Fear and Loathing, a Rat Flu Odyssey

[splat]

Covid festival ready.

[Benny Profane]

Influential infectious disease expert Michael T. Osterholm says it is time for another lock down in the US, and this time for realz. Points out that in US, 39 percent of workers are essential but in Minnesota (his home state) 78 percent were deemed essential. Need true lock down where only the 39 percent are leaving their homes for things other than food. Thinks nation wide lock down will be necessary for approximately six weeks. 100% mask compliance, alone, will not get us to where we need to be. Once new cases are less than one new case per 100,000 people per day we can start easing restrictions and be at the same place as Canada, and most of Europe, is today.

I assume the US will not follow his suggestion so don't expect anything to change anytime soon and have fun watching Canadians gloat about all the rad skiing they will be doing next winter while we despair in our misery.

https://nyti.ms/2C93aPd

Sheeeeiitt, Sturges, here we come!

[Mustonen]

We started to dine out a little bit when local cases dwindled to almost nothing. Since they’ve picked up we have cut way back again to the occasional carry out/curbside, exception being the local brewery that’s walkable from my house who seems to take it all seriously and has outdoor seating (which is a novelty for them).

[2bjenny]

Our little county went from 0 to 8 cases in the last week and a half. Population for entire county is 850. I heard that the "patient zero" was only found by a fluke - he was completely asymptomatic but had to get tested for an elective surgical procedure. People in the county don't seem to care. I am glad I don't live in "town" and can easily stay away. Next two weeks will be interesting. County Fair is supposed to be next weekend. Knowing folks here, it will go on as if everything was normal.

[yeahman]

Outdoor heaters. Now is the time to buy 'em if you own a restaurant in the high country. Ski resorts are gonna buy all of them up methinks.

For real. I was just thinking this the other day. Outdoor heaters are going to be key for any restaurant to survive in a cold climate this ski season. Hell, I'd rather eat outside when it's 25 degrees than in the hot sun any day.

Yeah I don't see any shutdown coming. The virus is going to burn out of control in the U.S. until there's a vaccine or we reach herd immunity.

[XXX-er]

https://www.livescience.com/64786-be...AIjutUSW9XdLJg

was a land bridge between NA & russia

[bodywhomper]

Dining indoors in western Nevada County, CA has now become a form of direct action spurred and encouraged by pieces of shit like Eric Christen and Reinette Senum (former mayor of Nevada City). (I can post a photo of y’all like.

Personally, we get take out once a week to provide some support when we can and to take a break from the typical evening/night cycle of life. Regarding outdoor dining, it seems like it’ll depend. On last night’s newshour, the public health lead of Mississippi states that many of their cases were from non public social gatherings, many were outdoor-only events.

[XXX-er]

I think you're right about the border, but you have it backwards. The majority of car traffic is Canadians visiting the US, not the other way around.

well yeah out west that was just the day trip to buy stuff and pickup their mail from the forwarding companies ( which is still sitting there for months ) not so sure whats happening out east but polls show that >80% of Canadians want the border kept closed

and most Canadians don't think much of Trump,

[plugboots]

Plug family has saved a shit ton of money since March because we used to eat out at least three times/week. We do take out now at least twice a week but I’ve eaten inside a restaurant only twice, (sushi in a well-spaced everyone wearing masks place).

[Benny Profane]

Outdoor heaters. Now is the time to buy 'em if you own a restaurant in the high country. Ski resorts are gonna buy all of them up methinks.

If Paris in December is any indication, they only work inside clear plastic "tents", or roll down curtains in the sidewalk cafes, especially in meh weather. So, purpose defeated.

[Buster Highmen]

So how many of you are dining out these days? I mean actually sitting down at a restaurant. Do you opt for outside or will you do inside too? Here in Washington, at least in my county, you have to be from the same household to dine together inside.

Not once since early March.

We've gotten thai takeout maybe 3 times since early March and did a huDge takeout sushi blast for my sons birthday in July.

We've had 2 people over for dinner in that interval, eating outside and throwing down as good of a mondo gourmando as we can.

Besides, summer's for grillin', chillin' and swillin' and we have a pretty good array of decent stuff we can make at home.

I love eating out, but between the cost and the threat of infection, it's just not worth it for us.

[XXX-er]

The border is closed because of the pandemic, not because of Trump.

Its arguable if the border would still be closed if Trump had taken any action at all besides predicting 12 cases and then covid had would disapppear, suggesting people drink bleach ?

right now he has just tacked 10% on to aluminum imports to protect the industry, you don't have an aluminium industry to speak of, so canda will just retalliate $ for $ and everyone will just pay more

[grinch]

The ad is out to lunch with that statement and i think you meant its "obvious" the border is closed in large part because of dumps inaction. Any and every other leader would and did shut down enough initially to be able to stay in front of the spread, rather than constant flailing

Sent from my SM-G950W using TGR Forums mobile app

[Casey E]

https://www.rollingstone.com/politic...St3jY_pT9BKOOs

The differences between poutine land and america from the perspective from Wade Davis the ethno-botanist AKA a guy who has done a lot of drugs and a good trashing in general

An abundance of great one-liners in there:

On Trump -
“there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid”.
"Those who flock to beaches, bars, and political rallies, putting their fellow citizens at risk, are not exercising freedom; they are displaying, as one commentator has noted, the weakness of a people who lack both the stoicism to endure the pandemic and the fortitude to defeat it. Leading their charge is Donald Trump, a bone spur warrior, a liar and a fraud, a grotesque caricature of a strong man, with the backbone of a bully."

On the process of Amerika -

"....Oscar Wilde had in mind when he quipped that the United States was the only country to go from barbarism to decadence without passing through civilization."

"In a complete abandonment of the collective good, U.S. laws define freedom as an individual’s inalienable right to own a personal arsenal of weaponry, a natural entitlement that trumps even the safety of children"

"The autocratic leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, chastised America for “maliciously violating ordinary citizens’ rights.”"
"North Korean newspapers objected to “police brutality” in America."
"Quoted in the Iranian press, Ayatollah Khomeini gloated, “America has begun the process of its own destruction.” "
"When an American official raised the issue of human rights on Twitter, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, invoking the killing of George Floyd, responded with one short phrase, “I can’t breathe.”"
“the United States has stirred a very wide range of feelings in the rest of the world: love and hatred, fear and hope, envy and contempt, awe and anger. But there is one emotion that has never been directed towards the U.S. until now: pity.”

I love America for many reasons (gramps was from Pennsylvania), but I would not live there. Give me Canada, NZ or even Chile (which is pretty fucked up too).

[altasnob]

[Trump] has just tacked 10% on to aluminum imports to protect the industry, you don't have an aluminium industry to speak of, so canda will just retalliate $ for $ and everyone will just pay more

Off topic, but just read Canada will focus on US products made in swing states. The theory being voters there will blame Trump and consequently both US and Canada can be rid of Trump. So thank you Canada (that is, at least if Kanye West doesn't ruin the plan for everyone).

[XXX-er]

yeah Canada did that ^^ last time so that a republican will have to splain to his constituents why shit went sideways, but usually he can't because Trump can't explain why either other than trade wars are easy to win

The USA can't supply the aluminium they need so put a 10% tax on imports from Canada, if anyone can explain it to me please do so

Ceckout books by Wade Davis, he does some great monologues

[Rideski]

I’ve grown very fond of beer available in paper boxes.
Open box, beer in fridge, toss container.

Still a bit gross to put a mouth on an aluminum can bought in a plastic holder that people have touched and maybe hacked on even if fomites aren’t a huge danger and even if they sit for a week. But wiping down a cold beercan with a warm sponge is a buzzkill for sure.

[XXX-er]

never mind the beer cans how will a war like race of people wage war without aluminium ?

[evdog]

So how many of you are dining out these days? I mean actually sitting down at a restaurant. Do you opt for outside or will you do inside too?

Going out for food has been about my only escape from home aside from bike rides, so I've been doing it often. Also to minimize trips to grocery stores, which have always grossed me out a little.

Mostly grabbing takeout. But there are a few places I've eaten at sitting outside. I've eaten inside a few times which seemed ok. Tables were far apart and all the staff had masks on, customers too when they were away from the table.

[bodywhomper]

I’ve grown very fond of beer available in paper boxes.
Open box, beer in fridge, toss container.

Still a bit gross to put a mouth on an aluminum can bought in a plastic holder that people have touched and maybe hacked on even if fomites aren’t a huge danger and even if they sit for a week. But wiping down a cold beercan with a warm sponge is a buzzkill for sure.

I’ve found that urine is far more effective than that warm sponge. Followed by dog tongue.

[old goat]

https://www.livescience.com/64786-be...AIjutUSW9XdLJg

was a land bridge between NA & russia

the problem of the land bridge theory is that once people crossed the Bering Land Bridge they would have run into a wall of ice--a large expanse of glacier extremely difficult to cross. Eventually a coastal ice free zone opened up but there is evidence of human habitation in the western hemisphere older than the coastal ice free zone. By that time Australia and New Guinea had been settled so humans were obviously capable of long water crossings.
So the theory is that from the area of the Bering Land Bridge people took boats down the coast, skipping Canada.
Of course all this is controversial. No one knows. And no, I wasn't there.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/...america-human/

[Ted Striker]

I’ve grown very fond of beer available in paper boxes.
Open box, beer in fridge, toss container.

Still a bit gross to put a mouth on an aluminum can bought in a plastic holder that people have touched and maybe hacked on even if fomites aren’t a huge danger and even if they sit for a week. But wiping down a cold beercan with a warm sponge is a buzzkill for sure.

Growlers might make a comeback

[yeahman]

6 pm on a Friday. So empty it's scary.

[muted]

If Paris in December is any indication, they only work inside clear plastic "tents", or roll down curtains in the sidewalk cafes, especially in meh weather. So, purpose defeated.

What? No. They work fine outside, unless you want it 70 degrees in winter.

[KQ]

^nice Yeahman!

Thanks for all the responses re: dining out. Those of you who have been venturing out have been most helpful and give me hope that it might be possible for me to be comfortable doing so at some point soon. I do miss the occassional night out.


IN OTHER NEWS:

When I was running errands today I saw a young woman picketing a gas station/mini mart. She was wearing a sandwich board and carrying a picket sign imploring people to report the business for refusing to wear masks. I wanted to get a pic but I was going in the wrong direction and when I came back after shopping she was gone. It was quite the spectacle and speaking of spectacles.......