John Walker

Len, I'm sure you and the team are as disappointed as I am, but on the plus side now I have more time to finish a model. Take care all, John

We have pretty much the same here in MA. In my town there is no penalty for not wearing the mask, but if you don't, then you don't get past the front door.

I just went online to Hays County, and this is the same order that Judge Becerra issued on Thursday that took effect yesterday. It is still set to expire on 7/20/20. Basically the order states that persons 10 and older entering a public space are to wear a mask, but there is no penalty if you do not. The Judge is hoping that everyone complies, but if not then he may reconsider the no penalty, and add one.

David, Having said that I was done with arguing about masks, I do have this last to say. In an earlier post I mentioned that the Hays County Judge currently has a mandatory mask policy in place that is set to expire on 7/20/20. I'm not a betting man, but if I were I'd bet that the mandatory mask order gets extended. So all of this may be academic. Hope you do come to San Marcos. I'd like to get to meet you in person if for no other reason than to show I'm not such a big jerk. Take care, John

Jim, I was sitting here thinking a response to Kevin, but you beat me to it and hit every point I would have made. Kevin, People disagree, you may be correct, you may not be. You make decisions for you and I'll make decisions for me. OK? John

Chris & David, I don't disagree with either of you about protecting others, and I'm a bit insulted that you would think that I would be so cavalier about the health of others. I'm not adverse to wearing a mask. The point I was trying to put across is if a mask can keep the virus in why won't it keep it out? See what I'm saying? It can't be both ways, IE: keep the virus in but not out. As an engineer things like this bug me. It may constrain cough spittle, but if you can breath through the mask it won't stop the virus. And Chris, my point with David's paint example wasn't to compare the virus to non contagious paint fumes, but to illustrate that you wear a mask when painting to protect yourself from the fumes, not others. That said, what I think I'm hearing from both of you is that you wear a mask to protect others? That it doesn't protect you? At any rate, I'm not sure how this conversation has come down to masks, or not, what they do, or don't do, who they protect, or don't, but I don't really have a dog in this fight, so I'm done with the subject of masks and I'm quitting before I get accused of being Attila the Hun (I'm joking!).

David, If you are wearing a mask to protect yourself as in your paint fumes example above, why do you then need others to wear a mask too? How does that further protect you? Honestly, at this point I'd like to just say let's agree to disagree. This is going pretty far afield and neither of us is going to convince the other of anything.

In my last post I edited my comments regarding the comparison of this this virus to the flu and didn't properly check my final version before sending. I'd like to clarify so that I am not misunderstood. What I was trying to say in response to David's 5-6% figure for Covid 19 fatalities as opposed to the flu was that he was comparing apples to oranges in that for the Covid 19 he was using only the confirmed number of cases for the denominator whereas that for the flu uses an estimated number. In this last flue season (10/1/19 - 4/4/20) the CDC has estimated that there were between 39 and 56 million cases of the flu, with between 18 to 26 million medical visits leading to 410 to 740 hospitalizations and between 24 to 62 thousand deaths. Using the largest case number and the largest death number leads to a fatality rate of 0.11%. If we were to assume that the Covid 19 virus has much the same infection rate and we therefore assume the same 56 million possible cases and then use the 120, 000 death number we would then have a fatality rate of 0.21%. That is what I was trying to convey. Sorry for the confusion but I have been retired now for 5 1/2 years and my communication skills have obviously deteriorated. Luckily my modeling skills have improved (or at least that is what my near 72 year old eyes are telling me!).

David, Actually that data is current to yesterday, 6/21/20, they are for the entire county and I have no idea whether they are for people inside, outside, or whatever. They are the data for all of the county. Masks? I didn't say anything about that, but as a matter of fact the local judge has ordered that masks are to be worn in enclosed spaces open to the public. However, that ruling expires on 7/20/20, with the option to renew for another 30 days at that time, so we shall see. Further, your statement of 5-6% of those catching the virus and dying is misleading in that you are only including in the denominator those actually confirmed as having the virus by getting ill to the point they require treatment. It does not include the millions who may be positive (IE: they have caught it) but did not get ill and didn't seek treatment. If you were to treat the flu in the same manner (IE: only count those admitted to the hospital as the denominator) the fatality results would be the same. There is a figure out today stating that for people under 70 years old (which doesn't include me! missed that by 2 years) your chances of dying from the virus is 0.04%. As for people coming from all over the place, I should hope that if you are not well you will not come, same as with the flu, common cold, or whatever. Common sense. Otherwise I don't see this as any different than going to the local grocery store and mixing with a large group of people there. And just as in the grocery store, I'll wear a mask if it makes other people feel safer. My aim here is not to deny the virus, or tell, or encourage anyone to do anything against their wishes. I am only stating that the actual facts are there for all to see first hand without the media filter (it has been stated in one post that this is not political, but to a great extent it is!). Everyone needs to evaluate the facts for themselves and make their own decisions. I have made mine, and as I said, if the show is a go, I will be there. Having said the above, personally I do not see this virus as being particularly deadly to a person of reasonable health, without underling conditions who takes reasonable hygiene precautions as you would in flu season. Your opinion may vary hence you must make up your own mind. Those of you who believe that it is too dangerous to come then do not come, but please stop, as some have implied, labeling the rest of us as irresponsible if we disagree with your opinions. Each to his/her own.

I have been following this thread for a while now and have refrained from commenting until now, but it seems that the comments are getting more and more strident, spikes, hot spots, whatever. So just for giggles I went to the IPMS Nats 2020 website and read Len's update on the Covid 19 written on 5/23/20 and near the bottom is a highlight to go to the City of San Marcos Covid 19 website (actually for the whole of Hays County). It has some very interesting information there under the Covid 19 Update box. For instance there have been 52 hospitalizations for Covid since 3/4/20 (I had to go to the local newspaper, the San Marcos Daily Record (SMDR), to determine that the data shown was for the period 3/4/20 to yesterday, but that is what it is), and that as of yesterday, 6/21/20 there are now only 13 current hospitalizations (call up the Hospitalizations and put your curser arrow on the last, 6/21/20, bar). Now remember this chart is for the whole of Hays County which has a population of ~230,500 as opposed to just San Marcos with a population of ~65,000. Also, since 3/4/20 there have been a total of 5 deaths (according to the language in the SMDR "from Covid 19 related causes", whatever that means). Another interesting fact is that there have been over 300 people who tested positive for Covid 19 that have "recovered". Now, if only 39 of the recovered were from the hospital(s) (52 - 13 = 39) then the rest of the recovered did so without hospitalization. Now there has been a lot of coverage in the news of spikes in cases and hot spots, but these seem to be simply from additional testing (remember, the hospitals are now open for elective surgery and anyone wishing to gain admittance must be tested, so more people are being tested). The fact that there are additional cases doesn't equate with new hospitalizations, or deaths. Most of the new cases seem to be asymptomatic and these people wouldn't even have known that were positive if they hadn't been tested. Now I am not a doctor, but as a retired mechanical engineer I can read a graph and digest data, and from what I see here I am not overly alarmed about attending the convention. Having said that, I encourage each member to go directly to the Hays County Dashboard, look at the facts from the local government (not only from the news media) weigh those facts and make their own decision regarding attendance. As for me, if the show is a go I will be there!

I thought long before writing what I am about to write, but finally decided that I would do so even if I take flak for it, or risk crossing a line. I do not understand why this question was started here on the IPMS/USA website, or what it has to do with GENERAL MODELLING, All About Building Models. How does asking this question relate to building models? We are not supposed to bring politics into discussions on this site, but that is where this thread appears to be headed where people state their personal biases on what they do, or do not build and then make comparisons to current politics as justification. I do not believe that anyone has deliberately tried to be insulting, but I have read comments that I believe are biased and if I were thinned skinned could cause insult, and for that, and the above reason, I do not think that these types of discussions belong here on a modelling site such as this one. I feel that this discussion should be shut down before it goes any further, if for no other reason that it has nothing to do with modelling. Thanks for reading, John

Len, Made my reservation at 4:00 EST, no problems. Took all of 3 minutes. See you in July. John

I too saw some models in the 1/35 scale closed top that I thought should have been in the vignette category because of more that 2 figures with Mark Ford's best tank coming to mind. I spoke to Dave Kahn about this and was informed that Mark had pinned the extra figures to the base and that they were removed for judging. Smart! Later at the awards ceremony when the slide of Mark's tank was shown, sure enough, the extra figures were not there. It pays to ask. John

Mike, I would like to let you and your crew know that I, and my 2 travel companions had a "grand time", and would like to thank you very much for all your hard work putting the show on. BTW, this was my first time in Nooga, and I enjoyed it immensely. Thanks again, John Walker

Noel, Exactly. Well said. John