pp4me wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 4:34 pm
Here are two headlines one right after the other on Google News....
"New mutation indicates that the coronavirus might be weakening, study says"
"Study reports mutant coronavirus. It may be more contagious"
My suggestion for whoever at Google decides what stories to link to and what the headlines are going to be is that if the headline is going to contain the words "might be" or "may be" or "could be" then it's useless information that is going to do nothing but get us all confused. So don't even bother posting it unless you have some actual facts to share.
At some point we decided as a society that it's illegal for individuals to yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater, i.e., that's one boundary that our First Amendment freedom cannot cross.
I often wonder if we'll eventually decide as a society that it's also illegal for the media to effectively yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater by pumping out fear-mongering or misleading articles that are devoid of verified facts and information. It could be argued that the effects of such articles can potentially be much worse than a group of a couple hundred people trampling each other to death trying to reach the exits.
yankees60 wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 8:00 pm
Dualstow!
How many times did you see the movie?
Vinny
Did you, uh- did you see the list of healthcare threads? Enquiring minds want to know.
I probably saw the movie once, but I've seen certain key clips and trailers many times.
yankees60 wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 8:00 pm
Dualstow!
How many times did you see the movie?
Vinny
Did you, uh- did you see the list of healthcare threads? Enquiring minds want to know.
I probably saw the movie once, but I've seen certain key clips and trailers many times.
Did see that list. I think I twice saw it?
I think I've seen the movie 10-12 times. Not that long ago I saw the uncut 3 hour version.
Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
My Dad was super ill with 1968 Hong Kong Flu. I remember him totally crashed out in bed. I was in 2nd grade at the time. He was an MD. Probably got it at the hospital.
ochotona wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 9:19 pm
My Dad was super ill with 1968 Hong Kong Flu. I remember him totally crashed out in bed. I was in 2nd grade at the time. He was an MD. Probably got it at the hospital.
If you were in 2nd grade you were then only 7 or 8 years old and probably not all that aware of what you directly experienced, like your immediate family and what went on at school?
I think I have only two memoires from that age - the prime one me becoming the student teacher pet student to such an extent that I was the only kid in the class who she invited to her wedding. At that age I just don't think I was aware of anything that I did not directly experience.
But that was me. Maybe it was different for you.
Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
Tortoise wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 4:41 pmAt some point we decided as a society that it's illegal for individuals to yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater, i.e., that's one boundary that our First Amendment freedom cannot cross.
Tortoise wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 4:41 pmAt some point we decided as a society that it's illegal for individuals to yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater, i.e., that's one boundary that our First Amendment freedom cannot cross.
Let's test that theory, shall we? When theaters are crowded again, try going inside and yelling "Fire!" at the top of your lungs.
If none of the injured people or families of the deceased sue you and win, I'll admit you're right.
Did you read the first paragraph?
"Though the image often represents illegal speech, "shouting fire in a crowded theater" refers to an outdated legal standard. At one point, the law criminalized such speech, which created a "clear and present danger." But since 1969, for speech to break the law, it can’t merely lead others to dangerous situations. It must directly encourage others to commit specific criminal actions of their own. "
What is I (figuratively) shouted here: "Invest ALL your money in one stock." I assume you agree that would be a dangerous financial move? Yet would you argue that anyone who followed my advice would have any grounds to sue me?
Vinny
Vinny
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
What does stock have to do with the example I gave? I said that if you yell “fire” in a crowded theater and manage to avoid getting sued and convicted, I’ll believe that it’s perfectly legal.
In my lifetime, there was another deadly flu epidemic in the United States. The flu spread from Hong Kong to the United States, arriving December 1968 and peaking a year later. It ultimately killed 100,000 people in the U.S., mostly over the age of 65, and one million worldwide.
. . .
Nothing closed. Schools stayed open. All businesses did too. You could go to the movies. You could go to bars and restaurants. John Fund has a friend who reports having attended a Grateful Dead concert. In fact, people have no memory or awareness that the famous Woodstock concert of August 1969 – planned in January during the worse period of death – actually occurred during a deadly American flu pandemic that only peaked globally six months later. There was no thought given to the virus which, like ours today, was dangerous mainly for a non-concert-going demographic.
Stock markets didn’t crash. Congress passed no legislation. The Federal Reserve did nothing. Not a single governor acted to enforce social distancing, curve flattening (even though hundreds of thousands of people were hospitalized), or banning of crowds. No mothers were arrested for taking their kids to other homes. No surfers were arrested. No daycares were shut even though there were more infant deaths with this virus than the one we are experiencing now. There were no suicides, no unemployment, no drug overdoses.
Media covered the pandemic but it never became a big issue. link
BTW Kriegspiel, thank you for this post. I didn't know about the Hong Kong flu, yet I was just old enough to remember watching the Apollo moon landing. I suspect our society had a much better grasp on reality & sense of proportion back then. We have lost all common sense.
I personally, in the most selfish way possible, have greatly benefited from the lockdown and I suspect so have many others: I am spending my days at home, with less work-related b-s (but still plenty of work to do), a near complete holiday from the toxicity that I was having to deal with routinely at work, and more time for myself and extended family. It's almost exactly the sabbatical I had badly needed. My sister and her family are enjoying the time at home with her 3 daughters too. I know it's been hell for many people though (like Pugchief and others on this forum), so my altruistic side says the lockdown needs to end as soon as possible.
WiseOne wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2020 10:02 am
I didn't know about the Hong Kong flu, yet I was just old enough to remember watching the Apollo moon landing. I suspect our society had a much better grasp on reality & sense of proportion back then. We have lost all common sense.
It looks like it was one of those things that happened slowly, then all of a sudden. I'll be jazzed up when we pull out of it.
I am just amazed at the stupidity of the 'cancel rent' movement. I certainly don't want to see anybody on the street bc they lost their job due to the lockdown. But it is laughable for the city or county or state to say you can't evict a non-paying tenant, however, we will seize your property if you don't pay the taxes semi-annually and we have no plans to forgive or reduce those taxes even tho we are forcing you at gunpoint not to evict anyone. Huh?
I think I can diagnose your problem. You're expecting logic from government officials.
Kriegsspiel wrote: ↑Fri Apr 03, 2020 2:57 am
Good morning yinz, Pittsburgh has saved mankind:
“These two viruses, which are closely related to SARS-CoV-2, teach us that a particular protein, called a spike protein, is important for inducing immunity against the virus,” said co-senior author Dr. Andrea Gambotto, associate professor of surgery at the Pitt School of Medicine. “We knew exactly where to fight this new virus.” link
Research professor involved in COVID-19 project found shot to death in Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WHTM) — The Department of Computational and Systems Technology at the Pitt School of Medicine announced, Bing Liu, 37, a research assistant professor, was found dead in his home on May 2.
According to the Post-Gazette, police believe a man shot Liu inside his home multiple times. That same man, who has yet to be identified, was found dead in a nearby car from an apparent self-inflicted wound. A potential motive isn’t yet clear, and the investigation is ongoing. link
I was going to post this in the conspiracies thread, but a university professor doing research on coronavirus getting whacked by an assassin who then kills himself to avoid being questioned is so utterly banal and commonplace in 2020.
My mother's a partner in a family commercial rental business, and the tenants haven't paid rent in either April or May because they figure they can get away with it. The worst offender announced that "as part of their response to COVID-19" they are unilaterally forgiving themselves 4 months of rent. It maddens me no end that they're taking my mom's grocery money while preserving their own fat salaries. Meanwhile, the town sent a letter announcing that they're increasing property taxes by 40% (not an increase in rate, it's the old increased property value trick), and of course there's not even a hint that any forgiveness is on the horizon.
Thankfully, the property is unmortgaged and there's a large capital reserve fund that was earmarked for a big improvement project that can be delayed. The tenants don't know any of that though. Also, the tenant who thinks they can unilaterally decide not to pay rent is going to get a big shock once the economy recovers, in the form of an eviction notice for non-payment of rent.
In my lifetime, there was another deadly flu epidemic in the United States. The flu spread from Hong Kong to the United States, arriving December 1968 and peaking a year later. It ultimately killed 100,000 people in the U.S., mostly over the age of 65, and one million worldwide.
. . .
Nothing closed. Schools stayed open. All businesses did too. You could go to the movies. You could go to bars and restaurants. John Fund has a friend who reports having attended a Grateful Dead concert. In fact, people have no memory or awareness that the famous Woodstock concert of August 1969 – planned in January during the worse period of death – actually occurred during a deadly American flu pandemic that only peaked globally six months later. There was no thought given to the virus which, like ours today, was dangerous mainly for a non-concert-going demographic.
There have been 3 pandemics in my lifetime. In addition to the 1968 Hong Kong Flu, there was the 1957-1958 H2N2, and 2009 H1N1.
If you have no memory of any of those, join the club. I don't remember a single one.
I doubt that will be true of this one. The government has made sure of that but if all the nonstop fear-mongering and extreme measures turn out not to have been justified I think they are going to have a serious "boy who cried wolf" problem the next time.
I have possibly a slight memory of 2009. But nothing related to its severity as constantly reminded to us by our current president.
Vinny
The one epidemic I remember quite well from my youth was polio. There is a good documentary about it available on PBS American Experience if you can find it (I did on YouTube TV). It brought back some vivid memories for me. One time my brother started showing some symptoms and we had to evacuate the house and stand outside waiting for the doctor to let us know if our lives were about to be changed forever. Turned out he didn't have it much to everyone's relief, of course.
The competition between Salk and Sabin to develop a vaccine is also an interesting part of the story, somewhat relatable to today's events. Salk's was the quick version while Sabin's took years to develop. Salk's did, in fact, work but the lack of quality controls in place resulted in the release of a batch that gave people the disease instead of preventing it. I remember taking both of them years apart, fortunately not getting the bad stuff the first time.
The verdict many years later on what caused the outbreak after the disease had become rare was that it was the consequence of modern sanitation resulting in babies being born without any natural antibodies being passed on from the mother. When they take a look back on COVID-19 I won't be surprised to hear how the lockdowns and quarantines were the wrong thing to do for similar reasons. Looks like Cuomo in New York might have already hinted at this when he revealed that most people who had to be hospitalized for the virus got it at home. Reminds me of the plague in Europe where the best advice the experts had to offer was to stay inside with the windows shut tight and avoid taking baths.
Texas releases criminals from jail, then arrests a salon owner for opening her business. Evidently she got jail time because she didn't apologize to the judge. This woman is going to win a substantial court case in the near future. Attorney General Bill Barr said it point blank, "The constitution has not been suspended because of COVID-19."
Yes? Why wouldn't she be able to? Don't we have some blood su.... er, lawyers on the board who can clue us proles in? Hell, I don't even know why I'm chiming in today. I feel like The Dude, buzzed off White Russians, chilling on my back deck in this glorious weather in wool socks and slippers (no bathrobe) like an absolute sybarite.
Kriegsspiel wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 12:09 pmTexas releases criminals from jail, then arrests a salon owner for opening her business. Evidently she got jail time because she didn't apologize to the judge. This woman is going to win a substantial court case in the near future. Attorney General Bill Barr said it point blank, "The constitution has not been suspended because of COVID-19."
You read that right. Texas.
WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW
The Supreme Court of Texas just ordered her release and Governor Abbot had this to say, "Throwing Texans in jail who have had their businesses shut down through no fault of their own is nonsensical, and I will not allow it to happen. That is why I am modifying my executive orders to ensure confinement is not a punishment for violating an order."
The judge who sentenced her to jail was a Democrat.
