By Andy Borowitz August 27, 2021 TALLAHASSEE (The Borowitz Report)—In what many have seen as a legal setback for Governor Ron DeSantis, a Florida judge has ruled that the state’s residents have a right to a smarter governor. “The Constitution does not grant you the right to yell ‘fire’ in a crowded theatre,” Judge John Cooper, of Florida’s Second Circuit, wrote. “Similarly, it does not grant you the right to govern a state like a blithering idiot.” “The Declaration of Independence enshrines the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” Cooper continued. “All three are imperilled in a state run by a blazing bonehead.” DeSantis swiftly blasted the ruling, stating that it would have a “chilling effect” on ignorant politicians becoming the governor of Florida going forward. DeSantis’s statement drew strong support from two of his state’s most prominent political luminaries, the former governors Rick Scott and Jeb Bush. Andy Borowitz is a Times best-selling author and a comedian who has written for The New Yorker since 1998. He writes The Borowitz Report, a satirical column on the news.

FRED PLOTKIN is one of America’s foremost experts on opera and has distinguished himself in many fields as a writer, speaker, consultant and as a compelling teacher. He is an expert on everything Italian, the person other so-called Italy experts turn to for definitive information.  Fred discovered the concept of "The Renaissance Man" as a small child and has devoted himself to pursuing that ideal as the central role of his life. In a “Public Lives” profile in The New York Times on August 30, 2002, Plotkin was described as "one of those New York word-of-mouth legends, known by the cognoscenti for his renaissance mastery of two seemingly separate disciplines: music and the food of Italy." In the same publication, on May 11, 2006, it was written that "Fred is a New Yorker, but has the soul of an Italian."

By John Rolfe In a rural neighborhood, wildlife is a way of life. Critters of all kinds and sizes make their presence known. When things go awry with them, as often happens, and you are unable to handle the situation, you would think that help is readily available, this being the countryside and all. But you would be wrong. For instance, we had an obviously rabid fox hang around our yard in Red Hook of New York’s Hudson Valley. It was a dangerous deal that called for professional assistance but the fox wandered away before we could find someone to remove it. Then there was the rabid feral cat walking in circles on our lawn and swimming round and round in our pond. Meanwhile, my wife went round and round on the phone with town and county animal control agencies, the police and more. “Everyone I called referred me to someone else,” Victoria says, “and some referred me to the person who had referred me to them.” After a morning’s-worth of calls, three state troopers came out and shot the cat. Unfortunately, ugly death is also a way of country life. Some folks here keep guns handy for occasions when expediting the end for a doomed animal is actually humane. The troopers refused to take the cat’s body, but it was easy for us to dispose of it, unlike the dead deer a neighbor recently told us was in our pond. Days earlier, my wife had spotted a doe standing in the water. Usually deer just drink from the pond while standing on the bank as they grace us with their majesty. They really are lovely animals, but in rural areas they breed like rabbits and are everywhere, often meeting nasty ends on roads or during hunting season. Mother Nature is not always kind to them, either. (And not so majestically, these munching machines also raid Victoria’s gardens.) We were mystified as to why the deer had gone belly-up where it did. Hidden from our view by plants, it could have been there for days. Luckily, it was near the bank, but likely very heavy. I wasn’t up for the unsavory task of wrestling with a waterlogged, possibly rotten cadaver, so I did the logical thing: I called the town highway department, which collects roadkill. Another wildlife runaround ensued. A gent at the department informed me that town crews can’t go on private property and scratched his head when asked who else I could call. He eventually suggested the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which took my name and number. While waiting to hear back, my wife texted our plight to our daughter who thoughtfully told us to put the dead deer on Facebook Marketplace. Hardy har, kid. An hour later, an agent from the DEC called and said there’s a local outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, a lethal virus that makes deer seek water to cool their fever-ravaged bodies. Since the outbreak had already been confirmed (I later learned a co-worker’s brother had found six lifeless deer in his pond), there was no need for the DEC to come and take it. “You can drag it into the woods and let scavengers take care of it or you can pour lime on it,” the agent said. “Just be sure to wear a mask and gloves.” I chose the more savory option of finding a private contractor. Google searches for “dead wildlife removal” ensued. Most results were simply exterminators or firms who handled only smaller animals like the groundhogs we’d humanely trapped last year. (Deer have admirably stepped up to fill the veggie-gobbling void left by their departure.) One promising company said it doesn’t serve our area and referred me to the National Wildlife Control Operators Association (NWCOA) which referred me to a cheery chap who wanted $500. I was about to enlist him when my ever-frugal wife hollered “No!” and insisted we keep trying. So I called the NWCOA back and was told by a different person that there are no services in my area. I guess in my growing delirium, I hallucinated the one I was given during my first call. Back to good ol’ Google which led to phone run-arounds with actual humans who transferred me to automated “Press 1” dead ends like, “I’m sorry. That is not a valid option” and “This number is only for connecting customers with our contractors. Please hang up and try again.” Despondent, I told my wife, “I guess I could try hauling it out myself, but I really don’t want that thing rotting in our bushes.” “Maybe we can dissolve it in the bathtub with acid,” she said, recalling a method employed with a human corpse in an episode of Breaking Bad. “But you’d have to drag it upstairs.” “A trail of water and guts through the house would be a nice decorative touch, I suppose,” I replied. As a last resort, Victoria posted our situation on a Facebook group called Red Hook Moms while I went out to mow the lawn. The deer was getting fragrant in the hot sun. This mess had to be resolved ASAP. Ordinarily our yard is redolent of the deer repellent we make from rotten eggs, garlic and cayenne pepper, so this new aroma would further enhance the spirit of bonhomie with our neighbors. Eventually, a guy on Facebook responded with an offer to come over. I had to leave for work, but later called home to learn he wanted $350, so Victoria had private messaged another respondent who asked for $200. Deal. Out he came and out went the deerly departed.. It was gone in 15 minutes. Moral of this gamey story: If you want dangerous or dead wildlife removed (at a reasonable price), it helps to have the patience of a cat...just not a rabid one. John Rolfe is a former senior editor for Sports Illustrated for Kids, a longtime columnist for the Poughkeepsie Journal/USA Today Network, and author of The Goose in the Bathroom: Stirring Tales of Family Life. His school bus drivin’ blog “Hellions, Mayhem and Brake Failure” is parked on his website Celestialchuckle.com (https://celestialchuckle.com) with the meter running.

One film journalist’s stream-of-consciousness cinematic journey through the pandemic, Part 48 By Laurence Lerman Charlotte Rampling conveys an on-screen presence that pulses with a mix of allure and intelligence and smolder and confidence that is as alchemic as it is enigmatic. And it’s been out there for quite a while now, with Ms. Rampling having quietly amassed a resumé of more than 100 film and television credits over the past 50 years. Yet even as Rampling has been nominated for dozens of international critics and festival awards over those decades, she’s garnered only three nominations for the circuit’s three most prestigious –– the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and the Emmys. So it’s fair to say she isn’t considered an “actor’s actor” or even a “people’s favorite.” Studying her lengthy filmography, it’s actually kind of tough to pinpoint any overly rich dramatics or stylized readings in any of her film and television appearances, let alone a standout “classic” line of dialogue. Her work is first-rate and many of the films outstanding, yes, but it feels as if it’s Rampling’s very presence, her potent allure, that has kept her in audiences’ minds for so long. It’s a strange, almost Sphinx-like appeal. A feeling. Again, a presence. Not even a documentary portrait about her—Angelina Maccarone’s 2011 Charlotte Rampling: The Look—provides much of an answer to the secret behind her catlike eyes, apart from acknowledging that her beguiling “mystique” has been the touchstone of a lengthy and varied career. The riddle of Rampling continues with the upcoming Benedetta from the always-provocative Paul Verhoeven, which will make its U.S. premiere later this month at the New York Film Festival. Well-received by critics during its international festival rollout, it recounts the true story of a nun in Renaissance Italy who was chastised for her religious visions and lesbian love affairs. Rampling costars as Sister Felicita, the presiding convent abbess who clearly has her work cut out for her. Rampling also stars in the French language drama Everything Is Fine, her fifth collaboration with the prolific François Ozon. Concerning a woman confronting her father’s declining health, it was recently acquired by a U.S. distributor and is due to roll out here sometime this winter. And then there’s Dune, Denis Villeneuve’s much-anticipated new adaptation of Frank Herbert’s interstellar masterwork, on deck for wide release in October and featuring Rampling in a vital supporting role. And so, on the eve of what looks to be the busiest release season she’s had in many years, a curatorial survey of her remarkably wide-ranging films over the past half-century might help provide some answers to the question of Charlotte. Charlotte Rampling was born in England, raised by her painter mother and British Army officer father in France, Spain and Gibraltar. She was schooled at the Académie Jeanne d'Arc in Versailles and the St. Hilda’s boarding school in Hertfordshire, just north of London. She thus established her continental cred early on, sealing it by making her stage debut at 14 singing French chansons in English theaters as part of a cabaret act with her older sister. With her sensational cheekbones leading the way, Rampling quickly made the leap from part-time model to full-time actress, making some noise right out of the gate with a juicy supporting role in 1965’s Swinging London romantic comedy-drama Georgy Girl. The British film industry took notice virtually overnight and slipped her into the usual genre offerings over the next several years, including such unremarkable entries as the crime comedy Rotten to the Core (1965) and the adventure flick The Long Duel (1967) opposite Yul Brynner. A couple of years later, Italy’s Luchino Visconti came knocking and cast Rampling in the acclaimed 1969 historical drama The Damned. Her portrayal of the subdued daughter of an old aristocratic German family who is sent to a concentration camp when the Nazis rise to power raised critics’ eyebrows. It also prompted Rampling's co-star Dirk Bogarde to describe her image as “The Look,” which inspired the title of the aforementioned documentary and forged the path for an international image and career that continues to thrive in Hollywood and around the world. Rampling would appear alongside Dirk Bogarde again several years later in Liliana Cavani’s 1974 drama The Night Porter, where she played a concentration camp survivor who, after the war, reunites with a former Nazi camp guard (Bogarde) with whom she had a sadomasochistic sexual relationship. Filled with the kind of graphic nudity and depravity one would expect from its plot description, the controversial film firmly established Rampling as the European arthouse cinema’s dark doyenne. The Seventies and Eighties were a fertile period for Rampling and found her working with such accomplished international filmmakers as John Boorman (in the bizarre 1974 sci-fi fantasy Zardoz), Arturo Ripstein (Foxtrot, 1976), Woody Allen (Stardust Memories, 1980), Claude Lelouch (Vive le vie!, 1984), Jacques Deray (He Died with His Eyes Open, 1985), Alan Parker (Angel Heart, 1986), Nagisa Ōshima (Max, Mon Amour, 1986) and David Hare (Paris by Night, 1988). Oh, there were turkeys, too. Remember the 1977 Jaws knock-off Orca? Where the highlight featured neither Rampling nor leading man Richard Harris, but rather supporting player Bo Derek, whose lovely leg is memorably nibbled off by a vengeful killer whale? We don’t recall it, either. (Actually, I do remember a scene that found Charlotte poured into a wetsuit, and thinking that producer Dino De Laurentiis was probably praying that it would do for Orca what Jackie Bisset in a wet T-shirt had done for The Deep a few months earlier.) It was in the early 2000s that Rampling began serving as a muse of sorts for François Ozon, a melodramatist who first cast the then-54-year-old Rampling in his tragic mystery Under the Sand (2000). The film centers on a middle-aged wife who slowly becomes unhinged after her husband mysteriously vanishes at the beach one afternoon. Ozon’s Swimming Pool (2003), Angel (2007) and Young and Beautiful (2013) followed over the next decade, all of which tapped into the maturity and strength that came from his leading lady’s 30 years of onscreen experience. Rampling has actually credited Ozon with energizing her career and helping her to “re-realize my potential as a cinema actor” following her battle with depression for most of the Nineties, a delayed reaction to her sister’s suicide back in the late 1960s. Rampling hasn’t missed a step over the past decade, her finest roles continuing to reflect her age and aura. She’s wise and wizened, you might say, particularly in 2016’s 45 Years, for which she earned her sole Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. (Her Golden Globe and Emmy noms were for the 2015 TV movie London Spy and the 2012 miniseries Restless, respectfully.) Writer/director Andrew Haigh’s romantic drama about a British couple whose lives take a precarious turn on the eve of their 45th anniversary when a decades-old secret rears its head was a remarkable showcase for Rampling and co-star Tom Courtenay as it quietly illustrated how the past is never past. Back in the present, while the upcoming arthouse offerings Benedetta and Everything Is Fine might each find respectable viewerships, it's Dune that will put Rampling in front of the biggest global audience of her career. Recalling her roles in the post-apocalyptic thriller Babylon A.D (2008), the dystopian romantic fantasy Never Let Me Go (2010) and, of course, Zardoz, Rampling plays the all-seeing "Reverend Mother" Gaius Helen Mohiam. A leader of the Bene Gesserit, an enigmatic sisterhood whose mystical members have conditioned their bodies and minds to obtain superhuman powers, Rampling’s Gaius has the power to create and affect social, religious and political happenings in the Dune universe. Yeah, it sounds a little perplexing to me, too, as I’m not a Dune acolyte. But it looks like they found the right actress to keep it magical and mysterious. Laurence Lerman is a film journalist, former editor of Video Business--Variety's DVD trade publication--and husband to The Insider's own Gwen Cooper. Over the course of his career he has conducted one-on-one interviews with just about every major director working today, including Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Clint Eastwood, Kathryn Bigelow, Ridley Scott, Walter Hill, Spike Lee, and Werner Herzog, among numerous others. Once James Cameron specifically requested an interview with Laurence by name, which his wife still likes to brag about. Most recently, he is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the online review site DiscDish.com.

By Naomi Serviss Needles terrified me as a kid. Anticipating a sharp jab was worse than its sting. It triggered so much anxiety I hyperventilated. The phobia haunted me for years, and my older brother teased me mercilessly. Often with sharp objects. Some siblings tease one another affectionately. When I was four years old, my mother ditched her husband and packed four out of five kids onto a Greyhound bus from Rhode Island to Philadelphia. She had a friend in Elkins Park, a luxe suburb, and settled there. My mother’s oldest son had joined the Air Force after his father kicked him out. My mother, four kids in tow, moved from one crummy apartment to another. Sometimes at night. Never gave a definitive reason. I was six when we moved into the first floor of a nondescript and poorly maintained three-story house carved into apartments. Railroad tracks steps from the house separated the haves from the have-nots. My divorced mother worked for radiologists. Two older sisters, a brother and I begrudgingly shared the one bedroom. A daybed in the living room for my mother. Burnt orange and stained vinyl flooring in the ancient kitchen. Noisy driveway gravel outside its window heralded approaching cars. Between the cement-footed upstairs-neighbors and a rarely-home working mother whose go-to method of self-expression was screaming, No one slept well. One night stands out. I was startled from a rare deep sleep in the crowded bedroom. Something was touching my arm. My eyes flew open. My mother’s face loomed grotesquely. She shushed me. I noticed she had something in her right hand. It was a needle, poised for injection. I jumped out of bed and ran screaming into the living room for sanctuary. I slept fitfully, with a night light, after that trauma. I was a thumb sucker until I was 10. My two front teeth became gapped and buck. My oldest brother called me “Bugs.” He wasn’t kind. On the upside, I became resilient, And eventually kicked my needle phobia to the curb. When I was a school kid, required vaccinations were for: Smallpox Diphtheria Tetanus Pertussis Polio Measles Mumps Rubella Good policy for the common good. We elementary kids were once pleasantly surprised to have a vaccine-inserted sugar cube doled out by school nurses in the district’s junior high. What kid wouldn’t be? We elementary school kids were bused to Ogontz Junior High that day. A vivid memory. I marveled at the landscaped campus grounds. The bus lumbered up the windy hill overlooking the tony town. Ogontz was the original Cheltenham High School. My oldest sister’s graduating class was its last. When my kids were little and needed vaccinations, I held them in my lap, reassuring and distracting them. It didn’t always work. If they cried, I cried. Bottom line: I trusted the science that produced the vaccines. Anything to protect my kids and everyone else. It does take a village! When the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were made available, I couldn’t get jabbed fast enough. Dr. Fauci was (and is) a trusted source. He gives good data and a just-the-facts delivery. His infectious disease expertise is the gold standard. I’m relieved my kids and husband are vaccinated And healthy. Boosters should be taken eight months after your final shot. During last week’s high school Zoom reunion, one guy mentioned his upcoming appointment for one. Way before eight months! I nearly followed suit, until reading a Forbes magazine piece. Consider Forbes’ Bruce Y. Lee’s sage bottom line: “It is better to stick as close to the official recommendation until further notice. “Again remember, timing is everything in life. There can be such a thing as premature vaccination.” Naomi Serviss is a New York-based award-winning journalist whose work has been published in The New York Times, Newsday, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Highroads (AAA magazine), in-flight publications, spa and travel magazines and websites, including BroadwayWorld.com

By Bonnie Fishman You all know what I’m talking about, right? People from your past who have traveled through life right there beside you even though you haven’t actually been sitting side by side on “a park bench like bookends,” to quote Paul Simon. How many of us have the luxury to still live in the same zip code. let alone the same time zone, as our old friends? It doesn’t really matter, because no matter where you are on the planet, these people can dredge up an old story about you that will make you burst out laughing, bring you to melancholy tears, or fill you with past regrets. You finish each other’s sentences. You feel like you were never apart and pick up as if no time has passed between visits. This is unique to old friend relationships. A person is lucky to have at least one friend like this. However, if they have a handful, they are truly blessed. I have at least three girlfriends from childhood (not counting my sisters and my cousins, who are like sisters). Debbi, an architect now in Phoenix, and Suzi a psychotherapist now in New York, have been my friends since first and second grade, respectively. Staying close all the the time we were in high school and University of Michigan, on into adulthood, all pregnant with boys in the same year. We saw each other through our different careers, family life, ups and downs, and of course traveled together. Our most memorable trip was in July, 2005, when the three of us flew from our respective cities to meet in Rome, then on to Sorrento, Italy, the Amalfi Coast and back. Did I mention Debbi speaks fluent Italian? That sure came in handy. We had a great time being together and sharing the wonderment of Italian food, art, architecture, and scenery. My “oldest” friend is Liss, short for Elissa. We go back to in utero. Our moms were best friends, pregnant with us at the same time and we were born four months apart. We bonded in a crib. I didn’t know we weren’t blood relatives until we were 10. When we were young, Liss’ mom would drop her off at our house on Friday after school to stay the whole weekend. What was one more girl added to our pack of four? Liss slept on the floor in between my little sister, Cindy, and me. We played all night and into the next day. Never an argument. We spent countless summers at my Dad’s summer camp, sharing a cabin, bunk beds next to each other. We were both very athletic so enjoyed many sports together, still do, swimming in particular. We share a love for dogs, cooking, walking, travel. This touching lyric from Paul Simon’s 1968 song (written when we were just sixteen) has told our story and the story of many others: “Can you imagine us Years from today Sharing a park bench quietly? How terribly strange to be seventy” So, I’m expecting my dearest old friend to visit me after the long and continuing pandemic. They, Liss and her husband, Steven, are arriving at 1 pm on a warm August Tuesday. Being a chef, now the fun really starts. What to serve for our first “breaking bread” together? Hundreds of ideas run through my head. I swam a good mile contemplating this seemingly silly dilemma. But it was important to me, let’s get it right. Aha! Fresh Tuna Niçoise Salad with a loaf of freshly baked, crusty, slow fermented bread and butter. No sweat, I got this! I go to work the day before. Fresh Tuna Niçoise Salad is not hard to make, just time-consuming. All of the many parts of the salad are prepped individually before the whole composition comes together. Another thing to note about this salad, there are many possible variations with most of the components. The tuna can be swapped out with fresh salmon or swordfish. Asparagus can stand in for the green beans. I’ve even replaced the potatoes with marinated white beans. Change up the dressing from this mustard vinaigrette to a more citrus forward or balsamic dressing. Add different fresh herbs, basil, rosemary, tarragon, to the vinaigrette to give it that special touch. Let your creativity flow. And please let us know what you serve your own old friends when you’re lucky enough to host them! Fresh Tuna Niçoise Salad Yield: 6 salads Vinaigrette: 2 garlic cloves 1/3 c. white wine or tarragon vinegar 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard 1 c. extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper Salad: 1 1/2 - 2 lb. fresh tuna steaks 1 1/2 lb. green beans, stems removed 1 1/2 lb. redskin potatoes 2 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley 4 ripe tomatoes, core removed, cut into wedges 1 head Romaine, shredded into 1” thick pieces 4 hard-boiled eggs, cut into 4 wedges each 1/2 c. Niçoise or Kalamata olives Make the vinaigrette: Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add the vinegar and mustard. Whirl to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil through the feed tube. Blend in the salt and pepper. Pour about half a cup of vinaigrette into a shallow non-corrosive casserole. Reserve remaining dressing. Add the tuna steaks to the dish. Turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Blanch the green beans in a large pot of salted water until tender, about 6-7 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Drain very well and put in a bowl. Moisten with some vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve. Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. When cool enough to handle, slice the potatoes into 1/4” thick slices. Put in a bowl and toss with some dressing. Add the chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve. Grill the tuna (or sear it in a hot cast iron pan) until still pink in the center, for 3-4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fish and the intensity of the heat. Allow the fish to rest on a cutting board tented with foil while assembling the salad. Put the lettuce in a large bowl. Toss in enough dressing to moisten. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Place some lettuce on each dinner plate. Slice the tuna crosswise into 1/2” thick slices. Arrange the tuna in one section, the potatoes next to the tuna, then the green beans, tomatoes and egg wedges. Garnish with olives. Serve at room temperature. Bonnie Fishman attended the Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London. Later, she owned and operated Bonnie’s Patisserie in Southfield, Mich. and Bonnie’s Kitchen and Catering in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. She has taught cooking for over 35 years and created hundreds of recipes. She is now living in Northern California.

By Alan Resnick It’s been a few weeks now, and I’m still twitching from a story I saw on Morning Joe. The segment focused on an unvaccinated 16-year-old girl who was being discharged from the hospital after three days on oxygen due to Covid-19 pneumonia. Fortunately, her condition was improving. The camera cut away to the girl’s mother, who was wearing a mask and crying. Between sobs she said: “I can’t believe that she got so sick so fast.” The camera then panned over to the girl’s father, who was asked by the reporter if he were now going to get vaccinated: “I might.” This was the end of the clip. WTF? You might? What exactly is it going to take to convince this dad to roll up his sleeve? The segment ended at this point, so we never heard what more evidence the father would need to bump him up to even “probably.” I have to assume that the rest of the clip was edited out, although it’s certainly possible that the reporter simply fainted dead away after hearing the guy’s response. So, let me jump in as interviewer and ask him the follow up question: “Why, after seeing your daughter on oxygen for three days, do you remain on the fence about being vaccinated?” And let me speculate on what I might hear in response from the father, and share what I would be thinking. “She didn’t get that sick and is getting better" Huh? Would your daughter have had to be intubated for you to be convinced? Most parents would be terrified if their child were in the hospital and on oxygen, but I suppose everyone’s different. And you are correct that relatively few adolescents have become ill enough with Covid to be hospitalized. But of those who did, 33 percent were admitted to intensive care units, and 5 percent of those required ventilators, according to a CDC report published on June 4. And this was two months ago, before the Delta variant began to skyrocket. Perhaps your daughter just got lucky. “It’s no worse than the flu” Yeah, it is. The same report found that the number of hospitalizations related to Covid among adolescents was about three times as high as hospitalizations linked to influenza over three recent flu seasons. “I’m worried about the side effects” I feel that this is one area in which the CDC has done an absolutely miserable job of communicating with the public. The most common side effects, like swelling or pain at the injection site, fever, muscle pain, chills, or nausea, are actually signs that your immune system is working, and they typically last for a day or two. Many people (like me) experience no side effects. While it is certainly possible, it’s extremely unlikely that a person will experience two of the most serious reactions that have been reported thus far after vaccination. One, an allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis, occurs quickly after injection, which is why people are asked to sit for 15–30 minutes before leaving. And vaccination sites have medication on hand to immediately treat the condition. The other involves blood clotting, but is most common among women, so you’re good there. “I’m waiting for the vaccines to be fully approved by the FDA” Although this reason suggests that you want to follow the science, I call “bullshit.” And I would have said this even before the Pfizer vaccine received final approval on August 23. It is certainly true that the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines also were granted emergency authorization by the FDA, and their final approval is still pending. But as the Delta variant has turned the infection map blazing red across the country, over 95 percent of the hospitalizations for Covid are people who have not been vaccinated. Coincidence? I think not. Moreover, now that over 51 percent of our population has been fully vaccinated, what are the chances that the FDA is going to issue a report saying: “Oopsie. Our bad”? “I don’t trust the government” I’m going go out on a limb and guess that you were anxiously awaiting Donald Trump’s reinstatement this month. Has Dr. Fauci changed his position on masks or has the CDC amended and revised its thinking about Covid since the start of the pandemic last year? Absolutely. But that’s what’s known as science. They didn’t lie to you; they simply learned more and adjusted their recommendations accordingly. And don’t forget that these vaccines were developed while President Trump was in office, so they must be good. “I don’t like vaccines” Do you know anyone who has polio? How about smallpox? I wonder why not? “My doctor hasn’t recommended it” If that means that you have spoken with your doctor and they have advised you against getting vaccinated, then I humbly apologize and have no further questions. But if that means that you are waiting to talk to your physician at your next appointment, let me offer a small suggestion – give them a call and see what they have to say. If you become infected, you may not make it to your next appointment. “It’s my business if I get vaccinated, not yours” I respectfully disagree, you selfish fool. While highly effective, the vaccines are not perfect, so you could spread the virus to loved ones even if they have been jabbed. Also, there are a number of people who would love to take the vaccine but cannot, such as people on chemotherapy. They depend on the people around them to keep them from getting infected. Finally, by not rolling up your sleeve, you are part of the group that allows the virus to continue to replicate and mutate. “Why bother? Even vaccinated people get infected” You are correct, sir, there are breakthrough cases. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina recently announced on August 2 he had tested positive although he had been recently vaccinated. And here’s what he had to say about it: “I am very glad I was vaccinated because without vaccination I am certain I would not feel as well as I do now. My symptoms would be far worse.” And on August 19, three other US senators -- Angus King of Maine, Roger Wicker of Mississippi and John Hickenlooper of Colorado -- announced separately they had tested positive for Covid. Both King, an Independent, and Hickenlooper, a Democrat, echoed sentiments similar to Graham's. It is true that breakthrough cases are increasing, but Covid still remains a pandemic of the unvaccinated. An August 10 New York Times reports that data from 40 states and Washington D.C. indicates that: "Fully vaccinated people have made up as few as 0.1 percent of and as many as 5 percent of those hospitalized with the virus in those states, and as few as 0.2 percent and as many as 6 percent of those who have died." “I’ve read that the vaccine contains a microchip” I’ve got nothing for this one. But even if it were true, look on the bright side. When you go out drinking with the boys and get so plastered that you lose your phone and wallet, the police can identify you and take you home, just as if you were a lost schnauzer. ––I think I’m going to lay down now and wait for the twitching to stop. Alan Resnick is an industrial psychologist with over 40 years of professional experience. He and his wife are sheltering at home in Farmington Hills, Michigan. He is passing the time by cooking, exercising, catching up on friends’ recommendations of must-see TV and writing.

The Insider: Hi David. Thanks for talking with The Insider. Let me first ask you a few questions about yourself. How old are you and how old is your wife? David: My wife Judy is 64 and I am 70. The Insider: And how long have you been married? David: 40 years today. The Insider: Wonderful! Congratulations. You’re retired and she’s a home healthcare nurse, right? David: That's right. She's just unemployed for now. Because of back issues, I decided to retire. Physically anyway. The Insider: What kind of work were you doing? David: I’ve been a contractor since 1978. Primarily signs and lighting, using my truck. The Insider: What city do you live in? David: We moved from Napa, California to New Braunfels, Texas in June, 2018. The Insider: Did you move to be around family? David: My reasons for moving were so I could enjoy retirement. The economy and cost of living in Texas are much lower. Because 2 of our 4 children lived in Texas at the time, it was easier to coax my wife to leave her home state of California for the first time in her life. The Insider: When did you and Judy get Covid? David: Judy believes her first signs of Covid started around July 1st. But we thought she only had a sore throat or mild cold at first. Since it lasted 2 weeks, we began to realize it was bigger than that. The Insider: Did she get tested then? David: We called around to specifically request an oral Covid test, but when we went to get the test, all they had available were two 6” long nasal test swabs. The medical assistants said that one was for flu and the other was for Covid-19. We did not get it and presumed the worst-case and acted as though we both had Covid anyway, just to be safe. I should mention that by then, I was also showing signs and symptoms, but they were not anywhere near as severe as hers. The Insider: Could you please describe Judy’s illness? In what way were Judy’s symptoms severe? David: Judy's initial symptoms were diarrhea, sore throat, and shallow cough. But during the first 10 days or 2 weeks, she was feeling faint, dizzy and didn't want to get up out of bed. On her birthday, July 19th, she had great difficulty standing and walking without me holding onto her, so we went to the emergency room that night. The Insider: That sounds very frightening. Did she also lose her sense of taste and smell? David: Yes. About a week into it she lost her appetite, taste, and smell. The Insider: How long did she stay in the hospital? What happened there? David: We weren't concerned until she had difficulty walking from the dizziness. Judy has been prone to random seizures for several years. As a matter of fact, she was approaching a seizure while we were in the emergency room. Her blood pressure and heart rate were excessively low at that point as well. Our biggest lesson was that, once you sense the early symptoms you should get medical attention immediately. The Insider: How long was she in the hospital? While Judy was that sick, were you sick too? David: I should mention first that when we didn't take the test, we did ask our doctors for possible treatments. I was prescribed Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin. Because Judy has had anaphylactic shock In her medical history, she was prescribed Ivermectin and Doxycycline. I should also mention that every treatment, including preventative or monoclonal, also calls for taking the following supplements: zinc, Vitamin C and Vitamin D. The best way to get Vitamin D is to sit in the sun and absorb it through the skin. After Judy was admitted, I decided to sit in the sun for about 2 hours, and looking back, my symptoms began to diminish from that point. The Insider: Meaning she was too sick by then to be treated by medicine? David: She was ultimately admitted to the ER on the night of July 19th and was in the hospital until around the 12th of August, about 3 weeks. She spent 4 days at a rehab hospital because she was still getting dizzy when she was upright and walking. Not directly from Covid, but because she was laying down for such a long period, her equilibrium needed gradual restoration, along with her heart and circulation. She was released yesterday, August 15th. The Insider: I’m glad! Has she totally recovered now? David: She is doing remarkably well, but still only walking short distances On the upside, she's lost weight, as I have. As our appetites recover, we are hopefully going to keep the weight down. We can't explain it, but we both feel even better than we did before we got Covid. The Insider: Were you sick at the same time as Judy was? David: My symptoms began a few days after hers. We honestly thought we were experiencing just a regular flu thing at first. However, once our suspicions leaned towards Covid, we still waited several days to go to the ER. We had learned that the Covid cycle lasts about 28 days typically and we were at the midway point at that time. We expected the symptoms to start to diminish, but they lingered on. The Insider: How sick did you get yourself? David: Gradually my symptoms worsened. Mine didn’t begin to surface until around July 7th, with a shallow but persistent cough. I didn't have a sore throat like Judy did. Each day seemed to add more symptoms. At first a slight headache and then escalating fatigue. But I was also very busy tending to Judy. I needed to assist her when she needed to get up. I also tried to encourage some sort of nutrition into her. Protein shakes with fruit seemed to be the only thing she could have. The Insider: Did you find that the Hydroxychloroquine worked? There’s a debate about that. David: Hydroxychloroquine has long been used to treat malaria, which has some identical effects as the Covid virus. Unfortunately, we waited much too long to begin using it to treat the symptoms. It is being tested by several groups as preventative medicines and other treatment or those who already have the virus. My suspicion is that the Big 3 drug companies are mostly pushing the vaccines and motivated by the huge profits derived by them and not amply studying the treatment. In the hospital, Judy was switched to Remdesivir and also natural immunity offered from blood plasma of prior Covid patients. Her other health issues and heart rate dropping caused them to cease administering the blood plasma and Remdesivir though. Magically, the direct Covid-related symptoms dropped off us both at Day 28. The Insider: I was going to ask you about the cost of your treatments. It must have been horribly expensive. David: As for our Covid related expenses, both Judy’s and my medications were covered by our insurance at $0 copay. So, it is hard for me to say which worked for me because I can't say it was the medication or just waiting out the virus for 28 days. Specifically Judy’s co-pay bills were $100 a day for the first 5 days on the hospital stay (Ambetter insurance). After that, $0 co-pay and a $0 co-pay on her meds. Since her release the other incidental bills added about another $500, a total of $1,000. My own expenses which did not involve hospital expenses, were $0 co-pay on medicines (Humana Medicare Advantage). The Insider: Are you sorry you didn’t get vaccinated? Wouldn’t that have helped you and Judy? David: We will never know what if. But I gave our medical reasons which we considered when measured the risks with and without the vaccine. There is risk involved with the vaccine, getting Covid and also all the various treatments out there. We chose the option we believed best for us. We are not critical of what others decide is best for them. You might refer to us as 'Non-Vaxxers’ rather than the politically charged termed "Anti-Vaxxers," as we have received several FDA-approved approved vaccines in our lifetimes. Although neither of us get the flu shot every season, in this case we had more to consider than just the predominate message that "everybody needs to get the shot." The Insider: But the two of you suffered a lot because of Covid. Isn’t that worse? Are you sorry that you didn’t try the vaccine? David: Not at all. There are potentially severe risks to every option, and death is present in each option. The biggest problem with a vaccine is there is absolutely no liability or risk to the pharmaceutical companies. The Emergency Use Authorization gave the pharmaceutical companies complete freedom to dispense the drug with no FDA approval. On the other hand, if we take the medication, and related vitamins and zinc, they are risk-reducing factors and if you get Covid, they reduce the seriousness s of the infections. The Insider: I always ask people their political views, because this is such a politically charged issue. David: I'm purposefully trying to avoid politicizing here, I have developed a personal opinion based on everything I have researched, including the political slant. But again-IF you still feel they overlap, I'll let you decide. The Insider: I totally think they overlap for most people. Many people who favor Trump are against vaccines; many liberals who don’t like him favor vaccines. That’s the reality. David: Well, have you heard of “Trump Derangement Syndrome?” That’s where everything Trump said or did is wrong. Trump hatred overrules anything that is based on pure logic. I know people who voted for Trump but also favor vaccines and many mask mandates. Once you politicize the issues you create an “Us vs. Them” culture and only division results. My concerns surrounding the unknown side effects of brand-new vaccines are science- based, not political. But then add the personal aspect of what we’ve seen in our own family and friends dying from the vaccine. When our son gets Covid even after he has had the vaccine is not being political to me. The Insider: Tell me more about what has happened with the vaccine to your family and friends. David: We have 4 adult children with 12 grandchildren. Our son was the only one to be vaccinated, but he recently got Covid anyway. His wife is also vaccinated. His 3 young children are not yet, but he plans to have them vaccinated when age allows. Our 3 daughters have not elected to be vaccinated. Our son opted to get the Pfizer vaccine and still contracted Covid anyway. His symptoms lasted about 2 weeks. Mostly headaches and fatigue. Mine lasted longer but were roughly the same symptoms without the vaccine. My daughter's mother-in-law, age 70, was living in Redding, Calif. She wanted to move closer to my daughter here in Texas, so she recently bought a house nearby and before moving here in June as planned, she decided to get the Pfizer vaccine to be safe around the grandkids. Within 7 to 10 days of receiving the shot, she had a fatal reaction and died unexpectedly. Also, a very close friend here in Texas, age 77, opted for the J & J vaccine in May, 2021. Within 1 week, he started having dizziness and loss of speech. He was admitted to the hospital and was found to have non-stroke-related brain clots. He was then put into an induced coma for protective therapy for 5 weeks. He began to improve and was let out, presuming that he was past the danger period. Then he died suddenly within days of his release at the end of June. The Insider: That’s a lot to have happened. David: I know it's said that these fatal reactions are considered ‘rare.’. But when there are 2 in a short time frame to people who are close to you, you take notice. In addition, my son's 'breakthrough Covid means his shot didn't prevent the virus from taking hold, so where's the main reason for getting a non-FDA approved 'shot' that's not been thoroughly tested? The Insider: What do you think of the argument that since President Trump has been vaccinated, he should speak out in favor of vaccines? David: Trump is primarily responsible for the vaccine. He even issued the Emergency Use Authorization to keep the drug companies from being sued for side effects and death. You should also give credit to Trump for forcing companies to retool and make more ventilators, to make more masks, to provide hospital ships to New York and other cities, to encourage people to get the vaccine; even now he says that. Trump did get vaccinated after he had Covid. Remember when he got it? He was treated with Regeneron, Zinc and Vitamins C and D. His worst symptoms had soon diminished, and he only spent 2 days in the hospital. Everyone should thank Trump for his efforts and especially for the vaccines, which we had just 2 weeks after he lost the election. The Insider: I understand your position. But if he helped develop the vaccines, why won’t he speak out now in favor of them? David: I think the press and government are doing a great disservice by only talking about how everybody should get the jab. Some people need to know if their bodies can tolerate the side effects and measure the risk of the virus itself. I would expect since Trump was so involved with the vaccine and having taken it himself, he would have no problem telling others to consider it. The press has cut President Trump off from all social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, You Tube and even including mainstream news. Banks closed his accounts and several corporations have given in to social pressures and trash him at every turn. It would seem odd they would suddenly allow him to speak if it meets their agenda to push vaccines for the drug companies who stand to make billions and billions. After all, even the drug companies withheld the success of the vaccine until after the election was over. Then they ‘suddenly’ found the vaccine? The Insider: Are you worried about getting Covid again? David: Not at all. I have studied much of the information regarding immunity levels for someone who has natural immunity versus the vaccine and what I have seen indicates natural immunity is 600% stronger than just having vaccine immunity. The Insider: Do you wear a mask now? David: Yes, at times if it seems appropriate or whenever it is required.I live in Texas. When I go to the hospital or health facility, we are still required to wear a mask. However, our governor and several other states’ governors have banned mask mandates from schools and government facilities. Everyone Is encouraged and free to take that precaution whenever they are in public. I rarely see everyone in masks as I did several months ago. Regarding mask mandates and vaccination choices, I blame the government for causing confusion in the public. Fear seems to be the motivational tool and logic has taken a back seat. Politics have no place in the decision. The Insider: I’m all set. Thank you for doing this interview and being so honest! SEVERAL DAYS LATER The Insider: Now that the FDA has approved the vaccines, will you get vaccinated? David: The FDA has just given approval to 1 or more vaccines, but they are still not safety tested by the usual standards according to their own Phase 3 requirements. Phsee 3 safety approval requires there to be tens of thousands of test participants and safety testing that takes several years before issuing any type of FDA safety approval. Even so: I wonder if the FDA has caved to the pressure around them to approve them.

Nickolas: I want to let you know I tested positive for Covid today. I’ve been very sick for last 3 days. The Insider: Oh, no! Nickolas: Oh yes! My birthday present. Yikes! I’m doing okay. The Insider: Which day did you start to feel sick? Nickolas: I started coughing on Friday, but really felt something was up Sunday. The Insider: Which vaccine did you have? Nickolas: Moderna. The Insider: How do you feel now? Nickolas: My throat hurts quite a bit. I can’t talk because it irritates it. I’m sweaty but no temperature. The Insider: Can you believe those lousy vaccines? Nickolas: Nothing is 100%. The Insider: Do you feel well enough to text right now? Nickolas: Let’s text tomorrow. The Insider: Of course!!! Feel better and get in touch when you feel well enough. TWO DAYS LATER Nickolas: Hi. Definitely feeling better today. Still a bit of sore throat and slight cough. It’s been a rough couple of days. But I can text now. My throat is not so sore. The Insider: A few background questions for readers. Where do you live? Nickolas: Manhattan. The Insider: And how old are you? Nickolas: 57. The Insider: Are the pandemic rules in your office the same as they’ve been since the beginning of the pandemic or have they gotten more lenient? Nickolas: The rules were more lenient! But now we are back to being more strict. The Insider: That’s been the pattern all over Manhattan, I think. Did it worry you when it got more lenient, or did you assume the worst was over? Nickolas: It was a bit jarring at t first to have more people around. I kind of got used to all the space. But yes, I thought the worst was over. The Insider: When were you vaccinated? Nickolas: March. The Insider: With which vaccine? Nickolas: Moderna. The Insider: Did you have any side effects? Nickolas: Not really, I expected worse The Insider: Where did you get it done? Nickolas: Duane Reade [a NYC pharmacy]. The Insider: Were you eating at outside restaurants? Nickolas: Yes. I was and I also ventured inside if doors were open and there were not too many people. The Insider: Did your vaccinated visitors wear masks in your apartment? Nickolas: No, we were vaccinated. Thought it was safe. The Insider: When did you start to feel sick? Nickolas: Last Sunday. I was feeling tired a bit off. Thought it was the heat. The Insider: What in particular seemed off that day? Nickolas: Felt lazy. Sunday night, I took a shower and when I stepped out of the shower, my whole body started shaking uncontrollably with cold chills. I grabbed a blanket and jumped into bed to warm up. The whole night was hot and cold. I don’t know when I fell asleep. When I woke up in the morning, the whole bed was just soaking wet with sweat. The day after my birthday. Happy birthday Covid. The Insider: Did you know immediately what it was? Did you take your temperature? Nickolas: I had a very bad sore throat and a cough. I wondered, is this an allergy or strep throat? No temperature. The Insider: Did you go for a Covid test the same day? Nickolas: I went to the doctor on Tuesday, thinking it was strep. I had just had a Covid test on August 5th and it was negative. The Insider: Why did you have a Covid test on the 5th? Nickolas: Because I had been away for two weeks prior to that and I was around a lot of people and with all the talk of the variant I thought I wanted to get tested. The Insider: Where were you were on vacation? Nickolas: Fire Island [part of Long Island]. The Insider: Were you aware of anyone in particular whom you interacted with who was sick? Did you hear from anyone else afterwards who got sick? Nickolas: No one was sick that I knew of. After listening to all of the Delta variant news, I just got a little paranoid. The Insider: Were a lot of people wearing masks on Fire Island, or very few? Nickolas: Mask mandates were lifted everywhere. The Insider: Were people partying and going into clubs there? Nickolas: People were relaxed. Everyone was being social again, not like last year. The Insider: When your test came back positive, how did you feel? Nickolas: I was pretty calm about it. It’s been almost two years of dodging the beast! Okay, now I have to deal with this. The Insider: Did it feel impossible, though, because you had had a vaccine? Nickolas: The vaccine is not 100%. I think I let my guard down. I started going in elevators without a mask I went in some stores without a mask I was hugging people. I just wanted normal life back. The Insider: So understandable! People are sick of this. Nickolas: Everyone was saying, ‘You’re vaccinated; I’m vaccinated. We’re good.” I guess we are not! The Insider: What have you gone through in the last week? What has it been like to have Covid? Nickolas: It’s not been fun. Very sore painful throat. Dry painful cough, body pain and headache. Not being able to sleep. Sweating. Very scary. I’m glad I was vaccinated. Can’t imagine what it would be like without it. The Insider: Do you assume that you had an easier time because you were vaccinated? Nickolas: I think so The Insider: Did you have to go through this alone? Nickolas: Yes I’ve been alone. Friends and family coworkers have been amazing, checking in and texting. Very supportive and loving. The Insider: Did you have to contact the people you’d been with recently? Nickolas: It was my birthday. I was around a small group. Everyone was tested and is negative. The Insider: Did you eventually get a temperature? Nickolas: No. No temperature. The Insider: Did you lose your sense of taste or smell? Nickolas: I never lost my taste or smell. Thank goodness. The Insider: What are you still going through now? Nickolas: The sore throat and cough was the worst. I can feel myself getting better A slight cough. Headache, tired. The Insider: Did the doctor give you any advice when you tested positive? Nickolas: Stay home, rest, take Aleve, drink water. If your symptoms get worse, go to the ER. I’ve been really healthy with what I’m eating and drinking tons of fluids. The Insider: Have you lost weight? Do you have an appetite? Nickolas: I look like I lost weight. A friend is dropping off ice cream soon and I’m very excited!!!! The Insider: How long have you been told to quarantine? Nickolas: 10 days The Insider: Meaning the 10th day after you were diagnosed? Nickolas: From the time of your positive test The Insider: What advice would you give to vaccinated readers, based on your own experience? Nickolas: Don’t let your guard down. Keep masks on indoors. I just got off the phone with Testing & Tracing NYC and the woman told me that someone had got infected three times. The Insider: Did any of your coworkers get tested? Nickolas: The people who might’ve thought they were at risk probably did. The Insider: Does Testing & Tracing NYC get in touch with you? What do they say? Nickolas: They took all my info and they gave me a bunch of numbers if I needed help. I can call them. They were very good. In New York, there are a lot of perks if you’re sick and you need help. They call every day. The Insider: That’s great! Anything else you’d like to say? Nickolas: Be safe The Insider: I am so glad you’re getting better! Thanks so much for doing this interview. The interviewee's name has been changed at his request for personal and professional reasons.

The Insider: Hi Adam! How old are you? Adam: Late 30s. The Insider: Where do you live? Adam: New York City. The Insider:: Why don’t we start by talking about your experience with Covid-19. When did that occur? Adam: I got sick with Covid in March, 2020. The Insider: So right at the beginning of the pandemic, when not much was known about it, right? Adam: Exactly. The Insider: Did you know immediately what was wrong? Adam: Once I started coughing, I suspected it. The Insider: Were you aware of having been exposed to it? Adam: No. The Insider: Were you very sick? Adam: I would say moderately. I was coughing and for a few days, it was difficult to breathe. Like a bad flu. The Insider: Were you tested at the time? Adam: No. But I knew it was Covid, because I lost my sense of smell. The Insider: Did you go to a doctor? Adam: I called a doctor I know, but it wasn’t very useful. Had I not called, nothing would’ve changed. Except maybe it gave me a little peace of mind. The Insider: How many days were you sick? Adam: I was coughing for a good two to three weeks and had other symptoms like fatigue. I felt normal again after about a month. Maybe a month and a half. In that range. The Insider: Did you just rest while you were recovering? There was no medicine to take at that point, right? Adam: I had antibiotics so I took them, mostly out of panic. And just resting. The Insider: So were you able to resume normal life after a month and a half? Adam: Yes. I came out of Covid completely intact with just some damage to my sense of smell. It returned but not fully. The Insider: Did anyone else around you get Covid at the same time? Adam: Yes. My family got Covid. Everyone came out in one piece. The Insider: So did you assume you were immune from there on, or were you worried about catching it again? Adam: I was going back and forth on that constantly. The problem is that nobody knows, so my guess is as good as your guess, or anybody else’s. The Insider: What did you think when the vaccines first came out? Adam: I thought what everybody else thought: Who knows? Maybe they work. Maybe they don’t. My only thought about the vaccine was about their effectiveness in preventing me from getting sick again. The Insider: Had you had an antibody test? Adam: Yes. I got tested. And I had antibodies. I got a few tests. Most recently I got one early this year. And yes I still had antibodies. The Insider: When did you get your first Covid vaccine? Adam: End of April. The Insider: Which one? Adam: Moderna. The Insider: Where did you get it? A hospital or a doctor’s office, or at a pharmacy? Adam: A local pharmacy. The Insider: Did you have an immediate reaction to it? Adam: Yes. I immediately got a little vertigo. But I didn’t think anything of it. I thought it’s probably just a normal side effect of the vaccine. I was extremely wrong. The Insider: How long was it before your second vaccine? Adam: Exactly four weeks, as they recommended. I did everything as the CDC instructed. The Insider: What happened the second time? Adam: I got really bad vertigo. Much worse than after the first vaccine. I thought at the time, “Wow, that really sucks to have this terrible reaction when everyone else seems just fine.” Little did I know the vertigo was nothing compared to what was coming. Two weeks after the shot, I woke up to a loud ringing in my ears. I went to see an urgent care doctor that day. He couldn’t help me. I’ve gone to see a lot of doctors in the past six weeks. All the doctors are clueless. Some are telling me to wait and maybe it will go away. Others don’t know what to say to me. I’ve learned that this is called tinnitus [tin-nit-tus] and there is no cure or medication for it and it’s been wrecking the quality of my life since the day it started. The biggest challenge is falling asleep. Right now I’m only able to fall asleep on sleep medication. The Insider: I’m so sorry! That sounds awful. Adam: I have never felt pain like this in my entire life. It is constant. There is no stopping it. All I can do is mask it with other sounds or music or noise or white noise. But it never stops. This is almost exactly how it sounds: The Insider: While preparing to talk with you, I was reading an interview in Healio with Dr. Gregory Poland, a vaccinologist and the director of the vaccine research group at the Mayo Clinic. He had the same physical reaction to the vaccine as you did. He says that 2,250 other people have gotten tinnitus from the vaccines. Have you read that? Adam: I have read it and I have contacted him and he sent a private email to me. The Insider: What are you doing now about the condition? Adam: I am still figuring it out. It’s still new to me so I am learning different strategies on how to live with it. I’m trying to be around noise as much as possible. I play white noise often when I work. The biggest challenge for me is sleeping. I’ve never had to take pills before in my life for an extended period of time. And now I can’t sleep without sleeping pills. I go to sleep and I want to sleep but the sound is like an alarm clock that stops me from falling asleep. It’s basically torture for me. I’ve spent my whole life falling asleep to silence and generally avoiding loud noise. And now I have to retrain my brain to sleep with white noise, which has to be loud because the sound in my head is loud. So far I have not been able to do so. Only sleeping pills work and they of course have very unpleasant side effects. So far I have not found a successful strategy to cope with it and my whole life is basically on pause. The Insider: Have you talked with other vaccinated people who have had the same reaction? Adam: Yes. I thought that perhaps the fact that I had Covid before is the reason this vaccine had such a crazy reaction for me. But I already know two people, one of whom I know for sure had the Pfizer shot, and they developed exactly what I have and both people never had Covid. So this makes me think that the fact that I had Covid is irrelevant. It’s the vaccine itself that’s causing this insane reaction in a small percentage of people. Though we don’t know how small because they haven’t released any numbers and there are people who are probably not reporting it and just suffering in silence. I have no idea how many people get this and the CDC is not telling us. I don’t know if it’s 1 out of 1,000 or 10,000 or 100,000. The Insider: Is this something Moderna and Pfizer should be warning the public about? Adam: Absolutely! I can’t emphasize this enough. Though I doubt anyone would get this vaccine if they knew this could happen to them. It’s like, will you go swimming if there’s a 1% chance of a shark being in the water? But at the same time I also want to say I’m not an anti-vaxxer. The vaccines save some people from death. For me this thing was pure poison, but it is obviously okay for most people. I understand that Covid can also be very dangerous but it seems to me most people survive Covid just fine just like most people survive the vaccine just fine. So I don’t have any recommendations on whether one should take the vaccine or not. I’m not a doctor or an expert on vaccines. I’m just relating my experience. For me it was the biggest mistake I ever made in my whole life. The Insider: I am so sorry! That’s devastating! Is there anything else you would like to add? Adam: I’m just hoping that some genius somewhere will figure out a cure for this curse immediately. And I hope that the FDA quickly passes a new treatment called Lenire that is now available in Europe. It’s expensive but people have said that it helps them, Though it is not a cure, it does seem to provide some relief and audiologists seems excited about it. But FDA has not approved it yet. Personally, this Lenire treatment and a new pill that I know they’re working on are the only things giving me hope right now. My wish is that before you get a vaccine. there was a way to first be tested to see if the vaccine is compatible with your system. We’re all so unique, but they’re keep doing this one-size-fits-all approach on us. I guess this could be applied to all medicine. The era of personalized medicine needs to begin, where we’re all treated according to our own unique biology. TWO WEEKS LATER The Insider: Adam, this is going to be part of this week’s cover story. Adam: Very good. I’m honestly not trying to sway anyone either for or against the vaccine. I just want those who are responsible to acknowledge that it causes this painful side effect, and most of all I want them to tell us how to get rid of it. I just hope the doctors are right and it will go away on its own eventually. The Insider: Has anything happened since we talked? Adam: Yes. Perhaps a very slight improvement in the sound. Maybe I’m just getting used to it a little more, but during the day it bothers me less now. I still can’t sleep without a pill but I found a pill that lets me sleep longer with fewer side effects so that makes me feel better. And I just spoke to a close friend and he told me some news. He just spoke to someone who knows someone who got tinnitus in January from Moderna. And now it’s August and they said they’re feeling better. So obviously this is very encouraging for me. Maybe the doctors are actually right and it’s inflammation that goes away with time. Thankfully, it’s calmed down a bit lately. I don’t hear it as loudly as before. The Insider: Thank goodness you’re feeling a bit better! Adam: Yes, I’ve been feeling more optimistic the last week and especially after what my friend told me yesterday. But until I feel normal it’s all just hopeful thinking. The interviewee's name has been changed at his request for personal and professional reasons.

The Insider: Hi Olivia! Where do you live? ‪Olivia: Manhattan, Upper West Side. The Insider: What kind of work do you do? ‪Olivia: I own some real estate and a business. The Insider: How old are you? ‪Olivia: 39 The Insider: Let’s talk about your life during the pandemic. When it first happened, did you make a lot of changes in your life? ‪Olivia: Not a lot. Just quarantine. Ordering food online. The Insider: You wore a mask? ‪Olivia: Yes of course. After finishing quarantine. The Insider: Did any of your friends or relatives get Covid? ‪Olivia: Yes. Two friends got it. That was a long time ago though. The Insider: Did that affect your own behavior/ Were you more careful after that? ‪Olivia: Yes of course. I was worried that I would give it to others, even after quarantine. The Insider: When did you get vaccinated? ‪Olivia: April, with Moderna. The Insider: Did having the vaccine change your behavior? Did you feel more relaxed about the possibility of getting sick? ‪Olivia: Yes and yes. I thought since I got vaccinated, it would be unlikely that I would get Covid The Insider: When did you get sick? ‪Olivia: I tested positive on August 7. The Insider: Were you surprised? ‪Olivia: Yes. The Insider: Do you know how you got it? Were you exposed to someone who had it? ‪Olivia: Yes. My boyfriend. He got sick on August 3rd The Insider: Was he vaccinated too? Olivia: No. He is trying to get vaccinated now. The Insider: Had that been an issue in your relationship? ‪ Olivia: No. The Insider: Why did he decide originally not to get vaccinated? ‪Olivia: He thought the vaccines came out prematurely, and were pushed out too fast. The Insider: Was that partly a political view? ‪Olivia: Possibly. The Insider: Was he a Trump supporter? ‪Olivia: No. He thinks Trump is stupid. Lol. But he is not Democrat. The Insider: How sick did you get? ‪Olivia: Mild symptoms. I got headaches. Fatigue. Some coughing. Then a few days later, after the headaches were gone, I lost my sense of smell and taste. The Insider: Have they returned now? ‪Olivia: Partially. The Insider: How many days were you sick? ‪Olivia: Only 2 or 3 days. The Insider: Do you think that the vaccine kept your case mild? ‪Olivia: I‘ve heard that’s the case. But I’m not sure. The Insider: What was your boyfriend’s illness like? ‪Olivia: Almost exactly the same symptoms. Headaches. Fatigue. Lost his sense of smell and taste, plus his back hurt. The Insider: Did you and your boyfriend have to quarantine after being sick? ‪Olivia: Yes. I quarantined 10 days; he did 14 days. My doctor told me 10 days is good. The Insider: Do you get another Covid test when you recover, to make sure it’s gone? ‪Olivia: I tried. I went to City MD. But they told me that for up to 3 months, I can still test positive. So they didn’t even test me told me to go home. But I’m not contagious anymore. Also, NYC Test & Trace told me the same thing. The Insider: What does your boyfriend say about the vaccines now? ‪Olivia: He said he will consider getting it after he tests negative, because the doctor said you can still test positive even you are recovered for up to 3 months The Insider: Did the doctor say your boyfriend should have a vaccine now? ‪Olivia: No. His doctor said wait until he tests negative, then get vaccinated. The Insider: Do you plan to get a third shot, a booster shot, when they’re available? ‪Olivia: Maybe. The Insider: Why maybe? ‪Olivia: I feel like I got vaccinated, but it didn’t prevent me from getting sick. So I need to read more and do some research, then make a decision. The Insider: Any final thoughts about your Covid experience? ‪Olivia: I feel like I got “brain fog“ a bit from Covid. My thoughts are-- not as bad as I thought. But I definitely need to be more careful. The Insider: In what ways will you be more careful now? ‪Olivia: Wear a mask, wash my hands and keep my distance. If I am sick, see my doctor ASAP and don’t expose others. People in poor health or even healthy people could die from it. Covid is not a joke. My friend’s young nephew died from It, and he was 25 years old. I also feel like we don’t know 100% about Covid. Lots to learn about it.. The Insider: One more question--does your boyfriend think it was a mistake for him not to get a vaccine originally? ‪Olivia: Yes. He said “Yeah, if I had gotten vaccinated earlier I could have avoided Covid. “ The interviewee's name has been changed at her request for personal and professional reasons.

A Poem by Dr. Barry Lubetkin I took the booster shot Yesterday Six months to the day since the last. Not eight.  Damn eight! Why eight? Vaccine immunity is waning NOW! Delta is surging NOW! The vaccine is less effective for the less-than-healthy and old from the start. We weren’t told. Explain eight NOW! The White House and CDC are out of step. Who leads whom? Inconsistent messages. Israel jabbing arms with boosters months before. My faith and trust are being tested. Breakthroughs used to be joyous. My kid getting math. My patient understanding, after months of uncovering. My favorite ballplayer slugging his way out of his slump. Breakthroughs terrify now. All around, they seem to be happening. Sorry, Doc. Doesn’t help to know that I won’t die. I did it all the right way! I masked...I scrubbed my hands...I stood far away from people I love…I sweated out getting that first vaccine. And now I’m told wait eight months. But wait! Perhaps my impatience is self-serving and premature. In the Bible, eight represents hope and new beginnings. Jesus was resurrected on the eighth day. The menorah burns eight candles for Passover. Jung defined eight personality types. Yikes! I cut the line in defiance of the mystery of the number eight. Now I’ve seen the light! I promise to make peace with Dr. Fauci and his eight months, I will manage my fear and not let it drive me. Barry Lubetkin, Ph.D. is the co-director and co-founder of the Institute for Behavior Therapy in New York City. The Institute for Behavior Therapy is the oldest private cognitive behavior center in the United States.