
Freehold DM |

lisamarlene wrote:Yes, also the memorial is adjacent to the feed mill.Cap'n Yesterday, FaWtL Tourism wrote:We're working in Dane, a town so small they only have 3-4 bars, a gas station and one WW 2 memorial.I'm guessing the gas station has a bait cooler and a live well with minnows and crappie?
...should I eat the minnows?

Freehold DM |

captain yesterday wrote:...should I eat the minnows?lisamarlene wrote:Yes, also the memorial is adjacent to the feed mill.Cap'n Yesterday, FaWtL Tourism wrote:We're working in Dane, a town so small they only have 3-4 bars, a gas station and one WW 2 memorial.I'm guessing the gas station has a bait cooler and a live well with minnows and crappie?
...should I put clothes on?

G%*?&@!n F&?!*#g Weatherman |

Freehold DM wrote:...should I put clothes on?captain yesterday wrote:...should I eat the minnows?lisamarlene wrote:Yes, also the memorial is adjacent to the feed mill.Cap'n Yesterday, FaWtL Tourism wrote:We're working in Dane, a town so small they only have 3-4 bars, a gas station and one WW 2 memorial.I'm guessing the gas station has a bait cooler and a live well with minnows and crappie?
In this heat? I wouldn't.

lisamarlene |

captain yesterday wrote:...should I eat the minnows?lisamarlene wrote:Yes, also the memorial is adjacent to the feed mill.Cap'n Yesterday, FaWtL Tourism wrote:We're working in Dane, a town so small they only have 3-4 bars, a gas station and one WW 2 memorial.I'm guessing the gas station has a bait cooler and a live well with minnows and crappie?
Do you normally eat bait?

Freehold DM |

Freehold DM wrote:Do you normally eat bait?captain yesterday wrote:...should I eat the minnows?lisamarlene wrote:Yes, also the memorial is adjacent to the feed mill.Cap'n Yesterday, FaWtL Tourism wrote:We're working in Dane, a town so small they only have 3-4 bars, a gas station and one WW 2 memorial.I'm guessing the gas station has a bait cooler and a live well with minnows and crappie?
I have only gone fishing twice, and I caught some nice fish. Some were tiny though.

lisamarlene |

So this is getting surreal.
Because of the pandemic, our school has gone from a classroom being 25 kids with 2 teachers to 10 kids with 1 teacher, per state guidelines for my age level. (Our elementary-aged kids are in 1:12 groups.)
I was supposed to have 6 kids starting next Monday, and 4 more starting in August. My boss just called me and said that the father of two of my new students just tested positive (he's a firefighter, apparently he got it from another firefighter in his unit) and exposed his family before developing symptoms himself, so now the girls are getting tested and the family is quarantined.
Now I'm down to starting the new school year a month early with only four students.

Dr Pirate |
7 people marked this as a favorite. |

Freehold DM wrote:lisamarlene wrote:As gonorrhea is still an issue, I can see why they would not.Ronald Reagan's name came up at the breakfast table this morning as part of a discussion about Jelly Beans, and specifically, why there are blueberry-flavored Jelly Bellys.
Teensy Valeros: REAGEN?!? That's a GIRL's name.
Me: It's only a girl's name in Shakespeare, honey.
(I neglected to mention that I actually knew a family of actors who named their eldest daughter Regan. They named their other daughter Paige, not Goneril. Cowards.)
Reminds me of a farce/parody of Greek tragedy I wrote in college: “Chlamydia, Queen of Ilium.”
The title was funnier than the play, alas.
Arrh, here be a prescription for two weeks' worth of Goneril. Do 'ee apply it to the affected area twice a day, and next time, remember to sheathe yer cutlass afore ye boards a flash-packet.

NobodysHome |
6 people marked this as a favorite. |

Yeah, I think the entire U.S. attitude about the coronavirus can be summed up in this conversation.
Co-worker: So, you're taking two weeks off? Are you going anywhere?
NobodysHome: Well, we were originally planning on going to Vegas and we made plans before the virus broke out, so obviously we canceled those and now I'm just going to spend the time rebuilding my garage.
CW: But... I'm pretty sure Las Vegas is open now. Why don't you go?
So pretty much:
(1) The government responses at the federal, state, and local levels have been grossly incompetent, leading us to be #1 in the world in both cases and deaths.
(2) My co-worker, in spite of all this, figures, "Hey, if it isn't closed, you might as well go, right?"
And THAT, my friends, is why COVID-19 will never be purged from the U.S.

Nylarthotep |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

Possible counterpoint. I am not saying that this rationale is behind any decisions (or lack of decisions) being made at any level of government, but work through the following possibility.
(I also am not sure I believe it. I wear my mask. I limit going out. I am not going to my gym even though he has found a few loopholes to use, etc.).
So the theory:
There is no vaccine. There may never be a vaccine. There is no cure. There may never be a cure.
The only hope for numbers to decline is through herd immunity, which may (repeat may) only be achieved through 60-70% of the population having contracted COVID-19 (or if not contracted, at least been exposed enough to develop antibodies).
Early on, the mantra was flatten the curve. With some exceptions (NYC I am looking at you), most jurisdictions did in fact lower the curve enough sufficiently to not overwhelm the available bedspace/ventilator count/personnel. There has likewise been an increase in available resources (not through any action of the governments it seems, but hospitals did, in fact, go buy more ventilators and such). The curve is "flattened" and we are racing to get to the 60-70% threshold to have herd immunity.
And by racing, I mean trying to preserve our economy with one horrible dose of shit and hoping that enough survives that we get back to some semblance of normalcy.
Contrast that with other countries that end up with low infections now, but have to go through 3-5-10 rounds of open/closing before they get anywhere near 60-70%. Meanwhile, a country that has raced to establish herd immunity may navigate the resulting world wide depression with its economy (and yes, I use that term loosely) recovering/in a position to exploit its neighbors.
Which is worse? One horrible pill? 5-6 bad doses? I do not know.
One is gambling that there is no cure and no vaccine. The other is gambling that there will be a cure or vaccine before the number of bad doses kills the country.
The reality of this fecal sandwich has strengthened the cynic in me.
There is likewise a whole different analysis if you adopt a malthusian approach to the world.

Orthos |
3 people marked this as a favorite. |

Spoiler:The only hope for numbers to decline is through herd immunity, which may (repeat may) only be achieved through 60-70% of the population having contracted COVID-19 (or if not contracted, at least been exposed enough to develop antibodies).

lisamarlene |
5 people marked this as a favorite. |

Yeah, I think the entire U.S. attitude about the coronavirus can be summed up in this conversation.
Co-worker: So, you're taking two weeks off? Are you going anywhere?
NobodysHome: Well, we were originally planning on going to Vegas and we made plans before the virus broke out, so obviously we canceled those and now I'm just going to spend the time rebuilding my garage.
CW: But... I'm pretty sure Las Vegas is open now. Why don't you go?So pretty much:
(1) The government responses at the federal, state, and local levels have been grossly incompetent, leading us to be #1 in the world in both cases and deaths.
(2) My co-worker, in spite of all this, figures, "Hey, if it isn't closed, you might as well go, right?"And THAT, my friends, is why COVID-19 will never be purged from the U.S.
You got out of having to go to Vegas.
I'd call that a win.
captain yesterday |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

NobodysHome wrote:Yeah, I think the entire U.S. attitude about the coronavirus can be summed up in this conversation.
Co-worker: So, you're taking two weeks off? Are you going anywhere?
NobodysHome: Well, we were originally planning on going to Vegas and we made plans before the virus broke out, so obviously we canceled those and now I'm just going to spend the time rebuilding my garage.
CW: But... I'm pretty sure Las Vegas is open now. Why don't you go?So pretty much:
(1) The government responses at the federal, state, and local levels have been grossly incompetent, leading us to be #1 in the world in both cases and deaths.
(2) My co-worker, in spite of all this, figures, "Hey, if it isn't closed, you might as well go, right?"And THAT, my friends, is why COVID-19 will never be purged from the U.S.
You got out of having to go to Vegas.
I'd call that a win.
Vegas is at the top of my list of places to never, ever visit under any circumstance.
There is no second place.

NobodysHome |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

(1) Yeah, I despise Vegas, so definitely a win for me.
(2)
They have provided us with that plan in great detail.
And we're not following it!!!!
We're already seeing that time helps immensely: We've got cheap steroids that dramatically reduce symptoms in the worst patients. We've seen that communities that follow social distancing and mask-wearing are vastly reducing the transmission rates to something the hospitals can handle.
And yet the U.S. is, "Damn the masks! Damn the social distancing! Full speed ahead!"
A lot of people are going to die because we're not showing the patience to do things properly. The moment a restriction is relaxed, it's, "OK! We're done! Time to par-tay!" This morning I read that mask compliance in the U.S. is at a whopping 24%.
Less than 1/4 of our population is willing to follow even the most basic of precautions to prevent an explosion that hospitals won't be able to handle.
There's rational re-opening, and there's what we're doing. I consider the two fundamentally different.

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2 people marked this as a favorite. |

Possible counterpoint. I am not saying that this rationale is behind any decisions (or lack of decisions) being made at any level of government, but work through the following possibility.
(I also am not sure I believe it. I wear my mask. I limit going out. I am not going to my gym even though he has found a few loopholes to use, etc.).
** spoiler omitted **The reality of this...

NobodysHome |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |

I continue to be astonishingly thankful to Global Megacorporation.
Can I still work from home even if my office reopens?
Your health and safety remain our first priority.
We understand there may be a variety of reasons why you want to continue to work from home even after your office is reopened, which may include feeling sick, being concerned about getting sick, having a compromised immune system (yours or someone you live with or are close to), or needing to be home for childcare.
Until further notice, employees who work in a role that can effectively be done from home should feel free to continue to do so, even after their office has been opened. Until conditions generally improve around the world, we want our employees to have the flexibility to remain productive, while also feeling safe. We ask that you continue to communicate with your manager about your work location.

NobodysHome |
3 people marked this as a favorite. |

...speaking of precautions, I have to admit, being careful has its "benefits".
Most years I'm at around 50-60 sick hours by this time. This year I'm at 24, and 12 of those were from injuring my wrist, and the rest were from January.
Self-isolation, masks, and frequent hand-washing apparently works.
Who knew?

Freehold DM |

lisamarlene wrote:NobodysHome wrote:Yeah, I think the entire U.S. attitude about the coronavirus can be summed up in this conversation.
Co-worker: So, you're taking two weeks off? Are you going anywhere?
NobodysHome: Well, we were originally planning on going to Vegas and we made plans before the virus broke out, so obviously we canceled those and now I'm just going to spend the time rebuilding my garage.
CW: But... I'm pretty sure Las Vegas is open now. Why don't you go?So pretty much:
(1) The government responses at the federal, state, and local levels have been grossly incompetent, leading us to be #1 in the world in both cases and deaths.
(2) My co-worker, in spite of all this, figures, "Hey, if it isn't closed, you might as well go, right?"And THAT, my friends, is why COVID-19 will never be purged from the U.S.
You got out of having to go to Vegas.
I'd call that a win.Vegas is at the top of my list of places to never, ever visit under any circumstance.
There is no second place.
why do you hate Vegas so much?

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I always thought I would hate Vegas, but since I now* go there 2-3 weeks per year for client meetings, I have found I actually enjoy the place. Being able to expense my travel, hotel, and meals while I am there certainly helps.
It’s like... a little trashy... but in an endearing sort of way.
(*Pre-Covid. Now? Who knows. Without saying too much, CH’s big Vegas client is in dire financial straights as a result of Covid. Even if my company started approving business travel again, all I would see in Vegas would be their abandoned office spaces. Fingers crossed that my client’s situation improves by 2021.)

lisamarlene |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

I always thought I would hate Vegas, but since I now* go there 2-3 weeks per year for client meetings, I have found I actually enjoy the place. Being able to expense my travel, hotel, and meals while I am there certainly helps.
It’s like... a little trashy... but in an endearing sort of way.
** spoiler omitted **
That's exactly what Eve says about Coney Island.
The first time she went, she and her boyfriend were goofing off on the bumper cars. There were a couple of guys there with their wives and kids who she said looked like extras from the Sopranos. When she rammed them, they started running their mouths off and threatening to "eff you up". Then they laughed and said they were just kidding.

captain yesterday |

captain yesterday wrote:why do you hate Vegas so much?lisamarlene wrote:NobodysHome wrote:Yeah, I think the entire U.S. attitude about the coronavirus can be summed up in this conversation.
Co-worker: So, you're taking two weeks off? Are you going anywhere?
NobodysHome: Well, we were originally planning on going to Vegas and we made plans before the virus broke out, so obviously we canceled those and now I'm just going to spend the time rebuilding my garage.
CW: But... I'm pretty sure Las Vegas is open now. Why don't you go?So pretty much:
(1) The government responses at the federal, state, and local levels have been grossly incompetent, leading us to be #1 in the world in both cases and deaths.
(2) My co-worker, in spite of all this, figures, "Hey, if it isn't closed, you might as well go, right?"And THAT, my friends, is why COVID-19 will never be purged from the U.S.
You got out of having to go to Vegas.
I'd call that a win.Vegas is at the top of my list of places to never, ever visit under any circumstance.
There is no second place.
Celine Dion, all the people, the bro culture that idolizes it, Celine Dion, the gambling, buffets, and Celine Dion.
The trippy lights and camp are okay, but they're only fun if you're on shrooms or something, and those days are clearly behind me.

Freehold DM |

Celestial Healer wrote:I always thought I would hate Vegas, but since I now* go there 2-3 weeks per year for client meetings, I have found I actually enjoy the place. Being able to expense my travel, hotel, and meals while I am there certainly helps.
It’s like... a little trashy... but in an endearing sort of way.
** spoiler omitted **
That's exactly what Eve says about Coney Island.
The first time she went, she and her boyfriend were goofing off on the bumper cars. There were a couple of guys there with their wives and kids who she said looked like extras from the Sopranos. When she rammed them, they started running their mouths off and threatening to "eff you up". Then they laughed and said they were just kidding.
I only go to Coney when showing it off to people visiting. Its good to go to for a hot dog at nathan's, but that's about it. Astroland unfortunately, sold out a long, long, long time ago.

Freehold DM |

Freehold DM wrote:captain yesterday wrote:why do you hate Vegas so much?lisamarlene wrote:NobodysHome wrote:Yeah, I think the entire U.S. attitude about the coronavirus can be summed up in this conversation.
Co-worker: So, you're taking two weeks off? Are you going anywhere?
NobodysHome: Well, we were originally planning on going to Vegas and we made plans before the virus broke out, so obviously we canceled those and now I'm just going to spend the time rebuilding my garage.
CW: But... I'm pretty sure Las Vegas is open now. Why don't you go?So pretty much:
(1) The government responses at the federal, state, and local levels have been grossly incompetent, leading us to be #1 in the world in both cases and deaths.
(2) My co-worker, in spite of all this, figures, "Hey, if it isn't closed, you might as well go, right?"And THAT, my friends, is why COVID-19 will never be purged from the U.S.
You got out of having to go to Vegas.
I'd call that a win.Vegas is at the top of my list of places to never, ever visit under any circumstance.
There is no second place.
Celine Dion, all the people, the bro culture that idolizes it, Celine Dion, the gambling, buffets, and Celine Dion.
The trippy lights and camp are okay, but they're only fun if you're on shrooms or something, and those days are clearly behind me.
I fully admit I want to go to the bunny ranch, but I dont know if I ever will and that is nowhere near vegas.

captain yesterday |

captain yesterday wrote:At least until the temperature goes down.Is that like in the evening, everyday?
Or do you mean the daily high? Cause I think it's going to be quite a few weeks before the temperatures are comfortable again. You're gonna need a long list.
I've been watching TV and movies for nearly thirty years and listening to music for my entire forty two years.
Coming up with a list won't be an issue.

gran rey de los mono |
How about Coyote Peterson? His real name isn't Coyote, he's a "self-described animal expert" with no real training (he went to film school), and I just find him pretty annoying.

captain yesterday |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

How about Coyote Peterson? His real name isn't Coyote, he's a "self-described animal expert" with no real training (he went to film school), and I just find him pretty annoying.
Yes.
He sounds like an a~**%$#.

NobodysHome |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

I don't know whether this is a nationwide phenomenon, or just the Bay Area, but I'm rather appalled at the utter indifference companies show towards getting new business.
I called my optometrist to order new contacts. Needless to say, their office is closed to regular business and I had to leave a message of, "Hi! I just want to order a new supply of my existing prescription!"
It's about a 10-minute job for them (I've stood at the counter while they do it) with a $40 profit margin, so $240/hour. Not a bad gig. But of course, they never call back and I doubt I'll see any new contacts until they re-open in September.
Because responding to messages is hard.
Similarly, I called a repair place to get both my dishwasher and my stovetop repaired. I figure that's around $1200 in business right there. Again, "leave a message" and you leave a message and never get a callback.
With unemployment still over 10%, you'd think they could find SOMEONE capable of checking their message machine and calling back potential customers with even something as simple as a, "We're really swamped right now so it's a 3-week waiting list..."

Limeylongears |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |

captain yesterday wrote:I can see repairmen driving through neighborhoods real slow, banging their wrenches on the door of their car to let people know they mean business.In Wisconsin you wouldn't even need to leave a message.
The repairmen would be at your house within ten minutes.
Around here, tradespeople skip down the streets with signs around their necks, ringing bells or sounding horns while chanting, 'Marry I'll wire in your porch-light, kind sir, sparky sparky spark oooooo' , or 'Plungers have I! Plungers have I! To unblock your crapper, stout plungers have I!'
Everybody hates it, especially them.

NobodysHome |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

Signs that NobodysHome Lives in an Alternate Reality #348:
Yesterday was July 1, meaning it was time to check the Celica's tires and recharge its battery. The trickle charger plugs in to the cigarette lighter, meaning you have to leave the key in the ignition for the entire charging time. I usually disconnect everything overnight, but last night I thought, "Meh. If someone wants to break into a 24-year-old stick shift just to steal it, more power to them."
Needless to say, the Celica remains safe and sound in front of my house, in spite of spending the night outside with the key in the ignition and an obvious power cord running into it.

NobodysHome |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

In Wisconsin you wouldn't even need to leave a message.
The repairmen would be at your house within ten minutes.
Well, the Bay Area's initial "blanket shutdown" supposedly even applied to most contractors (heating, plumbing, and electrical were exempted). So possibly repair places are swamped with a backlog of business. But I'm skeptical, primarily since most contractors just said, "Well, I once rewired a porchlight so I'm an electrical contractor and therefore an essential business."
And at least on-site, they're pretty much dead-on that they're low-to-no risk. I don't think I got within 10' of the guys rebuilding our deck and pergola for the entire time they were here. It was just, "Unlock the back gate at 8:00 am, they go in, work in the back yard 'til 5:00 pm, occasionally coming in to use the bathroom, then leave and close the gate behind them."
They were very conscious that their livelihoods depended on them staying safe, so they were nice and paranoid about interacting with the homeowners.
I appreciated it.