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We’ve done this twice, once with a newbie couple like us, and once with a couple that is very experienced in all variations of the lifestyle (and put no pressure on us). We found great friends in both that we stay in contact with.

Do American let their pets lick their faces? Yes. Think on it. The dog has been out in the yard tasting his own poop. The cat has been eating flea-infested mice. Semen, on the other hand, is sterile and does not smell like poop.

We will respectfully disagree. We live in the Atlanta area. There is nary an ICU bed to be had, the hospitals are on diversion. It was not this way in 2009-2010 with H1N1. It was not this way in 2017-2018 with H3N2. The impact on the healthcare system is substantially worse, even with efforts to "flatten the curve" and thereby distribute the pathogen-related admissions over time.

Even if she has swallowed? If I swallow for a guy he ought to kiss me.

I am not a doctor or a scientist, but it does not appear that the curve has flattened in most states. It is spreading like wildfire in AZ, CA, TX, FL and GA. The United States’ cases and deaths dwarf other countries. We have 4% of world population and 25% of the cases and deaths. There is a big f’ing problem. Here are reactions that baffle me: 1. I don’t want a vaccination if it is developed; 2. Covid 19 is not a big deal; 3. I don’t want to wear a mask; 4. I will go where I want and see who I want when I want to. It seems that the virus is smarter and more patient than the American public.

Several reasons. The most important is the concept that among us we are all parents to the children regardless of maternity or paternity. The children call us women/men "mom/dad" or by our first names when they need to distinguish. We women thought it was especially important not to have the guys discerning paternity, but it became clear immediately that they care for the children regardless of who the father is. Same for the last names. I didn't change my name when I got married. With my first I didn't know during my pregnancy who of the two guys in our family was the father so I decided to use my last name, as did Clair although we knew hubby was the father. (As a matter of fact, I was certain that the father of my child was Red but it turned out to be hubby.) And it's the flip side of the coin with the kids. Although they will know who their bio father is, I wanted to set the precedent from the beginning that they will never give either man who is lovingly raising them any "Your not my daddy!" shit.

I was right with you until you the part about COVID-19 being "... a much bigger deal than annual influenza." Influenza has killed tens of millions of people globally. The so-called "Spanish" strain was the deadliest pandemic in recorded human history; estimated to have killed more than 50 million people worldwide (this, at a time when the entire global population was a fraction of what it is today.) It killed more people, by far, than the bubonic plague, also known as the "Black Death", something so catastrophic it left an indelible mark on western civilization that we still refer to it some seven hundred years later. Influenza, even in its so-called "less severe" form, kills many hundreds of thousands of people globally every year. The National Institute of Health estimates between 300,000 and 640,000 die annually from influenza, and influenza-related, illnesses. Note: Those deaths are occurring WITH the presence of an annual flu vaccination program. Read that last sentence again. COVID-19, in contrast, has killed an estimated 500,000 people globally--significantly less than a "bad year" for annual influenza, and it doesn't even register in a comparison to the Spanish flu pandemic. True, COVID-19 appears to be easier to transmit from human-to-human contact than is influenza. However, this does not equate to a higher rate of mortality. In fact, current statistical analysis points in the opposite direction. In terms of the general population, the CDC's own statistics overwhelmingly indicate COVID-19 is far less deadly than originally thought. Within the US, the CDC estimates there are millions of COVID-19 cases that have gone undetected because the carriers were either asymptomatic or only mildly so. The mortality rate is remarkably low for younger, healthier people. However, the disease is particularly severe on those people over age 65 in the presence of at least one morbidity factor. COVID-19 is a serious disease and rightfully deserves our attention. However, the original intent of the public health policy promoted by government health care officials was to "flatten the curve". Clearly, that mission has been accomplished. Unfortunately, the entire COVID-19 public discourse has taken on political "us versus them" overtones and the policies of various states and agencies have morphed into things that appear more as "political statements" than as sound public health actions derived from science.

A nice couple should enjoy the show I am sure!

This works best... "You've chosen to ignore content by padoc."

A remark on vaccination and public health. It is a fact that individuals can exclude themselves from certain public health measures. Such exclusions can be for cause, for example a more important medical condition or some religious grounds. In most other cases, there is a negative incentive to promote compliance with the norm. Drivers who choose to not use seat belts or to text whilst driving are subject to fines. Failure to clear debris or snow from a public walkway in front of one's home is subject to a fine. And so on. Vaccination is somewhat unique. Because the action in any other context would be labelled a criminal act (injecting a foreign substance into my/your body), we have come to rely on an opt in approach. That in turn depends on the decision being even more informed than the decision about whether or not to wear a seat belt. Part of the strategy is normal pediatric care--immunizations are scheduled and aligned with another public service, namely school attendance. In the adult world, immunizations are left optional for a variety of reasons. Autonomy is deemed a higher priority than the public good. Even Medicare, which is a federal program, gets about a 50% vaccination rate for all beneficiaries each year for the annual influenza vaccine. There are ongoing studies that model potential lives saved is the vaccination rate would rise from 50->higher->100% among Medicare beneficiaries. COVID is a much bigger deal than influenza. The case fatality rate continues to be estimated as ten-fold higher by people whose credentials go beyond Facebook membership. The transmissibility is at least as high as influenza, and again most experts believe it is much higher. As professionals who work at the intersection of public health and critical care, we do indeed wonder at--read "are mystified by"--by individuals who decline to be vaccinated absent a clear medical contraindication. While you are correct that the choice to (not) be vaccinated somehow reflects a personal decision scheme, those decision schemes often seem irrational. We have heard a variety of statements along the lines of "the preservative causes autism" (influenza vaccines can be had preservative-free); "I know three people who were paralyzed by the vaccine" (really? please share their names); "the vaccine gave me the flu the last time I got it" (these are killed virus or component molecules); "it's too expensive" (it's free with every health plan we know, and the out of pocket cost is about $35 if you pay full freight at the CVS); "Bill Gates is implanting microchips" (I won't dignify that with a response, but we have heard this excuse more than once) and so on. Mostly, it's people not wanting the temporary discomfort of the vaccination event. As for the potential that a virus might cause harm, in thse exceedingly rare instances, there is a federal no-fault compensation program, see https://www.hrsa.gov/vaccine-compensation/index.html Yes , we are vaccinated against pneumococcus, zoster, hepatitis B, annual influenza, Td, and we did indeed have measles as kids and have the titers to prove it. If we were age-allowable, we would have taken the HPV vaccine (we are over 45...if you are 45 or younger, look into it) We will participate in COVID vaccine trials if allowed, and will line up for the vaccine if we are either not allowed into the trials or we are later told that we did not convert (likely the result of getting the placebo). In our view, with the exception of Td (tetanus is not a highly transmissible disease) our decisions are as much for the common good as they are a personal good. In our opinion, the public good is vastly more important than the personal benefit; for this reason, we advise, endorse, and promote universal vaccination plans with opt outs limited to medical or religious exemptions. We know others will disagree. We hope they will state their case without resorting to the autonomy ("I just don't want to") or civil liberty ("The Constitution says I don't have to do this") argument. Or, for that matter, the absurd Bill-Gates-is-implanting-microchips comment.

Probably doesn’t know because they just joined today and this is their first post. Seems odd to post a story like this as your first post, IMO.

Like many people, you are confusing mandatory vaccinations with recommended/optional vaccinations. They are not the same. Firstly, regarding mandatory vaccinations, a nationwide model does not exist. The "mandatory" vaccination regime is determined by each state, not federally, and differs from one community to the next. There are, however, certain vaccinations that are fairly universal in their practice. Secondly, the mandatory vaccinations are usually tied to school-age children who actually attend school. Children who do not attend school (for example, are educated within the home) are not required to be immunized. In fact, there exist certain vaccinations exemptions for children whom do attend school. Lastly, there exist many vaccines for serious common, communicable illnesses (i.e., influenza, pneumococcal, hepatitis B, etc.) for which there is no "mandatory" requirement. Given that influenza and COVID-19 share a similar mortality rate, are you "mystified" when someone chooses not to participate in the annual influenza vaccine? Do you participate in the annual influenza vaccine? Likewise, pneumonia is one of the more common illnesses that lead to death in the elderly population. Are you mystified when someone chooses not to participate in the pneumococcal vaccination regime? Do you participate in pneumococcal vaccination regime? The hepatitis B vaccine is specifically recommended to people whom are not sexually monogamous. Are you "mystified" by people within our own community who do not participate in the hepatitis B vaccine? Do you participate in the hepatitis B vaccine? Do you query your potential partner(s) regarding his/her/their vaccination regime? I'm not singling you out. I am simply pointing out that the issue of vaccinations is not cut and dry. It is, by and large, highly subjective and based upon one's personal choices and decisions, particularly as it relates to recommended vaccinations. Lastly, there are many things people choose to do, or not do, that have a far greater impact on society than vaccinations. According to the CDC, heart disease kills roughly 650,000 people every year (in 2020, that equates to about six times as many people as have died in the US from COVID-19), causing billions of dollars in direct and indirect costs to society. Heart disease is, for the most part, entirely lifestyle-related.