Back to the "Deep South" in Duluth GA

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I get a kick out of hearing the term "Deep South" in 2026. It is a crazy incredibly outdated label. I think maybe I should start saying the "Deep Northeast". I am a Yankee. My family came over on the Mayflower and moved to Upstate NY via Connecticut. Terms used in the revolutionary and Civil war days are generally inappropriate. My family is all but totally out of NY State now. I find the term "deep south" to be of the same thinking that the movie "Heidi" is what contemporary Europe is like. It is a long drive between Berkshire, NY and Duluth, GA. Most of the 35K miles on the truck were spent in between. I drove the truck about 3k miles in 2-1/2 weeks. It was great to spend time on the farm. It was good to make some progress on needed repairs and improvements. I also felt good about making some new friends up there. I will be back up there in August.
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The Pandemic

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The following is personal advice I received from a trusted colleague (MD). I think it is so well written it belongs here.

"Bottom line - this virus isn't going away, but it seems to be getting milder with the newest variant, though more transmissible / contagious. GET VACCINATED and BOOSTED! Even if you still catch the disease you can survive it with mild to moderate symptoms. Continue taking REASONABLE precautions but don't live in fear."

New cases--- Have you noticed a lot more testing going on? We have. Angie works next to a drive up testing location. The surge in testing caused our recent vacation fail. More tests means more positives.

New deaths--- I am not seeing the need for panic.

Why is there a push for panic and making things worse than they are? I have two theories, ask me and I will answer. Certainly, I would like to see more ratios in the stats.

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