurant info. “You know you don’t get to choose who delivers your food right? It’s all based on who picks up the order on their end—“

“Let the guy be a hopeless romantic.” Frankie rolled his eyes and chuckled at the sound of Will stealing the phone from Santi. “I say you go for it, man. You’ve been in a dry streak for how long now?”

“Too long.” Frankie sighed as he tried to remember the last time he’d had sex. Was it really the night of Alondra’s conception?

“See, go for it. You’ve only got two more weeks of isolation and then you’re free to stalk whatever delivery girl you want.”

“Okay, okay, let’s not use that word. No stalking is happening here, just…hopeful ordering.” He looked at the ticket on the bag, nearly choking on his food as he swallowed it. “And my savings account dwindling, apparently.”

Though he knew it was a frivolous way to spend his money, he also knew that for the first time in a very long time, he had a spark of hope—hope that maybe he wouldn’t spend the rest of his life alone. Hope that maybe he could also find happiness and show his daughter what it looked like when her father was in love, much like her mother had found.

So, with nothing much to lose besides cash, he decided that everyday of this quarantine, he’d treat himself to some form of takeout until he got his delivery girl again. And then, he’d just have to figure out how to ask for her phone number without puking out of anxiety.

Simple enough.

•••

taglist: @joelmillerscoffee @ajeff855 @wildemaven @axshadows @sherala007 @browneyes-issac @tooflef @mariasabana @tae27 @kimm4710 @stxrrylunatic @sara-alonso @paulalikestuff @jbh-castaway @oceandolores @mandomover @chxpsi @auberosier @mashomasho @vanemando15 @wickedmunson @marvel-sw-lover @jediknight122 @harriedandharassed @star-wars-fan-2005 @alwaysdjarin @jalobro @trickstersp8 @mccn-bcys @manuymesut @trinkets01 @tanzthompson @jlmaddinson @hopeamarsu (please let me know if you’d like to be removed/added to future frankie content!)

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal fic #pedro pascal fanfiction #frankie morales fluff #triple frontier fanfic #frankie morales x you #frankie morales x reader #frankie morales #catfish morales x reader #frankie morales smut

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Brian Kennedy and Alec Tyson

Published: Nov 14, 2023

Among both Democrats and Republicans, trust in scientists is lower than before the pandemic

A new Pew Research Center survey finds the share of Americans who say science has had a mostly positive effect on society has fallen and there’s been a continued decline in public trust in scientists.

Key findings

Impact of science on society

Overall, 57% of Americans say science has had a mostly positive effect on society. This share is down 8 percentage points since November 2021 and down 16 points since before the start of the coronavirus outbreak.

About a third (34%) now say the impact of science on society has been equally positive as negative. A small share (8%) think science has had a mostly negative impact on society.

Trust in scientists

When it comes to the standing of scientists, 73% of U.S. adults have a great deal or fair amount of confidence in scientists to act in the public’s best interests. But trust in scientists is 14 points lower than it was at the early stages of the pandemic.

The share expressing the strongest level of trust in scientists – saying they have a great deal of confidence in them – has fallen from 39% in 2020 to 23% today.

As trust in scientists has fallen, distrust has grown: Roughly a quarter of Americans (27%) now say they have not too much or no confidence in scientists to act in the public’s best interests, up from 12% in April 2020.

Ratings of medical scientists mirror the trend seen in ratings of scientists generally. Read Chapter 1 of the report for a detailed analysis of this data.

How scientists compare with other prominent groups

The Center survey of 8,842 U.S. adults conducted Sept. 25-Oct. 1, 2023, finds that, despite recent declines in ratings, scientists and medical scientists continue to be held in high regard compared with other prominent groups in society. Smaller shares of Americans express confidence in business leaders, religious leaders, journalists and elected officials to act in the public’s best interests. As with scientists, most of these groups have seen their ratings decline in recent years.

Americans have expressed low trust in federal government and other institutions, like Congress, for decades. And political polarization – the widening gap between the views of Republicans and Democrats across a broad range of issues and attitudes – has come to be a dominant feature of American political life.

Differences between Republicans and Democrats in ratings of scientists and science

Declining levels of trust in scientists and medical scientists have been particularly pronounced among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents over the past several years. In fact, nearly four-in-ten Republicans (38%) now say they have not too much or no confidence at all in scientists to act in the public’s best interests. This share is up dramatically from the 14% of Republicans who held this view in April 2020. Much of this shift occurred during the first two years of the pandemic and has persisted in more recent surveys.

Confidence in scientists has also moved lower among Democrats. The share of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents with a great deal of confidence in scientists – which initially rose in the pandemic’s first year – now stands at 37%, down from a high of 55% in November 2020. But unlike Republicans, a large majority of Democrats (86%) continue to express at least a fair amount of confidence in scientists to act in the public’s best interests. The overall differences in partisan views remain much more pronounced today than they were prior to the coronavirus outbreak.

One of the starkest illustrations of polarization in views of science is the drop in the share of Republicans who view the societal impact of science positively.

Fewer than half of Republicans (47%) now say that science has had a mostly positive effect on society. In 2019, 70% of Republicans said that science has had a mostly positive effect.

A majority of Democrats (69%) continue to say science has had a mostly positive effect on society, though this share is 8 points lower than it was in 2019.

Republicans were largely critical of the country’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. For instance, large shares said too little priority was given to respecting individuals’ choices, supporting businesses and economic activity, and meeting the needs of K-12 students. In addition, many Republicans felt that public health officials’ personal views had too much influence on policy and that officials were too quick to dismiss views that challenged their scientific understanding.

Government investments in science

Despite declines in ratings of scientists and science, a large majority of Americans continue to see government investments in science as worthwhile. And most place at least some importance on the United States being a world leader in scientific achievements.

About eight-in-ten Americans (78%) say government investments in scientific research are usually worthwhile for society. Far fewer (20%) think these investments are generally not worthwhile. Large majorities across demographic and education groups see government investments in scientific research as worthwhile, as do large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans.

In addition, 52% of Americans think it is very important for the U.S. to be a world leader in scientific achievements; an additional 37% think this is somewhat important. These shares are more or less unchanged since last year.

==

Not good.

The deliberate lying about whether men can have babies and women can have penises sure hasn't helped.

#Pew Research Center #science #trust in science #scientific advancements #scientific achievements #knowledge #knowledge advancement #religion is a mental illness

[sparksinger]

new fanfiction incoming

latest addition to 'love just is' :)

fandom: transformers bayverse movies

title: you don't need a crown

rating: t

trigger/content warnings: mention of covid-19, mention of loss of a child.

summary: Cordelia tests positive for coronavirus and Optimus Prime takes it upon himself to care for her. Post TLK fic.

word count: 7,626

ao3 // ff.net

fic below cut:

“Oh come on, why now?!”  Cordelia muttered under her breath as she opened the door of the washing machine to a torrent of icy water that had not been drained.  Her clothes sat in a sopping, bubbly mess at the bottom of the drum. 

The water pooled at her feet, staining her socks dark like blotting paper. 

She sighed and went to grab the mop from its home in the tall cupboard.  It took multiple wringing outs in the accompanying bucket before the floor was suitably dry. 

It was still wet, but at least there wasn’t a massive swimming pool on the kitchen floor anymore. 

She was just about to turn her attention back to the drenched clothes in the washing machine when Optimus’ holoform emerged through the back door. 

Cordelia smiled at him warmly as their gazes met.  She opened her mouth to address him but didn’t manage to utter a single word as he went flying in front of her.

His left foot had unfortunately stepped right in the wettest spot of the kitchen floor as he’d come through the back door, sending him into a loose impression of an ice-skater trying to do an (unsuccessful) salchow. 

His right leg stuck out in front of him at an impressive right angle whilst his left arm flailed out to grab something in an effort to stop his tumble. 

A bouquet of wildflowers that he’d been clutching in his right hand went flying up into the air with him, coming back down to shower him in red, blue and white flowers as he landed on the floor with a sickening crunch.  His head ricocheted back and forth a couple of times with the force of his landing, chipping the hardwood floor with his ear finials.

He ‘oofed’ in indignation, propping himself up on one elbow, his other hand clasped to his helm. 

Cordelia clapped a hand to cover her mouth, unsure whether to laugh or stay in stunned silence.

She hurried over to where Optimus lay, mindful to avoid the wet patches on the floor. 

She knelt next to him and tidied some of the flowers off his chassis. 

“By the AllSpark, what just happened?”  He asked, an incredulous look of annoyance crossing his frowning facial plating. 

“Oh my god, are you okay?  The floor was wet from the washing machine not draining, and you slipped.  Why do you have flowers?” 

“Argh.  Oh Lia I am sorry, I appear to have damaged the floor with my landing.” 

“I don’t give a crap about the floor Optimus, are you okay?”  Cordelia said, holding out a hand to him. 

He took it with a wry smile, pushing himself up off the floor with his other hand. 

They regained a vertical base together, Optimus’ 6’8” frame swallowing Cordelia’s tiny 5’1” height. 

He jokingly leaned an elbow on her head before he wrapped his long arms around her waist and placed her on top of the kitchen counter. 

He bent to retrieve the fallen flowers, which now looked very sad and droopy.  Air hissed from between the housings of his joints in a simulated sigh as he placed them on the countertop beside Cordelia.

“I had hoped to surprise you with these on my way back from refuelling.  There was a stall on the shoulder of the highway selling wildflower blooms.  I purchased them on my way home.  Now, alas, they are not fit for purpose.” 

He looked so sad and dejected about the whole thing that Cordelia found it very hard to keep a straight face. 

She pulled him closer to her so that she could rest her forearms on the metallic ‘collar’ that adorned his neck. 

“Yes they are, all they need is a bit of TLC” she said, plucking up a pretty yellow flower that was similar to a daisy.  She tucked it in place in between the tiny gap between his ear finials and could not stop a small snort of laughter from escaping.  “What’s that one called?” 

He somehow managed to looked upwards at her through his optics, even though they were at perfect eye level with one another.

“That one is a rudbeckia hirta.  More commonly known as a ‘black-eyed-Susan.” 

“Well, thank you.  They are beautiful.”  She pecked a small kiss onto his smooth-as-porcelain helm. 

He half smiled at her and gathered the rest of the flowers into one hand, grabbing the vase from where it sat in the cupboard underneath the sink with the other.

“I was pleasantly surprised myself at the appearance of the stall.  It wasn’t there when I drove past originally.” 

“Yeah,” Cordelia agreed, hopping down off the counter.  “Maybe because it was outside there’s no restrictions?  Easier to practice good infection control in an outside environment I guess.” 

“So it would seem.  The lady who was running the stall was very vigilant in regard to hygiene practice.  She asked customers to direct her as to what flowers they wanted in the bouquet.  She then proceeded to put the bouquet together and then placed it on a table after accepting a form of contactless payment.” 

“Huh.  That’s nice though.  I don’t think I have ever seen someone selling flowers on the side of the highway.”

Optimus emitted his low, humming mechanical whine that only came out when he was annoyed or disapproving of something. 

His eyebrows sat in two neutral lines, the inner corners of his optics tilted slightly inwards, denoting his self-annoyance.   

“Well, what caused me to lose my balance like that?  My equilibrium sensors are functioning correctly, so the blame cannot be placed with them.”  As he spoke, he cast an exasperated glance over his shoulder, glaring at the spot where he had fallen with disdain. 

Cordelia snorted with barely-suppressed laughter. 

“Oh Optimus, only you could manage to look cute when you’re pissed off.” 

He fake-glowered at her before softening his features into a wry smile. 

“You haven’t answered my question yet little one” he said, playfully bending down and bringing an arm to the bend in her knees, hoisting her into a fireman’s carry over his shoulder.

Cordelia squealed in surprise and grabbed onto the smokestacks coming up out of his shoulder blades as he carried her effortlessly through to the living room. 

He set her down on the couch and regarded her through mock-stern optics. 

Once she’d caught her breath, Cordelia pushed herself up into a sitting position on the leather sofa. 

“I think the washing machine is busted.  I just opened it and all the water just poured out onto the floor.  I didn’t get a chance to tell you before you came in and…fell.” 

She snorted again, this time making no effort to try and hide the laughter.

Optimus huffed theatrically and flopped down onto the couch next to her.

“Hmm.  Has your apparel been damaged at all?”

“No.  It’s just still soaking wet in the drum.  I should have realised this was going to happen sooner or later.  Lately I’ve been having to spin it a couple of times after the cycle has finished, just to get the clothes a little less soaking so I can hang them out to dry.” 

Optimus rumbled thoughtfully.  “And an individual coming to repair the machine is out of the question.”

“Yeah.  Bloody pandemic has seen to that.  Not seeing Leo is sucky.” 

Optimus wrapped a long and comforting arm around her slender shoulders.  “I know little one, I know.” 

She leaned into him, resting her cheek against the smooth metal of his chest.  “Hopefully it won’t be for too long.  But I am insanely grateful that I get to quarantine with you.” 

He stood, pulling her upright with him.  A small smile ghosted across his faceplates.  “I will repair the washing machine.  It shouldn’t be too difficult to diagnose the problem and then rectify it.”

“Thank you.  You’re a lifesaver!”

.o

Cordelia bundled the last of her items into the bed of her blue Ford Ranger truck. 

It had really come into its own in the last year or so.  The winters in Montana seemed to be getting harsher and harsher with each passing year, and the roads that led to the secluded ranch were not treated, and as a result became even more treacherous with every thaw. 

Her little Volvo would never have been able to handle all the potholes that had opened up on the dirt track road. 

The size of the truck bed was also a big bonus.  It meant that she could come into town and do a really good grocery shop that would see her through another month at least.

And the best part?

It was a manual transmission.  Something that Cordelia considered a nice bonus. 

Satisfied that her load was properly secured, Cordelia put the trolley back with the others and climbed up into the driver’s seat for the forty-minute drive home.

Optimus was at the Lewis-McChord military base in Washington and not due to return home for another four days. 

Since Cybertron’s…re-emergence, the Earth’s governments and various leaders had scrambled to grovel and regain the Autobots’ trust. 

As Cordelia left the town limits, she eased the truck into a higher gear and settled in for the twenty-minute cruise before she would hit the access road to the ranch.

She allowed her mind to wander into the months that had followed their return home from the events that had followed Quintessa and Megatron’s joint attempt on the Earth.

Those first few weeks after she’d got home, Cordelia had completely withdrawn into herself. 

Sometimes it was all Optimus could do to hold her tenderly to his chest as the grief tore its way through her poorly constructed barriers.   

The hole that her daughter had left in her heart was one that she was finding incredibly hard to fill.

She tried to distract herself with mucking around with the other Autobots, helping Optimus where she could with his duties and hanging out with Leo.

Heck, she’d even set herself up a small online business writing wedding vows for couples and editing those who needed a little extra help.  She wrote the love and pain that had taken up residence in her heart into the lives of these virtual strangers who reached out to her through the beautiful anonymity of the internet.

She remembered the first time walking back into the house when she and Optimus had returned home from the United Kingdom. 

It was like walking into a dead person’s home.  She hadn’t been able to escape the overwhelming feeling of emptiness and sadness that seemed to permeate through the very walls of the property. 

Upstairs, the nursery had sat ready and waiting. 

A beautiful grey crib accompanied by a rocking chair that Optimus had found in a car boot sale.  He had brought it home in utmost secrecy, refusing to let Cordelia see what it was that he was working on.

After a week of sanding the wood down, washing it with sugar soap and giving the chair a fresh lick of paint, he had presented it to her.

“Cordelia, your surprise is ready and waiting!”

She’d hurried out of the house and over to the entrance of the large barn where Optimus was almost squatting on his haunches, balancing nimbly on the balls of his pedes.

He cupped something in his enormous hands and beckoned Cordelia forward with a hooked index finger.

A smile was dancing around the edges of his optics, his eye ridges tilted upwards in excited anticipation of Cordelia’s reaction to his surprise.

He waited until she was stood right next to his colossal servos before he addressed her.

“Shut your eyes little one.” 

She indulged him and startled a little when she felt the tip of his huge index finger press gently over her eyes.

“Is this really necessary Optimus?  I promise I won’t peek until you say so.” 

“Ah-ah.  I don’t want to risk you seeing this until it is fully ready for you to behold.” 

She sniggered against his finger at his formality, reaching up to pat the edge of his metallic digit in tender amusement.  “Alright big guy, have it your way.”

She’d listened to the whir and his of his hydraulics and joint housings as he’d shifted back a little.

“Okay, you can look now.”

The tiny pressure of his fingertip was removed, and she opened her eyes to see what he had revealed.

The rocking chair looked lovingly recrafted, from the slightly stained arms down to the curved feet. 

It had a deep seat and high arms – a perfect combination for when she’d be feeding a grizzly Nova in the early hours of the morning.

Cordelia found that she couldn’t quite speak.  It seemed her throat had tightened around the words of gratitude that she had been about to deliver.

She ghosted a finger over the chair, marvelling at how the wood felt smooth and supple beneath her delicate touch. 

A pale pink cushion with a wonky Autobot sigil had been placed against the back of the chair.  Under the Autobot symbol, Nova’s name had been crookedly stitched into place.

The stitches were uneven, and, in some places, she could see that different thread had been used.

All in all, the chair was a little skewed and irregular in its appearance, but that was what made it beautiful.

She looked up at Optimus, his large face swimming slightly in the filmy dew of her unshed tears. 

“Thank you.  I don’t know what to say.  Thank you, so, so much.  It’s beautiful.” 

She smiled up at him, motioning for him to come down more to her level.

He obliged her, his hydraulics hissing as he braced himself on both forearms so as to bring his face level with her tiny height.

Like that, she was enveloped in all of him. 

It was like being embraced by a building.

He dipped his head forward, nuzzling the top of her head gently with the tip of his nose. 

She leaned into the tender contact, drawing small circles into the smooth metal of his cheek with her nails and the back of her knuckles.  It never ceased to amaze her that he didn’t feel like metal in the traditional sense.

She could feel the raw and absolute power that he possessed.  She could feel the faint thrumming of his Spark, hear it as it reverberated in her ribcage.  The warmth that seemed to emanate from him.  Underneath her hands, his faceplates warmed by a fraction of a degree, shifting slightly as they moved with his small smile.  He felt like porcelain beneath her palms.

She felt his hand cup behind her into the shape of her body.  She let herself relax and be scooped up into his vast palm. 

He didn’t stand, but regarded her at his eye-level, holding her only about eight feet from the ground.

“Is it alright?  I have taken every care to ensure that I have sanded the wood down efficiently so that there shall be no risk of splinters.  I also used a non-toxic paint to paint the chair.  There are no silicates or lead within the mixture, nor are there any volatile organic –”

Cordelia placed two hands over his mouth, stopping him mid-sentence.  

“Optimus.  You’re babbling.  This is perfect.  I honestly don’t know what to say, except thank you.  From both of us.” 

Optimus smiled at her, and his thumb moved to gently touch her six-month bump. 

“What made you think of a rocking chair anyway?”  She asked, assuming her normal position in his palm, one arm wrapped lazily around his thumb.

“Ahh.  I was undertaking some research on the subject of soothing neonates.  As I understand it, the first few weeks of life with a new baby can be quite demanding, for both the parents and the child.  So, I took it upon myself to research what kind of phenomenon soothes a new baby.

“My research yielded the knowledge that neonates find the rocking sensation soothing as it has a synchronising effect on the brain, which in turn triggers their natural sleep rhythm.  Slow rocking helps the child ease into sleep by increasing slow oscillations and sleep spindles in their brainwaves.”

Cordelia raised a brow.  “Well, aren’t you a fountain of knowledge!  I shall have to start calling you ‘Nana’.”

His blank expression was the only answer she received. 

She shook her head gently at him and settled back into the curved wall of his fingers. 

“I also…embroidered the cushion with the Autobot symbol and Nova’s name.  It isn’t very skilfully done, but when I researched gifts online, I came across the importance of a handmade gift…from the Spark, so to speak.”

Cordelia stroked his thumb softly.  “It’s beautiful Optimus.  Thank you so much.” 

The sight of the unassuming rocking chair in the empty nursery when she had returned home had been enough to send her over the edge.

Optimus had tactfully removed all evidence of an absent child from the nursery and had refurnished it to a modest and functional office space for himself and Cordelia to share.

She’d had the suspicion that Leo and Optimus had worked together on that one.

The days had slowly melted into weeks, and the weeks into months. 

Eventually a whole two years had passed since the latest sequence of events that had proved to be a threat to the planet. 

And now, they were in the beginnings of a pandemic by the name of ‘Covid-19’ that had just been declared by the World Health Organisation.

Cordelia sighed, bringing her attention back to the road. 

By late March, the state of Montana had effectively been locked down.  Schools had been closed, mass gatherings had been banned and eateries and places that served alcohol had been ordered to close.

Now in mid-April, Cordelia was beginning to feel the effects of the lockdown. 

She hadn’t seen Leo for the last three weeks and counting, and this was the first time this had happened since she and Optimus had had to go on the run from Cemetery Wind five years previously. 

Optimus usually did the grocery run, as he stated that he could not catch Covid-19, not being in possession of a pair of lungs.

This had been the case until Tuesday of the previous week when Optimus had been called to the military base in Washington. 

Earth’s governments and leaders had summoned Optimus there to work on an ‘action plan’ as they called it. 

Cordelia understood that the intentions of this plan were to mitigate the negative effects that Cybertron was having on Earth’s climate and tectonic plates. 

Afterall, a planet wasn’t supposed to latch itself onto another, substantially smaller planet. 

Cordelia shook her head, pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind.

The road was almost empty, only a lone passing semi every other mile or so, hauling much needed groceries and supplies to the more rural communities of West Yellowstone.

Cordelia fiddled with the source output in the truck – the one that would allow her to listen to music through her phone. 

She settled back in the driver’s seat and let the sound of acoustic guitars and a gentle accompanying voice wash over her.

She’d discovered the independent artist Lucy Spraggan a few months prior to the pandemic beginning.

She’d fallen in love with the story-like quality of the songs and the emotion with which Lucy sang them. 

“And as the birds fly south I've been missing a small house That holds all my words in precious store I found your message at the bottom of a bottle Come back to where the streets are paved with stone

I believe in you You believe in me You're the lighthouse in the storm I've believe it's true I can follow you Back to where the streets are paved with stone”

She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel in time with the guitar’s plucky beat.

Optimus’ personal favourite was a song called Home Wasn’t Built in A Day.

Cordelia sighed, relaxing her shoulders and trying to leave her worries behind on the empty road behind her.

.o

Life at the ranch when Optimus was away went in a weird semblance of slow-motion that passed in the blink of an eye.

Kind of like the brief sunshine between thunderstorms and heavy downpours; instantaneous and ever-lasting in simultaneous union.

Cordelia grinned at the screen of her iPhone, scanning Optimus’ latest email again.

Time: 08:34 [PDT]

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Greetings

My dearest Cordelia,

I hope this finds you well and content.

Things have been going laboriously slowly here, as we wait for the multitudinous amount of human paperwork to be completed.

I am currently displaying more patience than I am feeling. 

After all we have done for the humans, they still insist on us leaping through these bureaucratic doughnuts. 

One thing they are very insistent on (and something that I shall not budge from), is the governance and restoration of Cybertron.  I have made it clear that Cybertron will remain under Autobot governance.  That is non-negotiable for me and the other Autobots. 

Although Cybertron is now tethered to the Earth…it is by no means inhabitable.  Not unless my people wish to live in a husk…a lifeless shell of bitter-sweet memories that gnaw away at your Spark when you are trying to (unsuccessfully) recharge.

My apologies little one…this electric correspondence has become rather dark. 

Allow me to attempt to lighten it with some ‘punny’ jokes I found on Twitter earlier.

Some of my personal favourites:

‘I lost three fingers on my right hand, so l asked my doctor if I would still be able to write with it. He said: "Maybe, but I wouldn't count on it."’

(This one made me chuckle.)

‘I heard that Oxygen and Magnesium are going out. I was like Omg.’

(I feel like Ratchet would have appreciated that one a lot.)

‘What did the blanket say as it fell off the bed?

Oh sheet.’

(That last one made me chortle out loud…at a rather loud volume.  A solider was ascending the stairs of the catwalk and I happened to be standing nearby.  The volume of my laugh caused him to lose his balance and I acted reflexively, reaching out to catch him before he fell and injured himself.  He was very grateful, but it was exceedingly awkward for the pair of us.)

Anyway, if you would like to read more funny ‘dad’ jokes, have a look at the Twitter account by the name of ‘ThePunnyWorld’.

(Cordelia, why are they called ‘dad’ jokes?  I hope I have not broken an unspoken human law by uttering a ‘dad’ joke if only fathers are allowed to tell them…)

Ahh, it would seem I have to cut this message short.  I am being called back into the hangar to go over the final points of the new treaty. 

I will see you in a few days little one, providing nothing complicated comes up between now and my scheduled return. 

As always, stay safe my little one. 

Yours (always and forever),

Optimus Prime

Cordelia sniggered at his misuse of the ‘jumping through hoops’ idiom. 

Despite residing on Earth for well over a decade now, his ‘alienness’ still sometimes showed in the naivest and funniest of ways.

Sighing, she pocketed her phone and went about the rest of the day with a monotonous sense of duty.

.o

Something was sitting on her chest.

It was indescribably heavy, pushing the air out of her lungs, simultaneously giving her no chance of drawing air back into them.

She fought against the invisible thing, clawing at the air above her in an attempt to dislodge the invisible obstruction. 

Air lingered above her, tantalisingly and infuriatingly out of reach.  She tried to speak but couldn’t get her lips to form around the words that seemed to have gotten stuck in her throat on the way out. 

Swatches of colour poked at the edges of her mind, piercingly bright in the black darkness.

Another invisible force pressed gently against her consciousness, pulling her into an upright position. 

Why can’t I breathe?!  What’s happening?!

The force didn’t help the weight on her chest.  Logic did not obey the laws of physics as, despite the upright position of her body, the shadowy object weighing down on her chest stayed stubbornly put. 

Cordelia tried again to draw breath into her constricted lungs, once again coming up empty. 

She surfaced into full consciousness in a strangled choke of coughing and croaking moans.

In the murky darkness, she could make out Hound’s holoform sitting on the bed, one finger pressed against the pulse point on her wrist.  His free arm was draped around her shoulders; the source of the force that had pulled her upwards into a sitting position.

The effort of trying not to cough up her lungs had sent reflexive tears into her green eyes, rendering her vision dewy and filmy. 

Someone else was behind her, massaging her back with a strong touch. 

“Easy Cordelia-san.  All is well.” 

Drift’s calm and reassuring voice helped to bring Cordelia back to the here-and-now, grounding her racing thoughts to a healthier pace in her fevered mind.

She struggled to lift her head to meet Hound’s worried blue optics, a simultaneous weight making itself known behind her skull.

Another fit of coughing over-powered her.  The coughing seemed to be in tandem with the load pressing down on her chest.  Whenever she coughed, the weight pressed down with even greater force than before.

Hound gently grasped her wrist and used the arm around her shoulders to push her gently forwards until she was lying prone on the bed, her forearms resting in Hound’s lap. 

Suddenly, it was a lot easier to breathe.

She gulped air into her desperate lungs, inhaling deeply and trying to hold onto it for a few seconds before she let the air back out through puffed up cheeks.

Gradually, her racing heart slowed to a healthier and less-scary rhythm. 

Hound visibly relaxed next to her, letting go of her wrist and gently touching the back of his hand to her clammy forehead. 

Cordelia listened as his deep, gravelly voice enunciated the strange words and guttural pronunciations of his native language. 

Drift replied in his with quiet calmness, nodding an answer to a question that Cordelia could not hope to understand.

Hound’s holoform disappeared with a light puff of air as Drift helped Cordelia to sit back in an upright position. 

“Cordelia-san, place your arms around my neck, there.  I shall have you comfortable again in no time at all.” 

He lifted her bridal-style, as easily as Optimus would have.

He placed her gently in the ‘cuddle’ chair that sat overlooking the French doors that led out onto the balcony of the master bedroom.

The sheets on the bed were rumpled and damp.  It looked like she’d managed to get herself tangled in them and go swimming at the same time.

She shivered involuntarily as a chill worked its way down her body. 

Drift grabbed the throw from where it was draped over the back of the chair and wrapped it carefully around her shoulders, wrapping the overlapping edges around each other.

Cordelia watched him as he proceeded to go out into the hallway where the linen cupboard was located. 

He ducked back into the bedroom clutching fresh bedding and sheets.  He placed these on the chest of drawers before going to strip the crumpled bed of its damp attire.

He worked with the precision of a hotel maid, but at least at ten times the speed.

His hands became scintillating silver and blue whirs of movement as he divested the bed of its bottom sheet, pillowcases and duvet cover.

After shaking each item from the bed vigorously, he dressed it again in what felt like the blink of an eye.  It hurt Cordelia’s just to watch.

The whole process had taken less than five minutes.

He turned the covers back and fluffed the pillows, placing them at a 90-degree angle against the headrest. 

He turned his attention back to Cordelia, wrapping her arms around his neck before lifting her again. 

He carried her across the room and placed her carefully into bed, drawing the covers up around her. 

“Stay sitting up Cordelia-san.  That position will make it easier for you to complete your respiration cycle.” 

A sudden noise outside drew their attention to the French doors.

Cordelia saw Hound’s large face peeping over the top of the balcony railing.

Being a lot shorter than Optimus at his full-size, Hound’s twenty-two-foot height put him almost level with the balcony.

He placed what looked like a large, blue suitcase with wheels on the decking of the balcony, flicking it gently towards Drift with an easy brush of his index finger.

Drift caught the object and wheeled it into the bedroom, plugging it into the power outlet on Cordelia’s side of the bed.

Hound’s holoform materialised again, building itself from the feet up on a blue network of three-dimensional cube shapes.

Hound went over to the suitcase thing and opened a small compartment, retrieving a small white cylinder with the word ‘oxygen’ written in dark blue lettering on the side.

He slotted it into place and the equipment sputtered to life with a quiet hiss. 

The crackling of a plastic wrapper drew Cordelia’s attention to Drift, who handed something small to Hound.

It looked like clear, plastic tubing.

Hound picked up on Cordelia’s unease.

“Easy kiddo.  This is just gonna make it a bit easier for ya to breathe.  Nothing to worry about.” 

Reassured, Cordelia leaned back against the soft pillows and tried to concentrate on her breathing. 

She started a little when she felt Hound’s hands softly manipulate the nasal cannula behind her ears. 

The insides of her nostrils tickled slightly as he gently inserted the little nubbins of the tube into her nose.  

Immediately, the relief on her lungs was palpable. 

“What’s going on?”  She croaked, surprised at the low, gravelly sound of her voice.

Hound sat down on the edge of the bed, being mindful not to let his weight jostle Cordelia too much.

“I’m sorry to have ta be the one to tell you this Titch, but you’ve tested positive for Coronavirus.  The alveoli in your lungs are inflamed and are having a hard time getting enough air in.  The oxygen is just a precaution, but it will help you to breathe better anyway.” 

Cordelia concentrated on inhaling deeply, welcoming the air into her hungry lungs. 

The gentle sensation of oxygen curling around her bronchioles and alveoli helped to bring her heart back down to a healthier rhythm. 

Hound finished calibrating the oxygen condenser and turned his attention back to Cordelia. 

“Okay kiddo, time for the last bit.  I know they ain’t your favourite, but I am gonna put a cannula into the back of your hand.  I’ve had enough experience of your dehydration on short notice.” 

Cordelia attempted a smile at the gruff medic, bit only succeeded in a funny sort of grimace. 

He chuckled gently at her and reached for her left hand.  He cleaned it quickly with an antibacterial wipe and then secured a torniquet onto her forearm. 

Cordelia turned her gaze away as Hound palpated her veins in preparation for the insertion of the cannula needle. 

A few minutes later, the process was finished, and Cordelia settled back against the pillows, surrendering herself to the world of easy unconsciousness.

.o

A low concussion woke Cordelia from a restless sleep.  The dressing securing the cannula to the back of her left hand had made the skin there dry and itchy. 

She pushed herself up against her pillows, scrunching her eyes tightly shut against the gentle sunlight that was filtering through the grey curtains that adorned the French doors.

The photo frames on the bedside table vibrated slightly as the force of something enormous outside caused the ranch house to wobble slightly on its foundations.

“Where is she?!”  Optimus’ panicked tone floated up to her through the ajar French doors, his deep baritone curling around her like the comforting embrace of an old friend.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Optimus’ index finger pushing one of the French doors open. 

With the partial obstruction of the view to the balcony removed, Cordelia could see Optimus’ face trying to get level with the view into the master bedroom.

His chin rested atop the balcony railing, facial plating scrunched in a frown, his optics wide and frightened, the white pupils within them totally dilated.

He visibly relaxed as their gazes met, his face plates relaxing into a smooth frown. 

“Little one, are you functional?” 

Cordelia offered him a weak thumbs up, unable to speak past the razorblades that had formed overnight in her tender throat. 

He disappeared from her field of view then and she heard the tell-tale whirs and clunks that signalled his transformation into vehicle mode.

Seconds later, Optimus’ body began to build itself on a cubed blue frame, starting from his feet and working its way slowly upwards. 

Then, all six-feet-eight inches of his human-sized holoform stood before her in the master bedroom. 

He hurried towards her, falling to his knees in front of the bed so as to bring their faces level with each other.

His cool metal hand was pure nirvana against the scorching fire that were her flaming cheeks.  He worked the back of his hand over her forehead, his lip plates clicking together in worry. 

“You have a fever.  102.8.  When did you last have analgesic?” 

Cordelia made a weak shrugging motion and tried to inch herself closer to Optimus’ cool, porcelain-smooth armour. 

He worked out straight away what she wanted and gently climbed over her legs to settle beside her on the king-size bed. 

He drew her into his arms, mindful not to dislodge the IV line going into the back of her left hand.

“Cordelia, when did you begin to feel unwell?”  Optimus asked, his sonorous voice sounding in the hollow of her neck. 

“Last night,” she croaked weakly, wincing against the pain in her vocal cords. 

“Nuh-uh titch; you tested positive two days ago!”  Hound’s gravelly voice shouted from outside.

Cordelia struggled to fight through the mental fog in her brain, pushing away the distorted murky thoughts to try and make way for the clearer ones that were sitting just out of her reach. 

Two days.

Two days?!

Her mind whirled – where on Earth had two days gone?!

Surely Hound had set up her IV drip and oxygen last night?

It was so hard to think clearly past the vice that was intent on crushing her brain and skull from the inside-out. 

She felt Optimus stiffen beside her, unconsciously drawing her fragile body closer to his. 

Then she was aware of Hound’s holoform constructing itself on a cubed blue frame, just as Optimus’ had earlier. 

Even through her fevered mind, Cordelia could tell that this information had upset Optimus. 

It appeared that Hound was aware of this too. 

He stood facing them, his hands held out defensively. 

“Now boss, before you jump down my exhaust, I was going by titch’s wishes – here, listen.” 

There was a millisecond of silence before Cordelia heard her own, croaky voice coming from Hound’s speakers.

“Don’t tell Optimus just yet Hound.  Please?  He’ll only worry unnecessarily.  I’ll make you a deal – if I haven’t improved to your expectations in twenty-four hours, then tell him.  Just please not before.  He has one more important meeting before he’s due to come home.  I don’t want to give our shitty governments any ammunition whatsoever and give them a chance to say that Optimus ‘abandoned’ negotiations or whatever before they’ve finished.  No way.”

Cordelia heard air his from between the housings of Optimus’ joints – his simulation of a sigh. 

Hound deactivated his holoform then, tactfully giving his leader and Cordelia some time alone. 

Cordelia saw Optimus open his mouth to speak, and quickly placed a finger against his parted lip plates.

“Don’t…be angry with Hound.  He got me sorted so quickly and made me as comfortable as he possibly could.  There was nothing extra you could have done if you’d have been here.  Except maybe come home early and make me worry for no good reason.” 

Optimus smiled against her finger.

“Touché as ever Miss Prime…touché.”  He kept the volume of his voice low – perhaps worried about the sensitivity of her hearing.

“You need to learn to relax.  You are far too protective of me.”  She sighed, drawing small circles into the base of one ear finial.  “Even you, Optimus Prime, cannot protect me from my own body.” 

He pulled her into a gentle embrace then, resting his chin gently on top of her head. 

He hated reminders of her short mortality (compared with his own), and usually made every effort to avoid the subject. 

She felt the hairs on her arms stand up on end as Optimus scanned her.

He grabbed the paracetamol from the bedside table and popped them with a soft ping into his metal palm.

“There is a minimal amount of analgesic present in your bloodstream.  These will help to maintain your fever and pain levels.”

Optimus helped her into a seated position, supporting her full weight with just his left arm. 

He put them one by one into her mouth and helped her take a mouthful of water from the glass he placed at her lips. 

She eased back into the soft embrace of the pillows, Optimus a comforting and reassuring presence at her side.

He drew gentle fingers down her cheek. 

“Sleep my little one.  I will be right here.”

She closed her eyes, sleep finding her easily on the heels of Optimus’ rumbled declaration.

.o

The days melted together in a strange plethora of headaches, fatigue and general malaise.

Optimus was endlessly patient with Cordelia, never once complaining about her endless moaning and groaning while she felt so unwell. 

“I mean, why is it even called ‘Coronavirus’ anyway?  What bright idiot thought to name a virus after a beer?!”  Cordelia groused cantankerously from beneath her nest of blankets on the couch.

Optimus had graciously carried her downstairs after she’d complained about being stuck in bed for the last three days. 

She was now beginning to get over the worst of it.  Hound had removed the cannula yesterday and she hadn’t needed the oxygen for the last forty-eight hours.

Optimus chuckled and handed her a cup of steaming fruit tea. 

She accepted it gratefully, securing it between her bent knees from her prone position on the sofa.

“I doubt the virologists were referring to the alcoholic beverage when they named the virus.  In fact, I believe they christened it ‘coronavirus’ owing to the crown-like shape of the pathogen.”

Cordelia raised a brow at him, regarding him incredulously through her tired green eyes.

“I believe the term ‘corona’ derives from the Latin word for ‘crown’.  In turn, I believe the Latin word for crown is derived from the Ancient Greek word ‘korõrne’ – meaning ‘garland’ or ‘wreath’.”

Cordelia hmphed, stretching her legs out to rest in Optimus’ lap. 

He cradled her cold feet in his hands, rubbing them gently to warm them. 

“I don’t want a crown if it’s gonna make me feel like this.” 

Optimus chuckled gently at her derisive tone.  “Cordelia, you don’t need a crown to be royalty.  You are already royal to me.”

She snickered.  “You are a massive dork.  Figuratively and literally.  A thirty-two-foot-tall dork.” 

.o

Cordelia’s recovery continued slowly but steadily.

Nausea and a loss of appetite were heavily present.

Optimus made her beautiful chicken noodle soups – the only thing that she wanted to eat and could actually stomach. 

One afternoon, one a particularly chilly day in early May, Cordelia was reclining on the leather couch, watching an old episode of Air Crash Investigation.

She was nestled under a thick Native American style blanket; her arms folded tightly against her chest to try and hold onto the heat that her body seemed intent on getting rid of. 

She saw Optimus’ legs walk past the living room window, closely followed by Hound’s.

Suddenly, she was aware of a numb and prickly sensation in her left foot.

She struggled to free it from underneath her right leg, grunting a little with the effort.

All of a sudden, the front door was thrown open with such force that it bounced back off the wall on its hinges. 

Optimus’ holoform half-fell through the living room door.  He gathered Cordelia gently into his arms, using a finger and thumb to massage her left foot.

“I was alerted to the sound of your discomfort.  Nins and peedles is a serious condition.  I shall work to remove them immediately.” 

Cordelia burst out laughing. 

“Nins and what?!”

Optimus regarded her with a serious expression.

“I do not think that this is a laughing matter, Cordelia.”

“What exactly is it do you think I have done?” she asked, crossing her legs over his arm.

A shadow of confusion crossed his facial plating.

“I heard your discomfort.  I will endeavour to have the nins and peedles removed right away.”

Understanding dawned on Cordelia.  “Oh bless you Optimus!  It’s ‘pins and needles’, not nins and peedles.  All it is is a lack of blood supply to the affected body part.  It just leaves a bit of a numb sensation.” 

She waved her foot about to illustrate her point, watching as Optimus’ brows settled into a neutral line above his concerned optics.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

He set her carefully back down on the couch.  “Very well.  What would you like for your evening meal today?”

.o

After dinner that evening, Optimus and Cordelia set out for the lake that sat in the clearing in the centre of the ranch’s acreage.

Cordelia enjoyed a ride on Optimus’ shoulder as he picked his way carefully over the grassy planes of the ranch. 

The ranch was secluded enough that he and the other Autobots could walk around without using their holoforms or vehicular disguises.  Optimus had always said that he enjoyed experiencing her world as himself, without the mask of a camouflage. 

He skirted around the edge of the forest.  It was easier for him to walk there as he was taller than most of the trees that made up the vast woodland, and he did not want to risk damaging them with any part of his metal body.

The sun was hanging low on the western horizon as Optimus made his way past the last of the tree line. 

Although the weather was warm, there was still a spring chill in the air of an evening.

Cordelia drew her flannel shirt tighter about her shoulders to keep out the bite of the evening air.

Optimus noticed this and reached up to retrieve her from his shoulder, cupping his hand around her small body as he did so. 

He sat down in the long grass of the meadow, the dying light of the sunset sending a prism of colours into Cordelia’s field of vision. 

He drew one knee up to his chest, placing Cordelia carefully on it, leaving his hand cupped behind her to keep her secure.  His other leg stretched out flat in front of him. 

The lake was a majestic mirror in the meadow, a glorious centrepiece reflecting the pinks and purple-blues of the evening’s sunset. 

Cordelia settled herself back against the wall of Optimus’ curled fingers, enjoying the heat that he had sent to his hand.

His optics still held the slightest hint of worry.  Cordelia could see it rolling across his cyan optics like the swelling waves of the ocean before a big storm.

“Optimus…I’m fine.  I’m on the mend.  You can stop worrying.” 

He smiled sadly at her.  “Oh Cordelia.  I will always worry about you.  I thought…”  he dropped his gaze, turning away from her. 

“Op…talk to me.” 

His audio-covers rotated counter-clockwise, as they always did when he was struggling with his emotions.  His lip plates ground together quietly, sending out tiny sparks. 

A low, mechanical whine sounded from deep within his vocoder.

“I thought…I thought I was going to lose you.  I’ve never seen you that unwell before…it frightened me.”

An unspecified force tightened around Cordelia’s heart at Optimus’ quiet confession.  The frightened tone of his voice highlighted his naked pain and fear before her.

She pressed herself back into his palm, wrapping one arm around his thumb. 

He got the message and scooped her up, bring her close to his face.

She braced herself against his triangular nose, nuzzling it tenderly with her own. 

“I know big guy.  I know.  But I am recovering well, and I am healthy otherwise.  I won’t say it’s been an easy ride, but I am gonna be okay.” 

He dipped his head forwards, simultaneously holding her against his helm, one thumb rubbing gently up and down her back.

“My biggest fear is losing you, Cordelia.  I do not have the words or…enough command of any language in any universe to explain what you mean to me. 

“You came into my life and saw past the Prime.  Past the Autobot Commander.  Past the mech who doomed his planet to a slow and poisonous death. 

“You taught this lonely mech what love was…to have faith…to believe in hope again.” 

She placed trembling hands on his quivering face plates.

“You’re stuck with me for now big guy.  I’m not going anywhere just yet.”

She felt, rather than saw his smile.

“Till all are one, little one.  Till all are one.”

#optimus prime #transformers bayverse #transformers #optimus prime fanfiction #transformers bayverse fanfiction #oc #covid 19 #sickfic #fanfiction #blu's fanfiction #love just is

[mariacallous]

Unlike many of his predecessors as head of the Federal Reserve, including Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke, and Janet Yellen, Jerome Powell isn’t a professional economist; he trained as a lawyer. Despite, or perhaps because of, this background, Powell has a knack for explaining the Fed’s actions in terms that non-economists can understand, and he demonstrated this ability again on Wednesday, during a much anticipated appearance in Washington, at the Brookings Institution.

The news Powell imparted is that the Fed is likely to slow down the pace of interest-rate hikes at its next scheduled meeting, two weeks from now. The central bank has raised the federal funds rate (a benchmark short-term interest rate) by 0.75 percentage points four times since June—three percentage points in total—in an effort to bring down inflation, and Powell signalled that an increase of 0.5 percentage point is likely this time. After his remarks, the Dow jumped more than seven hundred points, and closed the day up more than two per cent. Since the end of September, it has risen close to twenty per cent, a major move to the upside.

After his prepared remarks, Powell answered questions from David Wessel, a former Wall Street Journal columnist who is a senior fellow at Brookings, and from members of the audience. He took the opportunity to talk about how the Fed is trying to navigate a middle ground between crashing the economy with an overzealous effort to bring down inflation and allowing inflation to indefinitely remain far above the Fed’s target rate of two per cent. Throughout the discussion, he stressed the many factors that make the outlook so uncertain, from the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic here in the United States, to the war in Ukraine, to the renewed lockdowns in China. “We’re going to have to be humble and skeptical about forecasts,” he remarked.

Still, Powell also sketched out a positive scenario in which inflation gradually comes down throughout 2023, the economy manages to avoid a recession, and the unemployment rate doesn’t rise drastically. Referring to prior periods when the Fed raised interest rates sharply, he conceded, “If you look at the history, it’s not a likely outcome.” However, he added, “But I would just say this is a different set of circumstances.”

It certainly is. More specifically, the pandemic prompted many workers to retire or drop out of the labor force, and yet, largely because of supportive government policies, the pandemic shock didn’t lead to a lasting slump in hiring and spending. Consequently, the number of job vacancies has been running far above the number of unemployed people seeking work, and this remains true. Hours before Powell spoke, the Labor Department released figures for October that showed job openings across the country totalling 10.3 million, compared with 6.1 million people officially classed as unemployed.

The Fed’s fear is that this large gap between job openings and job seekers is putting upward pressure on wages, which is causing inflation to spread from goods (think of new cars, or electronics imported from China) to the service sector (think hotel rooms, or meals at restaurants). In Powell’s best-case scenario, which he laid out clearly, a slowing economy will cause the imbalance in the labor market to resolve, mainly through a decline in job vacancies rather than an increase in layoffs and unemployment. Pointing to a gradual fall in vacancies during the past few months, Powell said there was some evidence that this was happening, but cautioned that it was too early to say whether the trend would continue on the scale necessary to defeat inflation.

The negative scenario for 2023 and 2024 is that the cumulative impact of the Fed’s rate hikes on interest-sensitive sectors of the economy—such as real estate, auto sales, and many types of finance—will eventually push the entire country into a recession, in which employers lay off workers en masse and the unemployment rate rapidly rises. When Powell was asked whether he agreed with the Fed’s own research staff, who recently said that a recession is now almost as likely as a non-recession, he resisted handicapping the outcome, but added, “I do continue to believe that there is a path to a soft, or soft-ish, landing.”

If Powell does achieve his goal, it would obviously be advantageous to Joe Biden and the Democrats, who would much prefer to go into the 2024 election year with the economy growing healthily and the inflation spike in the rearview mirror. Judging by the bounce in the stock market, many investors think that such an outcome is possible. In recent months, the rate of inflation has started to decline, a move confirmed by new figures that the Commerce Department released on Thursday, which showed “core” inflation—excluding energy and food prices—running at five per cent year over year in October, compared to 5.2 per cent in September. Many economists are expecting further falls in the months to come, and Wall Street is already looking ahead to when the Fed starts cutting interest rates. That’s why investors have been rushing back into the stock market.

Ironically, however, if Wall Street continues its premature celebration of a Fed victory in the struggle to tame inflation, this could make Powell’s job more difficult, not easier. When he and his colleagues raise or lower interest rates, their action impacts the economy in two stages. In stage one, the financial markets react, with asset prices, market interest rates, and credit spreads all moving rapidly, often even in anticipation of a policy change. Then, in stage two, this change in financial conditions gradually courses through to the rest of the economy. A higher federal funds rate pushes up mortgage rates, and that hits home buyers. A falling stock market can impact consumer spending and business investment.

The potential problem is that when the stock market goes up and long-term interest rates decline—two things that have both happened in the past month or so—financial conditions get easier, not tighter, thereby undercutting the Fed’s efforts to slow the economy and curb inflation. If these trends go on, Powell and his colleagues could be tempted to keep the federal funds rate higher, and for longer, than would otherwise be the case. This, in turn, means an eventual recession would be more likely, not less likely.

In other words, the Fed is playing a kind of high-stakes game with Wall Street even as it engages in an even higher-stakes effort to manage the economy as a whole and avoid a recession. On Wednesday, Chair Powell gave investors something to chew on. If the Wall Street piranhas get overexcited, he may well have to put them back on starvation rations. ♦

[worldofwardcraft]

Another of his mental impediments.

March 28, 2024

One of the many drawbacks of Donald Trump's limited intelligence is that he's unable to foresee the consequences of his actions. Living always in the moment, he is focused only on getting through today. Thus, he is simply incapable of either comprehending the effects of current decisions or anticipating future outcomes.

Nowhere was this more in evidence than in the lead-up to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2018, Trump ordered the disbanding of the National Security Council's Global Health Security and Biodefense unit. A year later, the position of CDC epidemiologist embedded in China’s disease control agency was eliminated. And just three months before the coronavirus began infecting people in China, his administration decided to end a $200 million early warning program, called Predict, designed to alert potential pandemics.

Trump shut down these programs only because they originated under the despised President Obama. And without a moment's thought concerning any possible ramifications. Such as COVID-19 becoming the third leading cause of death in the US in 2020, with a death rate of 1,027 per 100,000 population and over a million dead between January 2020 and June 2023.

Then there was the time Trump, abetted by an eager Republican Congress, pushed through the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which significantly lowered the top tax rate for high-income earners and slashed the corporate rate to 21%. Wealthy GOP donors loved it, but little attention was given to the resultant economic inequality. Said the Brookings Institution's Tax Policy Center at the time:

When it is ultimately financed with spending cuts or other tax increases, as it must be in the long run, TCJA will, under the most plausible scenarios, end up making most households worse off than if TCJA had not been enacted.

Trump's tariffs on foreign goods and his rejection of international treaties may have seemed like good America First ideas at the time. But the former resulted in increasing prices for American consumers and destroying markets for American farmers, while the latter isolated us from our allies and endangered our national security. Trump evidently didn't see any of that coming.

Even today, Trump puts forward superficially attractive, but ill-considered policies. Like a 100% tariff on cars manufactured outside the US, which would make them cost twice as much. He also promises to deport eight million immigrants, which would devastate the US economy by depriving it of a sizable portion of its workforce. So, if you hear Trump's proposals and wonder what he could possibly be thinking, the answer is, as usual, he isn't.

#trump ignorance #trump presidency #trump tariffs #trump tax cuts

[americamortgages]

Vacation homes buoyant as the US prepares to open up

Despite the slow reopening of workplaces nationwide, a new report by Redfin shows that demand for vacation homes– otherwise known as short-term rentals –is soaring at a record pace.

One reason for the rise in demand can be attributed to vacationers wanting to keep their distance from strangers in shared hotel spaces. Now, with the developing accessibility of the COVID-19 vaccines, more people are planning their future get-aways. A recent Vacasa review of U.S. vacationers revealed that 59% said they intend to vacation in spring 2021. Additionally, 52% said they would choose to stay in a vacation rental more regularly. A study by the National Association of Realtors also found a 16% increment in second-home purchases in 2020.

Rise in remote work

Another reason for the increased demand could also be due to more affluent families having more opportunities to do their jobs remotely for the foreseeable future. The increase in remote work for individuals in white-collar positions implies that families could leave urban cities and set up for business in more modest, remote towns.

Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather said, “The combination of the wealthy becoming wealthier, remote work turning into the new normal, and low mortgage rates is creating an ideal environment for affluent Americans to buy vacation homes,”

“As long as the economy continues to grow, I don’t foresee demand for second homes slowing down anytime soon,” she added.

Fortunes may have genuinely turned for the vacation home market since the start of the coronavirus crisis. But as a real estate investor, what does this mean for you?

From having a stable cash flow to obtaining tax benefits, investing in real estate can have several advantages. It’s also an excellent way to increase wealth over time. New investors can take advantage of this by getting in on this heightened interest for second homes being bought as vacation rentals.

America Mortgages has programs for both Foreign Nationals and U.S. Expats. Our U.S. Expats programs are exactly what you would find at your bank back home. We work with lenders in all 50 states, and we are sure to find the best loan option available for your needs. We also provide solutions for U.S. Citizens who have been “away from home” for an extended period and lack the depth of credit. No U.S. credit? No problem! America Mortgages has loan programs that accept your overseas credit and income. As Expats ourselves, we not only understand the challenges you face living abroad while trying to obtain U.S. mortgage financing, we live it. Schedule a call with our U.S. mortgage specialist today.

Reference: https://www.americamortgages.com/demand-for-vacation-homes-rises-even-as-people-prepare-to-return-to-offices/

#US Expat Mortgage

[1-2-3-4-4498-0]

UV Stabilizers: Shielding Your Products from the Sun's Harsh Rays

UV stabilizer is equipment manufactured to prevent damage caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. It protects the products from short and long exposure to UV radiations of the sun. UV stabilizers market used to improve the polymer physical properties by maintaining their strength, flexibility, and appearance for the end-user industry applications. The absorbers convert the harmful UV radiation into harmless infra-red radiation, which is then transmitted through the polymer. UV stabilizers are used as coating to plastic materials such as ion cosmetic that offers UV-degradation effect for longer duration. Moreover, UV stabilizers are applicable in adhesives & sealants, furniture coating, automotive coating, decking, and floor coatings, which is expected to propel the market growth during the forecast years.

COVID-19 scenario analysis

The coronavirus outbreak has made many industries to shut down due to lack of raw material availability and disruptions in the supply chain. The worldwide lockdown has suspended the activities of construction and many other industries, which resulted in decline in the demand for UV stabilizers. Similarly, decrease in demand for textile in the current scenario may affect the demand for the product. As the transportation industry is in a complete standstill, the movement of packages is reduced drastically, which results in declined demand for UV stabilizers.

Market scenario analysis

Rise in the market value can be attributed to increase in demand for wood coatings and increase in demand for greenhouse film. In addition, surge in need for UV radiation protection in the wood coatings industry is another major driver of the market. The global UV stabilizers market is expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period, due to increase in awareness about the harmful effects of ultraviolet light on plastics. Furthermore, surge in need for packaging and automotive due to rapid urbanization and increase in population in China and other countries across Asia-Pacific region are affecting the market of UV stabilizers positively. Among the product types, hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) are likely to account for the highest market share during the forecast period. However, the UV stabilizers market growth is restrained due to high fluctuation in raw material prices and high production cost of UV stabilizers.

Market trends

Hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) are highly utilized for the stabilization of polyolefin, styrene polymers, polyamides, polyurethanes, polyacetals, adhesives, and sealants. UV stabilizers are capable of protecting the package and their contents from discoloration and damaging effects of UV radiations. It provides advantages such as high quality durability to the packaging materials such as bottles, caps & closures, containers & drums, and films. In addition, key trend observed in the global market for UV stabilizers is the ongoing infrastructure development, which has led firms to opt for low-cost raw materials such as plastic and wood. Therefore, order to prevent this plastics and wood from high exposure of sunlight, UV stabilizers are used as a coating, thereby fueling the growth of UV stabilizers market.

Market drivers

The ability of UV stabilizers to impart retention properties to the packaging material to preserve the consistency and longevity of packaging materials on exposure to sunlight, harsh environment conditions, and long-term durability is the major driving force of the UV stabilizers market. Moreover, rapid expansion of housing and construction industries and increase in residential spending are the major factors, which boosted the demand for UV-resistant wood coatings. This is a major factor that drives the growth of UV stabilizers such as HALS and UV absorbers in North America. However, in Asia-Pacific, the demand for UV stabilizers is increasing due to rise in investments from foreign companies, increase in production facilities, strong industrial base for packaging &automotive sectors, and improvement in standard of living. Furthermore, surge in demand for greenhouse film acts as a key driver of the global market.

Market restraints

Stringent government policies implemented in the production of UV stabilizers due to the negative effect on natural habitat and rise in raw material cost and high production cost are expected to hinder the global UV stabilizers market growth during the forecast period.

Key benefits of the report

This study presents the analytical depiction of the global UV stabilizers industry along with the current trends and future estimations to determine the imminent investment pockets.

The report presents information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities along with detailed analysis of the global UV stabilizers market share.

The current market is quantitatively analyzed to highlight the global UV stabilizers market growth scenario.

Porter’s five forces analysis illustrates the potency of buyers & suppliers in the market.

The report provides a detailed market analysis depending on competitive intensity and how the competition will take shape in coming years.

#UV #stabilizers #market

[yashallied]

Health and Fitness Club Market: To See Incredible Growth During the Forecast Period 2021–2030, Says Allied Market Research.

Health and fitness club is a physical space where people invest their money to meet their health benefits by performing physical exercise with the help of exercise machine placed in specific order and get healthy eating tips from well-trained fitness experts. These clubs are packed with workout areas, space for functional and circuit training, yoga & meditation, indoor running tracks, and others. Young generation and millennials are more conscious regarding their physical, mental, and spiritual health. They are willing pay and invest money into these clubs to meet their health requirements. Providing with better equipment to perform exercise and keeping offers or deals on the membership given by these health and fitness clubs attracts more customers, thus increasing the sales and boosting the market growth. Unisex health clubs are into emergence in developing countries as they face space issue due to crowded and dense population. These clubs create a great opportunity for consumers to invest and meet health requirements in such places.

COVID-19 Impact analysis

Novel coronavirus outbreak, has forced health and fitness clubs to completely shut down their working. Fitness industry was the first to go into lockdown and still will be the last one to restart. This has impacted the sales of the fitness industry

Contrarily, the online business of health and fitness club is experience growth due to shut down of physical health clubs. Work from home has become new normal and thus people are investing in online fitness classes thus boosting the market growth during the pandemic period.

Supplement industry is also affected due to the pandemic. Protein supplements are considered asa healthy meal replacement for people who are into muscle building. These supplement manufacturers have halted their production as there is less or barely any requirement in physical stores and from other users.

Request To Sample :- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-toc-and-sample/12178

Top Impacting Factors

In recent years, consumer demand has been moving away from industrial scale processed food in favor or healthier options. This switch is causing people across the country to be more conscious of the food they eat, which drives the growth of the fitness industry.

Online classes or online fitness clubs are new normal and are emerging rapidly to meet consumer’s health requirement. Virtual exercisers typically also maintain a membership at a health club or studio. This features attracts more customer toward the fitness market.

Market Trends

Working out at home is flourishing the market growth

It is a seasonal habit that peaks in the winter months when people have made their New Year’s resolutions and home workouts are not likely to grow overall. Home workout is not just a trend that is now becoming popular and, is sticking with people year-round instead of certain seasons. Most notable is Peloton but most other equipment makers are targeted at clubs or have not been nearly as successful as Peloton in reaching consumers buying home workout equipment.

Request To Customization:- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/12178

Technological development in fitness is growing and consumers are driving that growth

Fitbit is the best known of different devices and is used for measuring heart rate, steps count, and many more things that are useful to track the progress of individual while exercising. This advancement has impacted the growth of the health and fitness market positively.

Coaching and performance improvement is what every health club is engaged in and is anticipated to drive the market growth. Two companies are using new technology to help amateurs be better at their sports with real-time, personalized instruction that uses artificial intelligence. Asensei is a company which puts sensors in the workout clothes to monitor the movements. It is expected to provide highly specific instructions about body movement

Moving the gyms to new venue easily and effectively is the latest trend in the market. Company named Fortes moves the gym class to any other location in the world. It installs hardware and software into the workout studios and gyms to bring live and on-demand fitness classes to consumers when they cannot make classes at the gym. Consumers want new content all the time and do not want to watch a repeat of exercise classes they have already taken. This technology in the health and fitness market is anticipated to boost the market growth during the forecast period.

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Key Benefits of the Report

This study presents the analytical depiction of the health and fitness club industry along with the current trends and future estimations to determine the imminent investment pockets.

The report presents information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities along with detailed analysis of the health and fitness clubmarket share.

The current market is quantitatively analyzed to highlight the health and fitness club market growth scenario.

Porter’s five forces analysis illustrates the potency of buyers & suppliers in the market.

The report provides a detailed health and fitness club market analysis based on competitive intensity and how the competition will take shape in coming years

About Us:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

Pawan Kumar, the CEO of Allied Market Research, is leading the organization toward providing high-quality data and insights. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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[epistolizer]

Hit & Run Commentary #142

In regards to medical professionals that question excessive Coronavirus response measures such as forced economic lock downs and compulsory countenance concealment, it is responded that the opinions of such physicians are invalid since their specialties are often not in pathology or epidemiology. Then why do those of Ezekiel Emanuel carry extra weight in justifying increased Plague Cult restrictions since he is an oncologist?

Of four Coronavirus tests taken by Elon Musk on the same day, two came back as positive and two came back a negative. If 50% of these were in error, why shouldn't we assume that the pandemic is half as bad as the Plague Cultists propagandize the nation into believing for the purposes of justifying the curtailment of a number of basic liberties?

That’s ironic that the CW commercial celebrating the becoming of one people again depicts that sentiment being expressed by this season’s primary villain on the network’s drama “The Outpost” who essentially uses black magic to impose that objective in a manner that is both cultic and occultic.

Citizen Obama lamented that questioning the election results undermines the foundations of American democracy. Does he intend to as unequivocally condemn the launching of fireworks into a crowd of diners for daring to express an opinion contrary to that preferred by technocratic elites?

Establishmentarian media is insinuating that physical attacks against Trump supporters at demonstrations is justifiable or at least understandable on the grounds that it is a provocative act not to remove a MAGA hat when ordered to do so by a riotous mob. Then on what grounds would it be an outrage to inflict a similar assault upon a Jew wearing a yarmulke, a Muslim wearing a hajib, or a Sikh wearing a turban?

My concerns are not assuaged by a commercial attesting to the integrity of the electoral process when it is narrated by the actor that portrayed gangster Don Falcone on “Gotham” and a Senator on “Person Of Interest” that supported the development of an Artificial Intelligence that was revered as a deity by its programmers and that was not above manipulating assorted social institutions in pursuit of its own agenda.

If a Plague is so deadly that an edict is promulgated that starting Friday evening restaurants must close by 10 PM, why is it healthy to eat at a restaurant the Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights after the pending designated hour prior to that?

Fauci (along with other hierarchs of the Plague Cult) needs to be re-asked if he still supports anonymous gay hookups during the pandemic. If so, that would mean all this hullabaloo about not getting together during the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas is just part of a scam to fundamentally alter the American way of life.

Insisting that MAGA hats are to blame for provoking a violent response is akin to blaming a woman that was raped because she was wearing a miniskirt.

Regarding non-premium or non-streaming content on the digital cable menu. If you are paying over $100 per month for the service, the episodes might not be costing you extra but they certainly are not free as labeled.

If a virus has a 3% positivity rate, that might indeed be something to take note of. However, does it justify the upending of entire ways of life such as assorted civil liberties and holiday traditions?

If there are more in the hospital today as a result of the Coronavirus, wouldn't that most likely be the fault of Biden street celebrations participated in ironically by those the most jacked out of shape that Trump is not doing “enough” to curtail the Plague and the most eager to reimpose the police state tactics these partisans insist are necessary to forestall the spread of the pestilence?

If local governments are going to encourage (to be under understood as prefer) “houses of worship” to hold virtual services during the Coronavirus plague, isn’t it the responsibility of these municipal functionaries imposing this requirement to provide the high speed Internet access for those in these congregations?

Scripture admonishes the believer to pray for those in authority. However, nowhere does divine revelation forbid the petition from asking that incompetent leaders be removed from office.

So if this is a war against Covid as the rhetoric is formulated to justify the curtailments of basic liberties that would not be justified in less medically precarious times, will those mangled by the vaccination qualify for disabled veteran’s benefits?

In propaganda in support of the Coronavirus vaccine, the Surgeon General assured he won’t be submitting to this biochemical intervention simply for himself but also for the benefit of his COMMUNITY. So if the vaccination renders you a slobbering invalid, will the COMMUNITY provide for your disability care in a era of looming financial collapse with debt as every bit as devastating as the disease?

Apparently to question the outcome of an election is to undermine democracy. Yet to loot merchandise from retailers, pull down statues, and burn structures to the ground on behalf of approved agitated demographics now represents civic engagement at its finest.

Governor Larry Hogan proclaimed that one does not possess a constitutional right to walk down the sidewalk without a mask. Conversely, gubernatorial decrees disrupting in such a profound manner what it means to live as a free individual that have not been promulgated through the mechanics of the traditional legal process originating in a legislature are probably even more constitutionally dubious.

On The Five on Fox News, a pundit purporting to be a libertarian said that in regards to the vaccine that he was in favor of more professionals and less government. But in some ways, isn't that just as bad if not worse? In regards to government, you as a free citizen have at least a theoretical say. But in regards to those fields deemed to be professions, only a select few speak authoritatively on behalf of the discipline. Steep penalties are imposed upon those who attempt to do so that are not recognized members of the guild. What is needed from each of these forms of bureaucratic organization --- both the public and the private --- is a respect for individuality that will allow each person to decide for themselves their particular response to the profound pharmaceutical conundrum now facing each and every American.

Celebratory fuss has been made that the Biden communications team will be all female. What’s the big deal? Even Republican administrations have had female spokesmen such as press secretaries before Biden came along. If the Biden regime insists that its operations are to reflect America, shouldn’t nearly half of this team consist of men? If all White and/or men had been selected, isn’t that the sort of thing the mentally unstable rampage down streets over wearing hats of questionable taste representing the female reproductive tract while looting property and smashing windows?

The British Minister of Vaccines is suggesting bars, restaurants, and cinemas might require proof of vaccination before being allowed admission. So what is to prevent protesters from blocking access to such establishments or even retaliating with acts of vandalism? Such is not an endorsement but simply an observation as to what is likely to happen.

If those that refuse the Coronavirus vaccines are forced to wear masks at work or in public, is that morally different than Jews forced to wear yellow stars or sodomites pink triangles in an unspecified totalitarian regime of the early middle 20th century?

Forty-one at a swingers convention (deviants that swap spouses for carnal indulgence) attended by 2500 people who by definition were less than 6 feet a part while they romped in the sack contracted the Coronavirus. That is an infection rate of 1.64%. And this is the disease we are committing civilizational suicide over in terms of eliminating livelihoods and civil liberties? More than that probably walked away from the debauched event with crabs and clap.

Biden ranted that it is patriotic to wear a mask and to even analytically scrutinize the imposition is somehow not. Yet the contemporary Democrats were the ones that went out of their way to badmouth America and loyalty to it. And wasn’t Hillary the one that tossed a hissy fit screaming how patriotic dissent was? Does Biden intend to release an additional statement how it’s also not patriotic to burn businesses to the ground and loot retailers either?

If you believe the Biden mask mandate will only be for 100 days as the old coot promised, you are special kind of stupid that there is not much hope for. Need you be reminded we are heading into month nine of a ghenna that was promised to initially be for only 2 to 3 weeks?

Doesn’t suggesting that plague vaccination opponents ought to be denied basic rights of speech and public accommodations such as employment or travel and that they are likely bound for damnation in eternal hellfire pretty much confirm the suspicion that this invasion of our very biological ontology pretty much verify the concern that this could be the Mark of the Beast?

By Frederick Meekins

[chopnews]

The NBA subreddit, also known as r/NBA, is a place on Reddit where basketball enthusiasts discuss and analyze the league. Over time, Redditors have shared many interesting things there from highlights and news to analysis and theories. bnm making it the 76th most popular subreddit on Reddit. Notably, r/NBA ranks 10th in terms of daily comments per user, showing how active this community can be. Recently, the subreddit experienced controversy regarding Jaren Jackson Jr. and his home stats. A post received nearly 67,000 upvotes (likes), becoming the 13th most popular post on the subreddit. Top 5 Moments from the NBA Subreddit 1) Kobe Bryant's passing On January 26th, 2020, Kobe Bryant tragically passed away. His passing shocked not only the NBA community but also his fellow Lakers players around the world - particularly within its subreddit. Bryant's memorial post is currently the most popular r/NBA post of all time, boasting more than 107,000 upvotes - the only post ever to surpass 100,000 on this subreddit. 2) The NBA Shutdown In 2020, NBA fans had to endure a lot. Less than two months after Kobe Bryant's passing, the league was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Rudy Gobert, then of the Utah Jazz, tested positive for influenza A virus which ended up postponing his playing career for several months. The NBA subreddit's post about this news has already received 99,286 upvotes, making it the second most popular post. 3) Criticism of LeBron James In 2019, Daryl Morey issued a tweet in support of Hong Kong. At that time, Morey was serving as general manager of the Houston Rockets and received widespread condemnation for it. In response, China decided to remove all Rockets games from their country's schedule. LeBron James declined to discuss the political tension between China and Hong Kong, noting that Morey hadn't been properly educated on the situation before sending his tweet. These remarks by James have sparked a storm of criticism around the league, with fans and analysts condemning him for his remarks. The NBA subreddit has given 94,433 upvotes to a post featuring Max Kellerman's critiques of James. LeBron James has always been vocal about the issues facing America, yet he held back from criticizing China due to the financial loss it would cause him. 4) James Harden's Strip Club Visits Analysed James Harden loves strip clubs and the NBA subreddit is well aware of this fact. To analyze Harden's performance in each NBA city, user AngryCentrist decided to do a detailed breakdown. One Reddit user attempted to establish a correlation between James' performance and the city's average strip club rating. In the end, he provided sufficient evidence to support the assertion that star players perform worse in cities with higher-rated strip clubs. This NBA subreddit post has received 89,128 upvotes and is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball takes ever made. 5) The Uvalde shooting and Steve Kerr's remarks On May 2022, a tragic mass shooting occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Tragically, 22 people died and 18 were wounded - leaving many grieving families in its wake. https://www.chopnews.com/what-is-r-nba-here-is-the-top-events-of-this-r-nba-subreddit/?feed_id=194&_unique_id=64267cadefa15

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Brian Kennedy and Alec Tyson

Published: Nov 14, 2023

Among both Democrats and Republicans, trust in scientists is lower than before the pandemic

A new Pew Research Center survey finds the share of Americans who say science has had a mostly positive effect on society has fallen and there’s been a continued decline in public trust in scientists.

Key findings

Impact of science on society

Overall, 57% of Americans say science has had a mostly positive effect on society. This share is down 8 percentage points since November 2021 and down 16 points since before the start of the coronavirus outbreak.

About a third (34%) now say the impact of science on society has been equally positive as negative. A small share (8%) think science has had a mostly negative impact on society.

Trust in scientists

When it comes to the standing of scientists, 73% of U.S. adults have a great deal or fair amount of confidence in scientists to act in the public’s best interests. But trust in scientists is 14 points lower than it was at the early stages of the pandemic.

The share expressing the strongest level of trust in scientists – saying they have a great deal of confidence in them – has fallen from 39% in 2020 to 23% today.

As trust in scientists has fallen, distrust has grown: Roughly a quarter of Americans (27%) now say they have not too much or no confidence in scientists to act in the public’s best interests, up from 12% in April 2020.

Ratings of medical scientists mirror the trend seen in ratings of scientists generally. Read Chapter 1 of the report for a detailed analysis of this data.

How scientists compare with other prominent groups

The Center survey of 8,842 U.S. adults conducted Sept. 25-Oct. 1, 2023, finds that, despite recent declines in ratings, scientists and medical scientists continue to be held in high regard compared with other prominent groups in society. Smaller shares of Americans express confidence in business leaders, religious leaders, journalists and elected officials to act in the public’s best interests. As with scientists, most of these groups have seen their ratings decline in recent years.

Americans have expressed low trust in federal government and other institutions, like Congress, for decades. And political polarization – the widening gap between the views of Republicans and Democrats across a broad range of issues and attitudes – has come to be a dominant feature of American political life.

Differences between Republicans and Democrats in ratings of scientists and science

Declining levels of trust in scientists and medical scientists have been particularly pronounced among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents over the past several years. In fact, nearly four-in-ten Republicans (38%) now say they have not too much or no confidence at all in scientists to act in the public’s best interests. This share is up dramatically from the 14% of Republicans who held this view in April 2020. Much of this shift occurred during the first two years of the pandemic and has persisted in more recent surveys.

Confidence in scientists has also moved lower among Democrats. The share of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents with a great deal of confidence in scientists – which initially rose in the pandemic’s first year – now stands at 37%, down from a high of 55% in November 2020. But unlike Republicans, a large majority of Democrats (86%) continue to express at least a fair amount of confidence in scientists to act in the public’s best interests. The overall differences in partisan views remain much more pronounced today than they were prior to the coronavirus outbreak.

One of the starkest illustrations of polarization in views of science is the drop in the share of Republicans who view the societal impact of science positively.

Fewer than half of Republicans (47%) now say that science has had a mostly positive effect on society. In 2019, 70% of Republicans said that science has had a mostly positive effect.

A majority of Democrats (69%) continue to say science has had a mostly positive effect on society, though this share is 8 points lower than it was in 2019.

Republicans were largely critical of the country’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. For instance, large shares said too little priority was given to respecting individuals’ choices, supporting businesses and economic activity, and meeting the needs of K-12 students. In addition, many Republicans felt that public health officials’ personal views had too much influence on policy and that officials were too quick to dismiss views that challenged their scientific understanding.

Government investments in science

Despite declines in ratings of scientists and science, a large majority of Americans continue to see government investments in science as worthwhile. And most place at least some importance on the United States being a world leader in scientific achievements.

About eight-in-ten Americans (78%) say government investments in scientific research are usually worthwhile for society. Far fewer (20%) think these investments are generally not worthwhile. Large majorities across demographic and education groups see government investments in scientific research as worthwhile, as do large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans.

In addition, 52% of Americans think it is very important for the U.S. to be a world leader in scientific achievements; an additional 37% think this is somewhat important. These shares are more or less unchanged since last year.

Explore the rest of this report

• Confidence in scientists, medical scientists, and other groups and institutions in society (Chapter 1) • Views of the impact of science on society (Chapter 2) • Government investments in scientific research and the importance of the U.S. being a world leader in science (Chapter 3)

==

Ask them to hand in their phones, laptops and electric cars.

#Pew Research Center #science #science literacy #trust #religion is a mental illness

[nothingunrealistic]

The Oneonta Star

Thursday, October 7, 2021 / High 63 / Weather: Page 20

ONEONTA, NEW YORK

75¢

Governor Sweeney Moves Downtown Improvement Funds to Prince Project

ALBANY —This week the office of the Governor announced that the state would forgo funding to support small business to rebuild the downtown neighborhood in Oneonta in favor of putting financial and public support towards Michael Prince’s latest philanthropic project. Michael Prince, founder and CEO of the hedge fund Michael Prince Capital, is recruiting a team of local and nationwide experts to create sustainable affordable housing developments near downtown. The governor’s sudden change in decision making has already led to uproar on social media, residents outraged Sweeney broke his commitment. Senator Tharp, the outspoken Sweeney opponent, has yet to comment.

In attempts to rebuild from the dire impact the coronavirus pandemic has left on Oneonta, specifically, Governor Bob Sweeney previously negotiated with local small businesses and establishments to provide funding necessary to revitalize the downtown region. Funding would have been dedicated to uplifting historical organizations and longtime businesses within the town that suffered severe setbacks, from layoffs to extended closures, due to the ongoing pandemic. Oneonta residents have criticized Sweeney’s decision making since the early months of the pandemic, accusing him of focusing his attention to cities where he rated most favorable before the shutdown in March 2020. Though opinions changed with this funding negotiation as citizens saw it as the first sign of Sweeney making good on his commitment to serve all of New York State as governor, especially in the wake of the global pandemic. Even Senator Tharp, typically critical of Governor Sweeney, publicly endorsed the funding proposal and commended the governor for taking the extraordinary steps to support upstate cities along with the metropolitan New York City.

Official Portrait of Governor Sweeney of New York

Staffing Crisis Continues In Local Hospitals

By Nick Cruz

At all local hospital, administrators are trying to fill 219 vacant jobs, 85% of which are for positions providing direct care to patients. Administrators say the labor shortage could soon become even more challenging to handle due to a looming mandate that forces all New York health care employees who are unvaccinated for COVID-19 to get the shots or do not show- […]. In an open letter to The [Oneonta Star, the] head of the Oneonta Nurses said that the New York State’s COVID vaccine mandate will surely compound the crisis.

The situation is much the same at other hospitals throughout the upstate region. The deadline for compliance with the state’s vaccination mandate is eminent, and many health care workers remain opposed to getting vaccinated. Things are getting worse by the day and everything is slowing down because of the staffing problems. The local hospitals say they can’t accept patients

Town Gears Up for Rival Soccer Match

[See Page] 21

#billions #6x09 #bob sweeney #mike prince #clay tharp #pretty sure the second paragraph of the second article should say “imminent” rather than “eminent.” alas

[mayurreports]

Caramel Market Trends, Share Analysis & Forecast Till 2022-2030

Market Insight

The caramel market 2022 is all set to accrue a growth rate of 5.9% from 2022 and 2030 (appraisal period), claims Market Research Future (MRFR). MRFR also adds that the global market could potentially touch USD 3.45 Billion by 2030. We will provide COVID-19 impact analysis with the report, along with all the extensive key developments in the market post the coronavirus disease outbreak.

Top Drivers and Restraints

Owing to the worldwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak, demand for non-edible items like toilet paper, disinfectants, hand sanitizer and paper goods has mounted but sales of edible products like bakery and meat products have gone down, while the supply has also got hit given the shortage of labor. In addition, the shutdown of logistics facilities following the pandemic has slowed down the caramel market share growth, as the supply and demand gap has widened more than expected. Another factor deterring the market growth following the onset of SARS-CoV-2 is the lack of raw materials available in the market.

However, as the lockdown is being lifted up, and shops reopening, sales of bakery items has picked up once again. This has favored the sales of caramel and caramel-based products, with many people lining up to hoard these items for emergency. As a result, the rising demand from the house hold segment for caramel has benefitted the market immensely, even as the novel coronavirus continues to ravage the food and beverage industry worldwide. Besides, the growing market for confectionery goods and flavored candies among the youth and children is also expected to boost the revenue generation in the target market.

Furthermore, rising urbanization rate, consumers’ evolving buying pattern with regard to food items, and the surge in disposable income can also boost the market growth in the following years. The rise in R&D/research and development activities to come up with new products like tea-infused chocolates and java pop coffee soda also elevates the global market position.

For instance, in August 2020, Marco Sweets and Spices launched five new ice cream flavors, one of which is caramel. The said caramel flavor is a mix of sweet and spicy, combining the flavors of caramel Aleppo pepper, chile de árbol as well as peanut butter.

Segmental Insight

The caramel market trends can be considered for function, form and application.

 Colors, fillings, toppings, flavors, and others are the function-based key segments listed in the report. It is presumed that the colors segment could take the lead and hit USD 913.3 million by 2030-end, while the toppings segment can procure the highest advancement rate of 5.8% between 2018 and 2030. The escalating sales of confectionery items and ice cream have boosted the demand for caramel to be used as topping.

Form-wise, the market caters to solid & semi-solid as well as liquid. In 2017, the liquid segment claimed the leading position, while the solid & semi-solid segment will most likely obtain the better growth rate given its ease of use and the low cost of storage, transportation and packaging.

Beverages, snacks, bakery & confectionery, dairy & frozen desserts, and more are the key applications of caramel. In 2017, the highest gaining segment belonged to bakery & confectionary and the snacks segment is touted to achieve the fastest CAGR over the evaluation period.

Regional Outlook

Caramel market can be regionally considered for Europe, North America, APAC/Asia Pacific, and RoW/the rest of the world.

As of 2017, APAC has been the market leader and is also on track to advance at the highest rate of 5.9% in the coming years. The impressive market growth in APAC is the result of the evolving food buying patterns and the increasing sales of confectionery as well as bakery products. A recent trend has been the significant demand for organic and natural caramel ingredients such as organic salted caramel, organic caramel sauce and organic caramel syrup, from which the regional market is anticipated to benefit significantly over the ensuing years.

The same year, the second in lead was North America, thanks to the massive growth of the food and beverage industry in the United States and Canada.  Manufacturers of confectionery items, beverages and frozen desserts are increasing using caramel as a natural flavor and sweetener, which is leading to growth of the target market in the region. The hectic and busy lifestyle of people in the region has strongly influenced their eating and cooking habits, which has only worked in favor of the caramel market’s favor.

Top Players

Top key caramel market players listed in the report are Sethness Products Company (US), Martin Braun Backmittel and Essences KG (Germany), Cargill Incorporated (US), Kerry Group PLC (Ireland), Bakels Worldwide (Switzerland), Barry Callebaut AG (Switzerland), Nigay SAS (France), Metarom Group (France), Göteborgsfood Budapest Ltd (Hungary), Puratos NV/SA (Belgium), and more.

NOTE: Our Team of Researchers are Studying Covid19 and its Impact on Various Industry Verticals and wherever required we will be considering Covid19 Footprints for Better Analysis of Market and Industries. Cordially get in Touch for More Details.

Contact Us:

Market Research Future (part of Wantstats Research and Media Private Limited),

99 Hudson Street, 5Th Floor,

New York, New York 10013

United States of America

[phone]

Email: [email protected]

[golleecosmetics]

It may be a lot of fun to spruce up your work area. An inviting and attractive workspace is appreciated by customers. Items that are used for decoration are a terrific method to express your individuality while also giving a room an atmosphere that is all it's own. It is of the utmost importance to show concern for both your customers and your employees. This will help you maintain a positive reputation while also ensuring that your company is profitable and meets the highest standards of both service and safety. However, as a direct consequence of the widespread coronavirus epidemic, new regulations and processes have been implemented, which have proven to be difficult for many beauty salons to comprehend. However, maintaining a high standard of cleanliness in your treatment area should be your top focus at all times. This is NOT the place to adorn with fibrous, porous components that can harbor airborne viruses; save those kinds of decorations for elsewhere. At no point in time may there be a lapse in the clinical cleanliness of the treatment area! When a lash client experiences some irritation around her eyes after having lashes applied, many lash technicians instantly come to the conclusion that the problem must be caused by the glue. One of the most prevalent causes of eye irritation, on the other hand, is not the eyelash extension adhesive but rather contamination in the room where the lashes are applied. This is an important point to keep in mind. The area in which patients are treated must be free of everything that can be described as fluffy, furry, soft, or velvety. Hold on to props of this kind for the welcome area or the waiting room. In 2017, salons in the United States generated $56 billion in revenue, with lash extension salons alone accounting for $26 billion of that total. The salon industry is growing at a faster-than-expected rate, with 13 percent job growth expected by 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the United States. Many would-be business owners are drawn to the beauty industry by the rich potential of this sector of the economy. The opening of hair salons is governed by a variety of rules and regulations, which vary depending on the state. It is crucial to keep in mind that health inspectors are not there with the intention of closing down your business when they arrive for a lash health check, even if the experience can be annoying and stressful. Inspections of lash studios are conducted for the purpose of ensuring that they are managed and arranged in accordance with state and local standards, which serves to protect the general public. We have compiled a lash studio health code checklist for your convenience so that you may feel confident about passing the next inspection of your business. Certifications And Inspection Your lash studio will be subject to an inspection by the state board to evaluate whether or not it has met all of the standards for obtaining a license. In order to pass inspection, the lash studio needs to comply with sanitary regulations. The inspector will look to see if you have displayed information regarding the business, such as the license and certification, information on consumer complaints and procedures, information on commission laws, and the salon's operating hours. In addition, the inspector will look to see if you have displayed the salon's operating hours. Instructions on How to Get Ready for a Health Inspection At A Lash Studio Brush up on your understanding of operating a lash studio and the requirements that must be followed in order to make sure that your lash studio is ready for an inspection. The following are some suggestions that will assist you in getting ready for the next inspection: 1. Make yourself familiar with the typical infractions of the health code. Always be on the lookout for important safety concerns and regular violations of the health code that occur in lash studios. 2. Get in touch with the health agency in your area.

Find out what health inspection forms and rules are being utilized so that you are aware of everything that will be looked for. 3. Perform random, unscheduled self-checks at various points during the day. Because health inspections might happen at any time, all of your staff members need to be prepared to the same degree. After you have completed your self-inspections, you should meet with your staff to go over the results and talk about the corrective steps that need to be taken for any possible infractions. What to Do in the Event That There Is a Health Inspection At A Lash Studio When it comes time for your formal health inspection, there are some things that you should do while the inspector is on the premises, as well as certain things that you should not do. Do... 1. Confirm that the inspector has the proper qualifications. If the inspector does not volunteer to provide you with this information freely, you should inquire about it. If you are still unsure, you should phone your local health department for verification in order to prevent falling victim to a con artist who is looking for free information about businesses. 2. Make sure you keep up with the inspector so that you can get a firsthand look at any lash studio violations. It is essential to keep in mind that you have the ability to make immediate corrections to some breaches. The fact that these infractions will be recorded as having been remedied on the spot is, however, more tempting to potential customers than a label indicating that the business is out of compliance. 3. Sign the report of the inspection. This does not in any way imply that you agree with the results; rather, it serves as evidence that you have received a copy of the report. 4. If you don't understand a violation, ask for an explanation of what happened. If you are unable to identify the issue, you will be unable to find a solution to it. Do Not... 1. Refuse an inspection. This will only serve to further delay matters, as the inspector will be returning shortly with an inspection warrant and, most likely, a mood that is less than nice. 2. Provide the examiner with any food or beverage they desire. Be courteous and nice, but anything beyond that could be misunderstood as an attempt to bribe the inspector in order to influence the outcome of the inspection. What to Do After A Health Inspection At A Lash Studio Your business will be graded on its overall healthiness after the conclusion of the restaurant health inspection. If you were paying attention to the inspector while they were conducting the inspection, the result of the inspection should not come as a surprise to you. You should educate yourself on the salon rating systems in order to have a better understanding of your score and the impact it has on your business. After you have a better understanding of your score, you may move on to addressing any potential infractions. Correcting Health Code Violations The outcomes of a poor health inspection can be detrimental to your lash studio, especially given how much simpler it is now for clients to locate and comprehend information regarding health inspection violations. Here are some steps you can take to correct your establishment's violations, whether they are low-risk or high-risk in nature if your business has committed any or all of them: 1. You have the option of scheduling a re-examination of your business anywhere between 5 and 45 days after receiving a low grade on the health inspection. This will buy you some time to make the necessary corrections to the violations. 2. Determine how each violation occurred and how you can stop it from happening again, then write down your findings. 3. Just like you did with your own self-inspection, talk to your employees about any violations they may have found and the appropriate actions to take to fix them. 4. If you believe that a violation was improperly enforced, you have the right to file an appeal.

Dial the number for the health department in your area so that you can have a conversation with the inspector's manager. Checklist for the Sanitation of Eyelash Salons If you fail to pay attention to this issue, several implements in your lash station, including tweezers, lash cleansing brushes, lash wands, and even your own hands could be responsible for the spread of eye infections between your lash clients. As a result, ensuring that your lash room is clean and appropriately sanitized ought to be one of the most important things that you focus on to pass a health inspection. If you do not follow these instructions, it is possible that your customers will suffer from adverse effects, such as eye infections and the permanent loss of their natural lashes (and potentially, loss of clients, too), also you might face consequences from the state government. In each state, there are distinct rules that must be followed regarding decontamination procedures in the workplace. It is in your best interest to read the laws and regulations that your local health department has established, and it is also in your best interest to be aware of them. To begin, though, it is important to have a solid understanding of the primary distinctions that exist between cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and sterilizing. In order to assist you to obtain a clearer view, we have outlined the various options below. There Are Four Basic Types Of Decontamination Methods: 1. When cleaning, use soap and water that is warm. This procedure is useful for removing particles off the surface. 2. Sanitizing refers to the process of eliminating or reducing microorganisms by using items containing alcohol. 3. Disinfecting entails bringing the bacterial count down to an acceptable level by using products that contain barricades or germicides. 4. To kill microorganisms by using a very high temperature (sterilization). When it comes to eliminating all forms of life on hard surfaces, this approach is the one that seems to be the most successful. Checklist Of Necessities To Ensure That Your Lash Studio Is Up To The Level Set By The Industry And Can Pass A Health Inspection The following is a list of the prerequisites that must be met in order for your workplace to be compliant with industry standards and to guarantee that it will pass a health inspection: 1. The area used for personal services needs to be kept distinct from any pets that may be present as well as any other area that may be used for sleeping, eating, food storage or preparation, bathing, or using the restroom. 2. A sink that is dedicated to the purpose of hand washing and instrument processing but is not located in a restroom or kitchen and is not accessible to customers; this sink is used for processing instruments and washing hands. The following are required for the sink: - Easily reachable from each respective service area - Able to accommodate soaking and drying equipment on nearby adequate counter space or other surfaces of a comparable nature – Provided with liquid soap and single-use towels stored in an appropriate dispenser or a hot air dryer - Having a size that is appropriate and being made of stainless steel - Have both hot and cold water available continuously. 3. A toilet and a hand washing basin, along with liquid soap and single-use paper towels stored in an appropriate dispenser or a hot air drier, are required to be installed in a restroom that has a washroom. 4. All work surfaces must be constructed of materials that are smooth, non-porous, and easily cleaned. Examples of such materials include painted drywall, vinyl composite tiles, linoleum, or sealed concrete. Additionally, these surfaces must be in good repair. 5. All work locations need to have sufficient lighting and ventilation. 6. All client contact surfaces, including treatment tables, chairs, and headrests, must have a finish that is easy to clean, nonporous, and smooth, and they must be in good repair.

7. If linens are used, they ought to be changed after each individual customer uses them. 8. Adequate storage space must be available for equipment, instruments and supplies. 9. Appropriate garbage cans should be easily accessible, well-maintained, and routinely emptied. 10. Approved disinfectants, such as PreEmpt, Cavicide, or CS20, must be readily available for use in sanitizing reusable tools, surfaces, and other pieces of equipment. 11. An appropriate skin antiseptic must be available for use both in the preparation of the skin and in the post-treatment phase. 12. It is unacceptable to use products such as regular-strength barricades, glass bead sterilizers, or steam sterilizers. Instead, before using the instruments, they need to be thoroughly cleaned by being rinsed in clean water after being totally submerged in a disinfectant solution for the period of time that is indicated by the manufacturer. 13. After each client uses an item, that item must be removed if it is either incapable of being thoroughly cleaned or is designed for single use only. 14. A container that is resistant to being punctured must be made available for the disposal of sharp objects. 15. All supplies, including pigment, cosmetics, and other types of goods, must be labeled and handled in accordance with the instructions provided by the manufacturer. 16. It is necessary to properly store, maintain, and prepare chemicals, detergents, and cleaners in accordance with the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Checklist for Daily Sanitation in the Lash Salon 1. Immediately after using a tool, throw away any that can be reused. 2. To clean reusable instruments, wash them with lukewarm water and soap. 3. Remove any remaining residues from the tools by rinsing them in clean water. 4. Apply a new dose of a disinfectant such as a barbecue to the tools that have been cleaned. It is imperative that you make sure to read and follow the directions on the disinfectant properly. 5. Wash the tools in fresh water until the water runs clear. 6. Allow them to dry in the air. 7. Place the tools in an airtight container or cover them with a lint-free cloth before putting them away. Conclusion Some business owners and managers approach health inspections with fear or frustration; nevertheless, these checks should be viewed as chances to learn and improve in order to protect the health and safety of your consumers. There are a number of things that can be done in order to get your business ready for the lash studio health inspection, such as providing your personnel with the necessary training to avoid breaking any health codes and performing self-inspections. When you own and operate your own lash salon, you are the boss, which means that you are responsible for the well-being of both your employees and your customers. In your lash extension salon or studio, health and safety should be your number one concern at all times. There are a lot of different aspects that go into making sure that your salon is as safe and hygienic as it possibly can be, and constantly ensuring that you're up-to-date with the latest laws and regulations can be time-consuming and maybe even beyond what you've been trained for. However, you still need to make sure that It is absolutely necessary to protect one's staff and one's customers, to adhere to the law, and to safeguard yourself against potentially expensive legal action in the event that something goes wrong. Taking the time to clean your workstation and tools is an important part of your day-to-day responsibilities, and it is a significant step toward ensuring that you will pass the health inspection that is so important to the development of your company. Taking this step is an integral part of your day-to-day responsibilities. Running your own lash salon is a fun and rewarding business to run. Keep in mind that maintaining your health is beneficial for your company. Your

efforts are noticed and appreciated by your customers! You will be able to guarantee the success of your business and have full faith in the caliber of your day-to-day procedures if you comply with these conditions.

[stratviewresearch]

A Comprehensive Study exploring Aircraft Engine Seals Market

Stratview Research delivers key insights on the global Aircraft Engine Seals Market.

The report also covers the Covid impact on the market. Covid-19 has impacted the market dynamics, competition, and global supply chain. The revenues have gone down in 2021 and an uptrend is witnessed from 2022.

Get a free sample report here:

Market Insights

The Aircraft Engine Seals Market was accounted for US$ 730.4 Mn in terms of value in 2021 and is expected to grow at CAGR of 9.0% for the period 2022-2028.

Profiling Key Companies –

Hutchinson SA

Trelleborg AB

Meggitt PLC

TransDigm Group Inc.

Freudenberg Group

Eaton Corporation Plc

Parker-Hannifin Corporation

Greene Tweed

Saint-Gobain S.A.

SKF Group.

Growth drivers and Market Value:

This report, from Stratview Research, studies the Aircraft Engine Seals Market value and growth drivers over the trend period of 2022-27. According to the report -

Despite the short-term demand fiasco, the long-term growth prospects still seem favorable, credit goes to the strong market fundamentals (a huge pile of backlogs of Boeing, Airbus, and COMAC, expected increase in air passenger traffic, development of next-generation aircraft, etc.). The aircraft engine seals market is anticipated to rebound from 2021 onwards, ultimately driving the market to cross the landmark figure of US$ 0.5 billion in 2026. LEAP engines are the sweet spots for the market. However, to align with the market condition, Safran/CFM has slashed its LEAP engine deliveries to 815 engines in 2021 from 1,736 engines in 2021. The company aims to recover the 2019 level of LEAP engine deliveries by 2024. With the expected recovery in 2021 due to the resumption of B737 Max, the two biggest aero-engine makers GE and Safran; aims to boost their revenues by unveiling lower emission jet engines.

Segment Analysis:

Based on Aircraft Type:

Based on the aircraft type, the aircraft engine seals market is segmented as commercial aircraft, regional aircraft, helicopters, and general aviation. Despite taking a nosedive in 2021, Commercial aircraft is expected to maintain its huge lead in the aircraft engine seals market in the foreseeable future. The year 2020 has experienced a massive decline in the commercial aircraft segment, owing to several factors including the outbreak of coronavirus, US-china trade war, and ongoing aerospace industry challenges such as the B737 max grounding, delays in B777x, C919, and MC-21 market entries, failure of Pratt & Whitney’s 1100 engines, and revised production rates of key aircraft programs (A350XWB). However, the long-term outlook still seems positive with a plethora of opportunities for the market participants. Both, Boeing and Airbus, are still hoping positive long-term market outlook. Boeing Outlook: 48,440 commercial and regional aircraft fleet by 2039 from 25,900 units in 2021, growing at a CAGR of 3.2%.

Based on Region:

In terms of regions, North America is expected to remain the largest market for aircraft engine seals, whereas Asia-Pacific is expected to remain the fastest-growing market during the same period. Short-term market demand is challenging across regions including Asia-Pacific. Based on IATA estimates, the airline industry in the Asia-Pacific region has declined at least a rate of -61.9% in RPKs in 2021 from the 2019 level. The long-term market outlook seems promising. As per Boeing’s estimations (2020-2039), China will need 8,600 commercial and regional aircraft in the next twenty years, 6.3% higher than the company’s last year forecast. 75% of these deliveries are to be of single-aisle aircraft.

Know more about the report, click here

Covid Impact

This informative research report also includes the most recent global events concerning the coronavirus pandemic. The report provides a detailed analysis of the pandemic's impact and the industry's economic scenario. The report consists of tables, graphs, charts, figures, and diagrams, that are used to graphically represent important statistical information.

 

Appropriate market trend and forecast analysis.

All-inclusive report

Decent price-performance ratio

Reliable data

Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities.

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