Coronavirus ~ COVID-19

[Bèsame*]

California just went shelter in place, entire state.

[Kelt]

Originally Posted by Bèsame*

California just went shelter in place, entire state.

Wow, no kidding. My emergency services app on my phone for the state just pinged me, no advance notice, not happening tomorrow or the next day. Right now.

Frankly I’m glad.

[Kelt]

Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here’s How.

https://apple.news/A9-yIRjUIQeu5NbwfsOrElw

I hope this link works, if not it’s from Politico magazine.

Interesting that I was reading this article right when I was getting notified of lockdown. Everything is speculation now, but I think a number of the ideas put forth in this article will be prescient.

[Kätzchen]

Originally Posted by Kelt

Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here’s How.

https://apple.news/A9-yIRjUIQeu5NbwfsOrElw

I hope this link works, if not it’s from Politico magazine.

Interesting that I was reading this article right when I was getting notified of lockdown. Everything is speculation now, but I think a number of the ideas put forth in this article will be prescient.

Kelt? I'm still reading the article you posted and I simply find myself nodding in agreement with this person: Tom Nichols, Professor at the US Naval War College and author of The Death of Expertise.

And I quote, Mr. Nichols:

The COVID-19 crisis could change this in two ways. First, it has already forced people back to accepting that expertise matters. It was easy to sneer at experts until a pandemic arrived, and then people wanted to hear from medical professionals like Anthony Fauci. Second, it may—one might hope—return Americans to a new seriousness, or at least move them back toward the idea that government is a matter for serious people. The colossal failure of the Trump administration both to keep Americans healthy and to slow the pandemic-driven implosion of the economy might shock the public enough back to insisting on something from government other than emotional satisfaction.

That is a profound observation offered by Mr. Tom Nichols.

Here is what I agree with wholeheartedly, the passage offered by Eric Klinenberg:

Less individualism.

Eric Klinenberg is professor of sociology and director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University. He is the author, most recently, of Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life.


The coronavirus pandemic marks the end of our romance with market society and hyper-individualism. We could turn toward authoritarianism. Imagine President Donald Trump trying to suspend the November election. Consider the prospect of a military crackdown. The dystopian scenario is real. But I believe we will go in the other direction. We’re now seeing the market-based models for social organization fail, catastrophically, as self-seeking behavior (from Trump down) makes this crisis so much more dangerous than it needed to be.


When this ends, we will reorient our politics and make substantial new investments in public goods—for health, especially—and public services. I don’t think we will become less communal. Instead, we will be better able to see how our fates are linked. The cheap burger I eat from a restaurant that denies paid sick leave to its cashiers and kitchen staff makes me more vulnerable to illness, as does the neighbor who refuses to stay home in a pandemic because our public school failed to teach him science or critical thinking skills. The economy—and the social order it helps support—will collapse if the government doesn’t guarantee income for the millions of workers who will lose their jobs in a major recession or depression. Young adults will fail to launch if government doesn’t help reduce or cancel their student debt. The coronavirus pandemic is going to cause immense pain and suffering. But it will force us to reconsider who we are and what we value, and, in the long run, it could help us rediscover the better version of ourselves.

Thanks for that article, it's a mighty good read.

[Kelt]

I do think that this will be an event like 9/11 or the 2008 recession.

Going forward we will speak of things as either “Before the virus“ or “After the virus“.

[Kätzchen]

Originally Posted by Kelt

I do think that this will be an event like 9/11 or the 2008 recession.

Going forward we will speak of things as either “Before the virus“ or “After the virus“.

I definitely agree with you, Kelt. Thank you for supplying that gem of an article. It is loaded with lots of perspective that enables a person to readily see exactly what has been on their minds, all along -- at least, that is how I feel about the article you posted. I'm still reading it, lol.

Here is another gem by film maker and author, Astra Taylor. And I quote:

The rules we’ve lived by won’t all apply.

Astra Taylor is a filmmaker and author of Democracy May Not Exist, but We’ll Miss It When It’s Gone.


America’s response to coronavirus pandemic has revealed a simple truth: So many policies that our elected officials have long told us were impossible and impractical were eminently possible and practical all along. In 2011, when Occupy Wall Street activists demanded debt cancellation for student loans and medical debt, they were laughed at by many in the mainstream media. In the intervening years, we have continued to push the issue and have consistently been told our demands were unrealistic. Now, we know that the “rules” we have lived under were unnecessary, and simply made society more brittle and unequal.


All along, evictions were avoidable; the homeless could’ve been housed and sheltered in government buildings; water and electricity didn’t need to be turned off for people behind on their bills; paid sick leave could‘ve been a right for all workers; paying your mortgage late didn’t need to lead to foreclosure; and debtors could’ve been granted relief. President Donald Trump has already put a freeze on interest for federal student loans, while New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has paused all medical and student debt owed to New York State. Democrats and Republicans are discussing suspending collection on—or outright canceling—student loans as part of a larger economic stimulus package.


It’s clear that in a crisis, the rules don’t apply—which makes you wonder why they are rules in the first place. This is an unprecedented opportunity to not just hit the pause button and temporarily ease the pain, but to permanently change the rules so that untold millions of people aren’t so vulnerable to begin with.

Ms. Taylor is spot on. I totally agree with her line of thought.

Thanks so much for providing a link to that article. So much to appreciate and the message is timely too.

[charley]

On a beautiful sunny day, I took a little walk and... on my way out of the nearby drugstore, I immediately stopped to put some hand sanitizer on when I saw one of the homeless sitting on a bench, perhaps in his 40s, looking like in his 50s. I was about 40' away, he was coughing badly and then started spitting out some awful phlegm. He took out his cigarettes to smoke and then started coughing again, and spitting, and put his cigarettes away - can you imagine being too sick to smoke... I spoke with someone who told me that there are now @ 3 confirmed cases of covid-19 in our immediate area, but the "authorities" won't say exactly where. I have tried online to see where exactly, but the info is mysteriously missing. I'm glad I have stocked up. I hope everyone else has as well. I am cleaning my doorknobs, etc. It will be at least a year before they get a vaccine going, I can't wait. The only one good thing is that all the medical researchers (like that Dr. Ho who I saw on Rachel Maddow) are all working at a mad pace to find a vaccine. My god go with them.

I miss take-out pizza! (My pizza place is now only open in the evenings...)

[Bèsame*]

Income Tax dead line to file has been moved to July 15, 2020.

Whew..I have way to many forms to file this year!

[Orema]

Originally Posted by Bèsame*

California just went shelter in place, entire state.

I’ll start working home tomorrow, but will need to go into the office at some point to get some equipment.

My cable company is suspending data overage charges till May 15, 2020 to all subscribers to help people and students working from home. That helps me a lot. I have limited data. Enough to watch high def movies on multiple devices but not enough to download a gazillion gigs. Was going to negotiate unlimited data at iHome into my next performance review (which is overdue) but that’s not happening till the company is on better ground.

Would love to go in the office and get some equipment. I’ll probably have to make due with the equipment I have at home till the restircitions are lifted.

[Bèsame*]

On the other side, 7 people have recovered the virus in my area. They tested negative twice now.

My cell phone company, T- Mobile is giving everyone unlimited data so that we can all stay connected.

I'll be one of those going to work to help provide essentials. I've been washing my hands and stepping back. I'm taking my temp every morning as well.