General Discussion, Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Ireland, the emerald isle.

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104 Responses to General Discussion, Wednesday, March 18, 2020

  1. Lucille says:

    Stellars…

    Liked by 3 people

  2. czarowniczy says:

    Finally the issue of antipyretics and COVID-19 is starting to hit the air. I’m wondering how many ‘elderly’ are taking painkillers that are also antipyretic and the virus multiplies in a less hostile environment with two of the main symptoms, fever and aches, masked. Those with severe arthritis who are taking drugs that also suppress their immune systems allowing the virus to flourish are also at a heavy risk. Many ‘elderly’ in that group too.

    If there ever were a disease that seemed engineered to thin the Medicare ranks this one is it.

    Liked by 2 people

    • stella says:

      I have also read that those taking ACE inhibitors are vulnerable.

      Liked by 2 people

    • WeeWeed says:

      I’ve decided it’s because us “Medicare ranks” have seen a lotta sh!te and we recognize bs when we see it…..

      Liked by 4 people

      • michellc says:

        I went to the Dollar General yesterday and a lady was in there and she was going off on the bs and all the subjects, as she repeatedly called them, who were doing nothing more than buying toilet paper and allowing this to happen.

        I have an elderly family member in the nursing home, it’s pathetic what they’re doing to them. I agree with the no visitors, but I don’t agree with having them all not allowed to leave their rooms. All of us have been trying to get answers out of them if there is something going on we should know about and they say, “no, we’re just taking extra precautions.” I’m talking to our “prisoner” as she keeps calling herself at least daily, sometimes several times a day. She tells me over and over she’d prefer death. We take her snacks, water, puzzle books, thread so she can knit. We have to ring the buzzer and then they come outside and get it. She asked me yesterday what the outside was like and I told her better than it was for her, we had not been locked in our homes yet. She told me she was an old lady who had lived a long time and seen a lot of things and lived through a lot of disease outbreaks and there was something going on.
        Yeah, I think many of us agree with that.

        Liked by 4 people

      • czarowniczy says:

        True dat, and dreck like Schumer (who’s on TV now making a speech about how Trump’s making the pandemic even worserer) would be one of the first to vote other Medicaid patients off the island.

        Liked by 3 people

  3. czarowniczy says:

    We had some rain today and a front’s coming thru so it’s foggy outside. It hasn’t gotten to the really dense stage yet, I can still see about 100-feet with my bright white LED headlamp. The new leaves on the blueberries are a bit silverish and they’ve collected some of the mist in the air so that when the pure white LED hits them the bushes all look frosted. Just one of those ‘everything hit at the right moment’ moments.

    Liked by 5 people

  4. Lucille says:

    “Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries”

    Liked by 3 people

  5. WeeWeed says:

    Mornin’ y’all!

    Liked by 6 people

  6. auscitizenmom says:

    Morning everyone. Beautiful day here at the beach. I hear they are talking about closing all the bars for 30 days. That may cause a riot. Also, I can’t imagine them being able to chase everyone off the beach. And, why? Many people I have talked to think this whole overreaction is ridiculous.

    Liked by 4 people

    • auscitizenmom says:

      Uh oh, my friend just got a notice that they are planning to close the beaches. So, we are putting on clothes and heading out for a walk on the beach. Have you, or anyone you know, ever, ever, got sick from anyone else at the beach? 🙄

      Liked by 4 people

      • czarina33 says:

        SMH

        Liked by 1 person

      • michellc says:

        Around here choices are being made by cities and counties. Like I said above, in Tulsa all bars and restaurants that don’t have a drive-thru were shut down and if they ignore that order, the city will revoke their license. Many of the city parks across the state have been closed with signs saying you will be fined.
        I think though we’re still allowed to go the lakes and rivers, but it’s been raining and storming so much I haven’t tested that yet.

        Liked by 3 people

      • czarowniczy says:

        You have saltwater that’s heavily disinfectant, abundant UV radiation, wind, salt spray…so that’s bad how? We’re in a period where the less informed (and there’s a LOT of the) are trying to see who can overreach who while coming up with new and exiting ways to react/protect. There’s a whole generation of kooks out there.

        Liked by 4 people

  7. WeeWeed says:

    Well. As good a time as any to empty the freezers and get those and the fridge cleaned out good, huh? As it gets warmer all this crap/crud will disappear just like the flu does every year.

    Liked by 3 people

  8. czarina33 says:

    Czar’s son sent this. Self explanatory.

    https://imgur.com/a/uWmKaWE

    Liked by 3 people

  9. stella says:

    My daughter posted this picture of one of her cats with the caption: “He was social distancing before it was cool.” This is one anti-social cat! I can just be sitting in a chair, and he will walk up to me and hiss.

    Liked by 4 people

  10. michellc says:

    I spend most of my time trying to either not be mad or not depressed. It’s really sad and infuriating when I hear people I know saying they’ve been sent home for 3 weeks, no paycheck. Small business owners saying they can’t go on like this for weeks, much less months and not have to permanently close their doors and possibly file for bankruptcy. These aren’t just restaurants, it’s even hurting mechanics, tire shops, service industries. Even our vet’s office is only keeping one farm vet making farm calls and one vet in the office, which they say spends most of his time playing solitaire.

    Liked by 2 people

    • czarowniczy says:

      Our GDIL’s casino closed midnight Saturday and so far the workers are in the dark about where they stand with unemployment, etc.

      Liked by 2 people

      • michellc says:

        I was told by a guy today who was sent home for a minimum of 3 weeks that he applied for unemployment and was told he was eligible but it would be up to 6 weeks before he received a check and that would only be starting for the 3rd week he was out of work. If he went back to work in the meantime he could receive a check for the weeks out of work past the first two weeks.

        That’s crazy. I’ve never received unemployment before, but I just somehow thought it was different than that.

        Liked by 3 people

        • czarowniczy says:

          And I like the way the State legislators took care of themselves before they closed shop, the Federal Senator’s office (one was closed) said it was a state problem and ‘Have a nice day!”.

          Liked by 2 people

          • michellc says:

            Now would be a good time to be a legislator or any public employee, they’re all being taken care of. I suppose that’s the reason they’re the loudest across the internet saying it’s just a minor inconvenience. Easy to say when you get an unexpected paid vacation.

            BTW hearing some of the manufacturing plants around saying they’re going to skeleton crews and might even possibly start laying people off because they fear this bill coming out of D.C. mandating paid leave. I guess they figure it will be mandated for them to pay it. Can’t really blame them as I read the other day many had not even read it.
            I’m also hearing some states are shutting down their unemployment offices and going to online filing only. I see that crashing before long.

            Liked by 3 people

            • czarowniczy says:

              Louisiana online unemployment site’s already crashing. State workers aren’t going to fill the seats to take applications in-person, they’re home on paid leave and poor sods who have to file online are getting screwed. Now let’s see if state will fix the problem.

              Liked by 2 people

              • michellc says:

                I just was told by the girlfriend of a man who works at one of the plants that they were told today they are going to lay off 80% of the plant workers, starting Friday afternoon.
                They were told it was a tough decision and not one they wanted to make, but with all the unknowns, they’re doing what they hope will keep the company in business and that if they’re mandated to pay everyone sick leave past what they already allow, which is 2 weeks per year and 50% of employees had already used that, it would bankrupt them and there would be no job for any of them to come back to.
                They hope this will allow just enough production to keep the doors open.

                She said someone asked why because they understood the government would contribute that leave to companies. They answered that was something that was not certain and that even their representative and Senators could not guarantee it to them when they posed that question.

                It’s one of if not the largest employer in our county.

                I wonder if this bill is going to be backdated?

                She said her husband told her now he fully understands the saying, “the government is here to help.”

                Liked by 3 people

                • czarina33 says:

                  What do they manufacture? Hope it isn’t anything the grocery stores keep running out of!

                  Liked by 1 person

                • czarowniczy says:

                  I called both Senator’s offices and one was closed for the virus (they took a msg) and the other gave me a happy song and dance that basically said nothing. That’s where we’re at.

                  Liked by 1 person

                  • michellc says:

                    Maybe some people have special numbers they can call.

                    Liked by 1 person

                  • czarowniczy says:

                    Or special names they can call them…

                    Like

                  • michellc says:

                    I see the Senate just passed the bill, ensures all employers with under 500 employees pay 2 weeks sick pay. I wonder if that is in addition to those who already pay sick leave? I see nothing about the government paying it though. Also enhanced unemployment insurance, whatever that means.
                    I guess we’ll see if they expedite those lay offs or not lay off as it’s 2 weeks?
                    I guess we’ll also see if this calms the fears of manufacturers.

                    I also see that both my Senators voted against it.

                    Liked by 2 people

                  • czarowniczy says:

                    There should have been something in place to deal with this. We’ve known of the damages of a biological attack for decades; we’ve talked about the scenario of a global pandemic for years; we’ve gone through a handful of disastrous hurricanes in the last 15 years…yet…

                    We’re going to take care of our own extended family and what we can for others in concert with others, the government takes care of itself first.

                    Like

                  • michellc says:

                    True, but nobody should ever depend on the government and we should all fear government’s help. It almost always turns out to be a disaster.

                    We have eggs running out of our ears right now and people are saying the stores have no eggs. So we’ve been offering them to any of the elderly or families who have lost their income. Even with how many we have, we can’t supply everyone, so that’s why we’re limiting it to those truly in need.
                    We’ll keep doing so for as many as we can.

                    Liked by 2 people

  11. czarowniczy says:

    One of my feeds sent me a piece on how the DoD and Beltway intel agencies are tracking the coronavirus. I’d mentioned in the past how the government’s various intel agencies duplicate functions and don’t share, bureaucratic scent-marking at its best, but the coronavirus is another thing entirely.

    The CIA is giving daily reports to the Congressional intelligence committees as is an obscure branch of the DIA, the National Center for Medical Intelligence. You can bet that the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and NSA are deeply involved too but they’re staying in the background.

    The official blurb is that the DCI and CIA are just checking to see what the ‘true’ numbers of infections reported by countries are but you can bet they are all looking at the infection rates, patterns, responses – the whole gamut. There’s no word on if the CIA’s labs that worked on their bio-war programs in the ‘past’ are looking at the virus and in what ways. No word on what USAMRIID’s doing in its bio-war ‘protection’ program. There’s a lot of unanswered questions that I’m sure will not get honest answers.

    The Chinese lab in Wuhan is the first to openly work with Level-4 pathogens, it met its first step in certification in January and was supposed to be fully certified to work with the L-4 pathogens by June, it’s the first of four planned to be openly operating on the mainland. Openly is the operant word.

    Might the lab have been working on dual-use viral technology as a ‘defensive’ (cough, cough) project, a fig leaf worn by many countries’ bio-war programs? The Chinese have had an active bio-war program to one degree or another after the WWII Japanese Unit 731 program ran Japan’s active bio-war program in China. More than one nation’s looked at a virulent from of flu as a deniable weapon and I’m sure the intel agencies of many countries are taking great pains to follow this infection, it’s a gold mine of information.

    BTW, as of this morning Russia’s quoting 114 cases of the virus and North Korea is reporting zero. As both countries have a reputation to spread disinformation and both have active bio-war programs (it’s alleged) you can bet the various medintel units are looking deeply at them.

    Liked by 3 people

    • michellc says:

      My daughter was telling me about several of her friends who are either active military or former military who are privately saying it’s all a bunch of bs and saying trust nothing you hear from our government or other countries governments. One of them said they’ve been sent into some countries with a lot worse diseases than this one that our government weren’t too concerned about them catching or bringing back home with them. The myth that they’re vaccinated against everything is just a myth.

      Liked by 2 people

      • czarowniczy says:

        Remember, our government experimented with releasing ‘harmless’ pathogens and ‘inert’ tracers in American cities to see how a bio-attack would go in the country.

        We also have a host of invasive species infecting our country as the USDA who’s charged with preventing that…didn’t.

        Let’s not forget Agent Orange, the chemical bunkers we destroyed in Desert Storm that poisoned hundreds of US troops, the supposedly disease/chemical attack meds given out troops from Desert Storm thru Iraq/Afghanistan that are poisoning thousands…every incident denied by the DoD and VA even when confirmed by independent testing. Oh yeah, the expended uranium dust.

        And you think you can trust the Feds…who are supposed to work for you…to let you pick up the soap?

        Like

        • michellc says:

          Sometimes it makes you wonder about all these different viruses going around every year and people from all over the country comes down with them.
          Then the allergies that are so much worse anymore. I had very few allergies, just cats, rabbits and dust until the past few years and now January kills me, March, April and May kill me. It seems I meet very few people anymore who don’t have allergies.

          Liked by 1 person

          • czarowniczy says:

            Bingo, I live on allergy pills, nose sprays, saline washes and antibiotics. Sinus operations are cash cows for ENTs down here, have been for a long time, we generally spot tourists by the simple fact they can breath without making various snorting/sniffing sounds.

            Like

    • Col.(R) Ken says:

      Czar, told you!!!!!! A bio weapon attack. NowTrump when this is over needs to round up all of the short sellers on Wall Street, that just wiped out 10 Trillion dollars in gains in less than two weeks

      Liked by 2 people

      • czarowniczy says:

        I’ll say it again, the Boomer generation was set to, as it went to room temperature, pass of to the next generation the largest wealth transfer in the history of mankind.

        The Left/Progs have hated that idea for decades, I remember them bitching about it when I was in high school, and that’s a long time back. They’ve been looking for ways to resolve that ‘problem’ for years.

        Note how, in modern times, we’ve had sudden market crashes which have wiped out trillions in paper value. We had the inflation of the late 70s, the market crash in the late 80s, the sudden blip in the late 90s then the 2008 meltdown. The 2008 meltdown also attacked a wealth area previously untouched, housing values.

        Now we have a conservative BUSINESSMAN in the WH whose driven the market to record highs and they’re trying to crash it again, and when the Rats get control again they’ll find a way to gut your home values again.

        Even if it isn’t a purposeful attack, just to see what the transmission criteria for a real one would be, it’s sooooo close that it’s a gift for planners.

        Like

  12. czarina33 says:

    Went down the driveway to take picturs for all ya’all. First, wisteria

    https://imgur.com/a/uWmKaWE

    Liked by 2 people

  13. czarowniczy says:

    Our GDIL works in a Gulf Coast casino as a waitress and is luckily full time. She will get one week’s pay from the casino but will have to file for unemployment. In Mississippi unemployment payments are calculated by taking your total wages in your highest quarter and dividing by 26…bottom line is the MAX you can draw is $235 a week.

    There are thousands of casino workers on the coast now out of work and SOL as the state’s ordered the casinos closed. Some of the casinos are paying some workers a wage for a week or so but when they go on to unemployment, even if they qualify for food stamps, they’re going to end up woefully short on things like tent and utilities. There are supposedly plans afoot by the utilities not to cut of anyone who’s behind in their payments but there’s no word on how much time they’ll have to pay back the amounts.

    The state legislators made sure the state workers and the legislator’s were taken care of before they unassed for a virus holiday and left everyone else nailed by their actions in a lurch.

    Liked by 3 people

  14. Lucille says:

    Florida Views….

    Flager Beach Pier…

    Hollywood North Beach Park…

    Lake Worth (this area is rather like going back in time)…

    Liked by 3 people

  15. stella says:

    My daughter wrote this article today on LinkedIn. Thought I would share it.

    Employee Connection in the Time of Social Distancing

    Our world (as we know it) will be physically small for a time but our web of connections holds the possibility for new inclusion and reach.

    Yesterday, the first morning of coronavirus e-learning, I heard my son’s laugh. His high school English teacher had welcomed the virtual class with a video clip, REM’s “It’s the End of the World As We Know It”. The students began text-chatting about an upcoming essay on Google Classroom. The teacher sent encouraging comments. They were having fun! They were creating something together.

    I felt a shift. Our world (as we know it) will be physically small for a time but our web of connections holds the possibility for new inclusion and reach.

    Some teams, maybe yours, made a dive into the deep end of virtual work for the first time this week.

    I’ve led remote teams for more than 15 years, teams inclusive of people with physical disabilities and in geographically remote areas. I know that this change (disruptive and sudden as it is) represents opportunities for us and our teams.

    Inclusive, technology-enabled teams excel in:

    Solution surfacing. With team chat software, all ideas can surface, not just those of the people who happen to work at headquarters.
    Connecting across hierarchical structures. Employees build relationships and shortcuts that make the team agile.
    Information sharing. We know that peer to peer learning is one of the most effective ways that adults learn.
    Adapting by using informal channels for change. Agile, connected teams can react quickly without waiting for a new process from above.

    How can your team find the opportunity in change? Start with a sense of fun and an openness to making it work for people. Start knowing that you will change as you go!
    A few tips to begin virtual project and team work

    Bring an agile mindset. If something works, keep doing it. If it doesn’t, try something else. Ask the team what’s working and what’s not as you try new tools.
    The team should shape the technology to their needs. Leadership makes space, encourages, and provides technology. The team figures out how best to get the work done.
    “Un”-meetings. Block team calendars for a weekly, loosely synchronous chat-only update (for example, on Slack or MS Teams). This also acts as an office hour when everyone is available at the same time.
    Virtual coffees let people share information while getting to know one another one to one.
    Human experience. Especially as you make a virtual work transition, take a few minutes for human connection. Compare the weather and pets as co-workers!
    Icebreaker games for video/web meetings. A few of my favorites are “share a picture of a dream vacation,” “virtual tour of my home office,” “today’s coffee mug,” “photo of something or someone I love.”

    Liked by 7 people

  16. czarowniczy says:

    Louisiana gov just held another presser, this one began with a state talking head telling viewers how restrained the governor had been in the controls he’s instituted, how he’s used the least amount of restrictions and force he possibly could to confront this viral crisis.

    The stroking regarding the gov’s beneficence and benign gubernatorialness went on for a bit more before the tone changed and it’s suddenly changing to how he has, at hand and ready to use, far more restrictive, forceful and controlling measures and will not hesitate to use them if folks don’t bend completely to the ones he’s already instituted. All of the time the gov’s standing calmly with buddha-like face behind the talking head. He comes on and launches into something totally different, completely ignoring the preceding speaker.

    Waiting for the NOLA mayor to try and pull her own Mayornator speech, sort of a Katrina 2.0 limitation of individual freedom to move about the city.

    Liked by 1 person

    • texan59 says:

      I heared on the interwebz that lovely gal runnin’ NOLA has shut down the gun and ammo buyin’. Who’s gonna file the first lawsuit?

      Liked by 1 person

      • czarowniczy says:

        There are precious few places in NOLA that sell guns or ammo, most places that do are just across the Parish line in Chalmette, Gretna or Metairie. NOLA never has been a sunny and welcoming place for gun sales.

        As for carrying, even though the city has a home rule charter law and a preemption law that overrides laws. The state also passed a law, thanks to NOLA’s illegal actions, that prevents cities or parishes from confiscating firearms from citizens in a declared emergency and that supersedes the mayor’s running off at the mouth.

        Liked by 1 person

  17. michellc says:

    Well the absolute crazy has hit my neck of the woods. The largest town near me, which is around 9500 people just invoked the 10 people gathering. A lady was arrested yesterday in the local WalMart for punching a woman who picked up the last package of toilet paper. So even we are out of toilet paper now I guess. All city buildings are closed to the public, the city park is closed and violators will be fined and/or jailed. City utility employees are working from home, so I guess if the city sewer gets backed up, too bad, water meter has issues, well you just won’t have no water.
    We have a grand total of 0 cases of coronavirus in our county and all the counties that border us.

    State school superintendent even shut down Epic and K-12 online school. I guess those who have their curriculum can still do it online, but no teachers until they reopen public schools. How the hell are they going to catch anything talking to their teacher online? Sounds more like they can’t have people seeing they could just leave brick and mortar public schools and still get an education.

    Liked by 1 person

    • michellc says:

      All of our April 7 elections have also been cancelled according to the State Election board and that county election boards need to figure out when to reschedule them, because “the curve.”

      Liked by 1 person

  18. michellc says:

    My daughter just called me and told me her friend who works as a teller at the bank said it was a busy day today, but not with people depositing money, but people withdrawing between a thousand and four thousand dollars. Mainly older people, because the younger people don’t really have that much to withdraw. I guess the thought process at the bank was people were afraid the debit system would go down.
    I can remember my mom telling me all the stories of the great depression and know my grandparents kept very little money in the bank. When they passed away we found money hidden everywhere throughout the house.
    So for me it makes me wonder if some are starting to fear a bank crash and don’t trust the FDIC?

    I just thought it was strange.

    Then I find just about everything going on strange.

    We’ve always sort of been preppers as most rural folks are, as we’re accustomed to electrical outages that can last for hours up to weeks. So we always have gas for the generators, drinking and cooking water, water to flush the toilet, we even have an outhouse, doesn’t really get used, but we have one. We have an old time ringer washer, scrub board and wash tub. Supplies to make soap. Food is not a concern, because even if we ran out of food if something lasted for months/year, we have animals we can eat and an abundance of squirrels, wild turkeys and deer. Lake is just 1/4 mile away to catch all the fish we need. Even could take a bath in it if the need arises, also a creek at the back of our property.
    Most of the time I think this will never happen, now I’m not so sure.

    However, one person who isn’t getting much press these days is God and I know whatever happens He’s in control, I guess that’s what keeps me not panicked, but certainly cautious and prepared.

    Liked by 3 people

  19. michellc says:

    Okay something else I see as strange. Just was on bing and three positive stories about this virus. One news story that more than 82,000 people have recovered. Another that the vast majority don’t get infected and the vast majority that do have mild symptoms or no symptoms. The other about a Japanese flu drug.
    So is the media ready to stop the we’re all going to die and for what reason?

    Like

    • stella says:

      I have to stop reading on FB. A couple of my “friends” have gone off their rockers.

      Liked by 2 people

      • michellc says:

        I had a few and those I put on my restricted list so they can’t comment on anything I post about it.
        One of them really had not said anything until I posted the numbers of the Diamond Princess and then they went off their rocker that I was posting false information that was going to get people killed.
        Well, it isn’t false information, it’s what the data shows and I’m not forcing anyone to leave their house if they don’t want to and neither am I telling them to go lick doorknobs.

        Liked by 1 person

        • stella says:

          I just put one guy on a 30-day snooze so I don’t see his posts.

          Liked by 2 people

          • michellc says:

            Some of the groups I participate in are another story, you have those who are totally bonkers about the virus and anyone who says anything that doesn’t feed their hysteria are trying to get people killed.
            Then there are those who want to belittle those who are not complying by staying home because they have to work. They also belittle those who are worried about their job or who have lost their job. That ticks me off because who hasn’t at some point in their life lived paycheck to paycheck? So yeah a man supporting his family or a single mom trying to keep a roof over her kids’ heads and food on the table, losing your income is not a minor inconvenience. When I point that out then I’m wanting Biden to win.
            Tonight I said I wasn’t comfortable with trillions of dollars being spent or saying we’re using the full force of the government. That again made me a troll who wanted to see Trump lose.
            Nope it’s my belief system and also I don’t want to see him lose and this concerns me that he could.

            Liked by 1 person

  20. Lucille says:

    Now Even CNN is PRAISING Trump’s “REMARKABLE” Leadership Over Coronavirus!!!
    Published on Mar 18, 2020 – Dr. Steve Turley

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Jim The Rednek says:

    The virus finally got to West Virginia. Some aren’t drinking their moonshine… It’s virus resistant … good for many things

    Liked by 1 person

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