Monday, December 6, 2021

Well, that didn't take long!

November 3:

Taiwan will not mandate birdemic pecks: CECC

CECC says Taiwanese have right to reject peck

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In response to a recent incident in which an elementary student athlete was rejected from joining a school team for not having been fully pecked, Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) reaffirmed on Wednesday (Nov. 3) that Taiwan will not mandate birdemic pecks.

[. . .]

The CECC encourages people to get pecked but will not mandate pecks, Chen said, adding that the center does not want to see people lose rights inherent to them because they chose not to get the pecks, according to the report.

December 5:

Essential workers urged to get second peck before Dec. 17

Taipei, Dec. 5 (CNA) Essential workers in certain government-regulated industries will need proof of a second birdemic peck administered before Dec. 17 beginning Jan. 1, the CECC (Central Epidemic Command Center) announced Sunday.

At a press briefing, CECC spokesperson Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said that the tightened rules would include requiring workers attached to certain ministries to be fully pecked by Jan. 1, with at least 14 days between receiving their second peck and their first day of work.

Those employed by or working in institutions under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), and the Ministry of Labor (MOL) will be covered by the CECC's new regulations.

What happened between Nov. 3 and Dec. 5 to make the Tooth Fairy change his mind? Well, there have been 130 birdemic-related deaths in Taiwan in that period: 1 from the birdemic itself and 129 from peck side effects. Obviously, the solution is to force more people to get pecked! Look how well that's working for every other country in the world.

As a teacher and school owner, I am subject to the Ministry of Education. I am weighing my options, of which I need scarcely say that getting pecked myself is not one. Your prayers are much appreciated.

5 comments:

A said...

I am sorry William, I just found out minutes ago all the teachers at our private Catholic school are being told the peck is also mandated. One of our friends may quit.

I have another acquaintance, father of 9, who caught Covid and drove himself to the hospital rather than seeking home treatment. They put him on remdesivir - he immediately declined and his wife was told today he’ll probably die.

I will pray for you all.

A said...

I think it isn’t widespread knowledge yet that the monetary kickbacks from Covid (rather large) transformed hospitals into death factories. Remdesivir is worth a large 20% incentive on top of the other Covid kickbacks.

For example, we were told of an elderly woman on end life care, and the nurses wouldn’t stop pestering to test her for Covid all day long which the caregiver kept refusing. Why? A positive test is worth 100,000 or so even if the death is totally unrelated.

Francis Berger said...

Sorry, I worded the original comment incorrectly.

They're doing the same here in Central Europe. As you know, Austria has gone full out totalitarian. Here in Hungary, the government has mandated pecks for all teachers. About fifteen to twenty percent are expected to quit as a result. If that happens, education in Hungary will be severely affected.

Many universities have followed suit concerning the peck. The one I work at here is still officially on the fence, but I am expecting the announcement to drop any time.

I'll pray for you.

Bruce Charlton said...

I think the key is to hang on a keep resisting As Long As Possible. The future is far from determined; and the situation may be very different in three months time.

It might be better and the policy pulled-back; or things might be a lot worse so that everybody has forgotten about the peck - in which case the peck will either make no positive difference to what you are allowed, or the effects will make coping that much harder.

The main thing is to do the right thing as much as possible for as long as possible; because we do not know what will happen tomorrow; and because that tactic gives divine providence its greatest scope for helping.

Wm Jas Tychonievich said...

Thanks for the comments and prayers, everyone.

"The main thing is to do the right thing as much as possible for as long as possible; because we do not know what will happen tomorrow; and because that tactic gives divine providence its greatest scope for helping."

Yes, that's my approach as well. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

In fact, this government decision ended up being reversed the very next day.

Happy 85th birthday, Jerry Pinkney

Poking around a used bookstore this afternoon, I felt a magnetic pull to a particular book, which, when I took it down from the shelf, turne...