Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Tantrum
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

Post by Tantrum »

The interstate travel restrictions in my area were lifted enough that I was able to visit my parents for Father's Day weekend in New Hampshire. Masks aren't government mandated in NH like they are here in Rhode Island or in Massachusetts, but most people were wearing them. The portion of NH people not wearing masks didn't seem much higher than the portion of RI and MA people who wear their masks incorrectly. Not many NH people were wearing their masks wrong. Given that 1 out 250 NH residents have tested positive, while 1 out of 65 RI residents have, it may have been safer to be in NH than RI.

At least if someone's not wearing a mask, I notice while they're still far away, so I can try to maintain distance. When some jackass has their nose poking out of their mask, I might not notice until I walk right by. I saw someone walking out of a store in RI with no mask as I was walking in. While I was in the store, I saw that same guy with a mask. So, it looks like the stores are enforcing it and that guy was told to leave and not come back without a mask.

My mom is one of the people providing 24-hour in home care to a 90-something woman who lives down the street. I arrived just as she was leaving her house to start her Friday evening shift. I walked down with her to visit the 90-something lady, and was the only one in the house wearing a mask. Neither the old lady, my mom, or the woman my mom was relieving were wearing any.

I agree with Skyquake and Warcry. A lot of things that are supposed to be fun won't be much fun with covid restrictions, so there's not much point in opening them. A cynical person might think such businesses are being given the green light to reopen so they can't file for government assistance. After all, if the government tells you you can't open, it makes sense for the government to provide compensation. On the other hand, if the government allows you to open, but no one shows up because of covid, that's the free market speaking, and no government compensation is required.
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Denyer
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

Post by Denyer »

Tantrum wrote: Sun Jun 21, 2020 10:53 pmA cynical person might think such businesses are being given the green light to reopen so they can't file for government assistance.
Totally the case here. Plus there'll be an idiotic political decision shortly to relax 2m distancing driven by pubs. I'm just hoping (against experience) that there isn't a move to relax it in other environments where it's practical such as supermarkets.

Fun... I might click-and-collect a Scorponok from Smyths when they arrive in the UK, and I'll probably go and get a couple of car loads of gravel for the garden from a local builders merchant. Pretty much everything else should fit in the parcel bin if it won't go through the letter slot.
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Skyquake87
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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I think once the 2m is relaxed to accommodate pubs etc then other businesses will want to follow suit. Knowing Boris' dunderheadedness, it'll probably be for every business anyway so we can shop our way out of economic disaster. Although with what money, I don't know.

I'm excited for Scorponok. I've been enjoying Transformers and comics a lot more during lockdown. Pleased to see DC have cranked out a full collection of Batman: Knightfall/ Knightquest/ Knightsend so have been enjoying reading that (I know it's not the greatest Batman story, but I was really into it at the time (and liked the audio drama the BBC broadcast) and love the character of Azrael. Couldn't get into his ongoing series though - find Denny O'Neil's writing quite plodding and abrupt when it wraps up various storylines. Wasn't too keen on the whole 'my mum was a monkey' storyline and that).
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Heinrad
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Well, aside from giving me the longest, most stressful, and all around suckiest vacation I've ever had, the plague has finally affected me. Not in getting sick, though.

Because the place where I work hasn't, unsurprisingly, seen their orders bounce back during the pandemic, they decided to let a bunch of people go because at the rate things are going, I wouldn't be called back until next early next year. So, yeah, I got 'seperated'. And while I understand it and don't blame them, it's how they did it.

They sent me a letter. I was fired by postal service.

On the up side, the place I used to work called in May asking if I wanted to come back. So instead of my vacation being extended to infinity, I go back to work Monday.

Although I will miss the air conditioning of the place that fired me.
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Sades
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Apparently some people from the US have been sneaking into Alberta to go vacation in Banff etc by telling the border guards they're driving to Alaska. Surprise idiots, nothing's open.
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Skyquake87
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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That sucks, Heinrad, but I'm glad you've managed to find new employment so quickly!

Here in England (not Britain, as Wales and Scotland are still being a bit more cautious), our relaxed lockdown restrictions and sunny weather saw social distancing go out the window so people could pile onto beaches, celebrate some footballers doing well at football and attend their own riots, stabbings, street parties and illegal raves.

We'll be back in lockdown by 1st July. I reckon.
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Heinrad
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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That completely upends my plan of going to the British consulate in Boston and begging for asylum. That being said, maybe they could ship me to Scotland? Or Wales. I'm not picky.
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Denyer
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Scotland's great (still problems in poorer areas). Wales can be very parochial unless you aim for the big/tourist areas. The main advantage of the not-for-much-longer-UK is that there isn't far between point A and point B.

Yeah, shitty behaviour. There are a lot of companies that won't be getting business in future due to the way they've treated employees.

UK -- catching up with the US for shitty behaviour by people putting other people at risk. Probably at the stage it wouldn't be unreasonable to just fire on crowds of idiots.

Cancelling daily briefings to take some of the heat off falling government public ratings and throwing everyone to the wolves (apart from gym owners and certain other industries who've been left in limbo) with continuing 100+ death tolls a day is one of the shittiest things a British government has done in living memory. Tracing is optional, doesn't support those affected and isn't working.

But they're going to drag it out as long as possible if deaths rise before doing anything.
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/artic ... -very-ugly

Maybe I'm under-thinking this, but I'd imagine if anything it may be more straightforward in the US -- refuse critical vaccinations and health insurance be invalidated.
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Skyquake87
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Heh. Good call. I'm staggered by the anti-vax movement - hasn't helped that the US has taken the MMR/Autism link peddled by Andrew Wakefield to heart, where that's really gained some traction. Not helped, it has to be said, by the Lancet publishing his research in the first place and media outlets here taking it on face value (including Private Eye, who usually know better).

I've no time for these conspiracy theory lunatics. Best we can hope for is they contract the virus themselves to find out whether it's a conspiracy or not. Certainly one way to cleanse and control.
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Clay
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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This is basically an articulation of what I've been thinking for years.

Years of virulent and self-disinterested social and socialization trends, driven by pursuit of profit from/for bad-faith actors, are acting like a tidal force in conjunction with the pandemic to rip everything apart. Put not so fancifully, we're a country of old toddlers.

Deadly virus? Deadly virus I can handle. It's the people that scare me.
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StoneCold Skywarp
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Clay wrote: Sat Jul 18, 2020 11:59 pm It's the people that scare me.
this x1000

Ultimately I just want everyone I know to be safe and protect people around them. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Be more kind.
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Tantrum
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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I know this probably shouldn't be my main takeaway from the essay Clay linked to, but now I'm wondering if the phrase "American Idiot" exists outside of Green Day. Was it a phrase that existed before that album and I just wasn't aware of it, did the band invent a phrase that's entered the lexicon, or do the writers of that website just really like Green Day?

I've been thinking about retiring to Canada when I'm able, which happens to be exactly 12.5 years from today. I've been planning to leave this area when I'm no longer employed here since it's quite close to the water, and I'm worried about dealing with the effects of climate change as a senior. Maybe we'll still be in enough denial by then that I can get a decent price for my house.

I wasn't sure where I'd move to, but with enough of the US in favor of spreading the plague, police brutality, and just generally being dicks to control at least some branches of government most of the time, another country sounds nice. Canada's got universal health care, Toys R Us, and I won't have to learn another language.

Back on topic, I've started calling out people violating mask protocol when I see them in public. One lady had her mask around her chin and pulled it up right away when I said something. I had to stare down another person for a few seconds, but they pulled it up. These were both strangers. There's one guy at work I've had to tell to put on his mask 3 times, including once when he came into my office without it. If I see him without it again, I'm just going to e-mail my supervisor and let him deal with it.

Is steampunk still a thing? Steampunk people should be making covid masks that look like those old-timey plague masks, with the long beaks you stick flowers in so it smells nice. I thought about making one out of an old gas mask I got at an Army/Navy Surplus store, but the goggles wouldn't fit over my glasses. Comic-Con can be back on if everyone cosplays as Overhaul from My Hero Academia.
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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https://eand.co/how-freedom-became-free ... ee33dc6476

Same author -- "I don’t use the term as an insult — the American idiot. I mean it in a precise way, as I try to remind people. For the Greeks, “idiot” carried a precise and special meaning. The person who was only interested in private life, private gain, private advantage. Who had no conception of a public good, common wealth, shared interest. To the Greeks, the pioneers of democracy, the creators of the demos, such a person was the most contemptible of all."

"American Idiot" as a phrase was coined by Green Day AFAIK and it's had over fifteen years as currency, so it's taken on a life of its own.

Masks... don't object particularly, have several, lining with tissue paper at the top mostly stops the steaming up. I'll stick to what I've been doing anyway, which is shopping on average less than once a week in a supermarket I know the layout of at quiet hours in the evening. Just for an additional reason.

It'll be interesting to see what compliance is like after strong messages of ineffectiveness. There were fewer the last time I was in a supermarket than on previous occasions, but the place was relatively empty and the only people not distancing were staff.
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Skyquake87
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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I'm curious too. Government's making it mandatory to wear masks in shops from the 24 July (already had the amusement of being checked I'm old enough to buying alcohol whilst wearing a mask), but quite a lot of people just don't give a f**k and are paying lip service at best. Walked past some kids the other day between bus and train all masked up like a surgeon and got a "really?" comment. Yes really, you super spreaders.

Depends where you are, I guess. City Centres most people seem to be being sensible and distancing as best as possible. Out in the towns, less so.

Still don't fancy going to shops without purposely needing to do so if there's no other option. Pubs/ restaurants don't seem like a good idea to me, although I feel for anyone running one of those businesses in this climate. Am just limiting myself to well trodden routes to work and the supermarket and back. Government seems to be wanting everything back up and running by October and normality by Christmas. Don't think that's particularly realistic, and it'll be interesting to see how things go in winter, when we've got the usual flu issues to contend with. Predicting a second spike - outbreaks recently have been anywhere with a concentration of low paid/ migrant workers (meat processing plants, farms). Local lockdowns will likely help, but can't see this helping getting things back up and running. The whole stop/ start nature of such things will mean most businesses will end up going to the wall.

Brexit seems a bit of a footnote in all this. Think we're idiotic to be ploughing on with that in this climate and things on that front are not going well. Think we'll leave without a deal and be worse off in the short-medium term, despite plans to turn us into a tax haven.
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Civ
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

Post by Civ »

Hello, it's been quite a while. Almost 10 years since my last post. I'm still in Pennsylvania, specifically Pennsyltucky, and personally, I'm taking the COVID virus very seriously. I've restricted places I travel to and I always wear a mask and carry hand sanitizer. I've found that I have changed quite a few of my habits as a result of this pandemic. I always go really late at night to the grocery store to minimize the number of people that tend to shop around that time.

I've never been a bar-hopper or party guy, and I have a natural tendency to avoid large crowds. It's a good thing because it's a mixed bag regarding who takes the virus seriously. The area I live in is very heavily pro-Trump and yes, they're very resistant to wearing masks for whatever odd reason. Even at work, despite my employer instituting a "you must wear a mask if you can't guarantee 6 feet of social distancing" policy, there are a few folks who are resistant or try to bend the rules.
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Within the past couple of weeks, I've come to realize that my safest course of action is to probably just stay inside until there's a vaccine, which hopefully comes sometime next year. I say that not just in reference to viral infection, but also to limiting my contact with people. I went to walmart the other day to do my semi-monthly grocery run, and the amount of people not wearing masks, wearing them improperly, or just vapidly idling in choke points making it impossible to get around them without getting close honestly made me boil.

This goal would be greatly facilitated by actually getting my unemployment payments, which I filed for back on April 10th, but that's still up in the air. I am finally getting robo-calls on the phone asking me if I wish to remain in the queue from when I called back in May, so that's progress I guess.

The other complication is that this country has enough anti-vaxxers to keep Covid19 going for years even with treatment.
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Civ
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Clay wrote: Tue Jul 21, 2020 2:34 am ...grocery run, and the amount of people not wearing masks, wearing them improperly, or just vapidly idling in choke points making it impossible to get around them without getting close honestly made me boil.
This. All of this is what I usually experience during my grocery runs. The last point of folks just standing there and doing nothing while trying to decide for what feels like half an hour is infuriating. I tend to think that people would be more inclined to make a list or an action plan of some kind and just zoom through to get their groceries, but no. Just completely oblivious or perhaps uncaring to other people around them who are waiting for a freaking decision to be made so they can move on. It's utterly mind boggling.
This goal would be greatly facilitated by actually getting my unemployment payments, which I filed for back on April 10th, but that's still up in the air. I am finally getting robo-calls on the phone asking me if I wish to remain in the queue from when I called back in May, so that's progress I guess.
I can empathize with this. My younger brother is going through the same problem.
The other complication is that this country has enough anti-vaxxers to keep Covid19 going for years even with treatment.
Throw in the anti-maskers and the anti-chipping people to make those years on out more likely. I say "anti-chipping" for lack of a better term since I usually hear some of my co-workers talk about that.
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Tantrum
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Sorry to hear that, Clay. I'm pretty lucky here. Yesterday, at Walmart I think I only saw one guy with his mask on his chin, and at the grocery today, only 2. One person apologized when I called her out for not having her mask on, another snapped at me and told me to bother someone else. I'm too much of a coward to start a fight, even though the guy who snapped at me is one of the few people I'm pretty sure I could take. But, I will vote Not Guilty if I'm ever serving jury duty on a case involving a defendant who attacked someone for not wearing a mask.

Covid's killed around 150,000 Americans in about half a year. According to the CDC the leading causes of death for Americans are:
1. Heart disease (650k)
2. Cancer (600k)
3. Accidents (170k)
4. Chronic respiratory disease (160k)
5. Stroke (146k)

So, covid's already the new number 5 with half a year to go. Given current trends, and the large gap between accidents and cancer, covid will be the number 3 killer of Americans this year.

I found a breakdown of cancer that said lung cancer was 142k, breast cancer was 42k, and everything else was less. So, covid's already killed more Americans than any 1 particular cancer. I couldn't find a full breakdown for heart disease, but one kind was around 50% of all cases.


The only way I can understand people not wearing masks is via cartoon, but I'm not sure which one.

There's an episode of Beavis and Butthead where Butthead chokes on a chicken nugget. He can't talk, or breathe. After struggling for a bit, he tries to eat another nugget. He knows something bad is happening, but is too stupid and/or frightened to think of what he should do, so he tries to return to normal hoping everything will be OK.

The other is the Great Divide, the worst episode of Avatar: the Last Airbender. By the way, in addition to all the other reasons f*ck covid, f*ck covid again for making me thing about this sh*tty, sh*tty episode. For those who haven't seen it, the protagonists are trying to help two tribes that've been locked in a classic snobs vs slobs feud for decades. The snobs want help moving their old, the slobs want help moving their sick.

Head snob says to the slobs, "Maybe if you weren't so dirty, you wouldn't be so sick". Head slob replies, "Maybe if you weren't so clean, you wouldn't live to be so old". He actually defends living short, sickly lives as an equally valid lifestyle choice rather than admit the other tribe has a point.


At least I don't work for Rep Gohmert. Politico reported that the Congressman had tested positive for covid, then received an e-mail from Gohmert's office thanking them for letting them know the Congressman had tested positive. That's how they found out they'd possibly been exposed.
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Sades
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Alberta's plan on returning to school is laughable (No classroom size limits, no budget for PPE for teachers, they expect elementary school students to stay masked and stay 2m away from each other on a playground) and so I'll be homeschooling again next year (losing my job turned out to be a good thing I suppose, I would have had to quit anyway). Due to ADDedness, this will probably be terrible. Just terrible. :p It's just grade 2, though, thankfully. Hopefully I don't screw it up too badly.
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