COVID-19 III: No Politics For Thee

[Daniel A]

I don't really understand this. Everything else aside, if you're about to eat you can't wear a mask. I get the part that their dismissive comment can be perceived as offensive and I don't defend violent acts, but how could anyone expect them to wear a mask when they are about to eat? 

[Brad]

I’m not a fan of people who don’t wear masks but you just don’t throw coffee in people’s faces. Frankly, I don’t bother to tell people they should wear a mask. I’m not interested in confrontation and they’re not going to change their minds. 

[JSngry]

I don't understand why it's so hard to just, like, look ahead, know where you don't want to be, and then make sure you don't be there.

[Brad]

19 minutes ago, Matthew said:

But then the lawyer produces a ton of experts and articles stating that masks are worthless -- verdict: innocent. This country's Covid response is a mess right now, and I don't see it getting better or more coherent any time soon either.

Couldn’t agree more. Why people don’t understand that mask wearing helps us beyond me. Actually, it’s not. It’s politics over science. It’s predicted that up to half of the population may refuse a vaccine.  I wish I could leave this country, I really do. What a hellhole. 

[JSngry]

11 minutes ago, bresna said:

Someone walks onto a front lawn with an unloaded gun and aims it at the homeowner. It's useless without bullets, so as an object that can possibly hurt or kill you, this particular one cannot. And yet if the homeowner pulled his or her loaded gun and dropped that person, they'd be completely exonerated in court.

Or as it pertains to this incident, you're walking down the street and you see some crazyass MAGAnites out in their front yard having a cup of coffee with their arsenal by their side. Anybody with common sense would at the very least start walking on the other side of the road, if not walk over to another street altogether.

But no, you not only keep walking your route, you stop to tell the MAGAnites what idiots they are. You're right, of course, but you already know that, and you already know that they don't give a damn what you think. And yet you do it anyway.

You're a dumbass, then. And they are still idiots. So, uh, yeah, voluntarily compounding the insanity, thanks for leaving it worse than when you found it.

Sorry, no sympathy here, for anybody involved. Herd needs to be thinned on all sides.

 

6 minutes ago, bresna said:

The more people that die from this pandemic is creating more & more people who are getting sick of these careless people who threaten us every time we go out.

Uh, maybe try either not going out so much, or being more selective about where you go out, or maybe even, god forbid, pay attention to what's going on where you are?

Maybe, don't depend on everybody having good sense and giving a fuck about other people? Becuase, you know, what's any different about people now than they ever have been? Ass holes gonna ass hole, right?

If I expect an asshole to suddenly be concerned about my personal safety, then...that's on me for indulging in magical thinking.

[JSngry]

Or, you know, keep your safe distance, give your look, know who the idiot is, and just walk on by. Just keep walking the fuck on by.

That shouldn't be too difficult to do for any self-disciplined adult. 

[Matthew]

50 minutes ago, bresna said:

Masks are worthless... OK... let's try this...

Someone walks onto a front lawn with an unloaded gun and aims it at the homeowner. It's useless without bullets, so as an object that can possibly hurt or kill you, this particular one cannot. And yet if the homeowner pulled his or her loaded gun and dropped that person, they'd be completely exonerated in court.

We need to stop acting like everyone without a mask is somehow "unarmed". They could very well be asymptomatic.

Purposefully ignoring my point... I thought you were smarter than that. I haven't had to use the ignore function in a long time... bout time to start again.

I never said masks are worthless, what I meant was that any charge against not wearing masks is going to face a whole lot of experts and articles stating the contrary, so a person, most likely, will beat the charge. Personally, with a 82 year old mother, believe me, I where a mask every time and anywhere I go.

[Dan Gould]

55 minutes ago, bresna said:

Masks are worthless... OK... let's try this...

Someone walks onto a front lawn with an unloaded gun and aims it at the homeowner. It's useless without bullets, so as an object that can possibly hurt or kill you, this particular one cannot. And yet if the homeowner pulled his or her loaded gun and dropped that person, they'd be completely exonerated in court.

We need to stop acting like everyone without a mask is somehow "unarmed". They could very well be asymptomatic.

Purposefully ignoring my point... I thought you were smarter than that. I haven't had to use the ignore function in a long time... bout time to start again.

Kevin I hope you take me off Ignore long enough to read this:

Number one, I reacted specifically to your comments - AIDS sufferer spitting on someone = assault, therefore, maskless person who could be contagious = guilty of assault.  And,

"In many states, someone threatening your life allows you to legally shoot them dead."

So, shoot the maskless.  The idea that I have purposefully ignored your point is beyond lunacy.

You should really read and re-read Jim's posts in this exchange because he is exactly spot-on. But no, you think that everyone who is maskless must be berated and if it takes some hot coffee in a face, that's just fine.

44 minutes ago, bresna said:

Notice where this video starts. It starts where the person taking the video and the Fox affiliate wants it to start. We have no idea what happened before then.

 

Except that after the altercation part shown at the top of the report, you DO see the start of the interaction beginning with 'y'all should be wearing your masks." Which is precisely where the other two say the interaction started. And if they had said or done anything before then to provoke, why would you hear a fairly innocuous (if obnoxious) reminder about mask wearing? 

If they said anything obnoxious or aggessive, you'd hear something like "Hey idiot Trumpers, even your President says to wear a mask!"

The idea that something is missing from this video only shows your desperation to excuse the actions of the two Karens.  

[JSngry]

48 minutes ago, bresna said:

My sister-in-law uses this analogy... If someone had a jar with 10,000 delicious jelly beans and told you that 2 of them had cyanide in them, would you eat any?

My answer is "No way!!".

That should be everyone's answer.

No, it should be #how much cyanide, and how do you know it's just 2?".

People are too quick to stop asking questions.

[JSngry]

My answer then is "I think you might be bullshitting me to keep them all for yourself, but those aren't the only jellybeans in the world, I'll get my own, thank you. Bon apetit, bon chance, and au revoir".

I mean, engagement with bullshit is only occasionally not an option.

[medjuck]

https://www.independent.com/2020/08/06/testing-remain-a-major-problem-in-santa-barbara-county/

This is, of course, only anecdotal but it does suggest that the number of infections is under-reported which would mean that if the death toll is accurate then the death rate from covid is lower than reported.   OTOH  what is listed as the cause of death if you've never been tested?   In any case it sure sounds like it's a lot worse than the flu or even pneumonia. 

 

 

12 hours ago, JSngry said:

My answer then is "I think you might be bullshitting me to keep them all for yourself, but those aren't the only jellybeans in the world, I'll get my own, thank you. Bon apetit, bon chance, and au revoir".

I mean, engagement with bullshit is only occasionally not an option.

Says the guy who has reacted strongly enough to other people's posts that they've left  the board. 

Edited August 9, 2020 by medjuck

[JSngry]

Exactly. People went and got their own jelly beans.

[Jim Duckworth]

But one can find oneself in a difficult situation as did Mrs. Duckworth last week.  She was swimming at an out of town friend's house when unmasked landscapers arrived.  They seemed to take it as a personal affront that Mrs. Duckworth was wearing a mask and after several tense minutes as she gathered her things to leave, one of the fellows intentionally coughed on her.  

[JSngry]

That's when you go fullfrontal hardcore on their sorry asses. They came into your space and did not respect it. Not only did they not respect it, the deliberately provocitated an a t of aggression.

I would also go after the property owner and question her command of the situation as well. Friend or no friend, she needs to set the rules for her property and her geusts should know what to expect.

This "personal responsibility" thing...I don't think that Americans (and I only speak of them because they are all I know), have been inculcated with that notion in even the slightest degree. If something needs done, we look to somebody else to do it for us. If it goes wrong, we blame them. If  we are doing something for somebody else and it goes wrong, we blame the plan, like, hey, I;m just doing what I was told.

This is very much a time where we all need to take responsibility - personal responsibility - for damn near every aspect of our behaviors, up to and including knowing what we are going to do to avoid the actions of others.

You gotta be militant about this shit, not raggedly aggressive towards others, but militant about yourself.

[Big Beat Steve]

41 minutes ago, JSngry said:

This "personal responsibility" thing...I don't think that Americans (and I only speak of them because they are all I know), have been inculcated with that notion in even the slightest degree. If something needs done, we look to somebody else to do it for us. If it goes wrong, we blame them.

Ha ... you made me snicker there ... As an OFF-TOPIC side note, this is exactly what neighbors down the street more than once complained about with regard to a succession of American (military) people who, finding it more comfortable (and prestigious?) to "live on the economy",  rented a next-door apartment in a multi-apartment house down the street here (the nearest US post and their place of work is about 3 miles from here, so this apartment was passed on through several US Army families through the years). "Inconsiderate", I think, is the word. None of them were missed over the years when their respective tour of duty ended ... Too bad, an occasion missed (or several, rather) ...

Edited August 9, 2020 by Big Beat Steve

[Brad]

12 hours ago, Jim Duckworth said:

But one can find oneself in a difficult situation as did Mrs. Duckworth last week.  She was swimming at an out of town friend's house when unmasked landscapers arrived.  They seemed to take it as a personal affront that Mrs. Duckworth was wearing a mask and after several tense minutes as she gathered her things to leave, one of the fellows intentionally coughed on her.  

Hope she and/or you took it up with the authorities and hope she’s ok. 

[Matthew]

I've been wondering what "close contact" is, so I looked it up on the CDC Website. I found it helpful in my understanding of the term.

 

Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.

Data are limited to precisely define the “prolonged exposure” to determine “close contact”, however 15 minutes of close exposure can be used as an operational definition for contact investigation. Factors to consider when defining close contact include proximity, the duration of exposure (e.g., longer exposure time likely increases exposure risk), whether the individual has symptoms (e.g., coughing likely increases exposure risk) and whether either the case patient or contact were wearing an N95 respirator (which can efficiently block respiratory secretions from contaminating others and the environment). At this time, differential determination of close contact for those using fabric face coverings is not recommended.

In healthcare settings, it is reasonable to define a prolonged exposure as any exposure greater than 15 minutes because the contact is someone who is ill. Brief interactions are less likely to result in transmission; however, symptoms and the type of interaction (e.g., did the person cough directly into the face of the individual) remain important.

[Big Beat Steve]

O.K., and now you add the definition of "operational determination" and "differential determination" to make it really clear.

[Jim Duckworth]

11 hours ago, Brad said:

Hope she and/or you took it up with the authorities and hope she’s ok. 

The worst part (so far) is the fact that she has only been away from our house a couple of times since very early March and was unprepared for the red flag effect that a facemask can engender among certain sections of the population.  

[catesta]

On 8/8/2020 at 2:05 PM, Daniel A said:

I don't really understand this. Everything else aside, if you're about to eat you can't wear a mask. I get the part that their dismissive comment can be perceived as offensive and I don't defend violent acts, but how could anyone expect them to wear a mask when they are about to eat? 

Right, and it's not like they were inside. 

I wonder, how was the woman wearing a mask drinking her coffee? Did she drink some of that coffee before she threw it in the dude's face? If so, there was most certainly some of her saliva in it. tsk tsk 

[JSngry]

46 minutes ago, Jim Duckworth said:

The worst part (so far) is the fact that she has only been away from our house a couple of times since very early March and was unprepared for the red flag effect that a facemask can engender among certain sections of the population.  

If this was at a friend's house, was the friend not aware that workers were coming? Did said friend not set expectations with the landscaping company that sent the workers?

There should not have been any surprises here.

[medjuck]

American Exceptionalism:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/us-coronavirus-response-disbelief-abroad/507-08980dd1-a9aa-41f0-8158-da8c1268e553

[Brad]

22 minutes ago, JSngry said:

If this was at a friend's house, was the friend not aware that workers were coming? Did said friend not set expectations with the landscaping company that sent the workers?

There should not have been any surprises here.

That’s just a fucked up situation. It’s one thing if a person doesn’t want to wear a mask, quite another when they go out of their way and commit an assault. 

10 minutes ago, medjuck said:

American Exceptionalism:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/us-coronavirus-response-disbelief-abroad/507-08980dd1-a9aa-41f0-8158-da8c1268e553

I fear that if Trump is re-elected the sky will be the limit on cases and deaths. 

[ghost of miles]

Big Ten votes to cancel fall football season

... following on the heels of the Mid-American Conference. I doubt they’ll be the last, either. Maybe spring football instead—around the time we hit the 300,000 deaths mark in this country. (Actually we’ll probably pass that number well before the spring.) As the Washington Nationals’ Sean Doolittle has so aptly put it, “Sports is the reward of a functioning society.”

1 hour ago, medjuck said:

American Exceptionalism:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/us-coronavirus-response-disbelief-abroad/507-08980dd1-a9aa-41f0-8158-da8c1268e553

Ironic that the same bombastic blowhards who constantly wrap themselves in the flag (sometimes literally) and their ideology in general are doing so much to accelerate this country’s decline. 

[Brad]

I can’t see how there will be NFL football this year although the pundits and sports talk stations are acting as if there will be.