JanuarySwan

Thank you! The problem of going the "nature's way" route or trying to achieve natural herd immunity via developing antibodies naturally alone, many plagues - you mentioned the black plague - 50 million people died/60% of Europe. Other plagues had terrible outcomes too prior to vaccines. This is nature's way. Thank God we have the ability to create vaccines now. If social distancing and shelter in place did not happen, I don't know how many would have died. The health care system could not have handled it. The PPE needs to be readied and appropriately funded though as there may be a second "wave".

There is just so much going on right now Luna, I don't think I want to get into this now. But, New Zealand is not a country of over 300 million people. New Zealand is less population than the largest counties of California...just one county. So He'd be like a mayor here in America. As far as some of "the poor" being over-looked that is not a true statement. There are many programs for the poor here. The homeless and those who are the drug-addict homeless are the biggest challenges as many don't want help; they want their drugs/booze. We have a huge drug problem in some states in America that needs to be addressed. As far as health care, paid maternity leave, longer vacations - those are up to most businesses. Many perks have been taken away from Americans because of businesses who are exporting and importing cheaper labor who do without those perks - those don't have anything to do with the government. I don't believe socialism is going to happen any time soon. I think Biden is going to win. So, this is what the next four years will be. Time to see how we can improve programs within this structure.

I don't know much about the black plaque and how it stopped...some of these things in history seem surreal since we weren't there. But, maybe they should update the term to "vaccinating the herd" because that is really what will make us immune. The problem is in America there are times vaccines are not mandatory. Plus, Covid-19 is vicious in that even if we've had it we don't know how long the antibodies will last. And even with the first vaccine it's thought it may not be enough which kind of eludes to almost admitting the antibodies don't last all that long. Our herd may need several vaccines. From what I've heard pretty much across the board though is it could be a couple of years before herd immunity (and even this does not include all as some may decline to have a vaccine) but since most of the herd will be vaccinated, it's thought there shouldn't be too many cases nor spread any longer. G'nite.

This has been talked about in America. That is why everyone is currently being tested now even if there are no symptoms in the thought that those who test negative can go back to work perhaps. We don't have any antibody tests yet that I know of. However, children in America are developing an inflammatory disease from Covid-19 that is a bit scary. I'm logging off now but you may be able to find the above about the inflammatory disease in children from Covid-19 on the internet. If not, I'll look tomorrow for a link. This disease is just out of control. I wish I had better news than to tell you about this inflammatory disease situation after all we've all been through.

Not from what I understand. Herd immunity means vaccines only, targeted vaccines that make us immune, even if we need more than one injection for several years. Infection and it's antibodies may make us immune for a little while but if we went mingling all about, it would be like herd culling because we have no sustained immunity known yet plus we can spread the virus before we even have symptoms. That is why herd immunity takes years but it's only through vaccines that we can achieve it (immunity) as the term herd immunity goes....which maybe should be called "vaccinating the herd" for a better term. Anyhow, this is the thought for this virus...it's considered vicious...we don't even know how long we can be immune yet even if we had it.

Yes, I wrote more in my post and we must have posted at the same time. The vaccine isn't here yet that is why herd immunity could take a few years, maybe a little less...it's impossible to know. Where we stand today, without a vaccine, it is like herd culling now. Herd immunity means vaccines not nature and perhaps a better term would be "vaccinating the herd"...but, we both know, there isn't one yet.

I think that would be the opposite of herd immunity. Herd culling is what would happen if there were no vaccine, I'd think? Herd immunity is about vaccines and has been around in America since the 1930's, so it isn't anything new here...just maybe the first time some of us are talking about it/hearing about it. So, "vaccinating the herd" would probably be a better term. Without a vaccine though, it would be like herd culling, and that is where we stand today.

Luna, she doesn't sound so gentle, wise, nor full of a certain kind of soul? I don't know anyone in America who wishes the worst for their neighbors nor anything else she said. She sounds hateful, frankly...and/or has some kind of agenda. I'm glad she's not in America's government whoever she is. Read below:

I don't know. I think it's far too early to make a call about a vaccine or herd immunity. It may take a few years to develop herd immunity. May of 2020 is a far piece off from a few years. None of us has a crystal ball. America may have an experimental vaccine at the end of this year for 300 million people. Whether an experimental vaccine available in America happens or not at the end of 2020...I'd need a crystal ball for that. It's too much to speculate on. As far as human DNA we are all 99% alike; the other 1% of us is mostly our genetic make-up and determines how we look for example as well as other hereditary traits. But with our DNA being 99% alike, I think UCLA has some brilliant minds at work. I think herd immunity will happen as our monoculture may very well exist in our DNA...we are almost all exactly alike - 99% of us is. I think we could be entering a biotech boom of historic proportions with greater understanding than we've ever had before. But, get that G------d*m PPE stocked in the mean time! (adding - the last part is my vent.) If I may ask, are you from Britain? And, where did you get this idea that herd immunity will not work? Another poster earlier also said this. This is frankly not true that herd immunity will not work. It's been working since the 1930's. From John Hopkins: How have we achieved herd immunity for other infectious diseases? Measles, mumps, polio, and chickenpox are examples of infectious diseases that were once very common but are now rare in the U.S. because vaccines helped to establish herd immunity. We sometimes see outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in communities with lower vaccine coverage because they don’t have herd protection. (The 2019 measles outbreak at Disneyland is an example.) For infections without a vaccine, even if many adults have developed immunity because of prior infection, the disease can still circulate among children and can still infect those with weakened immune systems. This was seen for many of the aforementioned diseases before vaccines were developed. Other viruses (like the flu) mutate over time, so antibodies from a previous infection provide protection for only a short period of time. For the flu, this is less than a year. If SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is like other coronaviruses that currently infect humans, we can expect that people who get infected will be immune for months to years, but probably not their entire lives. https://www.jhsph.edu/covid-19/articles/achieving-herd-immunity-with-covid19.html

I just wanted to say one thing and leave it at that...many of us know about herd immunity, Nalates. We're all hoping to get there with the least amount of causalities as we possibly can. And that's all I wanted to say about it, okay? But, if you want to talk more about herd immunity...you know where the other thread is now.

Thank you Dismantled. Yes, I do feel "trapped". I think there are many of us who could use a change of scenery. I feel like I need a change of scenery for more than a few hours though. But, I know there is nothing I can do right now but "hang in there". I don't see the fog lifting any time soon for clear sailing for me to be somewhere else and feel free from here for awhile. It's not a good feeling.

Maybe it needed a General Audience rating so the whole family could watch. It may not have anything to do with Second Life being left behind.

Concerned. I'm a bit concerned about the medication and treatment for those other than those who have coronavirus. I know some hospitals have begun to resume some heart surgeries and that's about all I know for now. As for me, I've been waiting for eye drops for two weeks now going into three weeks. I've never experienced anything like this before. I am okay. I still have the old eye drops which are helping just a bit but I am pretty sure the eye drops are expired as they certainly don't work like they used to. It just has me concerned. I am also concerned about the person posting threads to spew a bunch of hateful messages on this forum. I know they will be deleted but it seems to take forever for the mods to show up to remove the "troll". This person spewing hate, the word troll does not cover it. It is something else. Some say spammer but it's not that either. Hater perhaps it should be called. I don't know how this person keeps getting on here? I feel I need a change of scenery and I don't know how to do that because I don't know what I need. I feel like I need a vacation.

I thought that be might a kind of preppy corduroy. So I looked it up. Probably not in California...too mellow there. East Coast Uni most likely.

Yeah, I gotta 3rd the inworld classes. There is a group listed inworld that is Gimp specific so you may want to check there too to see if the Gimp Help group is currently active.

He's imagining it. So, what else is missing, Gopi.... Strip Poker?

I posted in another thread my thoughts about Fortnite Party Royale as compared to Second Life. First off, "the makers" of Fortnite have made their "game" to run on just about everything including phones. Therefore, if Fortnite Party Royale offers tools to build like Second Life, it's going to have to be very rudimentary and very simple to "run on everything". Plus the makers of Fortnite Party Royale and/or it's predicessor - Fortnite, it's thing is easy access, easy access, easy access...to me it looks as though they care nothing of the quality of the avatars which look like a balloon to me. If Fortnite Party Royale didn't run on everything, it wouldn't think it was on it's way to being the metaverse. The Forbes article makes no mention about the quality of the user content made in Second Life, just that Fortnite Party Royale will offer the ability to create user content and sell/buy the content like Second Life but says nothing of the quality they will offer. With Fortnite it appears they have made a fortune selling real life toys - that's how this "game" has made it's fortune. Plus, with 12-year-olds allowed on a game called Fornite Party Royale, I don't think it will last too long with parents. I would not let my 12-year-old nor teen be involved in a game called Fortnite Party Royale. I think the makers of this Party Royale thing are going to flop...maybe not at first, but eventually.

Which leads to the wiff of the cannabis as it's legally being passed and the beer bottles being cracked open. I don't drink beer so I dunno how they open.

The smell of Fall in the air?

I understand. What I wanted to say is, there's no unity here. One wears a mask; one doesn't. It's 50/50 for a mask where I am and I'm in an area that is considered not under control yet. And, with so many not wearing a mask...is it any wonder it's not under control yet where I live? Throws up hands. I was hoping to see my sister this coming week as we both were tested recently. Hers is negative. Mine, I'm awaiting the results by Tuesday. I have no symptoms so I'm sure mine will be negative also. However, I'm in an area were lockdown is pretty strict; she's in an area where lockdown is easing. I fear more for her than me right now. My getting together with my sister will have to wait a while. We don't know how long yet before we can see each other, but awhile. We both wear our masks, gloves and have hand sanitizer so we thought it possible but just having the test that we are negative does not mean we cannot get it. But, my sister and I did not want to party; it was about her helping me carry a lot of supplies into my home. I wanted to stock up on some things that would hold me over until at least next Spring. All my laundry detergents, cleaners, soaps, grooming products, etc. I don't have a car at this time so I needed her help. I looked up laundry detergent for delivery to my residence - starts at about $35 dollars for the product I want. It's more expensive to shop online but I am going to do it. But, how do I feel? I feel sad but am willing to deal with the reality of all of this. I miss my family and friends.

Prolly...lol. Well, probably not set correctly then on a rent-a-house kind of sim with a lot of houses. The surrounding landscapes are too pretty sometimes not to take a stroll every now and then but don't get too close or the orbs kick. Silly for these kinds of sims. I like to visit with the neighbors when we can via sim events or such.

I never thought of that "the sit hack". But, in regards to the security orb. When I was new I was only outside the yard and by the fence when I was kicked out and I only wanted to look at it because it was a lovely home. I thought it was rude to kick someone who is only looking at a home on the sim's pathway, not even the home's pathway. By sim's pathway I mean, a sim of a rent-a-house sim with a lot of houses. This is the main sim's pathway, not the home owner's pathway.

I can't argue there. I'd say that's very true. Plus, with the name Fortnite Party Royale it almost sounds to me like it would be for adults. A party royale for 12 year olds and up? I don't know about that. Not with my kid anyhow because a Fortnite is two weeks...that's like saying a two week party...with 12 year olds? Not in my home.

So teens would build like Second Life with homes and they'd have their own currency like Second Life. Personally, I don't think teens could build some of the user content that is available here in SL in regards to mesh. So, it would probably be very rudimentary and most likely not very attractive plus it would need to be very basic to "run on everything" and be "easy access" as Fortnite has set up. A lot of the user created content in SL looks like it took years of schooling and work to get to the level some have reached here (speaking of mesh). I think Fortnite thinks it will be the metaverse because it runs on just about everything and it's easy which for me doesn't mean attractive, not for artists or those who enjoy the arts. Plus, no sex. It's not like SL, it's just modeling some things after Second Life. But, hey, Second Life got publicity in Forbes magazine. But, it has nothing to do with the quality of Second Life user content, it's only modeling it by just making available the ability to create user content and to sell/buy the content.

I don't know anything about a TEEN emblem because I am not involved in any other worlds besides SL. But, I was wondering the same thing regarding the sex. The article doesn't say, but suggests something more along the lines of being able to make user content. Excerpt From the Forbes Article: -------------------------------------------------------- Fortnite has pretty much all the pieces it needs for its own version of Second Life. With Party Royale, it has a combat-free hub where you can’t destroy anything and you just hang out playing minigames and attending events. With Fortnite Creative, you have an infinite hub of user-generated content that could be used to populate expansions to that initial world. Combine those two together, and what do you have? Really all the building blocks you need for a virtual world in the Unreal engine. How long until Epic starts letting players build their own houses in an expanding Party Royale zone? How long until creators can sell their custom works to other players, creating an in-game economy? My guess for both, not long.