Do you need to vent about things COVID-19?

[Hans Modan]

2 hours ago, Luna Bliss said:

Oh those conservatives and their bravado.  It would be funny if they didn't use it to punish those who are down and out in the world.

Hm, conservatives and their bravado. I suppose you are allowed to say that in the same way I can say: those greedy, selfish socialists with their envy and greed. Did I mention greed? Especially if you believe it’s socialism that keeps people down and out. Which it does. 

I guess those freedoms allow us to confront challenges in ways which make sense to us as individuals. Bit of bravado never goes a miss.

It is part of that training so when confronted with a casualty from whatever affliction, you reassure them, talk to them, encourage them.

And absolutely tell them to fight and hang on in there. Which, of course, is what Raab was very sensibly saying about Johnson. It’s encouragement for the casualty and the family.

Ask any doctor or nurse or first responder or paramedic. Or a parent.

From a child who cuts their figure to a road traffic accident victim to someone who has IED injuries, reassure them and absolutely don’t judge them - or the medic - on their politics.

 

 

 

[LittleMe Jewell]

Last Friday our Governor requested that everyone wear some sort of mask when going out in public.  I went to Walgreens and the grocery store this afternoon and was actually surprised that only 1/4 - 1/3 of the folks had any sort of mask/face covering on -- including the people working in those places.

*sigh*

 

[FairreLilette]

2 hours ago, Luna Bliss said:

The worst offender was the World Health Organization, which didn’t side with “facts” and “science” in the early days of the pandemic: It followed its own political imperatives and sided with China, accepting false and propagandistic assessments and ignoring crucial evidence because it came from Taiwan and not Beijing.

Thanks for posting the article, Luna.  Yes, the spam has been bad and it takes me a long to clear cookies.

I just quoted the above because I am just hearing about this...and more.

The blame game is in full force right now and it's just exhausting to keep reading and keep up on things changing as rapidly as they are in this mess right now.

I do, however, believe whole-heartedly that the wet markets need to be dealt with severely as these zoonotic diseases have been known for a long time.  There just is a health hazard involved when dealing with raw meat in the best of conditions, and these wet markets are frankly Barbaric.  And then the people running these exotic gaming farms have the unmitigated gall to say "we will lose our livelihood".  Oh good grief, what do you think you just did to most of the world.  And as far as just speaking about truth alone as referenced in the New York Times article, no more cover ups about the wet markets!  No more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   That's what I want to scream.  I am so screaming furious at the bleep bleep cover-ups of the wet markets.   

Edited April 7, 2020 by FairreLilette

[SpiritSparrow Skydancer]

Nope, I'm good.

[Luna Bliss]

1 hour ago, Hans Modan said:

Hm, conservatives and their bravado. I suppose you are allowed to say that in the same way I can say: those greedy, selfish socialists with their envy and greed. Did I mention greed? Especially if you believe it’s socialism that keeps people down and out. Which it does.

There are numerous scientific studies demonstrating (sometimes suggesting) that the brains of liberals and conservatives differ. Conservatives especially have trouble with fear responses (one can actually view this through imaging equipment), and they more easily mount a kind of defense or denial (which would include bravado as a coping mechanism). Plus they have less empathy. You can research all this, though some studies are behind paywalls.

I don't really care that they differ and even have some sympathy for them, especially since they can't help how their brain is structured. But when they use this to make policies that hurt disadvantaged people then I have a problem with it as these policies cause much suffering and even death.
It's very easy to look up policies in many countries (I guess we're talking mainly about the UK and the USA here) and see that conservatives in power give less to the poor and funnel more to the wealthy. Like I said before, conservatives tend to view poverty more as a moral failing and so feel less-inclined to help, and they overestimate the ability of some to make it without some assistance. Plus some have an unreasonable faith in the market to solve all problems (it's almost like a religion for some).

[Luna Bliss]

35 minutes ago, FairreLilette said:

the wet markets need to be dealt with severely as these zoonotic diseases have been known for a long time.  There just is a health hazard

Yes this is really a problem (wet markets), and I'd have to add that human encroachment on nature (no need for a virus to use humans to spread if they have plenty of chances in other animals) also contributes to the problem. As well as our CAFO's (concentrated animal feeding operations). If I remember right, the CAFO's were thought to play a part in one outbreak some years ago.
https://www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/cafo/index

[LittleMe Jewell]

3 hours ago, Seicher Rae said:

4 hours ago, Luna Bliss said:

IN THE FOG OF CORONAVIRUS THERE ARE NO EXPERTS

Well, yes and no. Some are much more expert than others. Scientists have been studying coronaviruses in people and animals for a long time. True, "we're" still scratching our collective heads on this version, but there are definitely experts that I would listen to waaaaaaaaay before, say le enfant terrible Cheeto vs someone from say John Hopkins. Basically anyone over FOX, etc.

Not even the folks that do the models can agree.  Here is an article about 3 different models that were created for Colorado -- and all 3 of them are considered valid by various groups of people.

https://coloradosun.com/2020/04/07/colorado-coronavirus-cases-models/

 

I've decided that it is all a total crap shoot.  

 

[Lancewae Barrowstone]

The medical advisors to the White House, Drs. Birx and Fauci, admit the IMHE data projections they have been using to advise the President are eering hugely on the high side of expectated hospital & equipmernt demands, as compared to actual data coming in now from all the states.  They used those projections in order to be most aggressive in meeting the COVID19 threat here in the U.S.. You can't blame them; the responsibility was placed on their shoulders for advise, and they do not plan to fail it.

Here is an example, for everyone's information, of the differences when comparing those IMHE projections to the current daily data so far (seen in the green line):

 

I was referred over to a Mark Levin Podcast from last Friday (4/02/20) that laid out a comparison (done by Sean Davis and John Solomon) of those IMHE projections, with some actual random state data available now.  The model predicted that in the U.S. over 121,000 people would be hospitalized by that day (4/02/20), when the actual number was 31,142. 

So, the researchers decided to look at some state data to learn more.  The model predicted that by that day 

 in Texas 1716 would be hospitalized, when the final number was 196,

in Georgia 2777 would be hospitalized when it was 962,

in Virginia 670 would be hospitalized when the final number was 305,

and in NY 50,962 were projected to be hospitalized by COVID-19 when the actual number was 18,368.       

 

These data are compiled and found here >> https://covid19.healthdata.org/projections

Hyperbole aside, politics aside, broad characterizations of people you don't really know aside.., let's hope this trend continues at FAR below expectations. 

~ Cheers

 

[Beth Macbain]

18 minutes ago, Lancewae Barrowstone said:

You can't blame them; the responsibility was placed on their shoulders for advise, and they do not plan to fail it.

I thought Jared had everything under control. He read a book or something. 

Probably had pictures...

[Seicher Rae]

43 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

Not even the folks that do the models can agree.  Here is an article about 3 different models that were created for Colorado -- and all 3 of them are considered valid by various groups of people.

https://coloradosun.com/2020/04/07/colorado-coronavirus-cases-models/

 

I've decided that it is all a total crap shoot.  

 

I believe we are talking apples and oranges here, and I did say "yes and no" to your other post. It isn't all crap, but no one person has "the" answer yet. And a lot of people, especially in leadership roles, haven't got a clue and they are quite happy with that fact as are the people who give 'em the Hardship Bump.

Edited April 8, 2020 by Seicher Rae

[Beth Macbain]

COVID, YOU MONSTROUS, EVIL, VILE PIECE OF SH*T!

Now I'm mad and sad and horrified and... damn it, why'd it have to be John Prine?!

[Seicher Rae]

Funny how being isolated doesn't make pedantic mansplaining any more pleasant to experience.

(Mansplaining can be done by both men and women equally and is frequently done by both in the Forum.) <--mansplaining mansplaining (ETA)

Edited April 8, 2020 by Seicher Rae

[Luna Bliss]

[Evangeline Ling]

5 minutes ago, Beth Macbain said:

COVID, YOU MONSTROUS, EVIL, VILE PIECE OF SH*T!

Now I'm mad and sad and horrified and... damn it, why'd it have to be John Prine?!

 

OMG that is so sad... what a truly beautiful human being John was too 😢

[Tolya Ugajin]

7 hours ago, Luna Bliss said:

There are some situations where more power is called for by leaders, and other times it is not.  All situations are not the same.

Not to Godwin the thread, but that is pretty much how people in 1930's Germany felt.

Those who are willing to give up a bit of freedom (in this case a fairly large amount) in exchange for a bit more safety often end up with neither.  There are enough examples in history of leaders being given power to "save the people" and the people end up regretting it, yet here we are, in 2020, assuming it cannot happen to us.

If you don't think it can happen here, a fairly powerful member of Congress said this of the Coronavirus situation:  "‘Tremendous Opportunity to Restructure Things to Fit Our Vision".  If that's not a "leader" using peoples' fears to grab power - power in no way linked to the pandemic or providing relief - then I'm not really sure what is.  Yet relief was held up for several days while the most egregious attempts at "restructuring" we debated and knocked out and extra pork for pet projects (again, with no relation to Covid) were added in.  Those are the leaders you wish to give more power.

[Tolya Ugajin]

1 hour ago, Lancewae Barrowstone said:

The medical advisors to the White House, Drs. Birx and Fauci, admit the IMHE data projections they have been using to advise the President are eering hugely on the high side of expectated hospital & equipmernt demands, as compared to actual data coming in now from all the states.  They used those projections in order to be most aggressive in meeting the COVID19 threat here in the U.S.. You can't blame them; the responsibility was placed on their shoulders for advise, and they do not plan to fail it.

Here is an example, for everyone's information, of the differences when comparing those IMHE projections to the current daily data so far (seen in the green line):

 

I was referred over to a Mark Levin Podcast from last Friday (4/02/20) that laid out a comparison (done by Sean Davis and John Solomon) of those IMHE projections, with some actual random state data available now.  The model predicted that in the U.S. over 121,000 people would be hospitalized by that day (4/02/20), when the actual number was 31,142. 

So, the researchers decided to look at some state data to learn more.  The model predicted that by that day 

 in Texas 1716 would be hospitalized, when the final number was 196,

in Georgia 2777 would be hospitalized when it was 962,

in Virginia 670 would be hospitalized when the final number was 305,

and in NY 50,962 were projected to be hospitalized by COVID-19 when the actual number was 18,368.       

 

These data are compiled and found here >> https://covid19.healthdata.org/projections

Hyperbole aside, politics aside, broad characterizations of people you don't really know aside.., let's hope this trend continues at FAR below expectations. 

~ Cheers

 

Scientists are human, and nobody wants their model to under-predict, especially since the more extreme your prediction, the more likely you'll end up on CNN (or Fox for that matter).

My own model is that 100% of the population will end up getting it, and 3% of them will die from it, while 97% of the population will die of something else.  Some of that 97% will die of domestic violence (skyrocketing under the shelter-at-home policies, according to the NY Times) or murdered by people being released from jails (those stories are starting to trickle in), but, on the plus side, traffic fatalities are down, as apparently are burglaries and property crime.

[Lancewae Barrowstone]

No, actually the social distancing is working.

It's demonstrable statistically:

And oddly, you'll notice the progression line in the graphs below are very close to the real data tracking shown in my post above.  Let's hope this holds. I love to see good data prevail. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/fj4bhn/oc_infection_growth_rate_due_to_random_movement/

Edited April 8, 2020 by Lancewae Barrowstone
add video

[LyricalBookworm]

I will apologize from the outset since my little story of woe is rather pathetic, but it was profound for me. I think I'm having a pity party and I'm rather disgusted with myself for it.

I was watching the latest clips from a "Late Night With Seth Meyers " on YouTube. I love that show. It usually makes me smile. Not tonight though. I started sobbing because the host Seth Meyers got this look towards the end of one clip that was pure worry and fear although he was trying hard to keep things light hearted. The thing that really hit home for me is although I'm deaf, I can still hear certain tones. His voice cracked and a look of uncertainty came across his face as he told his viewers that they all loved us.

I wanted to reach out and hug him because how difficult must it be to try to make light of something that can cause such dreadful fear and devastation. 

I've cried over our healthcare workers and those who have gotten sick...and those we have lost...but not so hard as I did tonight. I don't know if this should have hit me so hard, but it did. 

Please take care all of you because no matter our differences, we are still a community. 💕

[Amina Sopwith]

8 hours ago, Hans Modan said:

And absolutely tell them to fight and hang on in there. Which, of course, is what Raab was very sensibly saying about Johnson. It’s encouragement for the casualty and the family.

Oh bollocks is that what he was saying. He was doing that trite, insensitive, out of touch, patronising and offensive crap (he's Raab, after all) whereby one implies that living or dying rests on whether or not one has the moral character required for it. Perhaps the people you ask about it can include the family of those people who apparently died because they didn't "fight" enough, as opposed to because there were too many cancer cells or their heart stopped working or there was too much COVID-19 fluid in their lungs. I'm a parent (thank God it's not my child who's died, just more or less everyone else) and you can ask ME if you like, and I say it's offensive bullcrap.

"Come on, stay positive" is an utterly different mentality to "He'll be all right because he FIGHTS". I don't much like the former anyway for other reasons, but it's not a slap in the face to every casualty of this horror.

Johnson will have to fight anyway after all those years of underfunding the NHS and the nurses in whose care he now rests.

Edited April 8, 2020 by Amina Sopwith

[Amanda Crisp]

I get annoyed when I go to a club and the DJ is non-stop bringing the whole CV-19 thing into Second Life.

I’m considered an Essential Worker, meaning I have to go out in public daily and take my chances.

SL is my little Reality Break and his constant Coronavirus dialogue and doomsaying were SERIOUSLY harshing my SL Buzz 🙂

So I turned off the SL music stream, turned on my favorite iTunes mix and took my SL back.

Funny, I like this DJ better when I’m picking the tunes......

Can Mimes make it as DJs in SL ?

 

 

[Cindy Evanier]

1 minute ago, AmandaKeen said:

I get annoyed when I go to a club and the DJ is non-stop bringing the whole CV-19 thing into Second Life.

I feel the same about hey we are having a sale in SL just for you people staying at home because of the virus.  Nope, you are using the virus to promote your brand. 

[Amina Sopwith]

Here, Ian Dunt says it too so I know I'm right.

[Nalates Urriah]

7 hours ago, FairreLilette said:

...

I do, however, believe whole-heartedly that the wet markets need to be dealt with severely as these zoonotic diseases have been known for a long time.  of the wet markets.   

...

The wet-markets were the invention of hungry people. The communist system started in 1949 and today it has made vast improvements, according to Chinese politicians, in providing food. For a time China had famine year after year. Most only know about the Great Famines with million died. Now only 150 million are malnourished and the starving live in the outback.

It is only the Communist and Socialist systems that can perpetuate a system that consistently cannot feed its citizens. 70+ years and while they strive to be a world power the lower levels of society lack food.

Fixing the wet-markets will require people be fed first.

55 minutes ago, Lancewae Barrowstone said:

No, actually the social distancing is working.

It's demonstrable statistically:

I disagree. What numbers we have at this point are suffering from selection-bias, inconsistent and unrealistic death reporting, undersized data samples, and deliberate disinformation.

Everyone is thinking one direction, how to prevent. If you turn your thinking around and figure out the best way to spread the virus then look at what we are doing... and consider what we have been told by WHO and CDC it begins to look like we are being manipulated.

Since it looks more and more like estimates are way too dire by factors of hundreds and yet the virus seems to be airborne. So, if we were to try and spread it the most effective way to meet those 'huge' estimates would be to have large numbers of people spend time in an enclosed building once a week, week after week. Think grocery stores and gas stations. Small business offices without walk in customers are way safer, but these small businesses are what we closed. It isn't scientific... what we are doing.

China - no human-to-human spread. WHO - no human-to-human proof and stuck with it into February. CDC - saying masks are no protection into early April...

[Mollymews]

13 minutes ago, Nalates Urriah said:

Since it looks more and more like estimates are way too dire by factors of hundreds and yet the virus seems to be airborne. So, if we were to try and spread it the most effective way to meet those 'huge' estimates would be to have large numbers of people spend time in an enclosed building once a week, week after week. Think grocery stores and gas stations. Small business offices without walk in customers are way safer, but these small businesses are what we closed. It isn't scientific... what we are doing

which enclosed spaces are safe and which are not, is not the rationale for closing non-essential  business premises. The rationale is to minimise travel to and from those spaces outside of our homes. Which is working where I live

[Luna Bliss]

4 hours ago, Amina Sopwith said:

Here, Ian Dunt says it too so I know I'm right.

Never fear, Amina...these strong supernatural he-men will guide us through these troubled waters...