Woodwind player here. This shit has been plaguing the music world for a while. Some school bands are seriously making their kids put their saxophones in trash bags because they're so fucking scared of the coof coming out of the tone holes. Thankfully some of the higher level orchestras are letting the winds play without that nonsense, but the strings/percussion are still masked even in them.
As a flutist I refuse to wear any of this nonsense. If it means no one will hire me then so be it; I'll make my own little MAGA orchestra with sane musicians.
Edit: Actually have been considering trying to find a couple of other local concert musicians who aren't totally deluded. Might start seeing if I can't recruit a few folks.
Man that's disappointing to hear. At this point I'm not really worried about the death rate at all. But what does still concern me is that lung stuff you're describing.
I'm a concert musician that focuses on woodwinds (flute, clarinet, oboe, etc.) so lung damage like you describe that ruins my career would honestly, in some ways, be a fate worse than death. And yet lung damage seems to be the one thing most people don't really discuss as much or gloss over, with most people focusing on mortality rate.
I don't know. I'm still anti-mask, but it's so fucking annoying how, even if it isn't deadly and doesn't sound any worse than a headcold, for me it could still potentially ruin my livelihood.
Still having thanksgiving with the fam though.
Just got into it with a family member. She truly, honest to god believes that there is no fraud whatsoever and blames the right for everything. No exaggeration either; she literally consumes CNN almost exclusively, and loves watching Lemon and the like just to snicker and giggle at their little jabs at the D. It's like a religion to her and the others. It's just so baffling how people can honestly fall for this. Like, a lot of people here have commented that the reason Biden's count is even as high as it is is because, duh, fraud, but the fact that there's people like my family who are genuinely and unquestionably brainwashed... It's just disappointing. It's disappointing to look at someone and just know they're so far gone, and for what? There was no good reason.
Fellow Texan here. While I will give FL much applause, I'll most certainly never abandon my home. Sure, I believe there's times when it's better to just cut your losses and run for the hills, but I really believe there's still a fighting chance here. It just seems like morale in Texas has been extra low as of late, but me (and I'm sure more than a few others) are still willing to fight, and indeed have been doing whatever we can.
So yeah, FL's cool, but TX is still where my heart is and always will be <3